I moved away from home three times in my life. First, when I was 13 years old. The second time I moved to my university town to study when I was 19 and the third time was when I moved here, to Sydney, one year ago, with 23.
One year, that’s not just a random amount of time to pick for celebrating an anniversary. For some reason, after one year at a new place something clicks and everything becomes clearer and I feel like I am home.
In nature, the cycle repeats itself, even here in Australia, where the seasons are a lot blurrier than in Germany. I was stunned by the beauty of the purple blossoming Jacarandas in spring in Sydney one year ago, today I see it and it gives me a warm feeling of familiarity: “I have been here before.”
Jacaranda – photographed one year ago
I celebrated my 24th birthday and my first wedding anniversary here.
Exactly one year ago I picked up my camera and decided I wanted to be a photographer. The whole last year I spent building my portfolio and establishing myself as a photographer. Nothing could go fast enough. I constantly felt like I had failed myself and had fallen behind on the road to reaching my goals. Looking back I am amazed how far I’ve come in just a year! I learnt an important new life lesson: Some things I can’t do overnight and I am not supposed to! Never in my life before I had to work hard for something longer than a few weeks. As a student I spent 15 hours a day in the university library for three weeks, then three weeks sleeping, repeat. A life between extremes.
Butterfly chain on a fence – discovered and photographed one year ago in Newtown, Sydney.
Balance is my number one struggle in life. When I am committed I give 100%. All or nothing.
It is a work-in-progress but after a year I finally feel a sense of routine and I even dare to say there might be a bit of balance present, now and then.
I know I will spend next year growing in all different ways and constantly improving. I also know nothing will feel like it will be enough and I will be impatient and there will be times when I feel like I am letting myself down and then, in one year, I will hopefully look back and realise that it was enough – for now…
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