Katrina Meyer | Omaha, NE Photographer

Portrait and Wedding Photographer

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Mastering the Fear

4.15.2014

“Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear

– not absence of fear.”

-Mark Twain

A couple months ago my husband and I went to Maui to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. One of my most favorite things we did while we were there was the scenic drive to the Haleakala Summit. Haleakala is a 1.1 million year old volcano that forms 75% of Maui and has an elevation of 10,023 ft. Usually, I am not afraid of heights at all, but on this particular drive my fears got the best of me.

After an hour of switch backs and blind curves, and literally driving through clouds, my nerves were at their peak. My heart was racing as if I’d just finished a 5K. My sweaty palms were clenched so tightly to the door handle that my husband kept looking at me, asking if I was ok and if I wanted to stop and turn back. Once we got to the national park gate, I thought to myself “Yes, OMG I did it” … then the gate guard turns to us and says, “Ok you’ve got about another 30 minutes more to go.”

I thought I was going to burst into tears.

My husband looked over at me and said, “We don’t have to go if you don’t want to. We can stop right here, take a break and turn back.”

I looked at him and sighed, “No, we need to keep going.”

Even though every part of me just wanted to close my eyes and wish us back down at sea level.  He held my sweaty palms in his, looked at me and said, “I won’t let anything happen to us.” and we drove forward … and of course the switch backs, got more frequent, the blind curves were more blind, the guard rails that reminded you were the edge of the road was, disappeared leaving no barrier between you and the clouds.

Maui, Hawaii, Katrina Meyer Photography, Wedding and Destination Photographer

When we finally reached the summit, my wobbly knees were more then happy to feel solid ground and we walked over to where all the other bystanders were and saw a thin layer of fog, and wondered what everyone was looking it. Then, like a dreamy fog lifting from a sleepy forest, the clouds disappeared and revealed the most amazing thing I’ve seen in my life. It was like looking at a different planet!

I realized right there that it was all worth it. Honestly, my anxiety and having to work through it during the drive, made that view even more special to me. Some times it’s the things that we work hardest at that are the most rewarding. So the next time you are scared to move forward and to jump into your next adventure remember to master your fear and get out of your own way. It’s when we believe in ourselves and in our abilities that we can conquer anything.

Maui, Hawaii, Katrina Meyer Photography, Wedding and Destination Photographer

Maui, Hawaii, Katrina Meyer Photography, Wedding and Destination Photographer

Want to read more stories on how to celebrate and embrace your #sentimentallife? Check out these wonderful people: Tori Pintar, Jessica Eileen, Rachel Abelson, Cindy Harter, Jen Snyder, Amanda Red, Gregory Byerline, Debbie Leanne

Filed Under: Courageous, Intimate Leave a Comment

An Intimate Beach Ceremony

4.9.2014

Albert and Carolyn have been a couple for many years and when it was finally time to say their I Do’s, they decided to leave the frigid Pennsylvania winter to have an intimate ceremony on the beaches of Waikiki.

In the afternoon we spent together, it was clear how much these two loved each other. Albert couldn’t help but grin each time his eyes met Carolyn’s. It was a short and sweet ceremony, with a handful of loved ones witnessing the beginning of a new chapter of their fairy tale and the love that radiated between the two of them, could span the entire Hawaiian Islands.

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Katrina Meyer Photography, Hawaii Destination Wedding Photographer

Filed Under: Intimate, Romantic, Weddings Leave a Comment

My Journey Begins Today

2.11.2014

When you’ve been married for 10 years, it’s safe to say that my husband and I know each other pretty well. It was him who knew before I did how much I REALLY love being an entrepreneur, and it was under his encouragement that I attend a business workshop in Colorado. A unique type of workshop with a unique name, Fight Club, with a goal of teaching you how to work Happily Ever After (and when the words Happily Ever After are involved I’m immediately drawn).

I was reluctant at first. Attending the workshop meant it would be the first time I would not be sleeping under the same roof with my 6 and 3 year old. I sat in the airport terminal on FaceTime with tears in my eyes, wondering how I could possibly get on that plane and miss the next 4 days of their little lives.

The plane started to board and with a heavy heart, and a tiny bit of courage, I got off the phone and boarded the plane. I arrived in Denver with butterflies in my stomach. I believed I was there to learn how to work happily ever after, so when Jeff Jochum  asked the 7 of us workshop attendees to define ourselves (not our roles) in 3 words, not our business, … ourselves, I was dumbfounded.  How was this suppose to help me work happily ever after?

Our final task of the three day workshop was to broadcast live via the internet, and tell all of our peers who we were and what we stood for. Was I ready? NO! We went into rehearsals and while the others went before me, I sat and stared at the pages of my notebook, trying to piece the things I had written and put it all together for a one minute presentation …  LIVE! … Then, I saw it. It was staring at me the whole time. My own words, scribbled then crossed off, and rewritten again …

I AM  Romantic.

 

 I AM  Intimate.

 

I AM Courageous.

 

 I believe in  Writing My Own Fairy Tales.

 

It took 3 more months of prying with Jeff and my mentor Sarah to truly find myself and to understand why I do the things I do. Why I love the things I love. Why my business is important. Why it matters. Why I matter. It all came together. My Who and my Why. I CELEBRATE DEVOTION TO TRUE LOVE and I want to celebrate it with couples who believe in writing their own fairy tales.

My Journey Begins Today
Starbucks and a Pepperidge Farm cookie never fails to inspire. 🙂

Filed Under: Courageous, Intimate, My Fairy-tale, Romantic Leave a Comment

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