Week 52-Squam Lake II

The last and final photo. My son, Jack (chief photographer), Gypsy on the kayak and my toes.
In closing, alas, a perfect toe point!  My coach would be proud.
Below were my goals for this venture. I stated these goals on September 13, 2009.

1.  Succeed in actually taking one photo a week.
2.  Maintain a 5 second handstand.
3.  Maintain a 10 second handstand.
4.  Not to make this blog too "self promoting," to include interesting people, places and things while     making a mini-autobiography of the year, August 2009-August 2010.
5.  Get creative with the photos.


1. Well, not quite!  85 %
2. Check
3. Check
4. I will leave behind a pictorial and historical snapshot of 8/09-8/10. Check!
5. Definitley, Check.  Thanks to all my photographers and photo shopper!


I am sad and relieved to see the end to the year in handstand photos!  It was very challenging to get to the photos in the last few weeks of the summer when I was working full time at the pool!  One of the reasons I wanted to do this blog was to take my mind off my mother's ailing health, so I could focus on something "lighter," but in addition to that, also to make a commiment to something.  A commitment to something I could actually commit too.  My husband would surely say,"You already commit to an extensive exercise program! Why this too?" Commitments and goals give us something to look forward to and to focus on.  I have a wandering mind.  I am always looking for the next thing!  When you are looking for the next thing, but don't know what it is you are lost.  It helps to have a focus to achieve your goal whether it is big or small.  After my 148 miles bike ride from Quincy MA to Windsor VT my husband asked me, "What's next?" Surprisingly, he hasn't asked me, in reference to the blog,"So, What's next?" 
I have had 2 thoughts on what might be next.  I have been on a Jack London kick lately.   I hear that there has been a Biography written about him recently.  I entertained the thought of trying to write a specific number of words each day.  Jack London was said to have written 1000 words a day!  This entry has 378 so far.  Don't know if I can commit to that.  The other thought I have is a blog of vintage sign photos.   I love vintage signs!  I would like to start a collection of vintage sign photos and perhaps pursue the history of them as I come across them.  No dead line each week!  Sounds marvelous!  Definitley something I can commit too!


Finally, I will still practice my handstands and on occasion take photos of them and post them here.  Maybe I will post some that never made the cut.  It's been fun!  Thanks for following!


Photographer: Dan Donovan
Location: Squam Lake

Week 51-Squam Lake I

Last year about this time one of the first few handstand photos was taken in my house with my nephew balanced on my toes. Here I am at Squam Lake in NH with my nephew, brother and sister-in-law hanging around "at my hands" at the dock.  We had a lot of fun out here on the dock rocking it, doing cartwheels off of it, swimming out to it and sunning on it.  I was fortunate to have both my brothers and their families come and enjoy a family vacation on Squam Lake this year.  The two babies, my nephew at 15 months and my niece at 8 months, had a swell time floating around in the little intertube you see near the dock.  My nephew was also a fan of the Shock Rocker!  It's a giant intertube with a center cut out where he could dangle his feet.

Photgrapher: Dan Donovan
Location: Squam Lake NH

Week 50-The Ice Cream cloud

This was taken at dusk and as you can see I could not hold perfectly still for the camera, but pretty close. Jack asked us to all come outside to check out this cloud so I said (as I often have over the last year) "Let's get a handstand photo." I was hoping one of the bats swooping around our yard would accidently get caught in the photo! No such luck.

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Location: Backyard

Week 49-Outdoor Shower Complete!

This shower, built by my husband, Danny, has been in the works since last summer. I had the idea of the shower stall as a round wooden structure. "Possibly with a stone wall at the base," I said to my husband. I believe I may have caught him rolling his eyes at the stone wall suggestion. The plumber/slash/ Harley guy took my vision and made it a reality. The circular bands are old wagon wheels with 2 inch redwood boards (to which he also rolled his eyes) are screwed on to form the round stall. A job only for a big stong guy! He and Jack went through several drill bits in the process. They had to cut the circular bands to make the door. They cut them then welded the end pieces on one side and attached the door with hinges on the other. The shower floor is gravel with a large slab of stone over the gravel. It's fabulous! (and so is my handstand)

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Location: Backyard

week 48-Summer Flowers

In a field of Black Eyed Susan's near my house.

Just trying to get the job done in these last few weeks while I am working full time at the pool!

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Week 47-Seriooously behind in POSTS and handstands!

This is a mish mash of photos. I am going back to what I think is my best handstand so far and my friend Tracy's perfect handstand. Still working on perfection! And a photo of my B2B buddies just before we left Boston.

Alright, it's just no fun when I am behind in my handstand displays. It's like when I haven't called my mother in the last few days or when I keep putting off playing the bills, but hey, I rode 148 miles in one day last Saturday, so I am going to use that as an excuse and promise to get back on track.

On June 19th I did the B2B which is an epic ride from the Harpoon Brewery in Boston to the Harpoon Brewery in Windsor, Vermont. To even enter the ride you have to guarantee that you will ride at 16+mph. I declared that I would go out with the 17 mph riders with a couple of friends, Chad and Mark. Over the course of the ride there is 4500 feet of elevation climbing. The 90th mile brings a ~5 mile climb of which one of the Harpoon beers is named after, a beer that is an _ _ _ kicker, known as Leviathon. As I approached that hill I was thankful my friend Amy got me out to the White Mountains to climb the Kangamangus Highway because Leviathon seemed a breeze compared to that. I am sure they are very similar, but once you have conquered something like that it just doesn't seem so scary the next time around!

I finished in 10 hours with about an hour and a half of rest/water&food stops. I rode at just over 18 mph average for the ride, which is very cool, very happy about that! My legs were tired and a bit sore for the next few days, but no more sore than after some of my grueling training rides. The last few days I have been enjoying some easy rides on my single speed, riding back and forth to my summer job. Not sure what my next big ride will be. I am thinking about maybe riding to NYC, but not all in one day.

Week 46-Handstand with Arley and My 1968 Schwinn

My daughter Arley and I are in a handstand next to my/Jack's new vintage bike. Arley is know stranger to handstands. During her first year of track in high school she did some training with the pole vaulters and spent a lot of time working on handstands. She says she is a little out of practice, but she is workin' it here and looks pretty darn good! She is home from college for the summer. We are going to practice doing a back to back handstand. We haven't tried it yet. Hopefully it will be a success before the 52 weeks are up so we can include it in the blog! I might have to get my handstand coach back for some dual handstand training.

The bike is a 1968 Schwinn Racer. Check out the hunkie men who used to ride the Schwinn Racer back in the 60's http://www.re-cycle.com/images/Schwinn/1968cat/12w.jpg Jack had asked Danny to look for a bike at the dump that he could tootle around on and ride down the bike path on. This is what Danny came back with. I fell in love with it. Had to have it! Now, Jack and I are working out the terms of ownership. I have purchased some new tubes, tires and brake pads. I have been scrubbing off the rust and grime with some steel wool. It will be ready to roll soon! It has a shifter on the handle bars with three gears that are a mystery to me. I have to read up on this type of shifting mechanism, it appears the gears are hidden inside the hub. There are no chain rings that create the shifting.

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Location: backyard

Week 45-Handstand with my dog.

Just a handstand in my backyard with my dog Gypsy. I can't imagine what's on her mind. Probably, "I think you should cover your belly." or "You should really try using both legs and arms on the ground, like me. It's really much easier than walking on your hands."

Photographer: Dan Donovan

Location: My backyard

Week 44-Cranking the Kanc-White Mountain Adventure

"Crank the Kanc" is actually a well known hill climb Time Trial well known to cyclists in New England which my friends Amy, Renee and I did not do! However, we are all preparing for cycling events that require a lot of hill climbing. Amy and Renee are training to complete the Mount Washington Road Race which is a 7.6 mile climb up Mount Washington with an average grade of 11.5%, extended grades of 18% and it finishes up with the last 50 yards at 22%. People pay good money to do this! Remarkable isn't it? I am doing something a little more sane. I will be biking 148 miles in one day for a good IPA at the end. The beer is free and I did not have to pay nearly as much as my friends to enter the event.

Amy mapped out an 80 mile ride that took us on our adventure over the Memorial Day weekend. There were some great mountain climbs and beautiful vistas of the White Mountains, waterfalls and rivers. We climbed Bear Notch Hill Rd, the Kangamangus Hwy, then into Loon Mtn area, through Franconia Notch and the Flume, past Twin Mountains and down through Crawford Notch! It was a specatcular and challenging ride!

My very first handstand photo for this blog was taken at the top of Mt Hale at Twin Mountain in the White Mountains last August. I have gone all the way back to the seed of this blog which is kind of cool. I had no idea I would be climbing these mountains by bike at the time I planted this seed last year. I will try not to get too philosophical here, but I love how life plays out as you go. I embrace the unexpected. I love having friends who expand my already adventurous spirit. I don't think I would have done or thought to do this. I was very nervous about this ride, but Amy planned it as if it was the most natural next step in our training, she got us out there and the next thing I knew I was doing it! It was more amazing than I ever could have dreamed!

Top of the Kangamangus

Mount Washinton (elev 6288) in the background, Mount Washington Hotel is to the left.

Elephant Rock, just before heading down Crawford Notch.

Photographer: Amy Gothorpe

Location: White Mountains NH

Week 43-Harley Chicks & Dude

My husband bought himself a 1968 FLH Electra Glide Harley Davidson for his 49th birthday. He has been talking about it for years and I knew it was only a matter of time when the day would come where he would walk in the house and say, "I bought a Harley". It kind of went like this,"You don't have to get me anything for my birthday because I think I am buying a Harley tomorrow." He isn't big on buying things for himself so I figured I'd believe it when I saw it, but low and behold, he did show up with a Harley the next day. Photo shoots will be about the extent of our Harley enjoyment for now. It needs some work before he can rev the engine and get it out on the highway. My friend and fellow swimmer, Kirsten, ("KGirl") is posing here with me and the Harley this week.

And the Harley Dude himself-

Location: The Shop

Photographers: Dan Donovan & Kirsten Thompson

Week 42-In Progress

Week 41- Making Sense of the Senseless

Tyler Ryan 9-18-91 to 4-28-10

A boy in our community took his life last week. The service celebrating his brief life was held yesterday at the Fenn School.

For me, the best way to sift through my emotions is to write my thoughts down. I hope in sharing my thoughts I do not offend anyone. In fact, what I hope, is that my words might create some hope where hope has been stalled.

I did not know Tyler, but my son, several high school kids and the CCHS football team have been affected by this trajedy and in turn so have I. I have learned Tyler touched many hearts in his short time here with us and has done so while carrying a heavy and emotional heart himself. In astounding numbers, adults and children, came to pay their respects over the last few days.

It’s really impossible to make sense of this. While I continued to go over and over in my mind why this happened and what went wrong and why couldn’t he reach out, a qoute popped into my mind. I found this quote in the home of a relative, thumb tacked to a wall. Here is the qoute: “To understand is to stand under, which is to look up, to which is a good way to understand” Now, maybe this qoute was simply written to get youngsters to look up to their elders, but what I see is that understanding requires many perspectives and even then, understanding, may be just a viscious cirlce, going around and around and around. In regards to Tyler that is exactly what is happening in my head. I have to halt it! I have to stop this viscious cycle!

Halting the viscious circle required looking into the thoughts expressed at the service and trying to find a common denominator in Tyler’s life. The thread he seemed to weave into the lives of all who knew him was empathy. He had an empathetic heart for everyone; his family, his friends, his classmates, his teachers, his teamates and his community. Abundant empathy, this was expressed over and over. Abundant empathy; A blessing and a burden? For those who reap the benefits of empathy this is a blessing but for those who carry this great gift, whose hearts, beat after beat offer empathy, perhaps a burden. Empathy is a great gift and it is what makes us human. It’s why we reach out to others and offer our support and love. To halt the spinning and the senseless questions in my mind, I will take with me, on my journey in life, from Tyler, “empathy”. Empathy is a path of humanity, bravery and compassion; where our hearts spill with emotion for what we know to be difficult. May we all walk this path as we head forward on our journeys.

In closing of the service yesterday, Reverend Lombard asked everyone to take what was good in Tyler and nurture it within themselves. This is a good way to heal. Anyone who has lost a loved one or who has suffered a broken relationship would do well for themselves to heed this advice. If you can take the essense of someone who has made an impression in your life and shape it and form it into who you are that person will always be a part of you. That person who you have lost can reside and walk with you whether or not they are “there”.

You are all in my toughts as we move forward.

week 40-Handsome Jack!

CCHS Sophmore Semi

May 1st, 2010

Week 39-Caden/Take 2

Last week I spent a few days with my nephew, Cade, my brother, Evan and my sister in law, Christy. Cade is just learning to walk. He can take a few steps on his own. Remember either when you, yourself of your child was just learning to walk or ride a bike and that overwhelming excitement passes over you when you realize you are up and doing it and then because you are so excited about your new accomplishment you lose focus and crash! Ya! A lot of that going on!

Cade is just learning how to kiss. It's the cutest thing you have ever seen. He gets his lips all puckered up and sucked in and then he releases a big smack and an even bigger smile! If you then throw a kiss back at him he will keep doing it right back at you! He isn't into skin to skin contact just yet, just air kisses for now!

So...., I think Cade is saying here in this photo," Well, at least she isn't making me balance on her toes like she made me do in the very beginning of this silly endeavour when I was only 4 months old!" (see August 2009)

Location: Lafayette, CO (Cade's backyard)

Photographer: Christy Little Schneider

Week 38-Royal Arch

This week I traveled to Boulder, Colorado to visit my brother, his wife and my 11 month old nephew, Cade. Cade was in one of my first handstand photos balanced precariously on my feet. Yesterday, we enjoyed a misty, then rainy hike in the Flat Irons which is in Rocky Mountain National Park. Cade was breaking in his very plush Kelty backpack. Luckily, we purchased the one with the miniature pup tent which serves as rain and sun protector. It attaches to the top of the backpack. Cade was pretty unhappy with the weather conditions and finally cried himself to sleep while crusing down the mountain on his pop's back.

This hike was 3.6 miles round trip and led us to some flat irons which are rock formations that look like the old irons your great grandmother may have heated on the wood stove. The trail then lead to this beautiful arch on a mountain top that overlooked Boulder Valley. Although the weather was not ideal we still had a great view of the valley.

None of my handstands were that great so I am posting one that shows how I get into the handstand. I come up with my legs separated and then try to bring them together. This photo is really about the impressive Royal Arch anyway. You get an idea of it's massiveness by how small I am and the people behind the arch are. Can you see the rain drops on the camera lens? Jeez, I just can't seem to get away from those rain drops! Today, though, it is sunny and on it's way to warm here in Boulder, CO. Perhaps another hike?

Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Royal Arch Trail

Photographer: Evan Little

Week 37-Rain Drops Keep Falling On My Feet

There has been record rainfall here in MA so it only seems appropriate to capture a handstand in the rain. One weekend in mid-March we had over 10 inches of rain! That is the equivalent of 70 inches of snow! Many people have had to deal with flooded basements, fowl swimming in their front yards, rivers over flowing and even cars stranded in a sea of water! Mother Nature is carrying on with her deluge of rain this month too. This photo was taken on Friday, April 9th.

Location: Fiske Street

Photographer: Dan Donovan

Week 36-ANGLES

This week is a photo taken in Cambridge, MA near the Harvard Business School at Harvard University. I have posted 2, one with my friend Kendra and the other on my own. I have a thing for geometry and symmetry. In my mind, I get very irritated when things don't line up, but I take that irritation as a challenge to overcome my little neurosis of the slightly disorganized! Think of all I have had to overcome with these not quite linear handstands week after week! I was pysched when Amy got out her camera to capture a handstand in front of these buildings. The vastness of the base of the triangle up against the circular building and the depth of field is quite specatcular. The other thing that also makes this photo interesting is the circular sewer cap and the half circular mound of the tree base. In the one with Kendra and I like the fact that it looks even more disorganized and as if we are falling--oh...wait a minute...maybe we are.

Spectacular photos are taken by Amy Ross professional photographer

Location Cambridge MA

week 35 March 28 -New England Masters ChampionshipsM @ Harvard

Apologies, apologies on my delayed posts! This weekend was our New England Masters Championship Meet. It is a four day meet with distance events like the 1650 and the 1000 that take place the weekend prior to this weekend and this weekend with 3 days of event. Events form 50 fly to the 100 IM to the 200 fly to the 500 free and everything in between! The ABC Gray Sharks of which I am the head coach and Dave Baxter and Illka Suvanto are also coaches came in 3rd place overall. We were up against 80 teams with a total of 1064 swimmers in attendance. We broke some records, got plenty of LTB's (life time bests), qualified for nationals and had a heck of a lot of fun! Here I am doing a handstand in the stadium as my swimmers participate in the 200 medley relay. Under the "G" in "diving" is ABC Gray Sharks swimmer, Steve Smith, preparing for his breaststroke leg of the relay! I am in the stands under the Harvard banner gettin' upside down! My handstand coach, TBird, is looking making sure I don't kill myself:)

Photographer (and Swimmer): Amy Ross

Location: Blodgett Pool Harvard University

Week 34-The pup in BLACK has arrived!

Ok, I know I am a few days late posting this photo but it was taken on Sunday of last week so I am within the proper time frame for my goals. That little black blob is our new lab puppy, Cash, after Johnny Cash. We have had her for a week. As you can see she is way more interested in that little twig she is chewing than me balancing precariously near her precious little puppy body. Thankfully, I didn't come crashing down on her! She likes to chew things, like Gypsy's ear. Gypsy is our other lab. She likes to pee 100 times a day and has absolutley no preference for location, a rug or grass will do just fine! She likes to sleep on the floor and not in your arms and she has the cutest little face you have ever seen!

This week I hope to get a photo in the POURING RAIN! That's the biggest news here in MA after the signing of the Presidents Health Care Reform Act!

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Puppy Handler: Arley Donovan

week 33-In the Common with Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack and Quack

The slope is killing my need to post the most perfect handstand but the ducks looked great so I had to go with this one! These are the famous Make Way for the Ducklings ducks who have had it living on the busy corner near the Charles with bicycles whizzing by endangering the lives of the little ones. The Mallards, with the help of Officer Mike decide to take their family to the pond in the Common. If you haven't read this children's story book, you should! It's a classic and every child should have a copy. Tracey and I spent the day in Boston this week enjoying the first signs of SPRING!

Photographer: Tracey Bird

Location: The Boston Common

Week 32- A ghostly handstand March 7, 2010

.....And I thought my followers had abandoned me! Happy to see I can't pull the wool over your eyes A.B./H.A./BENWA and K.G. I was invisible last week but my son was able to capture this photo while practicing in the doorway! This week's photo will follow shortly! It was taken today with some quackers.

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Location: Jack's room

Week 31-Handstanding at the "Bird Bath"

I had the pleasure of coaching the expert today while Coach Bird takes a rest bit in Mexico. Lucky me! Honestly, the coaching went sort of like this,"That looked great!" or "Can you tell me what was wrong with that dive?" "Short." "Long." Mostly, Sean and Gracia were teaching me. It's amazing how much the coach needs to see in that split second it takes to do the dive!

Here in the photo with me is Gracia. Gracia is one of the top divers in the country. She held this handstand for several minutes while I took handstand poses around her. Look at the toe point on her! I have still got a ways to go to be just a fraction of the handstand artist Gracia is.

Location: Bird Bath

Photographer: Sean O'Brien

Week 30-February 16th,The Blizzard!

You never really know.... Last week the airport closed, schools closed, business shut down early.... all for naught! The snow storm was a dud! The threat never appeared, but on Tuesday of this week mother nature made up for it. I was worried because I really wanted to get a snowy shot for this blog before we see an end to the snow! Finally, all circumstances were right and I was able to pull it off! Once again my son came through. He was already out in the blizzard preparing a camping spot for he and his buddies to have a campfire dinner the next night during their February vacation break! It was easy to get him to take a quick shot before heading back home.

Photographer: Jack Donovan

Location: Cranberry Bog

Week 29- Is anyone paying attention?

Please vote:

Which is the more difficult sport?

FOOTBALL or SWIMMING

Photographer: Dan Donovan

Week 28-The Saints take Superbowl XLIV!

Jack, Barbie and I celebrate the superbowl victory by the Saints!. We love when the underdog wins!

Week 27-January 29th. Full Moon @ 10° vs Full "Blue" Moon @ 80°

I was driving home from work this evening and the big bold beautiful moon was rising. My son and his buddies were hanging out at our house. I ran in and said to Jack,"Get the camera! We have to take a handstand photo! The moon is gorgeous and huge!" His friends, somewhat confused asked Jack, "What is she talking about?" I blurt out, "I have a handstand blog and I am taking a picture a week for 52 weeks." Luke says, "I am still confused" We all get in the car and drive down to the end of the street. I jump out get set and get the feet up! It was my longest held handstand to date. I was up so long I was able to chat with Jack and finally said, "Did you get it?" It had to be about 25-30 seconds! Luke is less confused, but he isn't the only one who has said, "Now why is she doing this?" Oh well.

I have posted another handstand photo today that was taken in Hawaii. It turns out the Hawaii moon was a Blue Moon! A blue moon is the 13th full moon in a calendar year. Usually there are only 12 full moons in a year, but because each solar calendar year contains an excess of about 11 days and the lunar cycle is about 29.5 days every 2-3 years there is a 13th full moon in the year! Hence the phrase "Once in a Blue Moon" This one just squeaked in on December 31, 2009! I know, now, how that phrase evolved. Not only am I handstanding every week, I am accumulating fun, new and exciting knowledge!

HANDSTAND AT 10˚F IN CARLISLE, MA January 29, 2010

HANDSTAND AT 80˚F IN KIHEI, HI December 31, 2009 A BLUE MOON!

Photographers: top photo: Jack Donovan

bottom photo: Arley Donovan

Locations: described above

Week 26 CCHS Swimming & Diving January 19th 2010

This was team picture day for the CCHS Swim and Dive team! The kids are treading water and trying to bunch together, harder than it looks even for these talented water beasts, the coaches are on deck behind them. Behind me on the right is Coach Goldberg, handstanding with me is Coach Bird, behind her is BOSS Moss, then Jenny all the way to the right and Bert all the way to the left and our stats girl Leah next to him. Tomorrow will be our last meet, against Lincoln/Sudbury before DCL Championships! GO PATRIOTS!

Professional Photograper: Pierre Chiha http://www.pierre.com/

Location: Beede Center Concord MA

Week25-Maui Ended

My last handstands in Maui ended here on Hookipa Beach in Paia on the south side of the island. Hookipa was once known as windsurfing capitol of the world! I had to put up both of these photos because the ocean behind is so spectacular and I loved this little cove. On this day the surf was pushing 15+ feet! There were no windsurfers, but plenty of surfers! This photo is taken right of the beach where gigantic lava rocks scatter the shore line and cows roam the the lush green hillside above.

I tried to be unobtrusive while I took my flipped position because there was a man on the rocks chanting in sanskrit. I must say though, as I have learned from years of yoga, every accomplished yogi must learn to maintain his centeredness amongst distraction.

Also, in the last days of our days on Muai, my daughter and I had the great fortune of swimming with the Maui Masters off the shores of Makena Beach where we got about 75 yards from a couple of whales. we observed them cresting the water and tail slapping. We could also here them chatting loudly as if were right beneath us and in fact some of the group saw them beneath us! Check out Maui Don's blog for some beautiful underwater photos and videos at http://www.dolphindude.com/ You can see the underwater photo of the group on that day, including myself and my daughter with our ABC Gray Sharks silver caps dated Jan 10, 2010.

Photographer: Arley Donovan

Week 24-HULIHIA WAHINE Hana, Maui

When we visited Maui 10 years ago we were fortunate enough to discover the secluded and prized Red Sand Beach in Hana. Arley and I took a trip out to Hana and had to venture back to it! It is most definitely the most beautiful beach I have EVER seen. It is a treacherous hike down over 100 feet of stone, dust and lava gravel pathway . One must be fit and courageous to even attempt the feat!

In the waters we saw 15 plus tropical fish in the Kahaone'ula cove while adorned with our top notch speedo goggles! On this day, the waters were calm enough to venture out beyond the lava rocks that separate the calm waters from the rough waters, towards the open ocean.

There are always interesting folks to meet on this beach! Today there was a guy, about 30 years old, who had a tattoo on each shoulder. One tattoo was of a peace sign and the other of an anarchy sign while on his chest he had the word DESTINY written backwards. Arley and I contemplated over why he was tattooed with these symbols and the word. I thought it was something worldly like one could choose peace over unrest and the word destiny written backwards was more about the fact that we all have a choice and our destiny is preceded by the choices that we make as we move through life.

After questioning Nick for a while, we found out that his choice for his tattoo was meaningful but not quite what I had conjoured up in my mind. Nick had joined the Marines and after a short stint had wanted out. Tattoos are not allowed in the Marines so he thought he would get some controversial tattoos in the hopes that he would get kicked out. That didn't work so he started failing drug tests. That didn't work either so he committed fraud. That didn't work, so he picked a fight with a fellow marine and finally 6 months before he was to be discharged the Marines became aware of all of his infractions and he was finally kicked out!

It turned out that the DESTINY written backwards tattoo was one he had chosen in high school because he noticed while he was making the choices he wanted to make in high school, others were making choices because they thought it was was "cool." He wanted to remember that he always had a choice.

This photo was taken in one shot with only 3 shots left on our throw away camera by: Arley Donovan

Location: Red Sand Beach Hana Maui HI