Last year, I saw a video and it totally excited me. It was for the Torino Photo Marathon. If you’ve been around a while, you know that I’ve had a DSLR for years and was so excited to use it when Miss V was born. While I did use it, I never got to the level I thought I’d be by now. 6 yrs and 3 kids later, my pictures still aren’t sharp, they’re blurry and I couldn’t figure out how to do bokeh.

Now I’ve been actively studying photography for a few months and making great strides. I’ve taken my camera out and I do get strange looks from random folks at the playground. I’m a pretty shy person so drawing attention to myself is not my idea of fun. However, if I want to get good at this, I have to practice… even if people are staring, I have to tune them out. I’ve begun getting more comfortable now that I know what I’m doing, so last month when I saw the advertisement for the Torino Photo Marathon, I knew my time had come.

Normally I wouldn’t have signed up without someone doing it with me. This time, I squashed my fear and registered before inviting anyone to come along with me. I knew it would be a challenge but I did it!

Now that I’ve gotten over FOMO (fear of missing out), I plan to GOMO. (Go out more often) One way to do that is by searching for activities in my area. Thanks to Eventbrite, I just found a Free FitCamp at my neighborhood park! Eventbrite is a site where you can search for events in your area or host your own local event with their event planning tools. From concerts to networking classes, there’s something for everyone.

Stay tuned for part 2 of this post which will include the photos I took at Torino Photo Marathon! For now, here’s a look at LAST YEARS Marathon!