Emma Case Photography

I'd love to..

About a year ago me and Pete were sat opposite a couple of friends and the subject turned to travelling.. both of them had travelled, had stories to tell.. and both of their faces lit up talking about favourite cities or things to do in certain countries.  We sat and listened, mesmerised and then I heard myself...

"Ohhh I'd love to travel... but..."

I'd actually been saying that sentence for 10 years.  And I totally meant it with all my heart.  I would love to travel.. but it's that word getting in the way again.. BUT... "but I might get a really good acting job.. but we have debt.. but we have a house.. but we have a business.. but we want to buy a bigger house.. but we haven't got enough money.. but we've got too many responsibilities.. but we've got too much stuff.. but we might want to start a family.. but.. but.. but..

I think I'd actually started to believe all this and somewhere in my head I had told myself.. well.. maybe it's just what other people do.  We'd love to travel but we won't.

But... you know what?  This year... WE DID.

In the past 12 months we've been to Morocco, Dublin, Sydney and New Zealand and this year we're heading to New York.. back to New Zealand and then we've got the West Coast of America, Canada and possibly India on our list... actually I'm kind of up for going EVERYWHERE!!

It's 100% happening and I'm so, so happy and excited but what changed???

Well.. we stopped saying but.

Everything that stopped me from doing something, stopped me because I wanted it to.  Every 'excuse' I was making for not going travelling was because at that time in my life I was choosing to put something else first.  I was prioritising.. and although I genuinely would have loved to go travelling.. I just didn't want it enough.

Once we decided that travelling was our top priority we started to make practical steps to make it happen.  We're in the process of selling our house.. we're moving back to my Parent's house so we can save our ass off.. we're storing ALL our stuff and we're slowly going to sell a lot of it (or maybe all of it).. and we've set aside time at the end of 2014 to around March 2015 to go.. :)

And I totally understand that these aren't small changes and aren't necessarily easy to do.. I TOTALLY get that.. but that's kinda the point.  Sometimes the big things need big changes.. or big sacrifices.. but we only get one life right??

On the same topic... whenever we sit and chat with any new couples that are planning their wedding.. sometimes the conversation turns to what we did for our wedding.. and we explain that we legally got married in the afternoon with only 20 close friends and family.. then had dinner on a canal boat.. and then told everyone that it was my 30th Birthday party that evening and when they arrived we surprised everyone with a wedding.. oh.. and the evening party was the 'Enchantment Under the Sea' Dance from Back to the Future... :)

The first thing most people say when they hear about our wedding is.. "Ohh I'd love to have a wedding like that.."... and then even if they don't physically say it.. I hear the 'but'... and there's probably a lot of them.. "but our Parents wouldn't approve.. but we've started organising it.. but people wouldn't get it.. but it's not a 'wedding'.. but we couldn't see each other before the ceremony.. but that's what other people do'... but.. but.. but..

..but what?!?!?!  WHAT DO YOU REALLY WANT TO DO?  There are LITERALLY NO rules.

It took us a while to eventually get married because we never felt happy with what we thought were our options.  It felt too strict and not us.. but as soon as we realised that actually.. we could just do whatever the hell we wanted.. like literally.. what we wanted.. that's when we had the freedom to just go for it.. and all we did was take away the 'but'.. :)

So I suppose this post is mainly about listening to what you really want... what, in your heart do you want to do... what do you want to prioritise?  What are you going to look back on and think.. 'Hell yeah.. that was bloody awesome.. yes I had to sacrifice something but what I got instead was INCREDIBLE AND MINDBLOWING AND WONDERFUL!!'.

Do you want to travel?
Do you want to live in another country?
Do you want to start your own business?
Do you want to be a photographer?
Do you want to have your wedding day EXACTLY how you want it?..

All these things are big, big decisions.. but take away the 'but' and they all might just be possible.. :)



We wanted to show you guys a  little home video of our wee camper trip across NZ back in November...

Thank you NZ for giving us the space and the complete visual awesomeness to help us finally get rid of those last few 'buts'.. :)  Oh and a big thank you to Streets of Laredo too for giving us the perfect soundtrack to every adventure yet to come..


Emma & Petes New Zealand Tour from Emma Case on Vimeo.

Music by the wonderful Streets of Laredo (Homeless)