Europe & Virginia: Our Next Adventure

My heart is beating a bit quicker than usual as I write this post.

My heart is full of excitement. wonder. fear. anticipation.

Our lives are about to change in big and beautiful ways and the Lord has been good through it all.

(Nope…we aren’t pregnant!)

You see, Jeremy and I started dreaming big dreams since before we were married. We graduated from JMU in 2011, left for Ethiopia to teach English a few weeks later and spent five weeks in (VERY) rural Ethiopia. Two weeks after we returned, we picked up and moved to Nashville. Jeremy had a job and signed a lease the day we arrived. I had a roomie, but no job.

We were engaged four months later and married six months after that. After our honeymoon, we started life in a new apartment, I started a business (and a new job as a nanny) and Jeremy started a new job as well. To say we’ve grown and lived a lot of life in a few short years may be an understatement.

We’ve met the most amazing people here and grown a beautiful community that we dearly love. I’ve grown a business in ways I couldn’t have imagined, and Jeremy’s worked with a wonderful team that we’re so very thankful for. Nashville has been such an incredible city to call home to say the least.

Among these years, we’ve been saving for a Europe trip that has been on our hearts for years. We knew we wanted to go, but we simply didn’t know the timing of it.

In addition, the past year has been a beautiful year, but also a year of a lot of heart-searching and a lot of questions. Where were we headed? Where was God leading us? Should we grow a family in Nashville? What do we want for our future family? What matters to us? Do we want to see our families only a couple times each year at holidays? Are we going to do this Europe trip or just talk about it? When should that Europe trip happen? How long should we go?

Towards the second half and end of 2015, a lot of those questions started finding answers. And those answers were super exciting but also a bit scary.

So….without further ado:

We’ll be packing up our little duplex and putting our things in storage in a couple short weeks. We’ll be on a plane to Europe at the end of March, and will return in May to start a new chapter in Virginia!

 (photo by Faith Teasley)

We are equally excited and overwhelmed.

Excited and overwhelmed about how the Lord has guided us.

Excited to enjoy a trip we’ve saved for and dreamt of for years.

Excited and overwhelmed for Jeremy’s job search and moving my business.

Excited to be close to our families and the community that we built prior to Nashville.

Overwhelmed with joy for the community we found here and  overwhelmed by sadness to say “see you soon” to the lovely people who’ve become our dearest friends.

So, a few more details:

Will you continue to photograph weddings and families in Nashville?

Absolutely! I already have awesome couples I’m coming back for, and have created collections for future couples that will include travel to keep things simple! I’ll also announce travel dates so that family sessions can be scheduled. I hope to announce plans for mini sessions later this summer, as I loved getting to work with so many amazing families last fall!

When will you be in Europe?

We will be in Europe from March 30th through May 5th.

Where are you going in Europe?

Our itinerary includes: Athens, Santorini, Rome, Vernazza (Cinque Terre), Milan, Lauterbrunnen, Paris, Iceland

Where will you live in Virginia?

Great question! We still have a few details to figure out, but we plan on living in Richmond or Charlottesville. We’re taking a leap knowing it’s where we are meant to be and that the timing is right!

I’d love to follow your travels, will you be posting?

I look forward to sharing out trip mostly through Instagram and would love for you to follow along! You can follow along with me at @amynicolephoto

I’d love to talk with you about photographing my wedding, can I reach you? How can I get in touch with you if I have a question?

I won’t be available by phone during our trip, but I’ll be checking my email twice a week, so always feel free to email me or contact me here.

Can I still order prints from my wedding/session?

Of course! You’ll be able to order all from your gallery, which can be found here.

 

And last but not least….

Thank you to my amazing couples and families who’ve chosen me to document some of the most intimate and sacred moments of your life. I don’t take that honor lightly and I’m so very thankful for each and every one of you. And thank you to the amazing vendors who’ve supported me from day one! I’ve loved working with each and every one of you! Nashville has treated me so well and I look forward to all my visits already planned. I plan to stay connected and active, as I plan on still photographing weddings here! I simply won’t live right down the street. I certainly won’t say no to visiting a community I love any chance I can get!

Here we come, Virginia! We’re excited to get to know you all over again!! 

(PS – if you’re in the Charlottesville or Richmond area, feel free to reach out, I’d love to meet and/or collaborate with you!!!)