Jorge Quinteros
Blogger, web enthusiast & avid photographer based in Brooklyn.

1st January 2010

Obligatory Look Back at 2009

Every person has a year ingrained in their mind that stems out more than another and as it is a habit for one to reflect back on one that’s coming to an end, I feel compelled to write down a small reflection on 2009.

2009

The most obvious and gratifying of changes in my life has been that I got married. Without sounding too melodramatic, the term love to anyone is just a word until you actually find someone that gives definition to it and Vanessa has done just that.

In time, I’m hoping to reach that point in our marriage where people stop asking how the married life is going not because it’s annoying but because I’m runnning out of refreshing answers to describe that I’m loving every single moment of it. As for that next undeniable question that a newly couple gets, we do already have plans in extending the family for 2010 God willing.

As I’ve written before and for those that know me personally, they can all attest to how much traveling and photographing I’ve done this year. Not only do I thank my wife for having that innate passion for exploring destinations that people only fantasize in visiting but for also putting up with my doggedness in wanting to capture all of with the camera.

2010

I love photography and the only worst part about a treasured life experience is not having something tangible to produce evidence that it happen and that’s why I shoot what I see and value what I capture.

I’m more than appreciative of all the positive feedback I’ve received from my photography in 2009 that I refuse to let 2010 pass by accumulating more of it and not heeding people’s advice in doing something further with the images and the passion I have in taking them.

So for the new year I’m commiting myself to taking the plunge and muster the courage to take on at least two paying gigs that will employ me as a photographer and to stop presenting myself as someone who’s “just into photography.”

Work Related

I’ve been employed with the same company for the past 8 years and along the way I’ve had the pleasure of working and meeting some wonderful people. In 2009 I received 2 promotions and not at one point did I ever let a “title” obscure my performance because in the end it’s what I know and not what’s on my badge that’s going to determine my existence in the position.

The Commitments

Setting a resolution for the new year is comparable to opening up a gym membership. Most of the fluff exist in publicizing that you’ve done it while already knowing that you won’t fully commite yourself to it. I’ve never set a few for myself before but I’ve compilled a short list of random commitments that I expect to succeed in and writing them down legitimizes the dedication.

• To excel on a task that I consider myself mediocre in, which would be cooking.
• To continue to stayed connected with friends & family even if that means just through Facebook because of conflicting work schedules on both ends.
• Read more books in Spanish.
• Continue to save $300 a month.
• Continue my routine schedule of waking up at 5:45 a.m in the morning 4 times a week so as to be at the gym by 6 a.m.
• Not to feel the need of getting rewarded for everything I do while still feeling great about doing something that will nonetheless impact someone’s life positively.
• Not to annoy my wife with my incessant need for everything to always be clean and organized at home.
• To continue to photograph and try to monetize more my passion.
• To continue to read blogs, books and magazines that inspire me to write.
• To meet in person at least one of the many great contacts I’ve made in the blogosphere.
• To continue to travel not just because it makes for a great topic of conversation but because the experience enriches you as a person.