When I graduated college, I landed a great job at Nordstrom. I walked into a management position, was thrilled to be around fashion, and carefully chose my outfits the night before I left to work (yes, I know this is weird). It was everything I thought I wanted…until I realized I didn't actually want it. I learned many great values from Nordstrom and it provided excellent experience in customer service (no, really, the best), but every day I'd walk into my office (which was actually a storage closet filled with racks of clothes) to sit in a windowless room…and dream of being outside. Breathing fresh air.

Today is Labor Day and I wanted to take a moment to express gratitude. I once heard, “If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life…” and this couldn't be more true. Yesterday I photographed a wedding and, in spite of the Hades-like heat, two amazing people married each other. Sure, I was working, but I it didn't feel like work.

It didn't feel like the windowless storage room/office surrounded by Italian wool coats and Egyptian cotton shirts. No, it felt like the Pacific Ocean, creativity, and love. For this, I'm thankful.

Happy Labor Day!