If you didn’t know, I work with engineers and architects! I’m the token admin girl who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes so the boys can focus on designing libraries, outdoor venues & event spaces, depots, aquatic centres, road and streetscapes & so much more. 

As the only girl in the office I’ve gotten a lot more used to male energy and how different it is from female energy. I spend 95% of my time in my personal life with women so the last couple of years have been a great way go gain more balance in my life and also to open me up to what men are like. 

My dad passed away when I was 8 years old, then my pop died 3 years later, and then after high school my brother moved away (I swear only I could make a post about a work Christmas party about death and loss). All the loss of males in my life means that I have grown up without much male energy around me, and rarely feel safe or comfortable around men. In many ways I still don’t, but I think I have gotten a bit better since working with 10-15 guys and being the only female in the office. 

The guys in the office have very calm energy, and it’s also interesting to see how much neuroticism women have in comparison to men. It seems like the stresses and burdens in life that men carry are either kept quiet & not expressed at all, or just don’t exist to the same extent that women take on everything. They just move on and get the job done whereas it tears women up on the inside and they can’t set their feelings aside as easily. I’ve also noticed that men ask for things be done for them & utilise their resources, and are great at delegating, whereas women hate burdening others and instead do everything themselves.  

In 2018 when people are fighting for equality of the sexes and demanding that we not make judgements about gender or sex, my observations may seem stereotypical, but for me they are true. 

For the second year in a row, this week we headed up the Gold Coast to Tipplers Island on a luxury yacht for our annual Christmas party. It’s always a good idea to have everyone stuck on a boat together for 4 hours as we rarely socialise on a day-to-day basis at the office and usually have a quiet atmosphere. I left the party at 5:30pm when we arrived at the dock so I could go to a Shania Twain concert (it was amazing!) but apparently the party continued on past midnight. 

I decided to bring my Instax Wide camera on the cruise to get some fun shots that are a bit different that the DSLR photos we had last year. I love how Instax photos are a bit different – almost everyone on the boat had never seen an Instax Wide camera before and had the same few questions for me (how much is it, how many photos in a pack of film, how does it work). Although the questions were repetitive, it made me happy that people were interested in the camera and some of them wanted to get one themselves! The more people shoot instant film the happier I am

I’m very grateful for my job and the people I work with. They are hardworking, respectful, intelligent and accomplished and I’ve learned a lot since working with them. 

Merry Christmas!

Here is part two of my first shots with the Lomo’Instant. I’ve definitely had a lot of dud shots with this camera but for the most part it is an enjoyable camera to work with. I rarely change up the lens or use the coloured gel filters, but maybe in future I will need to break those out.

I’ve always loved Instax photos and can not believe how many doors the Lomo’Instant has opened. My favourite feature is definitely the self timer/remote shutter and I am still having issues with the focus settings. Hopefully I’ll sort that out in time…

On Saturday night I hosted a Christmas party with my high school friends.

It was so good to catch up with everyone in person as it’s been over a year since this group got together. I absolutely love hosting. Getting to create an atmosphere that will make for the most joyous and enjoyable experience for everyone at the event is really satisfying and fun for me.

As most of you know, these days it can be hard to truly connect with people on a human level. I often say that we are turning into robots – constantly relying on our phones, computers and self serve checkouts at the grocery store. It seems like basic human connection is not enough and we need to constantly be connected to the world at the same time, but this night proved me wrong. People still want human connection and friendships. We still want to laugh around the dinner table while taking pictures wearing silly glasses and hats. We want to create genuine memories and have honest conversations about life.  It’s a shame that this group doesn’t come together more often. I’m going to try to change that next year.

All photos were taken with either the Fujifilm Instax Wide 300, or the Lomo’Instant Wide. The Lomo’Instant Wide was perfect for this event thanks to the remote/self timer.

For those of you who were following me early this year you might remember that I did the 90 Day Instax Challenge which I absolutely loved but I think for a few months after that I just stopped using Instax cameras. It made me realise that there weren’t a lot of things in my life worth taking photos of and that I had to change that before I did another challenge like it. I’ve been trying to live more which has meant trying to be more present and less distracted, especially when hanging out with friends or family. 

I hope you enjoy these pictures taken with the Lomo’Instant Wide and the Fujifilm Instax Wide throughout the year.