get lost in the souks (you don't even have to try for that one).

notice the doors. the beautiful, hand carved wooden doors.

finish every meal with a glass of mint tea.

soak up the bold, intense cobalt blue in the Majorelle Garden, and a collection of "love" posters that Yves Saint Laurent designed over a period of 35 years and sent as greeting to his closest friends.

cat people, this city is for you.

look what you made possible.

thank you, thank you, thank you.

photos by Shepherds Junior Secondary School.

FEB 15. 2000 - JAN 17. 2013

the sadness comes in waves, repeatedly, consistently, inevitably. I see her everywhere, and I miss her all the time. my most faithful companion, my very best friend.

actually, it is not.

but in less than a week we will all be lolling around the apartment in our pajamas and finally spending some time together as a family.

and I know it will be then.

I briefly talked with my Mom on the phone.

I wore Converse.

I didn't get what I wanted and it turned out to be a blessing.

Spanx are my new best friend.

I'm working on a project for this musical (and just like that, I'm 14 again).

Sean designed his very own zoo. he also learned about menstruation, and then exclaimed "thank you God, I'm a boy!"

I missed my husband.

two balls fell off our Christmas tree.

Will was mad and in a bad mood all day. when it happens, he usually retreats to my bed and reads for hours.

I watched this movie.

I said "thank you" and "I'm sorry". and I meant it.

it's that time of the year, again. a little something to thank you all for visiting this blog and supporting my work.

download your free printable 2013 calendar here.

to all who have helped me reach my pledged goal and raise funds to buy science lab apparatus for Shepherds Junior Secondary School. once again, I am humbled, inspired and in awe of the way you rallied around this project, of your ongoing support, of what you all helped achieve.

thank you, thank you, thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

note: you can still donate and help Epic Thanks raise at least $10.000 to invest in Leah's school. if we reach that goal, an anonymous donor has pledged to make an additional $5.000 contribution!

each Thanksgiving for the past few years, in honor of all we have to be thankful for, some friends and I have been making small investments in projects that aim to transform our world. this year, I've decided to raise $1.000 to buy science lab apparatus and provide students at Shepherds Junior Secondary School in Tanzania with access to hands-on science education.

because I'm most thankful for the people in my life who are always certain of my own strength, who challenge me to be better every day, who give me opportunities to create the life I want for myself, who see what I am doing, and have faith in my ability to learn my lessons, overcome adversity and make a difference in the world. and I know. I wouldn't be where I am today, and I might have stopped a hundred times, if it weren't for each and everyone of them believing in me.

and I believe in those kids.

I hope you'll join me and help make it happen. all you have to do is share what you're most thankful for and click on the link below to make a gift in any amount. you can also visit Epic Thanks 2012 for more information.

so tell me, what are you thankful for?

enjoy a few hours of wild, unbridled laughter braving the chilly wind in Kensington Garden with good friends.

seriously. need I say more?

they made my heart double in size, my perspective on life expand and grow, feel immensely loved, laugh louder than I've ever had, ask questions that challenged my understanding and relentlessly seek out the answers, jump up and sing, realize how much I thought I knew and how little I actually know, and sincerely want to be a better person.

I still can't quite explain it. what Tanzania means to me now. all I am certain of is that things will never be the same. 

I will never be the same.

more photos here.

a few weeks later, I developed an idea for a photo collaboration with the students from Sarswati Peace School where children in France and Nepal would capture and share images from their daily lives following six simple prompts: what I eat, animals, my school, where I sleep, where I shop and where I live. 

at first, it seemed fairly easy. but it turned out to be much harder than I had expected. and I spent many days sitting on my living-room floor sorting through hundreds of photos wishing I had done things differently. but then I would look at the kids and remember their boundless enthusiasm as they all leaped at the chance to do something for others. and that helped me keep going. the project was sponsored by French non-profit organization Secours Populaire Français and eventually raised more than $6.500, bringing clean water to the 200 students of Sarswati Peace School and to the local community of 300+ people.

the photos were recently on exhibit at École Élémentaire Paris in Boulogne, France.

you can see them here.

more "gazing into the ocean" Polaroid shots: the stalker and the dreamer, end of summer, anything, Deauville, Djerba, Tunisia and Saint-Malo.

always keep the Polaroid camera with you. and shoot like it was the very first time.

wear sun cream all the time no matter the unpredictable, changeable, and sometimes wet weather.

take full advantage of dedicated bike lanes and paths, even if your butt says otherwise.

schedule a do-nothing day (you'll thank me later).

drive to La Tremblade, take a seat at La Bonne Renommée and try éclades de moules.

always educate yourself about the country's history and culture.

invest in good walking shoes.

when in the field, introduce yourself first. forget the camera. connect with people. listen to what they have to say.

put names to faces. write them down if you need to.

recognize your own cultural biases and assumptions. let go of all preconceived ideas.

focus on the story.

be willing and able to push yourself beyond your everyday comfort zone. you'll discover what you're capable of, what you're passionate about and who you truly are.

when in doubt, take in all the information you can gather. and then go with what your heart feels most strongly.

be open. be curious. be kind.

Ken Burns: on Story

An Invocation for Beginnings

The National Press Photographers Association: Code of Ethics