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“There are two basic motivating forces: fear and love. When we are afraid, we pull back from life. When we are in love, we open to all that life has to offer with passion, excitement, and acceptance. We need to learn to love ourselves first, in all our glory and our imperfections. If we cannot love ourselves, we cannot fully open to our ability to love others or our potential to create. Evolution and all hopes for a better world rest in the fearlessness and open-hearted vision of people who embrace life.” 
~ John Lennon ~

I love this quote.

 Almost two years ago I went to Panama to shoot a documentary about the world of Couchsurfing. For those of you who haven’t heard of Couchsurfing, it is an international non-profit network that connects travelers with locals in over 230 countries and territories around the world.  Couchsurfing members share hospitality a free place to stay- with one another. Hosts have the opportunity to meet people from all over the world without leaving home. “Surfers” (travelers) are able to fully integrate into the local life of places they visit by immersing theme-selves in the local culture. To travel this way you have to place trust in others, in strangers. It truly is a groundbreaking way to travel. It was one of the most exciting, inspiring and full-filling experiences of my life.

Prior to going I had no idea what the documentary’s point of view would be. I just knew that I found the world of couchsurfing interesting! As it turned out we ended up focusing on the concept of “fear” vs “love” and how much your reality can change depending on where you choose to operate from.

I happen to think choosing to operate from love and not fear can make a profound impact on one’s life.

On a lighter note, I am off to learn how to make pizza from scratch! Then I plan on eating the pizza I made from scratch:)