Of course, like any good spy/proposal story, everything seemed to be going along just fine, until it wasn't. Weston picked up Sarah up from work as planned, but a few minutes later she got called back into the office. 

Twenty minutes later, with the sun blazing red and sinking fast, Weston texted and said they were in the car, heading to a different beach. I jumped in my car and rushed to meet them. Surprisingly, I made it in time. I quickly hid as best I could in a bank of bushes and took out my telephoto lens.

Operation Surprise Proposal was a success! Weston got down on one knee and asked Sarah to marry him. Sarah was taken by surprise, a little bewildered, but extremely happy. The answer was yes! A few days later, we followed up with an engagement session. 

Congrats Sarah and Weston!! I'm so happy for the both of you as you start this lifelong journey together!

Click here if you want to see more photos from Sarah and Weston's engagement session.

On the flip side, I saw and did some pretty incredible things that had me asking the question, "Is this real life?" Things like trekking the Himalayas, drinking yak butter tea with Tibetans, witnessing Hindu cremations, eating meals with Nepali village families, just to name a few.

What I love about travel and especially travel photography, are the opportunities to see and experience strange and unique things, to capture the world of people in far off places who live and think about the world differently than I do. It makes me look at all the things I do in life and ask the fundamental question, why. Why do I value what I do? Why does my culture operate the way it does?

Unraveling the answers to these questions may not be an entirely achievable goal, but it's definitely good exercise. The mirror that travel and other cultures holds up to my face, has allowed me to discovered all kinds of things about myself, good and bad, and I have become a better person for it. Of course, in the midst of it all, I'm constantly in awe of the beautiful, crazy, stunning world we live in.  

The GatheringIt's autumn and the snows haven't fallen yet. Within a few weeks the entire Tibetan village will leave their homes and head for lower ground to wait out the winter. In the mean time, they gather for a religious meeting at their local holy site. The HimalayasThe Himalayan range is not only home to the highest mountains in the world, it's also home to Tibetans and Nepalese who brave out the elements and live in small villages in the valleys between the giant peaks. WaterfallWater was readily available on our Himalayan trek. Villagers harnessed the water with rudimentary hydroelectric systems that provided enough power to light a few lightbulbs each night.