2019

A girl never forgets the first time she talks to a someone about Harry Potter.

I remember like it was yesterday… Jessica, one of my closest friends growing up, and I were sitting down on one of the couches in the backroom of our local synagogue. We were playing cards, gossiping about the latest drama, when a spunky redheaded girl, who was two years older than us and WAYYY cooler in every way, walked in and said, “I was up until 3am reading Harry Potter!” She climbed up onto one of the chairs next to us. My entire body tingled with the feeling of magic as we discussed the mystical world of Hogwarts.

A few years later, my parents decided to take us to Disney World. To be totally honest, I was not happy about it! The day we went to Magic Kingdom, I was even more pessimistic than usual. As we waited in line to for some ride that I had absolutely no interested in, I saw a familiar face. It was Adam! Adam was a year ahead of me in school, but way more in touch with himself. As I was playing it cool, acting as if I hated everything and anything that was within a 30 yard circumference, Adam was insanely happy. At the time, I could not have been more envious!

Over a decade later…

“I didn’t meet Adam until I lived in Philadelphia” Marla said beaming as she was talking about her fiance. I was shocked. As someone who grew up in the same Jewish Community as both Adam and Marla, I thought everyone knew everyone, no matter what school, synagogue or group they belonged to. I guess the world wasn’t ready for the amazingness that is Marla and Adam until five years ago.

Roughly five years ago Marla and Adam met, and the world has been a little brighter ever since. Best friends first above everything. They are one of the sweetest couples I have ever met. Marla and Adam have a spark between them that is not only beautiful, fun, loving but also magical in every way.

I have known both of them for as long as I can remember and am in awe of the incredible couple they have become. Both smart, ambitious and good to the core. Both Marla and Adam have the biggest smiles and the best of hearts. The first time I saw them together I thought “YES! That is what it is all about! That is what love is supposed to look like!”

When they are together, you can feel the bond and the love between them. It is truly an incredible thing to witness. Hogwarts and Disney World have nothing on the magic between Marla and Adam. They have more inside jokes and more fun than any two people I have ever met.

My wish for you Marla and Adam is to keep the magic and love alive. Keep loving each other the way you do, there is nothing like it!

I am currently sitting on the porch of our Airbnb located in the heart of Jerusalem, Israeli music is flowing from the cafe downstairs, the chatter of birds are chirping around us, I can still feel the buzz of the Israeli Shook and Robert is taking a cat nap inside.

This weeks tip of the week is not just for those brides and grooms out there planning a wedding, it is for all humans of all ages, demographics, careers and stages of life. This weeks tip is for my fellow Type A Personalities and it’s for anyone who feels like they are spreading themselves too thin.

Read these words carefully… It is ok to take sometime for yourself. Let me say it again; It is ok to take sometime for yourself. I know I struggle with this one a lot. I find myself always wanting to work and put my clients and business first, but sometimes you just need to take a day or two and just breathe!

I have spent the last few days surrounded by my favorite little guys, (aka my nieces and nephews) and exploring this country with an even deeper found love for the people and culture. This trip has definitely changed me.

As much as I love my work and my clients, today, I am taking the time to relax, refresh and recenter myself. Today, I will be hiking and running around Tel Aviv with Robert for the first time. Today, I am taking time for myself and I know, in the long run, my work will thank me for the time off. I know, that next week, when I land in Newark Airport and get back to my life as usual, I will be 100% ready to jump right back into the photography hustle. But not today. Today, I am taking time to be with the people I love most in life.

“You look like you are struggling” Robert said as he watched me grab a water glass from the cabinet Monday morning. I turned around and gave him a blank stare. It took me a second to register what he was saying.

“Oh, I have a wedding hang over” I said matter of factly with my eyes half closed but a huge smile on my face. I ran over to my computer, which, if I am being totally honest was probably more of a slow walk than an actual run.

“Look!” I said as I pointed. “Doesn’t she look incredible!”

Robert let out a soft chuckle and shook his head at me. I am sure I sounded and looked like I consumed massive quantities of alcohol the night before, but in reality, it comes with the territory of being a wedding vender. It was the lack of water that was making me turtle like. I never remember to drink enough water! I am so consumed by photography, love and making my clients as happy as possible, that water is a complete after thought.

Even though my body was hating me, my mind and heart were still gushing over the love that I captured the day before. Robert gave me one more concerned yet, amused look “Make sure you nap today” he said and with that he hugged me goodbye and walked out the door.

I appreciated Robert’s attempt but I clearly did not plan on napping. I had too many photos to look at. Too many memories to swoon over. I am a wedding photographer for crying out! This is what I do and this is what I love! So, as I made my way back to my computer to select ten sneak peek photos to send to the latest YP newlyweds, I ignored my aching muscles and sore neck and just reminded myself to drink more water.

My 2019 wedding season has officially began and I could not be more excited and proud. No matter how hard it is to move, how busy my weeks get or how many times Robert tells me to “go nap,” I couldn’t imagine doing or wanting to do anything else with my life, aching muscles an all…

“I figured I’d find you here” Ayelet said as she walked up the stairs of Cornerstone Grill & Loft. I was sitting at one of the High Tops in my black yoga pants and Cornerstone zip-up, wrapping silver-wear, getting ready to start my waitressing shift.

“Where else would I be?” I said as I smiled back at my best friend. She sat down next to me and we started chatting as if we were in my living room. To be totally honest, I think I spent more time at that college bar than I did in any of my apartments or classes through out my time during undergrad. From the first week I went to the University of Maryland, I was a Cornerstone waitress. I worked 6 to 7 days a week and gave it my all. Don’t get me wrong, my education came first, but nothing came above my studies and my bar.

Years later, I might not have the same job, but I still have that same ‘work comes first’ tendency and I find myself struggling with it every day. As you all know, I absolutely love what I do. It feels like I am making a difference. It feel like I am full-filling my destiny. I have the best clients in the world and I want to do everything in my power to serve them the best way I can. But at the same time, I have an incredible relationship with the sweetest man, 9 nieces and nephews that I adore in every way and friends who support me and love me even at my worst.  So, how do I balance it all? How do I put the computer away, my calendar down and switch my entrepreneur brain off?  How can I focus solely on the amazing humans that love me unconditionally? How can I do it all and still have time to go to the gym?

I am not going to lie, it isn’t easy. It is probably the one thing I struggle with the most on a day to day bases. But this year, I have made it my goal to find a way to balance it all and still get enough sleep.  Thank you to the book, “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think” by Laura Vanderkam, I am changing the way I think about my time. Goodbye to the days where I hear myself constantly say “I don’t have enough time” and hello to the days where I admit to myself that if something is a priority, I will get it done. With that simple switch, I have found myself a lot less stressed, a lot more content and with way more time.

I know extra hours in the day aren’t magically appearing. I know that I still have the same amount of work to do. And I know that sometimes, I will feel overwhelmed with the amount of things I am juggling; but, when I focus on what I really want out of life, what means the most to me, I have found a lot more time and a lot more happiness. Of course spending time with my friends, family and my Robert are priorities. Of course, going to the gym and living a healthy life style are on the top of my list. And of course, serving my clients with my whole heart takes precedence. Now, all I have to do is fit it everything in to a 168 hours and that seems a lot more doable than the 24/7 mentality!

“What is your new year resolution?”

“I don’t believe in them?”

“Why not?”

“It shouldn’t take the beginning of a New Year to get you to want change or improve. It is just another day…”

We have this conversation every year and every year I think, “Ya… Robert is right.” I shouldn’t just want to be better because 2018 is long gone. I know that I’m not magically going to drink less coffee and sleep better hours. I know that my six pack abs and savings account aren’t going to appear out of thin air. I know that my personal goals and my business goals aren’t going to change over night.  But I also know that I love New Year Resolutions for one reason and one reason only. They are a friendly reminder that I am a person and I can change. I can be better, I can become stronger, I can work towards a goal and I can succeed. That’s right, I can succeed.

When I look back at how much has changed between January 1st 2018 and January 1st 2019, I am proud.

Don’t get me wrong, some of the big things have stayed the same (and I wouldn’t want them to change for the world).  Same City, same business, same house, same coat and same amazing and wonderful boyfriend.  It’s the little things in life that have changed and when you add them all up, they make such a difference.

Now, in order for me to stay accountable, I can’t just write down my New Year Resolutions and think that will work, I need to share it with the world! So here they are! Yael Pachino’s big New Year Resolutions 2019! Let the transformation begin!

Work- Life Balance.

As a small business owner, my business is always on my mind. I can always be doing something to promote myself, to learn more, brand better, engage with my audience more. Basically, my business can sometimes be all consuming. This year, I want to make sure I have a much better Work-Life balance because the people in my life, including myself, deserve my complete and total attention.

Become a morning work-out person.

I love working out, I really do. I have always envied those people who have gotten in a full work out, shower, had a hearty breakfast and make in to work on time. I may work from home, but it is my goal this year to be able to wake up, hit the gym, come home and get to work all before 8am! That way, the rest of the day is focused on my work, my friends, my Robert and myself.

Remember to bring my Reusable Grocery Bags while shopping

When I really think about how awful we treat our environment as a whole, it makes me worried for my future children and my future grandchildren! The least I can do is remember to bring my reusable big bag to the grocery store every week!

Read more.

The most successful people in life read and read a lot. This year, I am joining in on the fun and have become an active member of Sydney Marie Event’s Book Club for Entrepreneur Women… and I am actually going to read the books this time. Already half way through January’s book!

Double the number of weddings I photograph.

I am so proud and grateful for the amazing couples I photographed this past year and I want nothing more than to continue to capture weddings and meet incredible humans. My heart is so full of love and happiness from all the couples I worked with in 2018 and I can only imagine how awesome 2019’s couples will be!

Drink more water.

Self explanatory.

Be more mindful.

In what you may ask? In everything! When it comes to what I say, how I say it and who I say it to. When it comes to what I spend, how I spend and why I am spending it. When it comes to what I eat, what I drink, how much sleep I am getting etc… When I do things with intention and thought, the outcome is always better!

So there you have it guys! My New Year’s Resolution, now… which one of you is going to call me in March and see how I’m holding up?

Let’s hear your Resolutions! Comment below : )

Cheers to the New Year and to this beautiful new beginning!

x0,

Yael