Big HELLO from Rita with The Phoenix Journeys, a nomadic travel adventure!

Well hello there beauties!

My name is Rita Quinn and my current project is called The Phoenix Journeys, an experiment in nomadic life. This is my first steemit post and, like all you kind folks out there, I'm kicking off my steemit experience by dropping a note to say Hello and introduce myself.

So here's a little about me:

I'm a professional photographer, holistic health and healing practitioner, and full-time traveler. I've had a diverse professional background, such as being an award winning technical writer and usability engineer for TurboTax software in San Diego, and a marketing and events Manager for an Inc 500 company in Los Angeles.

In 2007, I decided to leave the corporate world and follow my passion for photography and it has been one of the greatest blessings and joys of my life. I have had a photography studio based out of Austin, TX where I was able to make a full-time living as a freelance photographer.

I've photographed hundreds of weddings and close to a thousand portrait sessions. What an honor it has been to work with some amazing clients and bear witness to literally some of their most important days surrounded by the people they love!

One of my other passions is music and film. As a photographer, I have been fortunate to participate in the Austin based, SXSW festival since 2009. I've been a crew chief since 2010, managing their official team of 70-100 photographers. I got to work with some of the most talented photographers in Austin and many others from around the US. And the team of other crew chiefs and managers who also work on our photography crew are some of my favorite people in the world.

(SXSW 2017 Photography Crew Managers)

I absolutely LOVE the SXSW festival and have been able to see many huge acts before they exploded onto the charts, in the most intimate venues. I will always cherish being able to see Capital Cities at a daytime set with only 10 people in the whole place! I remember walking outside all pumped up with their "Safe and Sound" song echoing in my ears. Oh, and seeing FUN at the Warner Sound day stage and within two weeks hearing their "We are young" song on constant replay on the radio. And Alabama Shakes. And. And. And. Yeah, I love this festival.

I've also had the privilege of being a photographer for Getty Images/WireImage and so excited to have some of my images highlighted in publications such as Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and others. It was a little surreal to me when I was assigned to cover a presentation given by Scott Cook, the founder of Intuit. I knew then how I had come full circle from the life I had left behind so many years ago. (That's him on the bottom left.) And I was thrilled when I had my first image featured in Rolling Stone (the Surfer Blood picture on the bottom right).

I've been the exclusive photographer for the SXSW Filmmaker's Lunch held every year at Robert Rodriguez's TroubleMaker Studios, based in Austin, TX. Robert gives the best inspiring speech every year to all the filmmakers who have had their work selected for screening. In brief, he always starts by saying: "I hope you fail." But then goes into how failure helps you become innovative and tests your resolve and creativity. I have heard it now every year for 8 years and I still love every word.

And it's always a treat when Richard Linklater (aka Rick) shows up at the lunch to hang with all the filmmakers and mingle. This picture makes him look intense, but really he's very quick to smile and say hello to his fans.

And now, my latest project is called The Phoenix Journeys. It's my full-time travel experiment. My husband and I left Austin in May 2017 (yes, just a few months ago) and hit the road in our 38' Class A Motorhome (with our two dogs and cat). The goal: a nomadic rebirth; from 9-5 urbanites to world travelers. To explore this beautiful planet, meet inspiring people along the way, and enrich the world through uplifting images, art, written word, and community. And hey, if National Geographic (or some other travel magazine) wants to hire me as a contributor, that would be amazing too!

So, please follow along on my adventures! I'll be posting articles filled with images of the places we visit and hopefully provide some useful information for others who plan to visit them too. But be warned: I like to play, be silly, and have fun. So don't be surprised if you end up seeing pictures like this too:

(Rita's wig and tea party)

Thanks for reading and I can't wait to follow along with everyone else's posts! I have a feeling Steemit is going to rock my world. TTFN!

-Rita
aka: The Phoenix Journeys