Walking up the steps of the Tybee pier just before the sun bursts through the clouds throwing thousands of diamonds across the sea is how my work day started this morning. I had not had my coffee yet, but the sunrise and waking day waits for no one. I am working on an image as part of a larger project I was commissioned to do. Waiting for the right light and perfect sky is all part of my day.  After I get the shots that I need, I turn to head back home. My home is a tiny little apartment 150 feet from the beach. Before I walk off the pier, I take a peek at the movie set that is to the left of the pier. The filming of ‘Dirty Grandpa’ starring Zach Effron and Robert Deniro, is currently being shot on Tybee.

I walk in the door just as Ava and Sean are getting out of bed. Ava starts getting ready for school and Sean  hands me a cup of coffee. They both know that until I have my first cup, they cannot expect me to answer any questions or more importantly laugh at their jokes.

I sipped my coffee, scanned my Facebook notices and checked my email. Then it was onto packing up my gear as we headed out to take Ava to school and to photograph school class portraits. One by one elementary students filed into the cafeteria where we posed them and photographed each class. Sean and I agreed that after the last shot was taken, Hucapoos was definitely on the lunch agenda. We pointed the van north and made a quick detour into the Tybee Island post office. We usually make a trip once or twice a week to the post office because it is at least 2 miles away, and well…we just hate to be that far from home. That is, unless we’re at hucapoos.

Picking the sunniest table on the outside deck, Sean and I claimed our spot. We were greeted by Al, whom we had just hung out with less that 10 hours prior, as we shut down the Sandbar from Sean’s Monday Mandolin Mayhem. He hands each of us our regular beers, PBR and Miller Light as we order our favorite slices of pizza. Taking in the breeze as we bask in the sun, giving thanks for another day to live the dream.

Before our break is over we are stopped by someone who asked if we could be contracted for their organization’s annual photos. I said “sure” and put the dates in my phone.

Then we head into “town” which is the next island over to do our banking and run a few errands. Leaving our island for another island is something we only try to do a couple times a month at most. We usually check with friends to see if they need anything from the mainland, well because that 6 mile trip can just really mess up your day here.

I decided to not go to my inside office today, because it is just too darn sunny to be inside. I am still needing a tan, so I hit my beach office for the rest of the day instead. Returning emails, writing a blog post and updating my website are all things I can do from my cell phone now. So I take advantage of that. Right now I am on my beach chair typing away as the low tide waves are crashing in the distance.

My neighbors just walked up to join me, their story is a lot like ours. Somehow we all ended up here together and love the life we share. They have been building a family business here too. We all somehow find a way to create enough work to continue staying. Well it is a combination of living very simply by not needing a whole bunch to live on along with some hustle to make it happen.

So what’s left for tonight? Well there is still plenty of work to do since we will attend a business networking meeting tonight at the Crab Shack and then we will probably join friends at either the sandbar or Hucapoos afterwards. That is after we gather to watch the sunset.