Reevaluate, Recalibrate, Reinvent
This month we’ve been pretty quiet on our blog and social media. Although the last four months for us have been filled with transition, the last four weeks stand out more than the rest in our minds. We took an intentional break for some R&R—&R, Langhoff style. We desperately needed to Reevaluate, Recalibrate and Reinvent.
As you can see from this collection of recent Instagrams above, we moved—again. When we first got to North Carolina, we lived in a house with two friends who had moved here from Alabama. It was a wonderful season for the four of us and we all learned so much as we helped one another transition to life in NC. Two weeks ago, Chad and I were able to move into our own apartment, not without the help of 8 of the best [and arguably the strongest] friends on the planet. The crazy days that followed were filled with unpacking, organizing, a flat tire, thrifting for necessities, creative DIY projects, catching up on some work, beginning to volunteer at our church as photographers, and hosting the sweetest missionary who was visiting the States from Thailand.
All of that may sound a little hectic, and the truth is, it really was. But what was going on in our heads during all of that only added to the chaos… Chad and I both had so many questions looming over us. Some were based in doubt, some in fear, some in curiosity, but overall, they were healthy because they got us to a point of Reevaluation in our lives.
When you move or do heavy spring cleaning, you get the refreshing—and sometimes arduous—opportunity to go through all of your stuff and decide what to keep and what to toss. When you reevaluate your life, it’s pretty similar. You ask yourself, what makes me tick? What could I do without? What brings me joy? What stresses me out? If I knew I had limited time left, what would I want to spend my time doing? Who would I want to spend my time with? In addition to some of the challenges that have occupied our minds in the last four weeks, the reevaluation helped us rediscover all the aspects we love about what we do in life and business.
After unloading lots of emotions through this self-discovery process, Chad and I needed to get away! To Recalibrate, we spent a long afternoon at Umstead State Park, about 10 minutes from our new apartment. Escaping to nature feeds our souls in ways I can’t put into words. Something about exploring trails, the fresh air in our lungs, wide open spaces to run, sun on our cheeks, chirping of animals in the distance, crunching of twigs under our feet, and the rushing power of water makes us feel closer to our Creator and more alive than ever. It’s truly freeing! As we enjoyed the surroundings, splashed through puddles, photographed some memories, laughed together and shared in productive conversation, Chad and I were feeling more stable and organized than ever before. We left that park ready to accomplish something!
Accomplish what? Well, that’s where the third R came in—Reinvent. Together, we were able to brainstorm ways to combine all of these now-organized, clear thoughts into some practical steps that would potentially yield some new fruit in our lives. We discussed the things we love in life and business—especially photography, people, unique stories, observing beauty in all things and creatively capturing honest moments—and wondered how they could all fit into our new life and profession here in North Carolina.
Let me just say….*teaser alert*… We’ve got some pretty clear ideas now of how that will look, and are more excited than ever. A reenergized version of Chad & Amber + a shiny, new Langhoff Creative are currently in the works! We will be launching these ideas in two phases, starting in TEN DAYS! Stay tuned for our new website reveal on Friday, February 6th.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these highlight images from our time of Recalibration at Umstead.
How do you go about R&R—&R in your life?
