Sliding doors

This is my sliding doors moment in life.
I had been planning my 10th wedding anniversary getaway for a while, as I think I had mentioned before. I decided on Crowne Plaza at Coogee Beach, as we had never been to Coogee before. As fate/chance/luck/destiny what ever it is you choose to believe would have it Jo posted on her blog two days before we left. Jo mentioned that her sister would be staying at the same hotel, after giving birth at Prince of Wales hospital (wish I got to do something like that!).
I thought it was a bit of a coincidence and I mentioned we would be there too. I didn't think much more of it.













Silly me didn't take a photo of the hotel from the outside, this is the view and it was directly across the road, this is one of the baths and the surf life saving club at Coogee.
Anyway, back to my sliding doors. If we left it there, Jo and I would have a sliding doors moment, we would have been in the same place at the same time and probably not seen each other.
Jo commented back that she would be visiting her sister there on the Saturday, and that if we were staying overnight that we might see each other. She also joked that she would have her camera there and she could snap a picture of us for our anniversary.
I still didn't think much of it. I have always admired Jo's photography skills, and the amazing photos she posts on her blog. So I thought a little more about her comment and said that if she really wanted to take a photo that "on second thoughts I should say it would be great for a cool photographer to snap a photo of us thanks so much for the offer". I told her how she could contact me and I left it at that. After all I was off on a night away the next morning. I will share the story of our time away in another post.
So I got a text with Jo's number on the morning we were heading to Sydney. I text her back to give her my number and said we would arrange a time to meet.
To me this was so strange, actually planning to catch up with someone I had only met through friends of friends, on a blog. I was going to meet in person one of my cyber friends, how cool!
And how generous of her to offer to take photos of someone she had never met!
So after a few texts and a phone call we met on Coogee beach, and instantly began chatting away, as if we had known each other for a long time, we are very similar and have a lot of the same likes when it comes to photos and scrapping and memories and colours. It is funny to see.
These are a few of the amazing shots she took of us.

































































So after giving up an hour of her time to spend with me, taking photos and chatting, we thanked Jo very much and said goodbye so she could go see her little nephew.
I am so appreciative of the time Jo and her family gave to us, and the moments she captured for me I will treasure always.
It is always special to have photos taken of you, I am like most, not in many. But to have someone you have met in person just 5 minutes before be willing to do that is just awesome.
I love the photos so much, but more so it is such a pleasure to meet someone so kind and generous!
The blog world really is amazing and I am so glad to have met Jo in person. Hopefully we will catch up again soon.
And here is a photo of Jo and I together, my husband snapped it of us before we left.
Thanks Jo!