Maleshia J.
- Jul 13, 2023
- 2 min read

Let’s Take A Little Trip Down Memory Lane: Family Trip in Philadelphia, PA (USA), 2018

Let’s take a little trip down memory lane.

Black woman with headwrap holding Nikon DSLR camera in car mirror reflection

It was the spring of 2018 and the city was Philadelphia (Philly), also known as “The City of Brotherly Love.” My family and I decided to take a quick family vacation during spring break to travel and explore somewhere new and of course, I made sure to travel with my DSLR camera and film cameras in hand. At this time, I decided this would be the perfect opportunity to use some much-needed PTO from work at the US Patent and Trademark Office to decompress from all of the stresses of my corporate job, clear my mind, sightsee with family, relax, and to just be present far away from home. I desperately needed this time to just get away. It was during this trip that I found pure inspiration to whip out my Nikon camera and focus my lens on the beautiful things around me that captured my eyes.

Downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania street building mural wall art of portraits women

In retrospect, I can say that this trip was an integral part of my decision to take a leap head-first into entrepreneurship. I just felt carefree and at peace in my mind, body, and spirit after much consultation and prayer with God and my support system. The confirmation I needed I received during this trip. I just felt it and believed that God would make room for me to share my gifts, my talents, my experiences, and my heart with the people I would later come to serve. It was also then that I finally had the revelation to take the big leap and officially establish my photography business fondly known as Imprints By Maleshia J. Photography and Design.

Philadelphia fireman museum vibrant stained glass mural

Sometimes it’s necessary to look back to remember where you’ve been, to see how far you’ve come, to recognize how much you’ve grown, and to find even more inspiration in the present day to press towards the future and work towards accomplishing my goals, and turn my dreams into realities.

Philadelphia phone post street photography with stickers and graffiti

That is exactly what these images have done for me on this day the Lord has made. I’m excited to press on and create from the inspiration, motivation, and joy that God has placed in my heart. I believe that there are so many great people, places, and things for me to experience in this life that are yet to come. I pray that my trip down memory encourages you this day to take time to take care of your whole self, listen to your mind and spirit, and make the best decisions that are aligned with what you need in your life.