The short version

I am Petsy, a Documentary Wedding and Family Photographer and FemPreneur. My base camp is in rural Southern Germany, close to Munich, where I live with my brainy husband Mark. Missoulala is my blog dedicated to living a life by choice, and prepping ourselves for our next endeavour: being farmers.

The long version (requires tea or Gin Tonic):

Who am I today?

I grew up in a small village in Bavaria, Germany, to a master tailor mother and a self-made entrepreneur father who were both creative and uncompromising. Turning 40, after years of big city and small island living abroad, a stint at Harvard, 20+ successful but partly empty years in the corporate world, it was the right time to hone in the artistic side of my heritage. Setting out to be the next shining light at National Geographic, I attended the renowned Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Montana, USA.

Photography allows me to express my creative side in a purpose driven life on my own terms, be my own boss, and make a positive difference in the lives of others at the same time. I am a firm believer in taking chances and the thrill of entrepreneurship. I love creating and nothing gives me more satisfaction than seeing my vision come to life before me.

Early on, I swapped the fame of magazine covers for hugs and tears of happy people, so my days are filled with documenting Weddings and the beauty of Family Life. I am abundantly blessed to do what I love for a living. I will be a photographer for the rest of my life, this is where I belong.

Who will I be tomorrow?

Late 2017, during out Christmas vacation, ‘Today’ met ‘Tomorrow’. Hubby Mark pulled the topic ‘Pastured Poultry’ out of the hat (Youtube that is). It has been a wild ride ever since.

Shaping destiny, living a life by choice, has been my mantra since my teenage years. I have always been curious about taking an individualized approach to feeling good, doing good, and I am constantly challenging my own skills, values and opinions. 3 major career changes and 14 relocations later I still haven’t lost my appetite for a life plump with promise. However, along the way, I needed to calm down, and I wanted to live consciously and simply with purpose and intention. And I have been doing just that, guided by the ancient Japanese concept of ‘Shibui’ as my value and action framework. ‘Shibui’ encompasses simplicity, implicitly, silence, naturalness, everydayness, modesty and imperfection.

Today, I choose less. But better. I will write about my daily Shibui inspired life because it makes me who I am and sets me up for our next endeavour, becoming farmers. My pre-Shibui me could not have handled an unhurried life, filled with small pleasures and simplicity.

I say: “A life by choice. Less, but better. Be deliberate and picky.” You are asking (in a panicky voice): “Why the h*** should I do that, since I can have it ALL!” Well, you can’t (bubble burst, you are welcome). More importantly: Why would you WANT it ALL? Trying to do it all, saying Yes to everyone and everything? Are you nuts?

Making deliberate choices in your life enables you to get the right things, the essential things, done brilliantly and be liberated of the non-essentials. Being selective gives you space and creative freedom to generate momentum towards a life where you can be happy and your very best. By being in control you create a life that really matters and one you will not need a vacation from.

Turns out, you can live a life you love. It’s the one by choice.

Mr & Mrs Farmer. Oy!

Many of my clothes were hand made, toys were built out of wood, vegetables were grown in the garden, not because it was hip but because that’s just what we did. I was a tomboy who loved pretty things too. This meant I fished in dresses, attended ballett classes for over 14 years, wore wellingtons to school on any given day, had a subscription to the theatre from the age of eight and I learned to walk holding on to one of our hunting dogs (sometimes there were up to eight!). Yet, I left home when I was 19, lived in Paris, London and Jersey Island for years before settling down in a village of 900 souls in Bavaria with Mark in 2008. Life goes full circle doesn’t it?

So, we already live in the countryside. Good start, right? The rest we will have to see.

You and me!

I am still discovering every day and I am thrilled to have you with me on my journey. As you click through these pages, I hope you feel inspired and reminded that life is beautiful. My journey is not my own, but ours together. Sharing creates joy and fulfillment. This website is the ‘open book’ to my life and I would be honored and ridiculously happy if you’d join my community to create a dynamic network that promotes happiness, sharing, and empowerment. Lets connect on Instagram or Pinterest, or if you are not the social-media-kind-of-gal, sign up for my newsletter (no spam, not boring, I promise). Feel free to email any questions, thoughts, or comments to yours truly petsy (at) missoulala.com! I would love to get to know you!