I have hit the ground running this past week. There is so much to experience in this rich world, & the first moments of summer are upon us. Summer has always been my favorite season, & that first dip in the pool, that first warm night out, & the first day of summer camp have all been everything they could've been.
Working at Newman has felt like coming home. Lots of familiar faces, plus a dash of new ones. I genuinely missed teaching the kids today, but being able to dedicate all of my time to shooting was a breath of fresh air. I'm thrilled about the massive amounts of photos I'll be taking & how it will sharpen my skills. Despite my exhaustion from the first day of camp, I'm having a hard time calling this much fun "work."
New Orleans is a city of cliches. No matter how many times you've heard it, if that funk band in the corner plays "When the Saints Go Marching In," you can't help but sing-a-long. Not because the tune itself is that special, but because on that patio outside that bar under that moon, at least for tonight, you truly do want to be in that number. It isn't always pretty, but it isn't like anything else.
Monday, 4 June 2012
Tuesday, 29 May 2012
No Context Needed
Two years ago, on Memorial Day, we moved down to New Orleans. Yesterday, I moved back.
I'd never made the 8-hour drive by myself. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I played my music as loud as I wanted. Once the sun set, I rode with the windows down, the sticky air forming a layer of moisture on my skin. I can't remember if the layer ever truly goes away in this town. I'm not sure if I want it to.
Ryan has generously opened his tiny apartment to me. The couch sleeps well enough, & I'm already making friends with Duder, his cat. The place is a bit cramped, but who cares? The window units keep it chilly even during the heat of the day, but I won't be hanging out at home all the time. Why would I? I'm here.
As soon as I arrived in town, we headed to One Eyed Jack's in the Quarter to see YACHT. I'd nearly forgotten the power that a killer band in a small venue can bring, & YACHT didn't disappoint. Claire danced in the crowd multiple times, even making it far enough back to place her thumb on my forehead. I felt sparks, like I'd been anointed by the indie-dance-punk Gods, like the city was welcoming me home. My first summer in Athens, I saw Beck at the Georgia Theater. During a break between songs, he placed his hand on my head in a similar laying on of hands that I experienced at church growing up. That moment with Beck has always stayed with me, as will last night. Good omens.
I've never struck out on my own like this before. Hell, I've never truly lived for myself before. It's all new & weird &, frankly, a little terrifying. But it's also terribly exciting. I've felt like I've lost touch with a lot of myself, with what makes me happy. I will no longer let myself go through life for others' sake. It is time to truly start experiencing all I have to offer.
I'd never made the 8-hour drive by myself. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I played my music as loud as I wanted. Once the sun set, I rode with the windows down, the sticky air forming a layer of moisture on my skin. I can't remember if the layer ever truly goes away in this town. I'm not sure if I want it to.
Ryan has generously opened his tiny apartment to me. The couch sleeps well enough, & I'm already making friends with Duder, his cat. The place is a bit cramped, but who cares? The window units keep it chilly even during the heat of the day, but I won't be hanging out at home all the time. Why would I? I'm here.
As soon as I arrived in town, we headed to One Eyed Jack's in the Quarter to see YACHT. I'd nearly forgotten the power that a killer band in a small venue can bring, & YACHT didn't disappoint. Claire danced in the crowd multiple times, even making it far enough back to place her thumb on my forehead. I felt sparks, like I'd been anointed by the indie-dance-punk Gods, like the city was welcoming me home. My first summer in Athens, I saw Beck at the Georgia Theater. During a break between songs, he placed his hand on my head in a similar laying on of hands that I experienced at church growing up. That moment with Beck has always stayed with me, as will last night. Good omens.
I've never struck out on my own like this before. Hell, I've never truly lived for myself before. It's all new & weird &, frankly, a little terrifying. But it's also terribly exciting. I've felt like I've lost touch with a lot of myself, with what makes me happy. I will no longer let myself go through life for others' sake. It is time to truly start experiencing all I have to offer.
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