It's Funny How Time Flies

And here we are another 2 months later. How did that happen? It's not that I haven't had thoughts about writing in the last two months. I've had plenty of things I've wanted to say, though I find them not appropriate for everyone to read. So I've kinda just cataloged them in my head for a later date when they're slightly less relevant to my immediate life, but still just as interesting of thoughts.  In the last two months I feel like I've traveled all over California...oh, wait... that's because I have. Erin and I road tripped down to San Luis Obispo in the beginning of August to help Joelle move back to Tahoe before she turned around and moved to Berkeley to start at Cal. We drove back up the Pacific Coast Highway on our way back, SLO to Monterey and then home from there, and then I spent 7 hours by myself driving up to visit Erin two weeks after that, and then driving myself back down the PCH to my cousin's house in Santa Rosa... So I've managed to essentially accomplish my goal of driving the PCH this summer. Though it wasn't exactly how I wanted it, I was supposed to do it with Dylan. Maybe one day we will, though I don't really think that's going to be any day in the immediate future. Or my foreseeable future for that matter. But I would still like to.

After driving up and down the coast it was 3 straight weeks of work (the paychecks were worth it), then Savannah for a whirlwind weekend for Pam and Paul's wedding, as well as 4 photoshoots, a dinner party, bachelorette party, dress fitting and multiple meeting ups with my friends and my darling husband, Cooper. Then it was back to Tahoe for 3 short day and a flight down to San Diego, where I currently am. I've been here for a week and all I've been doing is applying for jobs and reading (And a fabulous day of just netflix and nothing else) and more reading.
Once you find yourself alone.. your head starts to drive you crazy. Really. My friend Derek lives down here, and I hung out with him, his girlfriend and our other friend from home, Keelan, last week. And then last night I hung out with my psuedo-little sister Devyn. Besides that... I've been absolutely horrible about staying on my diet and getting more and more depressed daily by the fact that I don't have a job in my field, as well as the fact that I don't have a temp job either. Among that there are so many other things I worry about; finding a car that I can afford, making money, making people happy, the constant stress of making images that can be considered art, dating again and all those fun things...

Needless to say, I don't know if the time by myself (well, and the dogs, but they just look at me with their puppy dog eyes and want me to feed them) is necessarily as good for me as I thought it would be. It's making me look at a lot more of my flaws than I want to. That and I feel like a little bit of a fool wearing stilettos around the house, but I have to preserve some of my humor somehow. Books at least are a good escape for my mind... but I've gone through four 400 something page books since last Saturday... so in 6 days. I only have five books left, and my bank account won't accept me splurging on new ones. So.... that should be interesting.

I am motivated to go for a run though, because there's actually a scale here and as much as I hate myself every morning for stepping on it, it's become and addiction for me. (Did I add that the stilettos make my calves look fabulous... just another good reason to wear them.) I don't think it's necessarily a healthy addiction either... just one that's going to make me despise myself for a million more things.

Anyway. I'm going slightly crazy being here by myself. I'll willingly take phone calls and skype dates from anyone willing to give them :)

Pacific Beach with a fisheye lens. Sexy, I know.

Tahoe at 2:30 AM after a night rainstorm with the glow from Reno on the left and Carson City on the right.

So hopefully I'll write soon with some fabulous news that one of the 18 jobs I've applied for has hired me and that I'll have a fabulous start to my career and soon after I'll be famous. Or something like that.

Home Sweet Home

Wow. It's been a long two months since I've written anything. In the last two months I've tackled:
My first wedding; Bethany and Dustin
Senior finals (4.0 baby!)
My senior showcase; Just Let Go and saying goodbye to Cooper
My family coming to Savannah.
Graduation and saying goodbye to my closest friends
Driving to Memphis and back
My second wedding; Sarah and Chris
Officially moving out of 311 E 38th St and cleaning it like no other
Packing and shipping more than 200 lbs of my life back to California
Being re-united with Cooper
My second 3rd of July away from home
My first 4th of July in Savannah
A LOT of margaritas and hugs goodbye
Actually leaving the DFW airport. I think it was the 12th or 13th time I've flown through there and until a week ago, I'd never been outside.
Lauren's bridal shower and bachelorette party!
Flying home.
Having a first date that should have happened..... 5 years ago.
Unpacking said 200 lbs of stuff
Moving into my brother's room, as mine is now the guest room.
Remembering what it's like to live in a small town.

The small town part still blows my mind a little bit. I forgot what it's like to go to the grocery store and know everyone there. And that no one really changes here, or we have changed, but the second one sees ones friends from high school, one falls back into the roles we had back then.
So now the real test of life begins... Job searches, finding where I want to live, maybe moving again, finding a new love and letting go of the threads of old... It's going to be an adventure. I'm ready. For anything. I just want to get in the car and drive... just go anywhere and do anything and take pictures. Yep. That's what I want.

See?

See? I'm horrible at actually keeping up with these things. Then again, it is the busiest 3 weeks of my SCAD career; a shoot (or two) every day, preparing for finals, preparing for my show (SO NOT READY) and trying to pack my life into boxes and get my love life sorted out.... not exactly the best time for me to dedicate time to writing. Though I do think about it constantly....

Slacker.

Okay, I'm slacking
May 1st:   A picture of the person you do the most ****** up things with.

Hmm, well. I don't really do anything too messed up most of the time. So the person I get into the most trouble with... Cooper Westbrook. Not that we actually get in real trouble, but we do have our fun. Lots and lots of fun.











May 2nd: A picture of something you hate.
PEOPLE WHO DO NOT USE THEIR BLINKERS. I HATE THEM THEY DRIVE ME INSANE, THEY CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO DRIVE.

May 3rd: A picture of something you love. 
Earnest. Enough said. He's my cuddle bubba.













May 4: A picture of your favorite band or artist.

This is hard. Hmmmm. Actually, wait, easy. Pink. I love her. I don't care what anyone else thinks, I love her and her music and her attitude and her relationship with her husband (which quite perfectly tends to describe my life at the time) and everything else about her. :)













May 5: A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without.

As easy as it is to think it, it's harder to actually say it. I could not imagine my life without Maddie. I know that a lot of people wouldn't believe that since our breakup, because both of us are borderline of not actually being in each others lives, but at the same time, I never thought that my life wouldn't have her in it. Even now, it still will. Just in a different way. But, my life would not be the same without her, at all, nor will it be from this point on. I still want her to be part of my life. And I know that she feels the same way. Now it's just the process of being okay with the fact that it won't be exactly how I expected it. But, that's life. 

Laughter Is The Best Medecine.

Okay, I missed a day. But it's because I was out having fun.
(Yesterday)
8. A picture that makes you laugh.

I don't think I really need to say anything about this... It's still one of my favorite pictures I've taken that still makes me laugh. 

At Garrett's graduation party

 9. A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

Trying to fit in the front seat with Joelle.

At my solo show opening

Well. That's easy. My darling mother. She puts up with me all the time. I mean, my dad does too, but I don't call him four times a day to ask random things and give random facts.  And I can call her and tell her ANYTHING... and she pretends to not act too shocked most of the time. After her it's Maddie and then my biffles Erin and Joelle again, but my mom has been there for EVERY crisis in my life from temper tantrums over sleepovers to terrorist attacks in foreign countries (though I think she was freaking out about that one more than me). And my mother is wonderful, beautiful and hilarious. I love her so much and I have absolutely no clue what I would do without her. So.... some of my favorite pictures of my mother....

My favorite picture of my parents....

There's Something In The Water

7. A picture of your most treasured item.
Another hard one, yet easy at the same time. I don't really have many material things that I treasure (only my laptop, iPhone and hard drives, but I kinda just count those as essential for my life, not necessarily treasured items. Though they really do contain all the pictures I've ever taken. Hmm. Food for thought).

Isn't he just too cute?

And I can't consider Earnest an item. He's more of... cat-person. love bundle. wheezing bed hogger. but oh so cute and I love him so very much.



So. I think that my most treasured item would have to be my Tahoe necklace. Which may seem silly to some people. Because, yes, it is just a necklace. But almost all the people that I grew up with, my mother, my cousin, most of my friends... we all have one. Tahoe isn't just a place, it's kind of a feeling. And Tahoe people are weird. We know. There's something in the water.  Most people aren't in touch with the majority of their friends from high school, most people didn't grow up doing 5 sports and spending summer days next to one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. One can forget and take for granted the Tahoe way of life... but it always loops back around. I wouldn't be the person I am without most of the people at the lake, in both a positive and negative way. There are so many people that pushed me to be so much better by not doing anything themselves, by wanting to live "the high life" in the Sierras. I mean, don't get me wrong. I know it's amazing. And it's an amazing place to raise children and have a family, but there are so many people that are still just THERE. And I have had my doubts in myself because I'm going back. But I'm going back for a few month vacation before I get to start "real life" with a job and everything. I don't plan on being there past December, January at the latest. Next year will find me with a new job, a new city, maybe a new boyfriend or girlfriend. Who knows. But my years of living next to the dazzling blue lake are over. Until I retire and take my parent's house.

Tahoe, front and center. And my hair at the longest it's ever been.

But back to my necklace. It reminds me of this. Every. Day. Because I never take it off, I'm constantly reassured by the fact that it is there, it is my past, that I look at every day and urge myself to be better. Because I don't want to just be that small town girl, the one that went to art school and didn't go anywhere after that. I'm better than that. Because there's something in the water.

Travel-Life

6. A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.
Well. Top of my list is my cat, Earnest because he literally sleeps all day, and when he wakes up he gets to cuddle with me...
Besides that. Let's see.
I would have to say Samantha Brown, from the Travel Channel. She seems so together, she gets to travel to beautiful amazing destinations all over the world!

http://blog.travelchannel.com/samantha-brown/