Saturday, October 25, 2014
My Right Now
Read this post at We Seek Joy and decided to tackle the question myself.
What is your Right Now?
My right now is for deep breaths and taking a step back to realize just how much has been accomplished. It's for cutting back and frugality, for seeing where things go in the next two weeks, for searching and testing but maybe not committing.
Right now is for pictures of symmetrical doorways, for reading all the books I checked out of the library. It is for continuing growth that has been on the slow track for so, so long.
Right now is for awe and gratitude while driving down side streets, it's for a couple tears matched with the knowledge that the right choice was made. It's about figuring out how to love and appreciate the memories, to not feel like a traitor, to honor what that time was, while being in the present and seeing all that is possible now.
Right now is about digging a little deeper into what I really want. I have a foundation, I have a town that I could potentially call home for many, many years... so now what? Not in a bad way, in a glorious, "the world (and this state) is my oyster" kind of way.
Right now is for picking and choosing, it's for acknowledging the little treats to myself so that they don't just become habit and drain the bank without real reward, for less sugar but at the same time testing out sweet tea.
Right now is for researching coats, puffy vests and blankets for the winter, for selling my older computer finally and for learning how to be fancy while cleaning tables. It's about writing down addresses that I see while driving and looking up their costs later.
Some parts dreaming, other parts planning, getting into the creating.
Right now... oh right now.
xoxo
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Roadtrip to Nashville: The Homestretch
(Pictures lost in numerous blog transfers)
I call this last leg of the trip the homestretch even though it was over two days. I woke up in Oklahoma on Wednesday, October 1st and decided to see the coolest thing I could find in Oklahoma City. I considered a bookstore and a couple other places but they wouldn't be open that early in the morning. When I found Bricktown and the water taxis, I was sold. I gathered my things from my hotel, got caught in a tiny bit of morning traffic and then found my way to a part of town that sleeps in. It might be obvious by now, but maybe not, I really, really enjoy places when they are lacking crowds, in fact, it's even better when they are devoid of other people. I like the pictures I can take, I like the quiet, I just really like exploring a place without having to maneuver around other bodies.
This part of Oklahoma City didn't have many people walking around so it made for an awesome morning.
After Bricktown I got back on yet another highway, something I still wasn't tired of at this point, and drove through more of Oklahoma. I headed to Tulsa with one specific neighborhood in mind to see.
I fell a little in love with the Blue Dome District. It reminded me of Portland and of something else though I'm not sure what. There were old and abandoned looking buildings that were in between bars and restaurants, there were murals, and really cool shops. I stopped for lunch at Dilly Deli which I highly recommend. Not just because the sandwich was good, but because this restaurant is so dang cute, and my waitress was so friendly and informative. I asked her about life in Tulsa, what I should see with only like 15 minutes to explore, and what happens when there are tornados. I'm slightly obsessed with this whole inclement weather thing because I've never had to deal with it before. She shrugged the tornados off like San Diegans shrug off earthquakes though and told me that should I see people getting out their cameras on their front porch then it's time to hit the basement (or the downstairs bathroom). Good to know as tornados are not that likely (at all) in my part of Tennessee, but are possible.
I was a bit sad I didn't have more time to explore Tulsa, but I had place to go and one more thing to see before Missouri!
My last stop before civilization was a totem pole found through roadtrippers. Believe me when I say this thing was weird, and I'm not sure quite worth it. It was interesting and I found some bugs I've never seen before in my life. Should you go through Oklahoma I feel like you could skip it and be okay. Take more time in Tulsa.
Back to the bug thing though, the trees were buzzing with noise, it was incredibly humid and as I'm walking by one of the totems I see this long, black thing that I thought was one thousandth (hundred thousandth?) of the noise coming from the trees. I looked him up later though, after someone suggestion he (she) was a cicada and it turns out it was not a cicada, but this was a cicada wasp (also known as a ground digger wasp). It was gross but I let it go as I know that my life outside of San Diego will definitely be filled with more bugs.
After leaving the cicada killer wasp to it's totem pole (and day job) I continued on my way to Springfield, Missouri to meet up with Haley from Mushaboom. I'm going to take a quick second to talk about how awesome the internet, blogging, and instagram CAN be. Yes I definitely need to stop looking at Instagram so much, and yes, society as a whole can definitely benefit from re-learning how to talk to each other in person, BUT, there are still awesome, wonderful and amazing benefits to this thing called social media.
Okay, so, get to meeting with Haley, we chat it up until Mr. Tucker gets home and then they take me out for some food. I'm going to stop again, just to say, these two are so very generous and kind and awesome. I was a little worried that I would feel awkward because I had been alone with my thoughts for the past three and a half days but I had absolutely nothing to worry about. We talked and laughed about different cliques within the music scene, we at pizza, perused an awesome bookstore and I ate myself a delicious cupcake. The night was wonderful and their place is so well decorated. Wood floors, open kitchen, just a whole load of cuteness that I couldn't get over. And their cat Walt, we were buddies in minutes.
The next morning I woke early so I could get on my way to Nashville and hopefully beat out some of the thunderstorms that were suppose to be coming to every city/town I would be passing through. The drive started out looking pretty ominous but it was nothing short of an incredible view. I did manage to miss the worst of the storms the whole day. I drove through rain on my way from The Tucker's house to Starbucks and then on a little more in Missouri, but less than an hour later and I was looking at no rain... and some people in horse drawn carriages along the road. No, seriously, horse drawn carriages, don't worry there were signs for it.
I didn't want to stop too much but I did want to make sure I got out of the car in Kentucky so I headed to The Rose of the Lake for a view. I got a little lost once I reached the town, decided against eating at Patti and Bill's Restaurant, but did manage to find this little lighthouse on a lake. It was a perfect last stop.
I made it into Nashville with a good amount of sunlight to spare. I stopped at Target (surprisingly it was the one I had been to a year before) got myself an airbed and some other necessities and the continued on to my new apartment.
I don't have any pretty words to wrap up this trip. It was so many different things at once. There was nostalgia, euphoria, wonder, awe, amazement and so many other emotions that I felt and probably didn't fully process those five days (and still haven't now, 16 days later). I'm so grateful I was in a position to be able to do this and have a family that supports me so much. The two words that kept coming up were gratitude and grace. All I know is that this trip was everything I hoped it to be and more. Which is what I can also say for Nashville thus far.
xoxo
I call this last leg of the trip the homestretch even though it was over two days. I woke up in Oklahoma on Wednesday, October 1st and decided to see the coolest thing I could find in Oklahoma City. I considered a bookstore and a couple other places but they wouldn't be open that early in the morning. When I found Bricktown and the water taxis, I was sold. I gathered my things from my hotel, got caught in a tiny bit of morning traffic and then found my way to a part of town that sleeps in. It might be obvious by now, but maybe not, I really, really enjoy places when they are lacking crowds, in fact, it's even better when they are devoid of other people. I like the pictures I can take, I like the quiet, I just really like exploring a place without having to maneuver around other bodies.
This part of Oklahoma City didn't have many people walking around so it made for an awesome morning.
After Bricktown I got back on yet another highway, something I still wasn't tired of at this point, and drove through more of Oklahoma. I headed to Tulsa with one specific neighborhood in mind to see.
I fell a little in love with the Blue Dome District. It reminded me of Portland and of something else though I'm not sure what. There were old and abandoned looking buildings that were in between bars and restaurants, there were murals, and really cool shops. I stopped for lunch at Dilly Deli which I highly recommend. Not just because the sandwich was good, but because this restaurant is so dang cute, and my waitress was so friendly and informative. I asked her about life in Tulsa, what I should see with only like 15 minutes to explore, and what happens when there are tornados. I'm slightly obsessed with this whole inclement weather thing because I've never had to deal with it before. She shrugged the tornados off like San Diegans shrug off earthquakes though and told me that should I see people getting out their cameras on their front porch then it's time to hit the basement (or the downstairs bathroom). Good to know as tornados are not that likely (at all) in my part of Tennessee, but are possible.
I was a bit sad I didn't have more time to explore Tulsa, but I had place to go and one more thing to see before Missouri!
My last stop before civilization was a totem pole found through roadtrippers. Believe me when I say this thing was weird, and I'm not sure quite worth it. It was interesting and I found some bugs I've never seen before in my life. Should you go through Oklahoma I feel like you could skip it and be okay. Take more time in Tulsa.
Back to the bug thing though, the trees were buzzing with noise, it was incredibly humid and as I'm walking by one of the totems I see this long, black thing that I thought was one thousandth (hundred thousandth?) of the noise coming from the trees. I looked him up later though, after someone suggestion he (she) was a cicada and it turns out it was not a cicada, but this was a cicada wasp (also known as a ground digger wasp). It was gross but I let it go as I know that my life outside of San Diego will definitely be filled with more bugs.
After leaving the cicada killer wasp to it's totem pole (and day job) I continued on my way to Springfield, Missouri to meet up with Haley from Mushaboom. I'm going to take a quick second to talk about how awesome the internet, blogging, and instagram CAN be. Yes I definitely need to stop looking at Instagram so much, and yes, society as a whole can definitely benefit from re-learning how to talk to each other in person, BUT, there are still awesome, wonderful and amazing benefits to this thing called social media.
Okay, so, get to meeting with Haley, we chat it up until Mr. Tucker gets home and then they take me out for some food. I'm going to stop again, just to say, these two are so very generous and kind and awesome. I was a little worried that I would feel awkward because I had been alone with my thoughts for the past three and a half days but I had absolutely nothing to worry about. We talked and laughed about different cliques within the music scene, we at pizza, perused an awesome bookstore and I ate myself a delicious cupcake. The night was wonderful and their place is so well decorated. Wood floors, open kitchen, just a whole load of cuteness that I couldn't get over. And their cat Walt, we were buddies in minutes.
The next morning I woke early so I could get on my way to Nashville and hopefully beat out some of the thunderstorms that were suppose to be coming to every city/town I would be passing through. The drive started out looking pretty ominous but it was nothing short of an incredible view. I did manage to miss the worst of the storms the whole day. I drove through rain on my way from The Tucker's house to Starbucks and then on a little more in Missouri, but less than an hour later and I was looking at no rain... and some people in horse drawn carriages along the road. No, seriously, horse drawn carriages, don't worry there were signs for it.
I didn't want to stop too much but I did want to make sure I got out of the car in Kentucky so I headed to The Rose of the Lake for a view. I got a little lost once I reached the town, decided against eating at Patti and Bill's Restaurant, but did manage to find this little lighthouse on a lake. It was a perfect last stop.
I made it into Nashville with a good amount of sunlight to spare. I stopped at Target (surprisingly it was the one I had been to a year before) got myself an airbed and some other necessities and the continued on to my new apartment.
I don't have any pretty words to wrap up this trip. It was so many different things at once. There was nostalgia, euphoria, wonder, awe, amazement and so many other emotions that I felt and probably didn't fully process those five days (and still haven't now, 16 days later). I'm so grateful I was in a position to be able to do this and have a family that supports me so much. The two words that kept coming up were gratitude and grace. All I know is that this trip was everything I hoped it to be and more. Which is what I can also say for Nashville thus far.
xoxo
Friday, October 17, 2014
Day Fifteen
Hello again,
It's crazy I've had posts every day this week but still feel like I haven't been around here. Maybe because I have been writing these in advance? I start to feel guilty for not being here and the I realize I am here more than I have ever been.
Almost put Nashville in the title of this and then realized I am starting to sound like a love-sick school girl. Hey ya'll, got a new boyfriend, his name's Nashville. It's prrrretty serious.
Anywho, after I wrote my Monday goals and agonized a little over not having gotten a job yet (seriously? the standards I hold myself to are crazy sometimes) I proceeded to have two interview that went really well and then had two set up for Tuesday. Flash forward to Tuesday me getting not one but two jobs! That's right! Not even 12 full days into my new city and I land two jobs. Yay manifestation and trusting that things work out AND going for what I want. Oh goodness, like I said before, it's been a whirlwind.
I started my first job with a company called Organizing Ease. I am so, so excited about this opportunity because well, I'm an organization junkie and now I get the chance to really experience and learn what that means on a professional level. My boss and coworkers are awesome too. I'm stoked. I jumped right into that job the day after being hired. The other one I will be starting next week. I'm giving myself the weekend to explore a little more and relax and then get ready for a lot of learning and figuring out what my personal projects will be and where they will fit. Always have personal projects. Always.
I've been realizing since I've gotten here that my wants and needs are a little (maybe a lot) different than I thought they were overall when I left San Diego. I was thinking that I was still going to have a transitory mindset when I got here because that's what I had been use to for 3, maybe even 6 years. I was use to wondering where my next place to live would be and how I could get out and go other places but now that I'm here I am looking at houses thinking "Hmmmm, that would be lovely." As much as I love traveling, I would love, love, love a place to come home to that is mine and wonderful. It's got me thinking about my minimalism and all sorts of other stuff too. I'm sure I'll write about those thoughts deeper in their own posts later.
What else? Putting it out to the thrifting gods that I would love a serving tray that has a ouija board print on it, or one that has Tennessee on it... also a huuuuge older American flag to hang in this wide open space I have above my bed. And old U.S. Map is also on that list, have to outline the states I've been to. I also wouldn't mind a map of Tennessee, or Nashville.
Every day after work I've been exploring or seeing something new. If you've been watching my instagram feed you'll know I've been all over the frickin place. I love it. I am seeing different neighborhoods, food and coffee shops, murals, scenery, etc. Today I saw a house that made me swoon... well, I didn't really get a good look at the house, it was the long road to the house that got me. Imagine two lines of parallel trees framing a dirt road up to a tall house. I'm sold. How do I make millions and buy it? No, but seriously.
This weekend is the last one I will have for a while I think, I'll have my time off here and there spread out over the week instead of two days now that I will be juggling two job schedules. All will be well though, excited for the future and what it brings. Very happy in the present.
xoxo
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Roadtrip to Nashville: Arizona to Oklahoma
(Pictures lost in numerous blog transfers)
After leaving Glen Canyon I went back to the hotel to get some breakfast, get my stuff and hit the road. I had quite a bit of driving to do before getting to Albuquerque with not a lot of stops in mind. I made it to Albuquerque before sunset and found myself an Urban Outfitter for some Instax Wide film and then a Target for familiarity and what I called slip on driving shoes. I then went to my hotel and made some cds for the next day's drive.
The next morning I woke somewhat early and made my way back down to Central Ave where the Urban Outfitter was, the area was cute and weird and reminded me a lot of Portland. Unfortunately I didn't get a great picture of it so we'll move on.
My first stop of the day was The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa. This little wonder is not very long across but it is quite deep. The wind was blowing something fierce and I heard that the water had cooled off considerably since the summer (not to mention I had a long drive) so I didn't jump in but I wouldn't mind going back again sometime in the future. The water was definitely gorgeous shades of blue. So strange, this deep, deep water hole in the middle of nowhere almost.
When I got back on the road again I was hungry and stopped to get some food, and while I did that I ran into the Nutella wagon which I did not know was a thing. Strange? Awesome? Do I wish I could swim in that trailer nutella? Possibly. It definitely wasn't the first weird thing I saw on the road (a pack of billy goats all eating one bush earlier in Arizona) nor would it be the last, but it was awesome none the less. And fitting that I saw it at Love's, because that is how I feel about Nutella.
After some food it was time to head to Tucumcari. I went there just expecting to see Tee Pee Curios but it was so much more. Tucumcari seemed to me to be a ghost town. There were abandoned buildings every couple of yards. Gas stations, Drive Inn Foods, Car Shops, etc. I wondered what had hit this town so hard. I saw a couple people here and there but the town definitely had a lonely feel.
After Tee Pee Curios I had a long way to go but not a lot to see. I drove through the top of Texas, seeing abandoned gas stations at nearly every exit. At both state lines there was mention of ghost towns, and I drove through Texola I believe, but I didn't get out of the car. It was a half abandoned town. Some houses were clearly left to disintegrate slowly while others were still occupied. I'm still working out my bravery in picture taking as well as what I consider respectful to surrounding inhabitants so I stayed in my car and just wondered at all the emptiness.
Earlier in the day I did have a focus of finding a New Mexico inspired blanket for cheap, I had stopped at a couple places the day before but had only found expensive versions of what I wanted. This day I was a little more successful, but only after stopping a good three plus times. FINALLY I found a black, white and gray blanket for maybe $7. This definitely set me back a bit time wise, but I kept telling myself I was on no absolute schedule and it would all be okay. I mean really, road trip here, not a race, the whole point was to enjoy it and have no pressure. Yay type A!
Anywho, after a stop in Amarillo (which in my head is pronounced amaree-yo, but I'm pretty sure is actually said with the l's) and the aforementioned Texola, I drove across Oklahoma, listening to Jason Aldean's Fly Over States far too many times to count, singing along and feeling so alive and happy.
It's still a wonder to me that I rarely felt sleepy on the road. I think the trick was not eating heavy meals and only snacking. Admittedly, I could have been snacking healthier but I was very glad to not get the road hypnosis that I was accustom to battling with my road trips from San Diego to Portland.
Any time I did get a little too relaxed and comfy feeling I would just start moving my head side to side taking in all that way passing me by. To the untrained eye it probably all looked really similar, but to me each house had a story that I was curious about. Technically a city girl I wondered how long it took these people to get groceries, and if their meal planning was necessary by nature and not fad. I wondered about where there was a grocery store and how long it took them to get from their gates to their front door. I wondered many things as the miles passed by. There were so many times that I saw scenes that made me want to stop on the interstate and take pictures. But alas I did not. I'm still not sure of what I would tell a police officer should they find me in the emergency lane with a camera in hand. I'll save that act of bravery for the future perhaps.
I made it into Oklahoma past sunset and settled into my last hotel of the trip.
Up next: The Homestretch
xoxo
After leaving Glen Canyon I went back to the hotel to get some breakfast, get my stuff and hit the road. I had quite a bit of driving to do before getting to Albuquerque with not a lot of stops in mind. I made it to Albuquerque before sunset and found myself an Urban Outfitter for some Instax Wide film and then a Target for familiarity and what I called slip on driving shoes. I then went to my hotel and made some cds for the next day's drive.
The next morning I woke somewhat early and made my way back down to Central Ave where the Urban Outfitter was, the area was cute and weird and reminded me a lot of Portland. Unfortunately I didn't get a great picture of it so we'll move on.
My first stop of the day was The Blue Hole of Santa Rosa. This little wonder is not very long across but it is quite deep. The wind was blowing something fierce and I heard that the water had cooled off considerably since the summer (not to mention I had a long drive) so I didn't jump in but I wouldn't mind going back again sometime in the future. The water was definitely gorgeous shades of blue. So strange, this deep, deep water hole in the middle of nowhere almost.
When I got back on the road again I was hungry and stopped to get some food, and while I did that I ran into the Nutella wagon which I did not know was a thing. Strange? Awesome? Do I wish I could swim in that trailer nutella? Possibly. It definitely wasn't the first weird thing I saw on the road (a pack of billy goats all eating one bush earlier in Arizona) nor would it be the last, but it was awesome none the less. And fitting that I saw it at Love's, because that is how I feel about Nutella.
After some food it was time to head to Tucumcari. I went there just expecting to see Tee Pee Curios but it was so much more. Tucumcari seemed to me to be a ghost town. There were abandoned buildings every couple of yards. Gas stations, Drive Inn Foods, Car Shops, etc. I wondered what had hit this town so hard. I saw a couple people here and there but the town definitely had a lonely feel.
After Tee Pee Curios I had a long way to go but not a lot to see. I drove through the top of Texas, seeing abandoned gas stations at nearly every exit. At both state lines there was mention of ghost towns, and I drove through Texola I believe, but I didn't get out of the car. It was a half abandoned town. Some houses were clearly left to disintegrate slowly while others were still occupied. I'm still working out my bravery in picture taking as well as what I consider respectful to surrounding inhabitants so I stayed in my car and just wondered at all the emptiness.
Earlier in the day I did have a focus of finding a New Mexico inspired blanket for cheap, I had stopped at a couple places the day before but had only found expensive versions of what I wanted. This day I was a little more successful, but only after stopping a good three plus times. FINALLY I found a black, white and gray blanket for maybe $7. This definitely set me back a bit time wise, but I kept telling myself I was on no absolute schedule and it would all be okay. I mean really, road trip here, not a race, the whole point was to enjoy it and have no pressure. Yay type A!
Anywho, after a stop in Amarillo (which in my head is pronounced amaree-yo, but I'm pretty sure is actually said with the l's) and the aforementioned Texola, I drove across Oklahoma, listening to Jason Aldean's Fly Over States far too many times to count, singing along and feeling so alive and happy.
It's still a wonder to me that I rarely felt sleepy on the road. I think the trick was not eating heavy meals and only snacking. Admittedly, I could have been snacking healthier but I was very glad to not get the road hypnosis that I was accustom to battling with my road trips from San Diego to Portland.
Any time I did get a little too relaxed and comfy feeling I would just start moving my head side to side taking in all that way passing me by. To the untrained eye it probably all looked really similar, but to me each house had a story that I was curious about. Technically a city girl I wondered how long it took these people to get groceries, and if their meal planning was necessary by nature and not fad. I wondered about where there was a grocery store and how long it took them to get from their gates to their front door. I wondered many things as the miles passed by. There were so many times that I saw scenes that made me want to stop on the interstate and take pictures. But alas I did not. I'm still not sure of what I would tell a police officer should they find me in the emergency lane with a camera in hand. I'll save that act of bravery for the future perhaps.
I made it into Oklahoma past sunset and settled into my last hotel of the trip.
Up next: The Homestretch
xoxo
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Roadtrip to Nashville: Horseshoe Bend, Glen Canyon
(There use to be pictures, but in transferring between blogs they have been lost)
Words cannot adequately describe Horseshoe Canyon and my experience there in the early morning light but I'll do my best here.
The morning was chilly to say the least and there was a slight chance of rain but nothing I couldn't handle. I was ready to be soaked in my jeans, beanie, plaid shirt and hoodie if necessary. The walk to the edge wasn't difficult by any means but I think (hope) the altitude mixed with the sand made me a little breathless. Untrained lungs aside, I walked up to the rim to see a couple off to my right and another photographer to the slight right. I decided to take my spot several feet from him and leave the couple to their romantic sunrise.
I walked right up to the edge and and immediately traded breathless for a second of vertigo. I don't know if it was my mind taking in the depths or if it was the low light but my introduction to Horseshoe Bend felt a little surreal. Goregeous and surreal. After the initial overwhelm mellowed out I started talking to the photographer beside me about lenses and travels and all sorts of stuff until the first light really took hold.
We chatted as the sun came up and we speculated on what the light might do. Maybe a few minutes into the sunrise a rainbow broke through to our left and slowly spanned the whole bend. To be at this place, so early in the morning, on this trip across the country, to move to a state I didn't really know anyone in... to be gifted with temperate weather and a canyon spanning rainbow? Spiritual, signs, serendipity or anything else, I was filled with feelings of grace, gratitude and awe. So many thank yous ran through my mind.
I have never felt more at peace than I did in those first moments of the sun coming up. Everything that I had been unsure felt right.
After the rainbow left, my new friend and I were joined by another solo photographer, (I was the only solo female I saw ever on my trip) who had a drone with a go pro connected to it. Photog number one left us and I went back to the edge while photog number two set the drone out for a little flight. We talked a little more, and as more people came to the edge everything got a little nosier. I couldn't believe it when I looked at the time and realized I had been there for over two hours. When I decided it was time to go, I said goodbye to my drone wielding new friend (his name is Todd and you can find his work at I Shoot America) and I walked back to the parking lot filled with joy.
The hype that surrounds the Grand Canyon as well as this place, Horseshoe Bend, cannot be denied. It's for a reason. No picture will ever be able to capture what it feels like to see this place with your own eyes. Not a single one. These pictures that I took, they look great, but they are a tiny, tiny margin of what it was really like to be there, the cannot convey the depths and the feelings that come with looking down over an unguarded edge. They don't stand a chance.
If you are questioning your faith in life, if you need to reconnect, if you just want to see something beautiful, I urge you to go to Horseshoe Bend. Go now. Get there just before sunrise when it's quiet and calm. Go when it's colder and not a tourist season, go to a spot that doesn't get talked about as much... just go. And then take it all in.
Up next: New Mexico to Oklahoma
xoxo
Words cannot adequately describe Horseshoe Canyon and my experience there in the early morning light but I'll do my best here.
The morning was chilly to say the least and there was a slight chance of rain but nothing I couldn't handle. I was ready to be soaked in my jeans, beanie, plaid shirt and hoodie if necessary. The walk to the edge wasn't difficult by any means but I think (hope) the altitude mixed with the sand made me a little breathless. Untrained lungs aside, I walked up to the rim to see a couple off to my right and another photographer to the slight right. I decided to take my spot several feet from him and leave the couple to their romantic sunrise.
I walked right up to the edge and and immediately traded breathless for a second of vertigo. I don't know if it was my mind taking in the depths or if it was the low light but my introduction to Horseshoe Bend felt a little surreal. Goregeous and surreal. After the initial overwhelm mellowed out I started talking to the photographer beside me about lenses and travels and all sorts of stuff until the first light really took hold.
We chatted as the sun came up and we speculated on what the light might do. Maybe a few minutes into the sunrise a rainbow broke through to our left and slowly spanned the whole bend. To be at this place, so early in the morning, on this trip across the country, to move to a state I didn't really know anyone in... to be gifted with temperate weather and a canyon spanning rainbow? Spiritual, signs, serendipity or anything else, I was filled with feelings of grace, gratitude and awe. So many thank yous ran through my mind.
I have never felt more at peace than I did in those first moments of the sun coming up. Everything that I had been unsure felt right.
After the rainbow left, my new friend and I were joined by another solo photographer, (I was the only solo female I saw ever on my trip) who had a drone with a go pro connected to it. Photog number one left us and I went back to the edge while photog number two set the drone out for a little flight. We talked a little more, and as more people came to the edge everything got a little nosier. I couldn't believe it when I looked at the time and realized I had been there for over two hours. When I decided it was time to go, I said goodbye to my drone wielding new friend (his name is Todd and you can find his work at I Shoot America) and I walked back to the parking lot filled with joy.
The hype that surrounds the Grand Canyon as well as this place, Horseshoe Bend, cannot be denied. It's for a reason. No picture will ever be able to capture what it feels like to see this place with your own eyes. Not a single one. These pictures that I took, they look great, but they are a tiny, tiny margin of what it was really like to be there, the cannot convey the depths and the feelings that come with looking down over an unguarded edge. They don't stand a chance.
If you are questioning your faith in life, if you need to reconnect, if you just want to see something beautiful, I urge you to go to Horseshoe Bend. Go now. Get there just before sunrise when it's quiet and calm. Go when it's colder and not a tourist season, go to a spot that doesn't get talked about as much... just go. And then take it all in.
Up next: New Mexico to Oklahoma
xoxo
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Roadtrip to Nashville: California to Arizona the Long Way
My road trip across the states started on a Saturday night. I left my home that I have lived in on and off since my freshman year of high school. I said goodbye with more than a few tears in my eyes and drove to my friend Rachael's house in San Bernardino. Not the longest part of my journey, but a little head start on the way to the Grand Canyon and a good way to get some time in with her before I moved east.
Sunday morning started bright and early, I drove by the Wigwam Motel but didn't really see a way to take a picture I wanted so I continued on. I made my way to a Starbucks to get some oatmeal and give myself a little plan for the day. I decided a stop near Alien Fresh Jerky was necessary as well as one at Buffalo Bills on the Nevada border.
Before I got to Alien Fresh Jerky in the small town of Baker I stopped at an abandoned gas station that I had visited almost exactly a year ago with Dan on the way back from the Marine Ball. Old habits, and feelings die hard I guess you could say. The place looked as it had a year before, but I wasn't inclined to explore as much on my own so I drove up a couple exits to Baker.
I think it's fair to say that the drives and stops from that gas station to Buffalo Bills were definitely in a tribute to or a processing of the time spent there and the adventures had with Dan. Another step of closure maybe. All I know is that I wasn't about to drive past the Lo-Gas, Royal Hawaiian and Alien Fresh Jerky or Buffalo Bills without stopping. The writing that we had found so interesting was still there though what had seemed like blood around the broken edges of the glass had since been cleaned way. The doors were also closed so I quickly took the "welcome to hell" picture and moved on.
It wasn't long before Primm was before me and I decided to take a ride on the roller coaster. Honestly, it wasn't as fun as I remembered it being as a kid, the thrashing gave me a bit of a headache but that could have been due to the fact that I was the only, single, solitary one in the cart. Live large my friends, ride a roller coaster by yourself and you'll too know that you are i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t. Wooo.
After the bumpy ride I treated myself to a few rounds of skee ball in the kiddie zone and then continued on to Vegas. I hadn't yet decided if I was going to stop and see the huge ferris wheel but when I got there and the traffic was awful I decided against it. I set my sights on Zion National Park.
I'm going to stop here for a second and say Utah is absolutely gorgeous. By this point, when I got to Zion I had driven in California, Nevada, a tiny corner of Arizona and then into Utah. Utah's red rock formations had me wide eyed for miles and miles. As a little hint, I was wide eyed the whole trip for different reasons in each state, but it started in Utah.
I went a long way off a path to get to this tiny driving view of Zion and I feel like a little more research could have taken me where I really wanted to go, but the view I did have was still absolutely beautiful. I'm squinting pretty heavily in the picture because the sun was setting slowly and shining brightly in my face, but I was determined to have that background.
I decided pretty fast that I wanted to get as close to my night time destination as I could before the sun set. I'm not really excited about night driving on road trips. I like to get to my destination before the sun sets not just for safety reasons, but also because I want to see anything and everything that I can.
Despite my wishes I ended up leaving Utah (excuse the welcome to part of the sign, I had missed the leaving one) right about sunset and still had a good couple of hours before I was going to make it to my hotel in Page, AZ. I did finally make it after a lot of cruise control and the same mix cd for hours and hours. I got to my hotel hungry and decided to go get some Denny's before getting to bed. The time change was throwing me a little bit because my phone said something different from my car and the clock in the hotel said something different than that. But I figured it all out and settled myself in to get enough sleep for an early morning and a destination I had been looking forward to for months.
Up Next: Horse Shoe Bend
xoxo
Sunday morning started bright and early, I drove by the Wigwam Motel but didn't really see a way to take a picture I wanted so I continued on. I made my way to a Starbucks to get some oatmeal and give myself a little plan for the day. I decided a stop near Alien Fresh Jerky was necessary as well as one at Buffalo Bills on the Nevada border.
Before I got to Alien Fresh Jerky in the small town of Baker I stopped at an abandoned gas station that I had visited almost exactly a year ago with Dan on the way back from the Marine Ball. Old habits, and feelings die hard I guess you could say. The place looked as it had a year before, but I wasn't inclined to explore as much on my own so I drove up a couple exits to Baker.
I think it's fair to say that the drives and stops from that gas station to Buffalo Bills were definitely in a tribute to or a processing of the time spent there and the adventures had with Dan. Another step of closure maybe. All I know is that I wasn't about to drive past the Lo-Gas, Royal Hawaiian and Alien Fresh Jerky or Buffalo Bills without stopping. The writing that we had found so interesting was still there though what had seemed like blood around the broken edges of the glass had since been cleaned way. The doors were also closed so I quickly took the "welcome to hell" picture and moved on.
It wasn't long before Primm was before me and I decided to take a ride on the roller coaster. Honestly, it wasn't as fun as I remembered it being as a kid, the thrashing gave me a bit of a headache but that could have been due to the fact that I was the only, single, solitary one in the cart. Live large my friends, ride a roller coaster by yourself and you'll too know that you are i-n-d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-t. Wooo.
After the bumpy ride I treated myself to a few rounds of skee ball in the kiddie zone and then continued on to Vegas. I hadn't yet decided if I was going to stop and see the huge ferris wheel but when I got there and the traffic was awful I decided against it. I set my sights on Zion National Park.
I'm going to stop here for a second and say Utah is absolutely gorgeous. By this point, when I got to Zion I had driven in California, Nevada, a tiny corner of Arizona and then into Utah. Utah's red rock formations had me wide eyed for miles and miles. As a little hint, I was wide eyed the whole trip for different reasons in each state, but it started in Utah.
I went a long way off a path to get to this tiny driving view of Zion and I feel like a little more research could have taken me where I really wanted to go, but the view I did have was still absolutely beautiful. I'm squinting pretty heavily in the picture because the sun was setting slowly and shining brightly in my face, but I was determined to have that background.
I decided pretty fast that I wanted to get as close to my night time destination as I could before the sun set. I'm not really excited about night driving on road trips. I like to get to my destination before the sun sets not just for safety reasons, but also because I want to see anything and everything that I can.
Despite my wishes I ended up leaving Utah (excuse the welcome to part of the sign, I had missed the leaving one) right about sunset and still had a good couple of hours before I was going to make it to my hotel in Page, AZ. I did finally make it after a lot of cruise control and the same mix cd for hours and hours. I got to my hotel hungry and decided to go get some Denny's before getting to bed. The time change was throwing me a little bit because my phone said something different from my car and the clock in the hotel said something different than that. But I figured it all out and settled myself in to get enough sleep for an early morning and a destination I had been looking forward to for months.
Up Next: Horse Shoe Bend
xoxo
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
The Beginning of Life in Nashville
Hey ya'll,
I'm here in my new home of Nashville, Tennessee happy as can be. Evidence? See above photo taken by a new friend of mine @Mrciaramitaro. Perfect no? So much so that it's also the picture for my about page. Well, life has been a wonderful whirlwind since the night I drove from Encinitas to San Bernardino to start my journey East. My five days on the road were filled with absolutely gorgeous scenes for miles and miles, hours and hours. I wanted to get off at just about every exit across the tip top of Texas to see all the abandoned gas stations. I didn't find myself tiring of it much until the sun went down.
The trip had so many wonderful moments and a couple of really happy tears but I'll be writing about that a little later. When I got into town I immediately found myself at a Target getting an airbed and some snacks. My roommate wasn't off of work yet so I browsed the aisles and dreamed of the room and eventually house I would be able to decorate. Friday I applied to a job online and Saturday during an Instameet (another thing I'll be writing about soon) I received an email back to schedule an interview. How do you like them apples?! Spoiler alert, I didn't get the job, BUT, I did write one of the best cover letters I've ever written before and I started off my job hunt on the absolute right foot.
Through that instameet I made friends (awesome) and got hooked back into photography all over again. Well... I guess the road trip really hooked me back in but the conversations I had during the instameet locked it. I am as curious as ever and ready to learn. Because I live so close to a city center now, there are a whole bunch of resources at my fingertips. Really stoked.
The past week (as of tomorrow) has been all about getting situated and learning about my new home. I will probably say this a bajillion times over the next few days or months or what have you: I am so. incredibly. excited. to be here. Over the moon. Ready to invest and work towards this life that I have been dreaming of.
Also, ready for Fall and sweaters.
And some sweet tea.
xoxo
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