A few days ago I turned 27, and here we are at the end of July, 2018. The past year has been one of the most challenging of my life so far, but out of those challenges, new and exciting opportunities have arisen (this project included!). When I left my full-time job at the end of 2017, I thought I'd be freeing up time in my life, and in many ways, time seems scarcer than ever. I like to think that's because I'm fitting in a ton of new experiences. Here are some of the ones that resulted in cool photos (a warning – this piece touches briefly on mental illness):
Santa Cruz, CA
This photo is from the morning after Thanksgiving, 2017. I don't have any photos on my hard drive between my birthday and Thanksgiving last year, almost 4 months. I was struggling with depression, more than I had struggled in years. The walls of life seemed to be closing in a bit. Without getting too bogged down in the details, let's just say I was having trouble getting out of the house to take photos for fun.
That sunrise photo was taken about a week after I had given notice at my job. I actually really liked working there (hence why I gave 6 weeks notice), but I knew I had to make a drastic change in order to improve my mental well-being. The feeling I had when capturing this sunset was a hopeful one – I definitely had a long road ahead but for the first time in a while I was excited to start walking.
Bandon, OR
Over New Years, I traveled to Oregon with my parents, as we have many times previously, to spend time with some very close family friends. We had a lovely time, as we always do, and I captured the above photo of one of the striking sunsets we experienced. Beach sunsets were about to become a theme, as I had moved to Santa Cruz for a little change of pace. In January, I spent a lot of time with family, recharging and spending lots of time outdoors on birding excursions. The image below of a Greater Egret was one of a few captures during this time that really reignited my passion for photography.
Richardson Bay, CA
Mont Royal, Montreal, QC
Before I settled in to my new digs, though, I had some traveling to do. With my schedule suddenly wide open, I had the opportunity to visit friends residing all over the world (most of whom I've met at music events), whose invitations I had been forced to politely decline back when I had limited PTO. I wanted to fit in as many as possible! The first, and one of the most memorable destinations, was Eastern Canada, specifically Montreal and Toronto. (See more from this trip in my Cityscapes gallery!) Strangely enough, experiencing the coldest temperatures I've ever felt made me feel startlingly alive. A close encounter with a Snowy Owl in Toronto took that feeling through the roof as he stared right through me in the single-digit temps.
Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto, ON
I was starting to (re)learn an important lesson. We humans, especially those of us who can find ourselves easily overwhelmed by the pressures of society or set off by a minor everyday inconvenience, need and crave time outside. Isolating ourselves from every aspect of the planet on which our species resides understandably produces feelings of loneliness and of not belonging. In periods of depression it is easy to lose sight of this; however the healing effect of putting yourself outside and allowing nature to exist around you produces a powerful tuning-in effect that can catalyze a change. It was ironic to have this realization while mostly visiting cities, but I was more sure than ever that striking a balance between the manmade and natural environments is central to a healthy lifestyle (not surprising that my photographic work follows this theme).
Toronto, ON
Of course, whatever personal struggle or evolution I might have been experiencing, we are all still dealing with the same background noise: the current state of America. Next, my travels led me to Washington, DC for the first time. What a strange time to choose! Our nation's capital was simultaneously inspiring and mystifying: why can't these politicians leave their offices for a few hours and absorb all the important historical lessons just steps from their desks? I can't answer this question logically as of yet, so I settled for a more artistic-leaning image.
The Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC
Political messages abounded as my travels took me to Berlin, where my friends and I crashed in a hostel just minutes from the remaining segments of the Berlin Wall, space on which is now awarded to commissioned artists. However, the apolitical message below struck more of a chord in me as I continued on my journey.
Berlin, DE
Another amazing thing on which to reflect throughout my travels was the importance of my friends. In almost every place I visited this spring, I had someone share their home or their knowledge with me and improve my experience. While I am an introvert (and have gained a new acceptance and understanding of how alone time heals me), I value more than anything the experiences I can share with others. A special thank you goes out to everyone who contributed to this journey. I hope to experience many more amazing things with you all.
Stockholm, SE
The Cloisters, New York, NY
My time in Europe concluded, I headed back to the U.S. in April, making a stop in New York City on my way home to California. It was great to see all my East Coast friends who feel so far away at times, and I had another great visit in NYC. However, as my plane landed in San Francisco , I realized I was ready to be home after almost 2 months on the road. I set about the task of incorporating all the lessons learned while traveling into a more regular life. Fast forward a few months, and I find myself busier than ever with several projects running at once, and feeling healthier and stronger than I have in a long while. A year can hold a lot of both challenge and change, and can feel like an eternity while it's happening, but a look back over a year reveals just how much can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time. While the sunrise isn't always pink and orange, and the plants aren't always green, we can still capture that feeling of excitement for what lies ahead.