Day 9

Day 9 - Read

I am somewhat happy/sorry to say that I am back in school again after a long six month break of summer and China. I don't really want to go back, but I know that the start of the term means I'm this much closer to finishing and gaining my degree. I'm taking the most credits I've ever taken in a term (20. Yep, just shoot me now..) and so I think I'm going to have to work extra hard at coming up with purposeful pictures outside of textbooks, pencils, and papers.

I was/am extremely stressed today trying to get back in the swing of things. I'm still looking for a job and have had a few good contacts but haven't heard anything back yet. I know that God has something in mind for me, I just have to learn to have the patience to work hard and wait for what that is. DANG it's difficult, however, I think it's good for me.

I think having a picture a day as a goal is a good stress reliever and release for me. It takes my mind off things and allows me to just let my brain wander where it wants to, rather than me having to force it to be in a certain direction. We'll see how this statement holds up as the term goes on.

Day 7/8

Day 7 - Water

I went to the coast yesterday and found a new hike, "Sweet Creek Falls." It is absolutely beautiful and I would recommend it to anyone as it isn't too strenuous but still gets you up and moving. I want to go back when it's sunny and try swimming ;)

Day 8 - Statue

When walking out on the jetty the waves were crashing pretty hard against the rocks. They looked pretty decent for surfing today, too bad it's just a little too cold and I don't surf. The coast is one of my favorite places. Sometimes the weather isn't what I'd like it to be, but today was warm and sunny; I actually got a little too hot in the clothes I wore. While walking, Evan was being a goofball and trying to get his body straight while he held himself up with his hands. I yelled for him to stay there and ran over to take a picture. What do you think?

Day 5/6

So I forgot, again, to post. However, I did take the pictures on the right days this time!

Day 5 - Shadows

I had to go to Portland yesterday to make a return. The ride was crummy and grey on the way home, not very much fun to drive in! I was about fifteen minutes away from Eugene when the sun started peaking through the clouds making beautiful shapes on the mountains.

Day 6 - Stick It

My youngest brother had basketball practice today that I went to for a few minutes to see how he was doing. I started fooling around with my camera trying to get "action shots" (ones I need to work on, they're so difficult, especially inside with not very good lighting..) when I spotted an extra basketball. I liked the look of how worn it was and decided this was going to be the shot of the day.

Day 4

January 4, 2012 - Ginger Beer

This, ladies and gentlemen, is very popular in China. I actually never had the opportunity to drink it there, who knew I would come home to find it right here at PF Changs? Even though the food at PF Changs is absolutely nothing like the Chinese food in China, it still tastes good. The Ginger Beer is non-alcoholic, made with ginger, lemon juice, and lots of sugar, delish. Try it!

Day 3

Picture of the Day: January 3, 2012 - Run

I had just gotten back from a run and realized I hadn't yet taken a picture of the day.  There wasn't going to be light for much longer so I figured I'd take it then, before the light was gone and before I forgot. Maybe a better title would've been bundle up or something, but then it seemed like it would be more of an advertisement than a picture.
I think I'm going to expand on my New Years Resolution - Not take the same kind of picture twice. I want to be able to explore and take pictures in new ways. New subjects, new places.. just different.

New Years Resolution

     So, for my new years resolution I've decided to take one photo, each day, for the whole year. It can't just be a wham bam get it up, it has to be thought out and carefully taken. We'll see how it goes. It just so happens that I actually missed the first day (go figure), but that won't stop me, and I've taken two today to make up for it.
     I hiked up Spencer's Butte today and the weather was wonderful. It was blue skies and sunny so I figured it'd be a good day to get some fresh air. Here are two for the past two days.

Gnarly - January 1, 2012

     This is on the way up, just after the very start of the hike. I made my hiking partner stop 5 or 6 times to get the shot I wanted. The light was beautiful coming through the trees and I didn't want to miss it. I think sometimes I overlook the beauty that trees have when their leaves are gone. Yes, the leaves add to the trees, especially when they are in fall with all of the colors, but trees are incredible. They are so majestic and peaceful. Being in the northwest we don't realize how lucky we are to have so many around us, until we travel to other places and see how many trees they don't have.

Solitude - January 2, 2012

     What do you think about when you are alone? Do you prefer to be outside and be alone or do you like to be inside, curled up with a blanket? I think for me it really depends on the reason why I am choosing to venture out on my own; sometimes I need to think while other times I need to get out and not think.
     Being at the top of Spencer's Butte is a pretty amazing site. You can see all around the city of Eugene, all the way to Bachelor, and the mountain range between Eugene and the Coast. Sitting at the top is very clearing for my head, and helps me to remember the good things about life, Eugene, and what I am doing here. It's some good exercise up, very rewarding at the top, and a nice loosener on the way back down.

The land of China.

I'm less than 3 weeks away for going away for 3 months.. It's getting hard to wrap my head around it. I got accepted for an internship in China to teach English to elementary school children, what more could I dream of?! I'll be living an hour or two outside of Shanghai (pronounced, shonghai) in a city called Wuxi (pronounced wooshi). I'm staying in an apartment in one of the experimental bilingual schools and teaching in the classroom as well as workshops afterschool and on some weekends. There will be a lot of opportunity for travel and learning from my experiences. I do have to admit, I was hoping for a more rural place for my internship. When they said Wuxi was a small city, I figured that's what I would be getting. I guess I need to start realigning myself with Chinese thoughts on what constitutes a small city, 4.6 million people! The only thought that came to my head when I heard that is how much I'm going to get lost. I am getting nervous, about the language barrier. The internship didn't require interns to know Chinese, they just wanted native English speakers to be able to teach. I got a little book to carry around with me to help, but I have a strange feeling I'm going to order my food wrong, a lot.
I had a dream last night that I was leaving for the airport, getting ready to board the plane, and forgot my camera. Some people may not think that's a big deal, but I LOVE taking pictures and would be so sad if I wasn't able to document this wonderful internship I'm about to experience. That will be the first thing I pack now!

On another note, I got asked to shoot my first wedding! It happens to be going on the day before I leave for my internship, but hey, what's a little stress to add to the excitement? I just got a new camera and I'm really happy with it. I've been shooting a lot and I love that I can actually see what I'm shooting because the review screen is so much bigger and clearer than my last one. I'm hoping that for the wedding it will be good conditions, but I'll just take it as it comes. I did the engagement shoots for the couple who is getting married and they were absolutely wonderful in front of the camera. They were cute and cuddly as though I wasn't even there. Hopefully the wedding day goes just as well!