New Year, New Toys, New Pictures

Alright, a new year, a new start!  We'll see if I can actually get in the habit of this blogging thing.  I had a wonderful Christmas.  I got to go home to Montana and be with my family for 2 weeks.  Lots of snow and good food and wonderful company.  It was hard returning to dreary Seattle.  But I brought back a new toy (drumroll please) .... my IMAC!!!  I love it so much.  Erin was able to use her BYU-Idaho student discount to get me Photoshop for a very reasonable price, and I've been having  a blast expanding my portfolio.  Hopefully this all leads to some clients, as it has set me back quite a bit financially.  Still, I've been having so much fun I can't bring myself to regret it. 

Sleepless in Seattle

Well friends, it's time for another move. The job in Seattle panned out, and tomorrow my new car (Zsa Zsa) and I will be heading out to the west coast. I've accepted a job in Kent, WA at O'Connor Photography Studio (http://www.oconnorphotostudio.com). I found a place to live--a basement apartment--just a couple miles from the studio.

I'm settling into the idea more, and I'm more excited than I was a couple weeks ago. I'm still missing Boston terribly. I was really hoping something would turn up there, but I'm adjusting to the idea of Washington now. I've always loved rain, the ocean, and Seattle, so this should be another good expirience. Plus, I actually get to call myself a professional photographer now. Go me!

Oh, and totally off subject, but if you want to see a fun, good movie this summer, go see Mamma Mia!. I can't say it enough. Go see Mamma Mia! And be sure you stay through the credits for Waterloo. I promise, it's totally worth it. =) And since we're on the subject of random things...Go Red Sox--you don't need Manny. And also, can I just say how excited I am to see Australia (http://www.australiamovie.net) in November ? Hugh Jackman, Nicole Kidman, and Baz Luhrmann. What could be better?

The Final Six

So, after a couple weeks of rather aimlessly searching for random jobs throughout the country, I've finally narrowed my focus and decided on a game plan. The final contenders are: Boston, Charleston, Savannah, San Diego, Seattle, and Salt Lake. The idea is I look for employment/income possibilities in each of the cities, and the first one that comes up with something promising (ie, a job that will keep me out of the poorhouse) wins! It's kind of like playing Russian roulette, only without the lethal component.

As of today, I have one potential possibility in Seattle with O'Connor Photo Studio. I talked a little bit with the owner today, and I'll be talking to him again tomorrow, and we'll see what happens. I've also applied for a couple positions in Massachusetts, but so far, no calls.

So, ladies and gentlemen--place your bets now! =)

A New Adventure

The naturalist Wendell Berry wrote, "Always...when you leave familiar ground and step off alone into a new place there will be, along with the feelings of curiosity and excitement, a little nagging of dread. It is the ancient fear of the unknown, and it is the first bond with the wilderness you are going into."

This has become one of my favorite quotes. During the past few years my life has been made up of unfamiliar wildernesses: graduating from college, moving to Salt Lake, starting a new job, and then deciding to change careers completely and move across the country to Boston to attend photography school. And now, with school over, I'm stepping out into another unknown wilderness. I don't know yet where I'm going, and along with the excitement and curiosity, there is that little nagging fear of the unknown.