Photography. Blood. Sweat. Tears.

It seems like just yesterday I was sitting here worrying about the start of a summer season at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops. Could I handle the fast pace? The stress? 16-18 hour days? Would I have a chance to sleep *at all*?

This summer has been a blur, a good one, but a blur nonetheless. Days are busy, fast-paced...shoot...shoot...shoot....edit...sneak in a few hours of sleep...get up the next morning....critique....then out on location again to shoot some more...

I can't think of another environment that could have boosted my photographic skills and eye faster than being completely immersed in the workshops for 9 weeks. Today was the last location shoot that I will do this summer. I sat there thinking, Wow. It seems like just the other day I was in Arthur Meyerson's workshop (during the first week), shooting in Albuquerque. And, Megan and I were both trying to get our feet under us and figure out how to balance classes and work.

But I am here. I am a better photographer, a more understanding and tolerant person, and have a newly-invigorated passion for photography because of the work I've done this summer.

There was blood. There was sweat. And there were tears (yesterday, actually...). But, what an amazing summer it has truly been. I don't quite feel ready to leave! We will see how everything plays out between now and graduation, but I am seriously considering applying to work here again next summer.

What an amazing experience & opportunity. ...and to think I completely blew my phone interview with Nerissa back in April, calling from Iceland, during my spring break. psht.

Everything plays out as it should.

With love & a touch of nostalgia,

~ Katie

Aspens

Last week, during my workshop with Eddie Soloway, we ventured up into the Santa Fe National Forest. Almost at the top of the mountain, by the ski basin, there are gorgeous groves of aspen trees.

Upon arrival, we were let loose into the wilderness (aka: hiking trails) to photograph anything our hearts desired. :) Being the monkey/climber that I am, I immediately started scaling the mountain, making my way through the forest of aspens, sunbeams coming through the canopy of overhead branches highlighting the nature below.

I took the time during my hike up to really check-in with myself. Being in nature has that affect on me. The serenity, beauty and peacefulness allows me to really focus on my inner thoughts and feelings - even while photographing. The pace of the Workshop life doesn't usually allow for time to really get in my own head & thoughts.

I can't remember the last time I felt so peaceful. I wish I had brought a journal and sat on a rock by the bubbly brook to look, listen, smell, feel and just close my eyes and think. The aspens are a place I'd love to revisit before I leave New Mexico in a few weeks...but we'll see how it all plays out. It's extremely rare that I find a place where I feel so peaceful and serene...I feel as though I should set some time aside for myself to go up there again and

just be.


~ K

Sunday Morning

Discussing the professional world of photography & lighting over my chocolate-chip pancakes and your eggs Benedict....in knee-high boots, Italian skinny jeans and a borrowed t-shirt...and laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

Morning sunlight warming my back.....
Six weeks of exhaustion and disorientation, unsure of the day....
an upcoming trip to LA.....
weekend plans....
and everything else in the world seemed to stand still.

That's one memory that will stay with me for a while...

Shoot at the Prison

These were taken last week at the State Penitentiary in Alan Thornton's workshop.

Enjoy!

~ K

Best of the Week: Alan Thornton's Workshop

None of these are edited...at all. I'll post the shots from the prison as soon as I get the chance.

~ K

Friday Night Escapades

Friday nights have become an escape for me. After the slideshow is over, and participants have retired to their accommodations for the night, I hit the bars with fellow staff members.

Tonight, after finishing my vodka, tonic & lemon, I was feeling a little playful and carefree. After dancing for over an hour, I decided I needed some fresh air. Upon walking outside, the wind was blowing - perfect-temperature night here in Santa Fe. This crazy idea suddenly overcame me.

Classic hits from the 80s blared from the live band playing in the bar....I was feeling tipsy, but great, and of course wanted to dance. Seconds later, I had run out into the middle of the street...dancing, spinning, and genuinely rocking out the music - by myself. Fellow staff members lined the sidewalk, laughing, cheering me on, and watching for cars.

That crazy idea was followed by an even crazier one: the store front of the building across from the bar had a really great railing. In 4" heels and a short dress, I climbed onto a trash can, then onto the railing - which was only about 4" wide. So I danced....and danced...and danced on the railing, and my co-workers cheered me on and started filming on their phones. haha. I noticed a few people in the bar had peeked their heads out to watch the festivities.

It's honestly a miracle that: 1.) I didn't fall off the railing into the bushes, and 2.) I didn't sprain my ankle with all the spinning & hair-flipping (head upside down) I was doing (came pretty darn close at one point, though). When I finally got it out of my system (don't know that that is ever totally possible....) I walked back over to the sidewalk, to hear my co-workers say "THAT WAS AWESOME. YOU'RE AMAZING, KATIE!!!"

But the real shocker was:

When I walked back into the bar, everyone turned to look at me and gave me a HUGE round of applause and whistles.

Later in the evening, two guys asked me if I could dance on the railing again so they could videotape it. I told them to give me money, and Pei and Lauren quickly pulled me away from the guys. hehe.

Let's just hope those videos don't surface on YouTube anytime soon. :P

Cheers!

~ Katie

Random Acts of Kindness

This week has been a little emotional and chaotic for me - in a variety of ways. While waiting at a stop light this evening, I glanced back (I don't know why) at the car diagonally behind me. I made eye contact with the elderly woman sitting in the driver's seat. She gave me this huge, beaming smile...don't know her, but that smile was enough to, in turn, make me smile and give me a warm feeling inside.

Sometimes we don't realize the power of a smile - of a random kind gesture towards another individual. We may not know them, we may not know their story, we may not ever see them again, but in that brief moment of eye contact, sometimes a smile is enough to brighten another person's day. :)


~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Today we shot at the old State Penitentiary. It closed in 1999 and has since been used for lots of photo shoots, and was even the prison used in the movie The Longest Yard (which I of course have never seen). The place was amazing - so many graphic elements to the architecture, mixed with a mild eerieness, *great* natural light, and so many creative places to shoot, that I wish I had a whole week, with 8 hour shoots to really explore the potential that the location had to offer. We weren't even able to get into the whole penitentiary because it would have been far too many options/space/hard to round all of us up at the end of the shoot.

There were these fabulous cat walks from building to building, which I assume the guards walked to keep an eye on the property and prisoners during its years of use. When I saw those, I knew I wanted to do a shoot up there. All I could think of was:
HIGH FASHION PHOTO SHOOT

Today was the only days that we also had a hair/makeup artist to help out our models...which definitely helped the photographers get the look they wanted, I think.

Anyway...this cat walk/rooftop shoot? PHENOMENAL. I haven't uploaded the images yet (class rule that I have to wait until the morning to look at them) but I had sooooo much fun shooting Rachel, the model we had at that time.

I had her wear a long, turquoise evening gown with silver, rhinestoned heels, somewhat dramatic makeup (I wanted more, but we were running short on time) and big-ish hair. I threw a medium soft box on her, and was grateful that it was a windy day (and blowing the right way!) and had the exact fan-effect that I wanted! :) yay! I usually have more fun shooting the pictures than actually looking at them afterwards, and today proved to be no exception. I'm looking forward to seeing the images, but the shoot was so fun (felt like I was shooting the cover for Vogue magazine or some high-end fashion shoot!!!!!) that I am completely satisfied with the journey, even if the end result is not as good as I hope.

Can't believe I'm almost through another week!

~ K

Wednesday

Difficult shooting partner = Frustrating afternoon shoot.

Class dinner.

Shot of Tequila provided by Alan Thornton.

Tequila makes everything better....and funnier. :D

Sleep!

~ K

Where'dya Learn to Drive Like That?

I don't care what anyone says: I am convinced that some of the worst drivers in the United States reside in New Mexico. Or maybe I just tend to be tired and irritable whenever I have to drive somewhere which results in a heightened negative perception of New Mexican drivers....? Regardless: they frustrate me.


In other news: I got my lens cap back! I don't dare put it back on my camera this week for fear that Alan will take it for good!

~ K

Here We Go Again...

ALAN THORNTON STOLE MY LENS CAP AND WON'T GIVE IT BACK!!!!!! His reason? He hates lens caps and we should never use them because we risk the chance of missing the perfect shot by fumbling to get it off the lens. True, buuuuuuut, if my lens gets scratched this week...he's gonna get it. My camera is my baby...including lenses! It seems "puppy dog eyes" don't work on him either, darn it!

There's always one or two every week who enjoy picking on me. Easy target. :P C'est la vie.

I'm on a mission to get the lens cap before Friday - which is the day he promised me.....

Plotting starts now!

~ K

Mid-Season

It's hard to believe it's almost mid-season at the SF Workshops! This summer is flying by. I woke up Friday and thought, Am I already done with another week?! Days here can vary from feeling like years to seconds...but the fact that I am busy working & studying 16-18 hours a day means that in general, everything goes by pretty fast. Some days I don't even have time to think about anything other than work & photography, which can be draining, but I suppose total immersion is the answer at times in order to truly connect with your work.

This week I will be in the studio with Alan Thorton, for an advanced lighting course. Now, I am not exactly advanced in my knowledge and experience with lighting (usually only shoot natural/available light), but I tend to be a quick learner, so I'm sure it'll be fine. :)

Here we go - Week #4!

~ Katie

"The Personal Photographic Narrative" with Cig Harvey

In short:

Cig Harvey's workshop changed my life.

I feel as though I have turned a corner in my photography. Never before have I felt an intense emotional connection with my work. This past week was an intense photographic and emotional journey for me, but I realized: when that emotional connection is there and in the images, it shows. I have never done work like this before - it has meaning, it has purpose, and it is emotionally charged and aesthetically sound.

The project I started and will continue working on probably naturally lends itself to being emotionally charged, but now I know I have the capability to carry that into other work whenever I start a new project.

What an incredible instructor and person. Cig Harvey's energy and passion for photography is unsurpassed by anyone I have ever encountered before. What a pleasure to meet and work with her. And the fact that on the last day she suggested my bravery shown in my project subject has inspired her to be brave and tackle a really tough, emotional project for her...? I am just honored I could help inspire such a wonderful, genuine, passionate person & photographer.

Best,

Katie

Week in Review: "The Color Moment" with Arthur Meyerson

Some of my best/favorites from the first week. :)

~ K

Workshoppin'

Yes, I am still alive. :)

I've been working & shooting really hard. This week I am in Arthur Meyerson's "The Color Moment" workshop. We've discussed a lot about light, color, composition, and interesting things to try, such as: reflections, movement, silhouettes, shooting through things (i.e. fences, windows, etc.), and looking for gestures in both animate and inanimate objects. Some of this I already knew, some I didn't. To be honest, I can already see an improvement in my work in the past 3 days, which is exciting!

Yesterday we shot in Albuquerque. Tonight I am shooting at a small-town rodeo & carnival - which should be a lot of fun and great for getting in lots of color...since that *is* the focus of the class. Afterwards, our class is going over to Arthur's casita for pizza and a slideshow. Should be lots of fun - we have a good group of students.

~ Katie

Language Lesson

Megan and I had the lovely task of painting 6 picnic tables this afternoon, which took much longer than expected. What really made my day was: while painting, a couple of Mexican men doing labor for the IHM retreat center stopped to talk to us.

One asked if we spoke any Spanish. We both spoke some, Megan more than I. He started asking us questions in Spanish - how long we had been painting, how much we get paid an hour (!), etc. I love practicing (my limited) Spanish or Italian whenever I get the chance. The last time I spoke Spanish was in....Spain...and it definitely turned out to be more Italian than Spanish. :P Ohhhh Romance-language similarities.

Between the two of us, I was able to translate his questions for Megan, and Megan answered them when I realized I didn't remember enough Spanish to say what I wanted. Yeah teamwork. :)

Before continuing his work, he came over and introduced himself as Max. Really nice guy. I love it when native speakers are patient with non-fluent speakers - makes speaking the language less stressful.


Health-wise, I have come to the realization that I am just going to be dehydrated ALL summer. I carry a water bottle with me everywhere, I bought Emergen-C to mix in my drink the other day, and have used that the past 2 days. Regardless, I have been incredibly dizzy on several occasions this week - especially on Monday, and then this evening as well. I don't know what more I can do. An IV drip would be awesome so I don't have to keep worrying about getting/drinking enough water. Somehow I don't think that's going to happen, though.

One of the girls said that the dry heat of New Mexico sometimes makes it hard to realize that you're dehydrated because sweat immediately evaporates off your skin. That makes sense, because I feel like all I do is sip on that stupid water bottle and no matter how much I drink, it never ever seems to be enough.

Ultimately one of these two things will occur:
Either my body will learn how to cope with consistently being dehydrated or I'll eventually pass out at some point this summer while on location....because I sure as heck can't drink enough water to stay hydrated. Lo siento.

CPR re-cert tomorrow morning! Lovely...


Katie

Workshoppin'

I started my job this past Monday. Both the full-time and seasonal staff at the SFW are absolutely incredible, creative, energetic, wonderful people to be around and work with. I really couldn't ask for a better work environment. :) (Side note: I am the youngest staff member out of all 29 of us)

This is just set-up week. We're setting up the studio, getting classrooms ready, gaining understanding of our daily duties & taking care of everything else that needs to be done before our first workshop participants arrive this coming Sunday. I slightly nervous for my first day on the job....but I think I'm going to be even MORE nervous when the first group of people arrives on Sunday. As work/study, I help check-in and check-out people....meaning that Megan (the other WS) and I are the first and last faces that these people will see. I know everything will be great, I know it will. I just need to get through a full week, with the workshops running, to have a little more confidence in myself and my job performance.

Honestly, if you had to boil this whole job down to one word, that would be : multitasking.

WS takes a workshop for free each week - which is an absolute honor and privilege, in all seriousness. But, we are also in charge of many other tasks on campus, which we can't drop the ball on. This first week will be all about figuring out how to balance both the "work" and "study" part of things. Inevitably the ball has to get dropped somewhere, it just can't be in the "work" aspect.

Dance-wise, I won't be able to dance 4 nights a week like I had originally hoped. The *only* time I have off during the week is Saturday afternoon, through early Sunday afternoon. After already dropping $300 on private ballroom lessons, and knowing that there is no way I can go all summer without dancing, the dance instructor made a special accommodation and will be teaching me on Sunday mornings. So yeah...the only free time I have all week is, uhhhhh,,,.Saturday afternoon/evening?

And, I'm finally starting to take off the 10 pounds that I gained in the last 6 weeks or so (wtf?). This insane schedule is pretty conducive to not-eating/not-eating much......plus we're not allowed to eat in the classrooms anyway. So....losing weight should be no problemo this summer...or so I hope. :)

My work is not done for tomorrow morning, so I guess I should probably get on that, right? :P

Ah, I would do anything for one night of really good rest....

Katie

Taos, New Mexico Police Report

I heard what seemed like a constant stream of police sirens yesterday in Taos. Out of curiosity, I checked yesterday's police report. This is what I found (excluding the boring ones):

7:46 a.m., Trespassing, Paseo del Pueblo Sur – Caller reported that there is a hippie with a big stick and a guitar in the outside setting area refusing to leave. I could also see this happening in Ithaca...

11:07 a.m., Harassment, Paseo del pueblo Sur – Caller reported she is not going into the Family Dollar Store because of shoplifting, she is now at Burger King, and the manager came out of the dollar store and is harassing her. What? This makes no sense.

3:45 p.m., Miscellaneous, Weimer Road – Caller advised that a woman skipped out of the hospital and is wearing bright orange pants. Why would you wear bright orange pants to a hospital?

4:15 p.m., Suspicious Person, Paseo del Pueblo – Caller reported that there is a woman walking around in bright orange pants and asking for pants. She is probably asking for pants because she realizes how obnoxious and ugly hers are.

5:37 p.m., Miscellaneous, Paseo del Pueblo Sur – Caller reported that a girl they were dealing with just took off and she is hitting the fence and some cars. Hitting them with what?

8:51 p.m., Harassment, Gusdorf Road – Caller reported that he is walking and someone in a truck threw trash at him. Maybe it was a garbage truck...?

Clearly I have too much time on my hands.

Back down to Santa Fe tomorrow! Thank goodness!

~ Katie

Solace in Music

I don't consider myself to be a super-religious person, in fact I never enjoyed church growing up. I would stay in bed longer than usual in hopes Dad wouldn't wake me up and I could avoid sitting through a sermon that I didn't understand/didn't hold my attention.

Now that I'm older, I have my beliefs and I pray when I feel like it/need to. I try to go to church with my parents when I'm home on break from college. Sometimes I wish I was more religious...but I'm not. Too bad I can't just snap my hands and make it happen.

Every once in a while I flip through the radio channels and stop on the Christian station. The music is usually good, and the lyrics carry something deeper and much more wholesome than all the songs that seem to say: "you're hot, let's have sex."

On my drive up to Taos, New Mexico the other day, I stopped on the Christian channel. One song really stuck out to me, probably because I feel like the lyrics relate to exactly how I am feeling right now.

When you see the rushing wind
Feel the pouring rain
Hear the thunder now, as the clouds roll in
When you're blinded by the lightening
Do you also hear that still, small voice saying:

It's okay, you're not alone

You may be scared to death

But I won't let you go

You may think the sky above is falling

But can you hear Jesus calling?

33 Miles - "Jesus Calling"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzyLk11bXNc&feature=related


Tomorrow I am moving into my summer housing...which is at a religious retreat center. I'll be without internet, unless I have access at my job - but I'm not counting on it.

It's okay though; I'm online way more than I should be anyway. I'd rather be out photographing and dancing. :)

I'll update when I can, but no promises.

Always,

Katie

Meeting the Vets

I'm sick. Nauseous. Headache. Stomachache. Weak. Dizzy.

I feel like absolute crap right now. :( I can already feel the stress building up in my shoulders.

This evening, despite the stomachache that could only be partially-remedied by laying down, I went out to a bar and met three other girls I will be working with this summer. They are all super nice. Two have worked at The Santa Fe Workshops previous summers and were able to clue me in on what to expect.

Here's what they told me to expect:

1. I will be putting in 14+ hour days. Sleep? I'll be real lucky if I get any of that.

2. Work/study is the hardest job.

3. Dropping $300 on dance lessons wasn't a good decision. They told me I won't have time. I'm gonna fight this one though, I'm not going a whole summer without dancing. I will go sleepless before that happens.

4. The only real evening off I have will actually be spent doing laundry, grocery shopping, and taking care of other personal things.

5. If I make friends with the right photographers, they will pay for all our drinks, including $250 bottles of wine.

6. Doing a good job working this summer almost guarantees me a job out here again next year.

7. I will feel exhaustion like I have never felt before.

8. This will be the best summer of my life.

I don't know whether I should be excited, nervous, scared, worried, or thinking "What have I just gotten myself into?!"

I know everything will be fine - I just need to get into a rhythm and routine. And, now that I think about it, I was only getting 4-7 hours of sleep while in Italy anyway.

Needless to say, I will make sure I get lots of sleep these next few days, since I probably won't be getting much of any the next 2 months.

~ Katie

Rediscovering Santa Fe

The three of us spent today wandering around downtown Santa Fe - checking out the Plaza, St. Francis of Assisi church (I've been the THE original St. Francis church in Assisi, Italy...interesting to see others), and down Canyon Road, which is known for its vibrantly painted buildings, and dozens upon dozens of art galleries.

This evening, I went to Dance Station to sign up for private ballroom lessons. I signed up for privates, and became a member of the studio. Depending on how my work schedule shakes out, I will be ballroom dancing 4 times a week - 3 member/group lessons & 1 private/week. They also have some workshops at the end of the month - I may sign up for the Latin Movement & Styling workshop and/or Paso Doble. :) Can't wait!

On another note....I've been feeling slightly off lately. I don't exactly know how to explain it. It's like: I know what is going on around me, I know what I'm doing, but sometimes I just don't feel like I'm "there." It's not that I'm daydreaming or just tired, it just....I don't know. Like I said, I can't really explain it....wish I could. I wonder if I am just mentally, physically and emotionally drained. But, to be honest, I have felt this way (to a point) since returning from Italy. At this point, I no longer think it's reverse-culture shock. Who knows....I guess all I can do is focusing on staying in the here-and-now, and enjoying and embracing every opportunity that comes my way.

Here's to a better night's sleep...

Katie

2,029 Miles

Amarillo, Texas


Along Historic Route 66


We've spent the last 6 days cramped in my little Honda Accord, but we finally pulled into the Inn of the Governor's parking lot in Santa Fe about 4:00 p.m. local time this afternoon.

It's been 3 years since I was last here. I can't express how incredibly excited I am to return for a summer focused solely on photographing and dancing. :) I don't think I could ask for much more.

There's not much else to say other than: we made it all the way out here without a fight, a speeding ticket, or a broken Honda. :P

Still dancing & smiling in Santa Fe,

Katie

OOOOKLAHOMA

I can't even remember which day of the week it is. All these hotels are starting to look the same.

We're in Oklahoma City tonight...that's all I know right now. Oh. AND...we had AMAZING Italian food tonight - and it was authentic. After 4 months in Italy, my tastebuds know when it's not really Italian, but this was genuine, authentic Italian food. :)

Just by luck, the Red Earth Festival started today in the Oklahoma City convention center. Over 100 Native American tribes from all over the continent gathered to participate in dance festivals and craft/handiwork competitions. It was a very colorful event, but poor for photographing. The lighting was horrendous, and with all the dancing and movement, I had the option of getting either slightly dark, horribly noisy pictures, or properly exposed, blurry, and still noisy pictures. Needless to say, all I got was pretty much crap. Or maybe it's not the equipment, maybe it's the operator....hmm....

While walking around the exhibits, I came across the Oklahoma Blood Association booth. Random place to ask people to donate blood, but then again, I was completely game. After making sure I didn't have to be a state citizen, I went through the whole rig-a-ma-roll and helped save a life (or three). :) They seemed extremely happy that I was donating. It's so sad that places always seem to be short on blood supply. Mom said she wonders why artificial blood hasn't been invented yet so that we don't have to worry about shortages.

I'm absolutely exhausted, and getting cranky. :( We will be in Amarillo, Texas tomorrow. Sunday we will be in Santa Fe. I can't believe we're almost there....and my job starts in a little over a week. Eek! I am definitely going to need some time to decompress after Mom & Granny leave me in Santa Fe. Actually, I will have 3 days in Taos, NM by myself, before I move into my housing next Saturday. So when Mom & Granny leave town, I will be driving 1 hour North for my own mini-vacation (and own hotel room!) for 3 days before returning to Santa Fe and cracking down for a summer at The Santa Fe Workshops.

I know it's going to be great - but right now I feel like a complete mess. I'm just glad I'll have plenty of time to myself to collect and organize my thoughts before starting work June 15.

Deep breaths....

Katie

P.S. Mom stalled my car in the middle of traffic today! "I forgot I was driving a standard!" AWESOME. She's fired. :P

Thoughts from the Day

* All these hotels are starting to look the same...

* Egrets are beautiful birds. Too bad they are skittish and don't like their picture taken. :(

* Arkansas has A LOT of truck traffic. I would argue that it might even have more than Pennsylvania.

* Why on earth would anyone live in Arkansas?

* If I had to live in Arkansas, it would be the northwestern quadrant of the state.

* There is actually a decent amount of poverty in the south.

* I would LOVE to come back through the south, when not in a rush, and photograph the people and places...and maybe write a story to go with it. Photojournalism. :)

* Mom and Granny really don't believe that I can dance on a wall and not fall backwards, down an incredibly steep hill to my death? Too bad. Did it anyway. Still alive. :)

* Armadillos are pretty cool. Too bad the only one I saw today was roadkill.

* Speaking of roadkill, there are A LOT of dead turtles in Arkansas. The roadkill count is still alive and well...(ask if you want further explanation on this....this probably highlights the craziness of my family...)

* I don't particularly like Mexican food. Why am I living in New Mexico for the summer? If you can't beat 'em, join 'em...?

* I like Hot Springs, Arkansas. I mean, REALLY like it. So much so that I would seriously consider coming back for a vacation there & in the surrounding area.

~ K

Just for the Record...

Recently I've felt kind of disgusting. And by disgusting, I mean fat. I know I have gained some weight since coming back to the States, which reeeeeeally annoys me (everyone else gained weight in Italy, I gained it coming home). Sitting in the car for hours upon hours actually only makes me more conscious of well, not being 10 pounds lighter.

When I get to Santa Fe, I don't care how I do it, but I am going to come up with a workout regime and eating plan to fix this.

Dancing in Memphis

Memphis, Tennessee


West Virginia-Virginia state line


New River Gorge Bridge, West Virginia


Sideling Hill, Maryland


Sideling Hill, Maryland



I need to get better about spellchecking my posts - haven't done too well with that recently. I suppose after an extended period of time in the car, my brain does not actually function correctly...which is sad, because spelling errors are one of my personal pet-peeves. Lame, I know.

Extended periods of time in the car also led to this comment 10 seconds ago:

"You're acting retarded!"

....thanks Mom. It's actually called hyper and sleep-deprived for future reference. :P


On a more serious note...
We left Cookeville, TN this morning around 9:00 a.m. and drove on to Murfreesboro, TN to the Stones River National Historic Battlefield. One of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War was fought there. In fact, my great-great-great grandfather, Samuel Holmes, fought in that battle and survived. He died a few years later from an unrelated injury. We were able to visit his grave in the cemetery adjacent to the battlefield. Mom had been there before, but wanted to stop so she could show me this little bit of family history. Mom is obsessed with genealogy...but I have to say it's more of her interest, less of mine.

We drove and drove and drove some more....slowly making our way to Memphis (we only passed by Nashville, didn't actually go downtown). Had we gotten up and out earlier (oh c'mon, it's vacation...who does that?) we would have been able to enter Graceland, where Elvis Presley lived. Instead, we arrived at the gates of Graceland 30 minutes too late for entry. C'est la vie.

We still did not miss the chance to take pictures in front of the "Graceland" sign. I quickly laced up my pointe shoes, after Mom complained that it takes me forever to put them on (hyperbole? maybe, maybe not) and danced in front of the sign. I could tell Mom was a little embarrassed about me putting on ballet shoes and dancing in front of a sign beside a busy Memphis main street. My response was one that I acquired while in Italy. We don't know anyone and we're never going to see them again. I don't care what people think. Sadly that does not hold true to my hometown or Ithaca, although I am working on incorporating the "Why-should-I-always-care-what-other-people-think?" attitude into my everyday life.

Tennessee was beautiful. I was sweetly surprised. :) We're now just over the border into Arkansas. I think we're going to go hit Hot Springs tomorrow - Mom and Granny mentioned something about me needing to dance in/near the water. Not sure I care to prance around in my bikini in front of them....little too embarrassing.

My patience is starting to wear thin, but thankfully each morning I wake up with a renewed source of it. Sleep solves most everything. :)

~ Katie

SANTA FE...or Bust!

The road trip has officially begun. :)

Mom & I drove 11 hours to Burnsville, West Virginia yesterday.

This morning we left Burnsville, including Granny in our journeys. We are now stopped in Cookeville, Tennessee for the night. If you look at the map it is the center point between Knoxville and Nashville.

On another note...
I've been working on my "Dancing Around the World" photo series. Today I danced at an overlook and on the WV-VA state line. Nothing horribly exciting, but I'm working on it. Yesterday I danced on a bridge, some stairs and a sidewalk. I am still looking for a really epic place to dance. haha. We have some ideas in mind...more in the Texas area, but I'll see what else we can work with along the way. ;) P.S. Dancing in jeans is NOT the easiest thing!!!

I will post some photos when I get the chance...

Smiles,

Katie

I am more or less packed now, which is probably a good thing given that we are leaving tomorrow morning. It's so nice to finally be able to pack and not worry about liquids or a weight limit due to airline regulations.

Looking at my suitcase, I realize that there seems to be a "party" side and a "work/conservative" side. It's probably not noticeable in this picture, but the left definitely has all my party clothes. ;) And of course my latin, ballroom & salsa shoes are all packed up too, since I plan on taking private lessons when I get the chance. Last night I checked on the salsa dancing scene, and as I imagined, it is pretty hoppin' out there. Good thing I am finally 21 - means I can get into all the good salsa dancing places. :)






ITINERARY

We have one week (Monday-Monday) from the time we leave Massachusetts, to the time we need to be in Santa Fe, New Mexico. With no hotel reservations, and no other obligations (other than that Mom made us a reservation to see some performance in Amarillo, Texas on Saturday night....) we are FREE to do whatever we want, which is the way I wanted it. There is no need to rush out to Santa Fe - I don't start work until June 15.

Tomorrow night Mom and I will be leaving Massachusetts, driving down to Burnsville, West Virginia and spending the night with Granny. The next morning we will continue on, with Granny in tow, and wherever we end up for the night will be a mystery. I think it's more exciting/relaxed to do it in that fashion, anyway.

....I'm finally getting excited about the trip. My life has kind of been a whirlwind since coming home from Italy. I haven't really had any time to stop, think, and process some things. I've been so caught up in other obligations and tasks that need to be taken care of that I have really had to focus on one thing at a time. I didn't have the energy to look ahead and start thinking about Santa Fe. But, now that the reality is sinking in that Oh wait, we're leaving tomorrow! I am finally in the right mindset to go to Santa Fe. It probably also helps that...

...Mom is already driving me nuts. I love her dearly, but I am so accustomed to my college freedom & independence that coming home cramps my style (see previous entry). With that said, spending 7 straight days in the car with Mom should make this drive out reeeeeally interesting. haha. I suppose it'll be a crash course in Patience 101.

New Mexico here I come!!!

~ Katie

Reflection

It's hard to believe that I am leaving on my road trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico in less than a week. I have only been back in the United States for 12 days after a semester abroad in Siena, Italy. As I thought, I have just about completely settled back into my Western Massachusetts life, which of course means that it is time to pack my bags and up-and-leave again.

But, coming from a small town (pop. 14,000) where I have lived all 21 years, and after getting a taste of the "college life", a few days at home gets me antsy to leave again. It's been a great town to grow up in, but when I started to see everything else that life had to offer, and started traveling the world, my horizons expanded. Belchertown no longer holds any appeal for me...with the exception of seeing my family and friends.

After spending my first summer home from college, I told myself I could never do that again. I love my independence, feeling free, being adventurous and exploring the world. Living at home after completing freshman year, returning to the same job that I had worked at since junior year of high school - well, they just didn't line up with what I wanted.

This being said, last summer I didn't want to live at home or work the same job again. On a whim, I applied for jobs on Martha's Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts. I had been there on vacation a few summers back, and decided that it wouldn't be such a bad place to return to for a summer. What a wonderful summer - earning a considerable amount of money, making friends from around the world (there is a large percentage of international students who work there during the summer), and returning to the mainland tanner than I have ever been in my entire life!

THIS SUMMER

Twelve or thirteen job/internship applications later and I am heading West to Santa Fe, New Mexico where I will be employed at my #1 summer choice.

For those of you who don't already know, I will be working at The Santa Fe Workshops. http://www.santafeworkshops.com/ The Work/Study position requires me to do, well, mundane tasks: set out breakfast for workshop participants, keep inventory on supplies, take the recycling to town, etc. However, the "study" part of it allows me to take one workshop per week for free (a $1500/week value).

Although I will not be getting "paid" per se (at least not in the monetary form), I am being "paid" in knowledge and skills through participating in workshops led by world-renowned photographers who have shot for the likes of National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and other highly-acclaimed companies. This experience and opportunity is unparalleled.

And one more word: networking. This is the last summer before I graduate from college. I plan on making LOTS of connections with all the photographers coming in each week. Keep your fingers crossed....maybe this will lead to a job post-graduation...?

~

I will update when I get the chance or just need to get something out of my head and onto paper (...internet? computer screen? You get the point...).

Here's hoping for a wonderful summer full of photographing, friendship, learning, dancing, sunshine, wonderful memories, and......FUN! :)


Follow your dreams,

Katie