re: 2011
2011 has been a very interesting year for me!
Began a little sad. Not a little, a lot.
Not my best moment. That's all that we're going to discuss in terms of that.
Anyway..
Turns out the sun still shines. Work was interesting. Got accepted into grad school. Life was good.
Then we had a life-altering moment :P
My favorite band isn't touring the US but IS touring Kiev. Haven't been to Kiev in 6 years. The reason that i haven't been back in so long was no longer in the picture. Why not visit? (*cough* stole photo from somewhere or other)
off I went to do some touristy shit.
*cough* I may have said that I'll watch my cursing... but i said that in regards to russian. Just for the record.
Reconnected with a great childhood friend who i haven't seen in 6 years. I've known her since I was probably 4 or 5 years old, enough to qualify for "known all my life", methinks. She has not changed one bit.
...made a new best friend. One of my favorite people :)
This shot I'm just tossing up here because i like it, this has nothing to do with my story. i especially love that my freckles show. Right now its winter, I'm pale as can be and my freckles are non-existant.
And for credit's sake, from this point on assume that any photos of me were taken by james_ua and are most likely my edit. Including the one above. Unless i say otherwise.
moving on.
Saw my grandparents after 6 years. Wow culture shock. Getting along with them is interesting....
Spent a whole lot of time taking pictures!
Got a lot of good ones, actually! This spring and summer have really been a huge peak for me as far as photography is concerned. At least of subjects that are not my own dogs. Its been proverbially and pun-intendingly eye-opening. That, and i'm very inspired by having someone to take photos with :)
The concert btw? Awe-some :) I mean we sat in the back and they took our cameras. But it was unforgettable. SO worth it. (click for photo credit, etc)
That ended waaaaaay too fast. NY really wasn't the same after that.
Went to Fort Tilden for the first time... I've been meaning to for about 10 years now. Cross that off my bucket list :P
I taught some newbies and left the lab! Oh man, that was tough! Teaching so many people at once, and teaching them well. And just leaving the place that i have become soooo attached to. It was the end of an era.
And then?
Came right back. NY was just not the same anymore.
Because how can you not love it?
lol i have definitely developed a fondness for the slavikmobile. Its slogan should be "..guess what?" :)
Stuff like this should be legally allowed. Good graffiti should be allowed and encouraged.
Hey remember when i was that skinny for like a month? :P *cough* Yeah i got back to normal as soon as i got back to NY, alas. Different lifestyle.
one more just for the hell of it.
I miss summer light. Heheh, i miss wasting an entire day to go and take pictures for a few minutes during golden hour ;) Winter golden hour is just not the same, when there even is one.
And then? Back to life.
The boys are really the best things about it.
Hmmmm see this is where all the confusion came about. The part where i was all like "I'm moving to Ukraine." And then i was all like "I'm moving but later" and then i was all like "ehh i dunno, maybe i won't move." But honestly? I'm not really eager to get back into science. Nor am i eager about grooming forever. Really that personal crisis isn't quite over. Thinking, thinking.
But in the meantime?
We had a hurricane. The boots are still dirty, i never washed them. Whoops. Also we had an earthquake.... that i did not notice but I'm told it felt really weird.
Then Ksenia came over. She's full of crazy.
Had a couple of photoshoots for fun. That didn't quite go anywhere. but i'd like to get back to it sometime when i get my thoughts together and perhaps that coveted 70-200mm f/2.8 (yeah right...)
Oh, I learned to sew a little :P I can't decide whether i enjoy it or can't stand it.
Made a golden friend.
Presented at SFN in Washington DC. Didn't inspire me to get back into science...
Oh, I upgraded. Sometimes, I love it. Sometimes it fails in the same exact moments where the 1.8 failed. But I'm very happy with my purchase, overall.
Oh, the boys turned 5 this year. Holy hell, 5? They're grown gentlemen.
Anyway, after a whole lot more grooming and obsessing over my dogs, here we are...
Back in my favorite place, with my favorite people. For a little while.
Anyway its been an interesting year! Definitely a better one than usual.