oops (i missed a day)
Today was warmer that it should have been, for January, but it was okay. Work was a good pace, not too hectic, not to slow. I slept in a little, but still had time to get up and make coffee and put together a lunch. I made a new recipe the other day, a chickpea noodle soup with turmeric and nutritional yeast. It's a really simple thing to prepare, and has a wonderful richness imparted from the nutritional yeast. I put some in a thermos I have had forever and never remember to use. The soup reminded me of bringing ramen noodles to school, in 7th or 8th grade, around 2004 or 2005. The way the noodles became engorged with the salty MSG filled chicken flavored broth, pale fluorescent lighting above the dark greenish carpets and white walls.
I'm not sure where that memory came from, I've just been feeling particularly nostalgic lately. Is it just a desire for simpler times? How can I make my current life feel more the way I remember feeling in past years, while holding true to the person I've become?
After work, as I got home, I just sat on the couch for a little bit. I didn't do anything particular, just spent time watching the warmth of the afternoon light play across the walls, and fell into a brief Youtube rabbit hole. I had stumbled upon vlogs and other short films people have made about biking, and how it has changed their lives for the better. I realized I hadn't biked for a while, at least since getting back from Massachusetts during Christmas.
I bundled up a little bit, in a hoodie and denim jacket, my favorite sand colored scarf wrapped around my neck, and rode down to the little market on Strawberry street to pick up a bottle of wine and a bag of chips. I was well prepared to come home and make dinner, open the bottle, and start watching the next episode of my latest bad television show (Smallville), and remembered my friend having people over for his birthday. Already in the mood to bike, I made the conscious decision to put sinking into my couch on hold to bike over to spend time with him. I'm glad I did. The wine was shared amongst 4 or 5 people, I played some pool, and got into a slightly different part of town. The apartment he lives in is one of those new buildings that smells like linoleum and reminds me of the dorm I lived in freshman year of college. I try to see myself in one of those buildings again, and honestly, I can, if only they weren't priced at luxury prices. Despite the fact that they don't have the charm and character of old wood floors, thick walls, and nice molding, I do love the fact that they have such a good (and fairly big) community aspect to them, and many of them have amenities like gyms and public areas where you can go to actually maybe run into someone else in your building, and talk and hang out.
At around 10:30 I biked home, and passed out almost immediately. I thought about watching some tv, but found my bed first.
Some more random thoughts
After reading other blogs, I was inspired to make a list of resolutions for 2026. I know, it's lame, it's cheesy. Most resolutions don't see fruition. I hope I can at least set some good intentions for 2026 though, and see at least half of them through.
Drink more water. I don't think I have a problem with my current water intake, but have you ever taken a sip of a glass of fresh water, preferably chilled, filtered water, and though this is good? I have, and so many times it acts as a kind of mental reset, alleviating so much stress and putting me in a much better mood. So, I will absolutely continue to have good water habits this year.
Continue to grow as a photographer, and think about how to do so within the environment of the VMFA. This is a little more of a long-winded resolution. I love where I've gone the past few years, in relation to my photography. I've put myself out there, I've photographed many Anyfolk RVA events, and loved it, I'm finally getting down a good post-processing routine and developing good turnaround of photos. I can feel my time management skills improving every month. I'm on the books to photograph at least the January Anyfolk, and will hopefully do future ones as well. They're now paid (just barely) but still, I'll be making a little bit of money from the next one I shoot. This is all progress, but when I think of where I want to be in a year, career-wise, I think of how much I truly love all the people I've met at the VMFA so far, and I don't even really know them yet. I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I'd love to grow into a role in Imaging Resources, somehow. It would be great to help photograph art, document events at the museum, and create media for the website.
Bike more. I love riding my bike. I've always loved riding my bike. I want to ride more this year (and 2025 was already filled with lots of riding). I want to ride in one of the many groups Richmond has too. Developing a sense of community will only continue to help me as I find my way here.
Eat more vegetarian, less meat. I don't want to label myself as a vegetarian, and swear off meat for the rest of my days, but I do want to aim to be more conscious of what I put in my body and take care of myself a little more. Eating meat with every meal is certainly not the healthiest choice I could be making (for me or the planet). It's also so fun to cook in alternative ways, and think about how to get protein without animal products.
Finish this sweater. I am so so so close to finishing the sweater I've been knitting since last Christmas. I want to be wearing it next Christmas. Not only that, I want to have completed more knitting projects. I love knitting. It's calming, but it also keeps me thinking about patterns and logic, and how things go together to make a finished piece.
Start using a flip phone? This one is a little scary to think, but I genuinely think I could be more productive without my smart phone. I already have been being extremely careful with what I have on my phone, and use it pretty much for only calling, texting, and occasionally looking something up or directions. I'm not sure if I want to try a Lightphone or something like that, or what. I feel like this is such a new problem to have, where we have to decide what technology we use, and how we use it, now that we have so much and can easily exist in the digital realm, feeling that is necessary to be constantly connected.
Make more art. I want to be printing my work more, making zines, and sharing them with the community I'm in. I did more in 2025 than I did in years past, by a long shot, but I want to keep it up.
Get outside and touch more grass. I love living in a city, but I want to find spots in nature that I can escape to. I would love even more to find them within a nice bike ride down an extremely bike friendly route.
Read more. I read about 5 books in 2025. I want to shoot for 5 books a month in 2026.
Listen to music that is out of my comfort zone. I want to listen to music that is different, but not necessarily "avant garde" or esoteric shit or anything.