the promise of snow and putting myself out there
I woke up this morning and it was 17 degrees. It felt good though, and I would much rather it be this cold in January than in the 50s. Bed was hard to climb out of, and I snoozed my alarm for about an hour, rolling out at just about 7. I usually have a morning routine that revolves around getting up at 5:45 a.m., precisely so that I can drink arguably too much coffee, and sit and relax, and have plenty of time to "be a person" before heading to work. I think this early rising life style is a hold over from my barista days, though, when I'd have to be walking into work at 6:30. Perhaps the fact that it is getting harder for me to wake up that early is a good thing, and I'm now finally adjusting to life post-coffee shop. It felt good to sleep in a little, and even waking up at 7, I had time to shower and make a cup of coffee and sit and drink it before heading out the door. Okay, well, I suppose I have a short walk to work these days, but regardless, I truly feel myself changing.
By the afternoon it had warmed up, and was pleasantly in the 40s for the rest of the day. I came home from work at around 4, got my stuff together for tonight (I was photographing an event), and had a light early dinner of leftovers. Anyfolk was tonight, and it was the first one of 2026, at a brand new location, Vasen, a brewery in Forest Hills. I've photographed a significant number of these wonderful, music filled nights so far, and I always really end up getting a lot out of it. I feel out of place, awkward, and it takes me a long time to acclimate and find people to talk to at first, but after I'm shooting, and meandering around after, its a lot easier for me to just chat with people. I guess, if you think about it, everyone in a room at a show grows closer after the music is over, and you can now turn to your neighbor and say wow, that was a great night, wasn't it? and have a conversation with someone you don't know, that will probably run off into unknown territory.
I met an artist tonight, who was selling prints at the show, who shared the name of a nature conservancy, a little outside of town, that is a great place to just go and be outside. I think that is something I'm really missing, since moving here, and its good to know this place exists now.
Tonight was also the first official night using my new-to-me Nikon D750, and, while I haven't looked at the photos on the computer yet, I'm already immensely excited. I just have a feeling that they're going to be great, and am glad that I traded my old cameras for it, as an "upgrade" (even though I miss those old ones so much). I'll share a few of the photos here in a few days.
All anyone is talking about is the snow storm we're supposed to be getting this weekend, and I have to say, I'm very excited. I love a good storm, and am looking forward to going grocery shopping after work on Friday, and settling in with my current good books for a cozy weekend.
Somehow, looking forward to having a nice weekend at home by myself is even better when I think of all the ways I've been putting myself out there in this new city, where I'm pretty much alone, making a few close friends here and there. Its been really tough work, and a lot of the time I just want to give up and go back to where I know people, but it also feels really rewarding to be able to say that I am in the process of making this place more familiar, and I'm grateful for the people I've met.