With Just One Blink: Capturing a Floating Memory

Back in February, I had the incredible opportunity to exhibit some photos from my travels over the past few years. When my wonderful boss at Sarratt Art Studios told me of the opportunity in January, I, of course, accepted immediately. Together we narrowed down the selection of prints, made arrangements for set-up, and invited all our friends, via word-of-mouth and a Facebook event, to a reception on February 27th. It was a huge deal of work to put it all together, but I could not have been happier with the result. The entire process allowed me to reflect on my travels over the past three years, the direction I'd like to take my photography in, and more than anything it reconnected me to so many people that have impacted my Vanderbilt experience. This last one was much needed, as I struggled to adjust to university life returning from my semester studying abroad in the Dominican Republic.

I made a little collage to show a few of the prints that were included in the exhibit. I'm so grateful to all of the friends, co-workers, faculty, and staff who came out to support my first photo exhibit. This is just the beginning, and it was awesome to share some of my adventures with you all. Embrace Beauty. Travel the World. Understand Others. Understand Self.

AH

Sneak Peek: Upcoming Photo Exhibit

 

In the past few weeks, I've been prepping for my photo exhibit in the student center. As of now, I have some 20 photos on display, and more are set to be put up by this Wednesday when there will be a reception. I've invited lots of my friends from all over. Really hoping that there will be a nice turn-out. The pics above are some of the prints that are now on display. I'll definitely take some shots at the reception, or would that be awkward, since I'm the photographer? Hmm... things to consider.

Stress Relief

Why this weekend was spectacular...
1. My best friend from high school came to visit me over the weekend. It was the first time, any of my friends from home have come to my college, and we had a really great time catching up!
2. My favorite band, Johnnyswim performed just a few min from campus, and I got to go see them live!
3. I met the lead singer of Johnnyswim, Amanda Sudano-Ramirez after the show! What a surreal moment!
4-8. I attended the on campus Asian New Year Festival performance show with some friends from my dorm. We may or may not have snuck some snacks in to the auditorium. That information cannot be shared at this current time.

Also this weekend, I caught up with my parents for a while, and realized just how blessed I am to have supportive and caring people in my life.
I ate tons of international food on Saturday between ANYF and a Middle Eastern/Israeli dinner that I went to afterwards. So many multicultural food babies!

This week is looking tough so far, but I'm taking each day as it comes. Someone asked me recently why I don't stress. I responded, "It's because I realized that ten out of ten people die." And it's morbid, yet true. I just don't think its worth my time to worry about social drama or academic pressures any more. I found that I don't really verbalize or physically act out my stress as much as I used to. Perhaps the Caribbean did that to me. And to be honest, life looks better from this view... it's all just irie.

Staying Connected

Since starting the second semester of my senior year, I've been working to stay connected with my friends from the Dominican Republic. They include friends from my study abroad program, program coordinators, and my closest international friend while I was there.

The strangest thing has been going from 18 close friends to about 5. I can count on my hands the people who I still keep in contact with since the trip ended in December. That breaks my heart. Nevertheless, Time and maturity have taught me that keeping in contact with people is truly a two way street. I used to blame myself as a child for not keeping in contact with my best friend in Kindergarten. What stress, right? I've always been an over-thinker. Though we were young, I remember blaming myself for the end of our friendship. I was scared of telephones (I always have seen phone calls as a disingenuous form of communication, and I never have trusted them as a means for true self-expression, I know it's a bit weird), and video chatting wasn't an invention back in my day. I thought that because I couldn't work up the courage to call her on the phone, our friendship would die.

The truth is that we've let countless friendships slip away, which makes me question how important they really were in the first place. I blamed myself, and I blamed the other people. I also blamed time, distance, chores, assignments, new friends, new commitments, the list goes on. But now, I actively want to prevent gravity from separating us. Why?
      1. We've shared something life-changing together, and frankly you're the only one I can talk to about it. Us sharing that experience has formed the foundation for a life-long connection.
      2. Keeping in contact with you helps me to remember the kind of person I was when we were last together. I gain some semblance of peace during our conversations because of the nostalgia you give and the familiarity of your voice.

So where am I at with this endeavor? In the midst of my course load, organization committments, work, and other responsibilities, I am struggling to stay in contact with them the way I imagined I would. It's a tough reality to come to terms with. I was recently given the opportunity to display photos from my travels (in the past 3 years) in the Student Center at my university. Some of my favorite shots are now printed and on display, along with my very own artist statement. I couldn't be any more thrilled about this. It is all too surreal, and I just pray that it is the beginning of even bigger things. But putting together this exhibit was an opportunity for me to reflect on my trip, and the relationships I formed during a matter of four months.

In the past, I've been scared of announcing my dreams. I'm quite open about expressing my long term goals, but when it comes to more immediate ambitions, I don't always share those aspects of my life with friends. I would love to be more open with others, and myself even, about my goals in the short term. So here I go, speaking life. "I want to be a photographer!"

I can't say all the specifics of this dream (mainly because I'm still hashing it out in my brain), but I certainly want a future with a camera in it, along with many interesting subjects to capture. I hope to travel the world, using my camera to not only record that which is beautiful, strange, and captivating in humanity, but also to connect with people and places. And ultimately, I hope to use my camera to keep track of all the short term memories that have ultimately impacted my life.

Navidad 2012: A little snippet

This Christmas was a quiet one, but splendid too. After returning from the Dominican Republic, I spent time catching up with old friends, cooking, running, and watching a whole lot of the Office with my Dad. Also there was the shopping. And I will say that I am "shopped out" until next Christmas. I believe there is such a thing as too much retail therapy, and I exceeded that with my Mom and Sister! But we made it past the holiday shopping chaos, and had a wonderful Christmas day! My older sister's boyfriend came to visit and spend the day with us, and we enjoyed a delicious vegan Christmas dinner together after a day of fellowship, giving, and family. 

What was on the menu:

    Purple Sweet Potato Casserole (the potatoes are naturally that color!)

    Macaroni & Cheese

    Black bean, avocado, and quinoa salad (My sister's own recipe)

    Field greens salad

    Field Roast

Things to Remember 1.0

Adjusting to a life I once knew

I've been home almost a week now. Tuesday morning will be exactly one week. The transition back came much easier than I imagined, which is what I feared. I've since slowly moved from listening to Latino artists like Plan B, Juan Luis Guerra, and Romeo Santos to the indie Malaysian artist Yuna, reggae artist Alton Ellis, and Alicia Keys. I no longer hesitate to throw toilet paper in the bowl itself, I'm back to an all vegan diet, and I've already snatched a few items from my older sister's wardrobe. Yep, it's almost as if I never left. One of my friend's from studying abroad told me that he's afraid of the whole experience turning into a dream. And every time he began to reminisce about our time in the Dominican Republic I would tell him not too. I suppose I feared the end all along. Now that its over, it all does seem like a dream. No one truly understands what I've just experienced. A phone call from my best friend from the trip brought it all back to me, and for a moment I felt at ease. There's some things you never want to forget, for that reason I took up photography. The pictures give a snippet of an event, a day, a moment that impacted me. My dilemma now is learning how to remember the stories, the experiences, the achievements of these past four months. I feel different, but I don't know if I seem different. Travel does that to you. I heard a Fulbright ETA fellow make a statement about traveling to different countries. This quote reflects my personal experience. "...It changes you... living abroad. You always take something away with you. And it makes your worldview more complete. And it makes you more open to new experiences and it makes you a more interesting person." -Elly Hopper (Colombia ETA 2011-2012).

I also came across another quote that relates to my sentiments about departing a place you've come to know, and returning to a place you once knew. I've never really been a quote collecting person, but these two have really helped me understand this transition.

“You get a strange feeling when you’re about to leave a place, like you’ll not only miss the people you love but you’ll miss the person you are now at this time and this place, because you’ll never be this way ever again.”

                                                                       -Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran

On another note, and because I'm such a list person, I thought I'd try to document some changes I've experienced in the last week. So here's what's new in my life:
1. I'm embracing the holidays full force. Christmas music 24/7, spiced drinks, and plenty of festive sweaters
2. I'm now a thrifter... I didn't really trust my thrift shopping skills before this trip, but since I've returned it's all I do.
3. I've caught up with some old friends, one is my best friend from high school and the other my sorority sister who moved to NY last winter. Love that we were able to just pick up where we left off.
4. I've made my motto Mind, Body, and Soul... Three things that I think encompass so much (my faith walk, academics, nutrition/physical fitness, etc.). I think I'll take this with me into the New Year.

Una despedida

This fall semester, I took a Photography course at the PUCMM Architecture school. As the only international student in the class, I was quite challenged at times. I don't regret one minute of the experience. I've learned so much more about using my camera, and I had a great time with our trabajos (assignments) throughout. Here's my final project for the class. The topic was: What is making you uncomfortable/What are you disagreeing with right in this moment? 

Qué es su disconformidad del momento?

Una Despedida: Mi Salida de la República Dominicana

Decir adiós a la gente, los lugares, y las cosas que yo he llegado a conocer y amar.

 (1) Esperando el momento de despedida/ 

Awaiting the moment to say goodbye

 (2) Un abrazo fuerte en la esquina de calle 4 y calle 7/ 

A big hug at the corner of Street 4 and Street 7

(3) Saludando con la mano arriba a las personas que dejamos atrás/ 

Waving goodbye to the people we leave behind

Mi Salida de la República Dominicana

If home is where the heart is, then mine must be shattered in a thousand places around the world.

7:18PM After waking up late and rushing to the airport with my good friend, John, I finally made it to the Santiago International Airport (Cibao) to begin my journey back to the United States.

8:10AM We paid the taxi driver and rushed up to the kiosk with our big bags, only to be given some tough news so early in the day. I knew I was late, but I thought I would have substantial time to make it onto my 8:40AM flight. Nonetheless, at check-in I was told that my bags could no longer be checked because boarding had already begun on my flight . My only options were to: (1) Travel to Punta Cana and fly to Miami that way, (2) Take the same flight the next day, or (3) Take a later flight in the day to New York, then travel to Atlanta. I chose the third option. Everything works out for a reason.

10:00AM After finally breathing for a bit, John and I got a chance to just sit and chill in the airport for a few hours. We Skyped our friend Jana who left the day before, and I enjoyed my last Dominican meal, while John dreamed of the Whopper he planned to devour later on at JFK.

12:15PM I bid farewell to John, thinking I might have the chance to see him before boarding, or at least in JFK. Unfortunately, customs pushed things along so fast, that I didn't get to formally say goodbye. Sorry, John! Te extraño! I went through customs, having to run to a cajero (atm) in the midst of my stress to get some extra cash for overstaying my visa.

1:15PM Did I mention I've been carrying around a 50 pound carry-on bag this entire time? Yeah, that happened. Thankfully if fit into the overhead storage and on my flight to JFK.

5:00PM I made it through customs in JFK and walked to baggage claim, where I found my Uncle and cousins happily waiting! It was literally the best welcome committee I could have ever asked for. I hardly never get to see my cousins because of school, and our crazy schedules, so this was a real treat. They helped me with my luggage, and we traveled from JFK to LaGuardia where I would take my final flight.

6:00PM At LaGuardia, I checked my bags again, somehow managing to get both of them in for free. My Uncle, cousins, and I enjoyed a few snacks in the food court before saying goodbye. It was so special to have those few hours together, and for that reason I think that missing my early morning flight was a real blessing in disguise.

7:00PM I finally settled at the gate and found myself passing the time just people watching. New Yorkers are so unique. So far, it has been most fascinating to see how people express themselves through clothing here. I didn't really think about it before. Having lived in a country where people don't really take too many fashion chances, the airport styles I saw today came as a real shock. Even still, I had the opportunity to kind of reflect on my time in the Dominican Republic and my interactions with strangers there, which I think is another huge contrast with my experience back in the United States already.

9:10PM After much delay, my flight to ATL finally arrived. People were definitely getting cranky, but some rough weather situations delayed the flight from arriving at its original boarding time of 7:50PM.

12:10AM I arrived. After almost an entire 24 hours of travel, I finally arrived in my home state. I found my parents at the American Airlines baggage claim and dropped my bags before grabbing them both to give them a huge hug. I've never been so excited to see the parental units.

I'm so happy to have made it home safely, and I feel so incredibly blessed to have had this opportunity. I will never forget the memories that were created, and the people that changed my life over the last four months. And to the Dominican Republic, just one more place where my heart lies... nos vemos ahorita!

Be all here.

I've not always been the type of person to live "all in the moment." I'm a dreamer in that sense. Almost always considering what will happen later on in the day, the week, the future. I know it's not great to think this way, that it often makes you miss out on the present. For me, always thinking about the future has truly thrown me some pros and some cons. I've learned to seek out opportunities (internships, travel grants, scholarships, etc.) that I would have missed out on had I been focused only on today. But also, on a more serious note, I've really struggled to get through the mundane moments of the present. For that reason, I think I put things off a lot. I'm definitely a procrastinator, but also a creative mind... so the two somehow work together to help me produce some of my best work. Even still, I think that I'm always considering the future because it's a bit of an escape from the more prevalent boring and less interesting moments of the "here and now."

Now more than ever, I want to live in the present. I have exactly one week left in the Dominican Republic before I will return home to the United States. My feelings are so mixed about it all. I want time to slow down... just a little bit, so that I can savor these last few days.

Here's my list of things to do before I leave the DR:

• Get a gift for your host mom-- Friday, Dec. 7th
• Visit Centro León Museum Day-- Saturday, Dec. 8th
• Go to an Aguilas Baseball Game-- Sunday, Dec. 9th 
• Enjoy the music at Soho Rooftop's Jazz night-- Monday, Dec. 10th
• Complete Final Examinations-- Wednesdy, Dec. 12th
• Go souvenir shopping near Calle del Sol & Bella Terra Shopping Center-- Thur, Dec. 13th
• Eat at Naturalis Té Vegetarian Restaurant & try their Boba Tea-- Thur/Fri, Dec. 13/14th
• Get hair cut, died, and straightened-- Saturday, Dec. 14th
• Attend Church in the Dominican Republic-- Saturday, Dec. 15th

Update: 12/23
So I was able to accomplish almost all of the items on my list. I also went to the beach (Sosua) one last time on Friday the 13th. Feeling content with what I was able to accomplish in my last week here.