Photo of the Day - February

“The autumn leaves are falling like rain
Although my neighbors are all barbarians
And you, you are a thousand miles away
There are always two cups at my table.”

I'm sure most people who read this (2 out of the 3?) know that I spent the last year working on a project where I took one photo each day. That was pretty much the only rule; it could be the most exciting thing that day, something I thought was pretty, or just a hastily assembled still life because it was late and I had forgotten to take a photo earlier. I started the project on my birthday last year, so it came to an end recently. All photos are taken with the same camera, and are unedited (except for one or two that are cropped). It is odd not to no longer carry a camera every day, and it is odd to look back on my life in a series of 365 photos.

Here's February, 2010. (click to enlarge)

February 1


February 2


February 3


February 4


February 5


February 6


February 7


February 8


February 9


February 10


February 11


February 12


February 13


February 14


February 15


February 16


February 17


February 18


February 19


February 20


February 21




February 22


February 23



February 24



February 25


February 26


February 27


February 28



The twenty-four-hour diner, the station waiting room and the motel are sanctuaries for those who have, for noble reasons, failed to find a home in the ordinary world, sanctuaries for those whom Baudelaire might have dignified with the honorific 'poets'."

Alain de Botton

Photo of the Day - January

From the late eighteenth century onwards, it is no longer from the practice of community but from being a wanderer that the instinct of fellow-feeling is derived. Thus an essential isolation and silence and loneliness become the carriers of nature and community against the rigours, the cold abstinence, the selfish ease of ordinary society.

Raymond Williams, The Country and the City

I'm sure most people who read this (2 out of the 3?) know that I spent the last year working on a project where I took one photo each day. That was pretty much the only rule; it could be the most exciting thing that day, something I thought was pretty, or just a hastily assembled still life because it was late and I had forgotten to take a photo earlier. I started the project on my birthday last year, so it (clearly) came to an end this past week. All photos are taken with the same camera, and are unedited (except for one or two that are cropped or the one panorama that is stitched). It is odd not to no longer carry a camera every day, and it is odd to look back on my life in a series of 365 photos.

Here's January, 2010. (click to enlarge)

January 18th


January 19th


January 20th


January 21st


January 22nd


January 23rd


January 24th



January 25th


January 26th


January 27th



January 28th


January 29th



January 30th


January 31st



Carriage, take me with you! Ship, steal me away from here!
Take me far, far away. Here the mud is made of our tears!

Charles Baudelaire

Finally! Liechtenstein!

For Christmas, I did a little bit of travelling. I originally wasn't sure how many days I could take off of my new job, so I decided to go to my Aunt's for Christmas rather than my parents'. Later (after tickets had been booked) I realized I could take off a lot more days that I thought, so I also booked a flight to my parents' lining me up for a nice week of travel.

Christmas at my Aunt's was really nice. We always did Christmas at our house because we lived so far away, so I don't even remember having a cousin Christmas before this one. So, it was 3 days in Minneapolis well spent.


The plan was to fly back to DC for 24 hours before boarding my flight to Switzerland, but then there was Snownami or whatever it was called this year. So, long story of shenanigans aside, I boarded a flight from Minneapolis to DC via Atlanta, and then spent the evening in Detroit. Made it to DC with 4 hours to spare before my next flight - scheduled to leave from the same gate I arrived in - and realized I had to go back to my apartment regardless because I didn't have my passport. Insult to injury, my Frankfurt-Basel flight was then cancelled, but I eventually made it to Therwil.




The family ended up renting a car and driving to Liechtenstein and Austria for a few days of good skiing (and better alps/weather than Switz). I sang Edelweiss and really enjoyed St. Anton and rode a lot of T bars. I also took some photos.






We drove back to Switzerland on New Years Eve where I had a pretty lackluster evening that involved the Berlin Ball Drop and yodeling competitions. So, about 500 pounds of cheese and chocolate later, my 2010 year and travels came to a close.

With my birthday coming up in a few days, my year long photo a day project is about to end. I'll start posting the results on here after that. Get excited, and happy belated new year!

-L

Morning Routines, at long last.

I promised to post my commute video a while ago, but then life happened and I never got around to editing it.

So here is some of the really shaky footage. I think the handlebars on Big Purple were way easier to use with a camera in hand than the ones on Seventies Puffer Vest. I take several different routes to work, but this is one of my favorite variations, especially when the leaves were all different colors.



Merry almost Christmas everyone! I think I may go to Austria next week, in which case I may be blogging again sooner than planned.

-L

In which Lauren attempts becoming an adult

It's been a while since my last post, and a lot has changed. I haven't written because I typically use this blog to tell people about my travels and for the moment I'm no longer nomading about. Which is sad, and good, all at the same time. In the past few months I've moved to DC, found an apartment, a job, a new bike and a cell phone. I'm practically a real person.

Kyla, I'm sorry that I never posted about the Portland/Seattle portion of the road trip. Honestly, it's because I was so excited to see you that I didn't take the time to write in my diary, and then had no notes when I returned.

Anyway, the Northwest was fabulous as always, due in very large part to my wonderful hostess(es - thanks Rosie!!).

Here is a quick photographic journey of life from September 16th to the present (as always, click to enlarge):

Amy and I stayed at a ridiculawesome motel in Bend. We had the romantic Lavender Room.



We also drove through some beautiful scenery, stumbled upon a lava pit, and parted with Blue Betty (tear), trading her for a bus in Eugene.





We had a few lovely days in Portland, lost Amy to Chicago (tear) and went to Octoberfest. In Seattle I met some wonderful people and didn't see a single raindrop.



Eventually I got my act together and moved to DC. I slept on a lot of couches, for which I owe a lot of lovely people a significant amount of love and beer. I moved into Yellow House, started refurbishing my awesome ride, and then immediately left for Erin's wedding.




Now I'm working at the National Board and traipsing about DC.







Luckily I've moved to Chinatown. A girl just can't let go.


Clearly this past year has given me a lot to be thankful for. Perfect to culminate in a wonderful roommate Thanksgiving last night.
(We left the volcano up for the obvious Thanksgiving ambiance it adds)


I'm thankful for every single one of the friends, family and strangers that have made this past year what it was, and me who I am.

-L


P.S. I filmed my commute the other day in an attempt at reliving past glories. Just a teaser for an upcoming post.