Inauguration

Barack Obama is our president. Yesterday, I joined the millions of people on the mall to watch the inauguration of our 44th president. In the midst of the crowd, I could feel the energy and excitement instantly but I was unaware of the true enormity of the crowd, which stretched from the capitol building to past the World War II memorial.














This is the first time I can remember being enthusiastic about our leader, however I'm keeping in mind that our country will face a lot of problems in the next few years, despite the president. While Obama's speech was inspiring and powerful, the most significant moment for me was seeing Bush's helicopter leave the District of the Columbia as people on the ground cheerfully waved goodbye (and good riddance, for that matter.) I had been waiting for that day for what seems like an eternity. I'm not longer embarrassed by our leader and I'm grateful I was able to witness this historic day.

Some old photos.

Since I visited New York City for the first time at the age of 13, I always dreamed of spending my entire life there. I would marvel at the purple flags hanging from buildings by Washington Square Park, crossing my fingers that one day I would wear that color and enter those buildings. I worked tirelessly, never forgetting my only goal. As far as I was concerned, New York City was where I was meant to be and it was only a matter of time before I got there.

By the time I was 17, I was singing an entirely different tune. For most of my childhood, I ignored the District of Columbia despite its proximity- a whopping 30 feet from my house. As my taste in music developed, I became fixated on the local music scene. After a few months of frequenting the 9:30 Club and Black Cat, I stumbled across These United States. I instantly fell in love with their live shows - their sound is fun and interesting; their jaunty demeanor intoxicating. For many months, I went to every show I could- trying to capture their live show in photographs. Through These United States, I found more and more local musicians and discovered a community within a city I previously thought had nothing to offer me. I started to wonder if I really could leave a city I was just beginning to appreciate.

  

I applied to NYU and a handful of DC schools, figuring I would probably end up staying in the area. I wavered for months, constantly questioning my decision. Winter came around and I had a better reason than ever to stick around. But the letter came and I did what I thought was right. 

And now I live in New York City, a decision I'm ultimately happy about, however I feel a resistance to really letting myself live out my life there.  You would hardly know I'm living in New York City - I have very little to show for the past four months. A few snaps here and there, but all together very little effort. Maybe I just don't want to confront it yet- that I've left DC but can't quite feel at home in New York. My hope is that I'll start sifting through it more - picking up my camera and noticing the things around me in my new environment. We'll see.