I’m one of those people that always takes a picture from the plane, of a (typically) unidentifiable piece of land. It has always surprised me that aerial views really look like that!

I’ll admit, I had a very different expectation of Boston. I thought it was an unsafe, rough and tough place. It isn’t that at all or maybe I was in the wrong areas. It was cold…I was right about that. After having one of the warmest April on record, in Vancouver, it was an adjustment to be in 3-15 degree Boston. Luckily, I packed smart and was dressed for the weather!

While in my last relationship, I truly began to realize that I regularly needed to have alone time which was the time I took for creativity. Usually it involved either taking photographs or cooking. In June of last year, I was worried about getting enough hours in two part-time jobs to help finance a budding freelance career. Instead, I found myself with a full-time job and a part-time job where, for the first few months, I didn’t have a day off. There were some days I worked both jobs in one day.

I let a couple opportunities slip because of this. By February, I stopped working two jobs in one day but then picked up a project, which I just finished. Working on this project made me realize that I can’t work a full-time job, a part-time job, and freelance…giving my clients the time and attention they deserve. So now it’s design full-time, part-time job, and side projects. It’s going to be a struggle but it has to be done.

Getting back to the things I love. One of those things, photography. My heart skipped a few beats while scrolling through my old photos. I knew it was time to go at it again.

Going back to my thoughts on Boston…physically Boston is old America. It’s a blend of European inspired architecture and the New World. A lot of brick and narrow roads. But the people of Boston are quite young and academic. With over 80 universities and colleges, it has a diverse population that is (I’m guessing) more upper middle class. You would have to be, to afford school, rent, and overall living costs.

Someone asked if I could see myself living there. Probably not for a long length of time. Although there are some schools known for their design programs, I find it to be too academic and less artistic. I wouldn’t mind spending more time there. It’s an interesting window into American-ness.