The Last Week In June

Summer is just flying by. I hate the feeling but I really have had so many opportunities to get out and enjoy life the past two weeks that I don't know what to do with myself. I was bored for most of June and then all of a sudden, I've been able to hang out with people I've missed so much this past year. And not only have I been able to hang out, I've been able to do things I've never done before. There's so much to experience if you just open yourself up for adventure! That's the cheesiest thing I've ever said but I'm realizing more and more how good it is to be carefree. This week (and last week) has been an absolute blessing and I guess you could say I'm living up my last summer before college begins. It's a time of freedom and I think it's important to enjoy it!!

This week I....

• Swam and relaxed at Goshen Pass with a group of friends

• Listened to some absolutely fabulous live music at Chick-fil-A's Unplugged night

• Went antiquing with Hallie and Jessie

• Ate at Shenandoah Pizza and took pictures in downtown Staunton

• Saw All Shook Up, a ShenanArts play
• Shopped with Jennifer at Barracks Road, ate Panera, and shopped some more at the mall
• Spent a few hours with Melo at EMU sitting in on a worship service at a LIFT camp and listening to Heartsong for the second time
• Played some tennis
• Ate McAlister's and watched Pretty Little Liars
• Made banana pudding with my best friend

Missing Out On the Experience

I've been thinking a lot about blogging and photography lately and I've come to realize something. I've come to realize photography changed from an art form to a chore for me. Well, I don't know if chore is the right word but let's just say I was taking pictures only for the blog, not for myself, especially before I got my new camera.

I realized I was taking so many pictures of pointless things (in my opinion) that I didn't know what a creative picture was anymore. After I got thinking, I realized this started after my blog began getting a sufficient amount of readers. I felt like I needed to photograph everything that happened in my life so I could share it on this blog! I loved it but slowly, it wasn't very fun anymore and my pictures weren't very interesting. I looked through all of my blog posts and saw a pattern. Most of my pictures were of flowers. Flowers are beautiful but they're photogenic and it's easy to make a picture of a flower look good. I still love flowers but my goal is to photograph nature less.

My oldest brother (who takes pictures, as well) said something when he was home for graduation that I had been thinking about a lot. He said, "Sometimes it's better not to take your camera everywhere because you miss out on what's actually happening." Isn't it true?! I had been limiting where I took my camera before he said that, but hearing it from him made it more clear. It helped me see that it's OKAY to not bring your camera places but if you do, don't feel like you have to take pictures of everything and everyone.

Lately, I've done a better job of only taking photographs of things I think are interesting or different. I may break this rule when I go on vacation or when I travel and that's okay, but I think it's time to blog less but blog more efficiently. You guys may not be able to tell a difference but rather than feeling like I need to take all the pictures I blog in one post at the same time, I'm going to take pictures when I feel like it, throughout the week.

It's a freeing feeling to do this and I'm sure many other bloggers have felt the same way. So trust me, I'll be blogging, but I'm hoping my pictures will be better quality. Maybe not dramatically different, but hopefully at least for me, I'll feel more organized and creative.

I don't think this simple realization changed anything that much but ironically, I've had the most energized week and have been so content. I have enjoyed life more than I have in years and I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am. I hope this first set of pictures will adequately give you a peek at my life lately.