salton sea photos part 1
It’s been ages since we went to the Salton Sea now, and I’ve only just gotten the film developed from the trip.* It makes me want to visit again, but it will have to wait for cooler days. I’m particularly fond of this prize winning cat. Also, I find it quite amusing that the accidental light leak is a look that so many iphone photo apps are trying to recreate. Film has its magic, but quickly capturing a moment has its perks as well. There are still a few more photos for another day.
*Actually Shawn took it in finally so I wasn’t even the responsible one here. Five months later, that film was just sitting on the counter taunting me.
Annecy part 2
One of the best parts about visiting Annecy was just wandering the old streets. Every day we would walk along the canal on our way to screenings. It felt as if life was more tangible, when you’re not separated from the world by a car or vehicle of some sort. With such old buildings you could feel the history of the place, even in more updated areas. In comparison, even some of the oldest building in America feel young.
There wasn’t a whole ton of vegan options but I made due. I brought a jar of peanut butter and a few other snacks to get me through. There were quite a few cheeseless pizzas and I had some delicious white beans in tomato sauce from a Greek spot. A special shout out to Luce who tipped me off to a cafe with a tofu dish.
My favorite thing about the festival was the enthusiasm from all the students and animation fans attending. The audience would sing along to the trailer before every screening and throw paper airplanes. The outdoor screenings were packed and overall people were just super excited.
Lake Annecy
I traveled with my mother to Annecy, France for the Annecy International Animation Film Festival. In between seeing films, we spent a little bit of time on the beautiful lake Annecy. Though we never had the chance to go in the water, we did take a boat tour around the massive lake. The shoreline is dotted with ancient hotels and villas surrounded by the soaring French Alps. I would love to just hole up in a little house there and spend days by the water reading or bike riding around the entire lake. It really was the quintessential summer vacation place with its relaxed atmosphere and requisite sudden rainstorms. I’m sure the the stillness of it all has contributed to my overall feeling of calmness.
summer solstice
I’m a worrier by nature, dwelling on all the things that must be taken care of and possible bad outcomes. I try to be prepared, but seemingly only in the short term, because life’s variables seem to make long term planning impossible. So many what ifs. I am also more of a list person than a goal person.
I went on an unexpected vacation (photos to come!) and for the past week, even though I’m back to real life, I’ve been feeling surprisingly care free. I found myself paying bills with a sort of glee. Life just rolls forward and I don’t have to keep track of every detail. Things will work themselves out somehow.
In part it seems that this is because summer is about to be here, yet we’ve not yet reached the fire starting temperatures that make me so irritable. Visions of camping trips, movie watching and creative projects fill my thoughts.
Maybe I’m still asleep. Normality will surely set in soon but it’s nice to record these weightless moments when everything feels good even as just a reminder for when they don’t.
disney all night
Growing up I always heard about the infamous all night events at Disneyland, usually for grad night or other such celebrations. Being that I’ve always been a huge fan of Disneyland, even in my more rebellious days, it was always with a pang of regret that I was never able to go to such a thing. You get older and these special events pass you by. When we found out about Disneyland being open for 24 hours this past Friday there was no way we could resist.
Shawn, Jenn, Scott and I trekked out to Anaheim after work on Friday in the thick of holiday weekend traffic. We arrived with a few hours of daylight left, full of enthusiasm. The park was packed to the brim. I’ve been to Disney on busy days before but never have I seen anything like this. Wall to wall people, with cast members directing traffic down every pathway.
We contented ourselves with the rides with the shortest lines, often the ones for small children. Our spirits were high and even riding the Storybook Land Canal Boats was exciting.
There was a pajama party in Toon Town where a giant screen was set up playing classic cartoons. In California Adventure, they played Monsters Inc. on repeat. Hours passed and exhaustion set in but we stayed.
True to form, a section of California Adventure was closed off for actual grads. At 3:30 in the morning, we waited with the masses for it to reopen. When they removed the barriers, we ran full speed towards California Screaming, hoping to reach it before the line formed. It was exhilarating, embarrassing as that may sound.
As the sun started to rise, we queued up for Space Mountain and made it on just before the park closed.
As we exited the park, we were greeted with high fives from the staff for making it through the night.
And of course, the Disney characters in the pajamas.
Sometimes it’s easy to get wrapped up in all that being an adult entails. It may not be cool to hang out at a theme park, but I’m glad that I don’t care and can just have fun, even if it’s just for a night.
