where to start?

photo of mine i'm currently in love with, mark and some light

_
i feel like i'm revisiting an old friend. this post is long overdue (and therefore very long, hang in there with me!), i'm sorry i haven't been blogging much lately. i think my life lately has been full of so much that it's hard to ever know where to start.
_
life is good. still. yes. i'm 21 now, and it's nice. i discovered (to my surprise) that i actually really enjoy the taste of beer. i appreciate it, which is strange because i never thought i would be a genuine beer lover. i envisoned myself being one of those people who aquires a love for wine and would enjoy tasting, exploring, appreciating all the different types. but now it seems i still want to do that, but with beer instead. who knew.
_
i'm still trying to find my footing with the fact that i have to enter the real world in less than a year. i get so restless sometimes because it's frustrating when you're in between stages or places in your life. it's hard to remember to live in the moment, because you're just ready for that next step. but most of life is full of in-betweens anyways, so i think that this point in my life is just good practice.
_
lately i've been catching up with old friends, trying to spend time with the dog i grew up with because he's an old man these days, having good conversations at coffee shops. and of course, as always, taking photos. i recently picked up the yashica mat that i have had for months and decided to put my fear behind me of all the money i will intially waste while i learn how to use it. i haven't shot too much on it, but i really love the way images look in a square. it's a new way of seeing, so it's exciting. it feels different too. i can't wait to really explore medium format. and eventually, hopefully i can get a mamiya---what a dream.
_

as far as photos i am really loving right now--there are always too many to name--but i thought i would share this photo above that i especially am in love with. it's by Salva Lopez, who is not only an insanely talented photographer, but also a wonderful graphic designer. it is such an amazing portrait of his grandmother--so endearing and so beautiful. the photo below is of his grandfather and another one of my favorites. really, everything he does is brilliant, check him out.
_ i've been a part of some really awesome photo stuff lately, and i am incredibly greatful for all the wonderful people who have included me on their blog, sites and magazines. here's a run-down of the most recent stuff:

• The Sister Project- a lovely site that featured an interview and some photos of mine. read it here
• The Moon, Issue July 2009- a magazine in China, I didn't know my photos would be featured in this particular issue where they're shown in a certain light, but i guess you live and learn?
• Pistol and Fur blog: Wonderful little group & blog on flickr, features an interview with me. i enjoyed the questions they asked--i was their 6th interview, scroll down a bit and you'll find my interview among other great photos. check it out!
• All Encompassing All blog: Another great group and blog on flickr. They featured a few photos of mine and have a collection of a lot of other cool photos and photographers as well.
• Appendix Magazine Online, Edition Zero: Really honored to be in this, i'm among amazing company. A photo of mine is featured in a piece they did about the photographic dictionary, a project run by Lindley Warren (check it out). The piece devotes one page for each letter of the alphabet where one word was picked. I have been lucky enough to have quite a few photos of mine put in the photographic dictionary, and one of them was featured as the "D" in the piece. It represented the word "difficult," and you can check it out in the issue or see it, along with other great stuff, on the photographic dictionary.
• Polliwog magazine: Run by Rebecca Rijsdijk, it's a " photography zine containing the stuff of young talents" & is published twice a year. I was in their most recent issue, issue 4 entitled "the photographers that we have been admiring for ages." the title alone is humbling. it features a few photos of mine and a interview, along with ten other talented photographers. check it out here.
• ROMKA, issue 3: an international magazine run by Joscha Bruckert that shares photographers' own most favorite photos. such an original and meaningful idea. check it out, my photo is on the cover & i say some words about my three favorite photos inside

I know there is some stuff I'm leaving out, and hopefully i will have time later to fill in the gaps. regardless of what i did and didn't include here, the point is that i am incredibly grateful and honored for all of the support and kind words everyone has shown to me. to be a part of these things means so much.

before i bore you to death, i will leave you with some words that whenever i'm feeling a bit lost or confused, always put things in perspective. they are as true as it gets:

“I have learned that to be with those I like is enough.” –Walt Whitman

yes.