looking back
Look at you, sailing through the air majestically. Like an eagle, piloting a blimp.
- GLaDOS
12/16/2019
Well then... hi again! Remember how I used to always say ”now I can finally post more often!” and would then disappear for weeks at a time? I apologize for doing it again.
The reality is that it's been an insane past couple of weeks and it's always so easy to forget to update my life as I’m clutching it by the reins, trying to hold on. But! The time has finally come for me to do the big update!
Before we get started though, I’d like to give some context behind these photos. The photos in this album were pulled from my archives, these shots were taken a year ago between the months of August and September 2018. If I recall correctly, I used Fuji Superia 400 film alongside my trusty Olympus OM-2n and 50mm f1.8 lens. They captured a pivotal point in my life: from spending my final weeks in California to my first month of living alone in the city of Philadelphia.
Which brings me to a fun fact: As we speak, I’m in an airborne mechanical marvel, thousands of feet in the air. Mentally preparing myself to make that journey once more (only this time, I’ve got way more friends for backup)
- GLaDOS
12/16/2019
Well then... hi again! Remember how I used to always say ”now I can finally post more often!” and would then disappear for weeks at a time? I apologize for doing it again.
The reality is that it's been an insane past couple of weeks and it's always so easy to forget to update my life as I’m clutching it by the reins, trying to hold on. But! The time has finally come for me to do the big update!
Before we get started though, I’d like to give some context behind these photos. The photos in this album were pulled from my archives, these shots were taken a year ago between the months of August and September 2018. If I recall correctly, I used Fuji Superia 400 film alongside my trusty Olympus OM-2n and 50mm f1.8 lens. They captured a pivotal point in my life: from spending my final weeks in California to my first month of living alone in the city of Philadelphia.
Which brings me to a fun fact: As we speak, I’m in an airborne mechanical marvel, thousands of feet in the air. Mentally preparing myself to make that journey once more (only this time, I’ve got way more friends for backup)
I’m excited to announce that a couple of weeks ago, I accepted an offer as a perioperative nurse!
After countless years of grinding in school and with a dash of good luck, it feels so rewarding to finally be offered the position that I’ve been after for the past decade. And the job is at a super cute hospital to boot!
Also, did I mention I get to live on the most aesthetic street in the city of Philadelphia? It’s got so much historical value and when springtime arrives, the overlapping tree branches form a beautiful tunnel of greenery. Throw in a bunch of brightly lit, eccentric local shops and it feels like walking into a movie set in the quiet evenings. I’ll have to try out some nighttime photography and post them on this blog one day!
Alas, my plane is about to land and you all know the drill: Laptops away, table up, seats upright, seatbelts secured. I’ll definitely make an update on my moving process as soon as I can! This post is gonna be a 2 in 1 combo, to make up for how long I’ve been away.
Oh god, the flight attendant is eyeing me, I need to stop typing.
Ta-ta for now!
-kdo
After countless years of grinding in school and with a dash of good luck, it feels so rewarding to finally be offered the position that I’ve been after for the past decade. And the job is at a super cute hospital to boot!
Also, did I mention I get to live on the most aesthetic street in the city of Philadelphia? It’s got so much historical value and when springtime arrives, the overlapping tree branches form a beautiful tunnel of greenery. Throw in a bunch of brightly lit, eccentric local shops and it feels like walking into a movie set in the quiet evenings. I’ll have to try out some nighttime photography and post them on this blog one day!
Alas, my plane is about to land and you all know the drill: Laptops away, table up, seats upright, seatbelts secured. I’ll definitely make an update on my moving process as soon as I can! This post is gonna be a 2 in 1 combo, to make up for how long I’ve been away.
Oh god, the flight attendant is eyeing me, I need to stop typing.
Ta-ta for now!
-kdo
12/21/2019
Hello from a local coffee shop! Fun fact, I don’t have internet yet so I’ll be chilling in here for the next couple days until Verizon arrives to give me a router and service. Also, side tangent, why does Verizon Man need to come into my apartment to plug in the router? I feel like as long as you know where your cable is, you can easily do it yourself. Oh well! Maybe I’ll be able to convince the man to help me carry a queen-sized mattress up three flights of stairs.
Okay! Enough of that, an update of what’s happened since I landed in Philly on Tuesday. I have simultaneously been incredibly productive and been the laziest human being in the world. I started out so strong: Landed at 4:30 AM on Tuesday, did laundry (my check-in bag of clothes got soaked due to the rain during my flight change), napped for a half-hour, grabbed my apartment keys, met my leasing agent, toured the apartment, realized one of my keys was broken, went back to the apartment office, signed up for the gym, shopped for home supplies, made myself dinner, watched a movie.
That was probably my most productive day in Philly ever.
Hello from a local coffee shop! Fun fact, I don’t have internet yet so I’ll be chilling in here for the next couple days until Verizon arrives to give me a router and service. Also, side tangent, why does Verizon Man need to come into my apartment to plug in the router? I feel like as long as you know where your cable is, you can easily do it yourself. Oh well! Maybe I’ll be able to convince the man to help me carry a queen-sized mattress up three flights of stairs.
Okay! Enough of that, an update of what’s happened since I landed in Philly on Tuesday. I have simultaneously been incredibly productive and been the laziest human being in the world. I started out so strong: Landed at 4:30 AM on Tuesday, did laundry (my check-in bag of clothes got soaked due to the rain during my flight change), napped for a half-hour, grabbed my apartment keys, met my leasing agent, toured the apartment, realized one of my keys was broken, went back to the apartment office, signed up for the gym, shopped for home supplies, made myself dinner, watched a movie.
That was probably my most productive day in Philly ever.
And after that first big day, there was an immediate sharp decline in productivity. The past few days have been just me idly carrying a bag or two from my friend's house to my apartment each time. Lots of relaxing and trying to decide whether or not I should go with a 5’x8’ rug or a 6’x9’ rug for my living room.
But! All my stuff is finally in the apartment! My new place is like a dream come true, I can’t stop geeking over it. It’s got so much character and I kid you not, it looks something out of a movie. You enter the building through a very inconspicuous door by a cafe, walk up three flights of dizzying spiral stairs, and enter the most crooked apartment I’ve ever seen in my life. I kid you not, it’s as though this apartment was a collaboration between Bilbo Baggins and the Weasly family. The sidewalls curve outwards and inwards. The corners where the ceiling and walls meet are uneven. And in my living room, one window is bizarrely bigger than its counterpart.
...
I’m in love with it
But! All my stuff is finally in the apartment! My new place is like a dream come true, I can’t stop geeking over it. It’s got so much character and I kid you not, it looks something out of a movie. You enter the building through a very inconspicuous door by a cafe, walk up three flights of dizzying spiral stairs, and enter the most crooked apartment I’ve ever seen in my life. I kid you not, it’s as though this apartment was a collaboration between Bilbo Baggins and the Weasly family. The sidewalls curve outwards and inwards. The corners where the ceiling and walls meet are uneven. And in my living room, one window is bizarrely bigger than its counterpart.
...
I’m in love with it
The second time around, moving back to Philly has been a much easier transition when compared to last year. I have a set plan, I know what kind of furniture I want, and most importantly to me, I have lots of friends I can hang with when I’m tired of moving things around. If you’re a Philly friend reading this at the moment, “hi! let’s hang out!”
I think it’s also important to note that maybe this process is easier because I’m much more comfortable being on my own now. When I first moved to Philly for nursing school, it was my first time ever moving away from home, living by myself, and being in a city for more than a few days. It initially felt like I was cast into the wilderness and left to fend for myself.
Now? I love it. Living alone and exploring the city by myself gives me a sense of liberation that cannot be found in a small suburban neighborhood.
As I’m slowly starting to settle into my new place, I finally have the time and environment to start taking photos again! Yesterday was an exhilarating experience, it was the first time in months where I picked up a camera and couldn’t put it down. The city always has something going on and interesting characters to fill the space.
I also have a bunch of rolls that need to be developed and that’ll be happening very soon! I hope to one day build a darkroom setup and scanning process so that the turnaround time for these posts can be faster! But first, I may or may not have my eyes set on a Moccamaster Technivorm at the moment. That might be my initial big boy purchase once I start working. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a good cup of joe.
Speaking of coffee, I’m off to grab another cup and start with some online shopping! I’ve decided that I want my rug to be a shade of pastel green.
Until next time!
-kdo
P.S. I haven’t proofread this post at all, so please forgive me for any blatant spelling or grammatical errors as I wanted to upload this post as soon as possible! I promise I’ll go over the post and make some edits by the end of the week. <3
I think it’s also important to note that maybe this process is easier because I’m much more comfortable being on my own now. When I first moved to Philly for nursing school, it was my first time ever moving away from home, living by myself, and being in a city for more than a few days. It initially felt like I was cast into the wilderness and left to fend for myself.
Now? I love it. Living alone and exploring the city by myself gives me a sense of liberation that cannot be found in a small suburban neighborhood.
As I’m slowly starting to settle into my new place, I finally have the time and environment to start taking photos again! Yesterday was an exhilarating experience, it was the first time in months where I picked up a camera and couldn’t put it down. The city always has something going on and interesting characters to fill the space.
I also have a bunch of rolls that need to be developed and that’ll be happening very soon! I hope to one day build a darkroom setup and scanning process so that the turnaround time for these posts can be faster! But first, I may or may not have my eyes set on a Moccamaster Technivorm at the moment. That might be my initial big boy purchase once I start working. What can I say, I’m a sucker for a good cup of joe.
Speaking of coffee, I’m off to grab another cup and start with some online shopping! I’ve decided that I want my rug to be a shade of pastel green.
Until next time!
-kdo
P.S. I haven’t proofread this post at all, so please forgive me for any blatant spelling or grammatical errors as I wanted to upload this post as soon as possible! I promise I’ll go over the post and make some edits by the end of the week. <3