La vida de Kate

Photojojo

I’m praying to God that I don’t wake up with a stomach ache that lasts for the next 4 years.  I spent the whole day at Six Flags, and rode every single coaster in the park, if not more than once.  That includes Kingda Ka.  And if anyone who is reading this knew me back in high school, they would know that that ride was an absolute nightmare for the following years to follow.  Maybe it was a coincidence, or maybe not.  But I highly doubt it.  I was 16, just about to turn 17 when I went to Six Flags with a few friends.  I went on the new (at the time) coaster - Kingda Ka- The world’s tallest and fastest.  Considering it takes you to 120 mph (around the speed of me dropping out of an airplane) in 0-3 seconds. you might think it could very well have an effect on your body. I think I did it 3 times in a row or something, if I remember correctly.  And the next day, I woke up with what I thought was a stomach virus.  I spent the whole week in bed.  Litterly.  The only time I got out of bed was to go to the bathroom or shower.  I think I lived off of a few sips of water a day, and a couple crackers.  I felt like death and couldn’t wait for it to be over.  A week later, this ‘virus’ still didn’t go away.  Over the course of the next few months to follow, I went to countless doctors, hospitals, and gastronologists.  I was tested for everything humanly possible under the sun, been in more cat scans that a normal 17 year old girl should have to go through, MRI’s, endoscopy’s, blood work, multiple IVs, COUNTLESS medications, and a copious amount of moments where I would cry in frustration with what was going on with my body.  The testings and hospital visits went on for the next two years to follow, until I finally… sucked it up.  Eventually it got better.  4 years later.  But I swore it was that stupid ride.  My stomach still isn’t right to this day.  And do you know what I did today?  I went on the ride.  I’m crazy, I know.  Or stupid- take your pick.  Maybe I’m paranoid.  I hope so.  Because if I wake up tomorrow.. and have to go through all that again until I’m 27… I give up.  On a better note, it was a fun day anyway.  I’m just on edge that I did what I swore I’d never do again.

On a different subject, I think I might be obsessed.  It’s as if the more I learn, and the more I discover about photography and cameras, I want more.  It’s like an addiction.  But a good one.  I’ll litterly be daydreaming in class thinking of new ideas of things to take pictures of.  Or today for instance, in Six Flags, there were so many points throughout the day I’d say to myself, ‘Ugh I reallyy wish I had my camera- that would be an awesome picture!!’.  It killed me to leave my camera at home.  It’s become almost another body part to me, and I feel lost without it.

Last week was my first week of the beginning of summer.  Do you know what I did on my first night?  I went to the library and came home with these:

And do you know what I did all week?  I googled and oogled different internships for National Geographic photojournalists.  Yea, that would be a long shot. -____-  But hey I’m sure Ansel Adams didn’t just sit on her butt waiting to become discovered.  Shoot for the moon, and you’ll land among the stars, right? Anyway I did get a phone call back from the Nat Geo headquarters, so it’s a start.  I’ve officially decided that I’m going to do every single thing possible to achieve my life long dream.  Suddenly in the past few weeks, I have become so determined, and motivated, that I refuse to settle for less than average.  I want to be big one day.  Known.  I don’t plan on stopping until I get there.

Until then, I found these awesome little trinkets that I’m dieing to make.

Bookshelves with film-covered sides.

This needs to be in my room. I would just hate to see 3 good camera’s go to waste.

Oh and a few of these would look great on my bed too.  Thanks to Photojojo.com, I can now satisfy my camera-obsessive needs with all of these too cute, (and too expensive) camera things for sale.

I really need to get some sleep.  I’m worn out from today, and got a nice sunburn to add to it.  Tomorrow will be my first day volunteering for Finally Home Farm in the morning!  I’ll be taking pictures of all the animals for adoption to help them find their forever home :D.  Then working of course, then going shopping with my mom. Saturday I’m working a wedding from 12 to 12 in PA again.  And then in just a few short days I’ll be off to Indiana.  My summer is flying and it’s just started.  Bring it on.

Rate my professors would have been efficient had I read it in January.

My eyeballs feel like they are going to pop out of my head.  Have you ever been that tired?  It’s not a good feeling.  It makes you feel grumpy and irritable and like you don’t want to do anything at all.  But you do it anyway just to get through, and all you can dream about is your warm cozy bed where your dog still resides.  And then by the time you get home from your long and crazy day of work and classes and everything in between, you now realize you have a few homework assignments, or things to study, or chapters to read. This now leaves you to stay up, eyes burning, till 2am, and doing the same thing all over again the next day.  

This has been my life.  I am ready for the semester to be over.  

I’ve got a lot on my mind and quite a bit stressing me out drawing me almost over the edge.  A mix of things, that keeps me up at night trying to figure out how I’ll be able to succeed with each goal.  Something as little as, “Oh no my car payments coming up.. do I have the money?”  to as big as, “Am I good enough?” or “Do I have what it takes?”.  I’d love to just be where I need to be and not have to wonder about where I’ll end up.

The only reason why I’m not still studying, is because if I didn’t take a break from looking at my history book, I would have started going crazy.  I think I may partially serious when I say that.  Our final is tomorrow and I’m really not feeling good about it.. I’ve been studying so hard for it and I know that if I don’t pass it, I don’t pass the class.  My stomach is sick thinking about failing this class and being set back yet ANOTHER semester away from graduating.  

Oh, have I mentioned my professor is insane?  

I really wish I would have seen these ratings on ratemyprofessor BEFORE I enrolled in the class. >:/

The most appreciated things in life are those you worked the hardest at achieving

I’m physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted.  It’s school, work, and weddings, all week, and by Saturday night I feel dead.  It drains me - everything that I’ve took on my plate.  But I keep telling myself I’m doing all this for a reason, and that it’ll all pay off.  But there’s a big word in that last sentence that’s a big problem.. I’ll let you figure that out.  I don’t understand how I’m litterly doing all I possibly can, and still I’m hardly able to pay my car bill every month along with other weekly expenses.  If it was up to me, I’d get a third job, or even just work more hours if I could.  But it’s impossible with school and everything else.  This morning while I was working at the vets, I made a list of all my upcoming finances in the month of May.  My bills, mother’s day, my summer class, Indiana… and I got an instant headache at the number that it all added up to.  I have no idea how I’ll come up with the money.  I’m just really praying that one day this will all be worth it and I’ll be some hot shot photographer one day doing my own thing and hiring people to work for ME :).  In the meantime, I’ll keep dreaming.  

Tonight’s wedding was my first one on my own.  No ‘partner’ like I usually have.  There’s usually a photographer and videographer on every job, but they just needed video, so I guess I’m their girl.  I was a little nervous since there would be no one from Hallmark to ask questions or help in case something went wrong.  But I made a valid and determined decision before I started tonight that I would be confident in myself and believe that I’d be okay.  And I was.  During the ceremony, as usual, I got all choked up.  This is what- my tenth wedding I’ve done, and I’m STILL emotional over these things!?  I can’t figure it out.  It’s somewhere between when the bride walks up the isle, to the grooms look on his face, to the vows, where I get a lump in my throat.  I wish I had a harder heart sometimes.  (If that makes sense).  During the one of the speeches, they talked about how the bride and groom met.  A very unique and rare story- he lived in California, and she lived in New York.  But somehow they ended up both interning for a job in Texas, and fell in love.  She moved to Texas with him, he proposed, and they moved to Jersey.  So needless to say there were people from all over the country there.  There were two other photographers there whom I had never met before- being that they were from Texas.  But I kept my eye on them the whole time and really admired their style.  Just noticing the angels they got, and the way they communicated with the people so well, and yet at the same time you barely noticed they were there.  I got talking to the both of them and really enjoyed working with them, they taught me a thing or two.  The one said that she loved my ‘accent’.  Please.. everyone knows that New Jersian’s are the ones who talk normal and everyone else are the ones with accents.  The three of us exchanged business cards and they told me to look them up and let them know if I’d ever like to do some shoots with them when they’re in the area, which was apparently often.  I’m quickly learning it’s all about who you know… I think I’m figuring out the art of ‘networking’.  

Things To Be Grateful For

Things to be Greatful for

 

Not pumping my own gas

Fuzzy socks

Music that makes you sing out loud

Hot chocolate after coming in from the snow

Bear hugs

Big blankets

Uncontrollable laughter

Connecting instantly with someone

A childs innocence

Free samples

Having your camera at the perfect moment

Kind strangers that go out of their way to help you

Chocolate chip cookie dough

Warm snickerdoodles

Big dogs that like to wrestle

Dogs that make you feel like your the most special person when you walk through the door

Finding a good deal

Getting that random text message that makes your day

Cloudless summer days

The look on someones face when they open a present you know they wanted

When someone plays with your hair

Dogs who lay their head on your lap when they know your having a bad day

Communion

The first beach day of summer

Cloudless nights and starry skies

Spluging on yourself

Splurging on others

A warm shower after a long day at the beach

Bright white puffy clouds

Thunderstorms

Spellchecker

Finding unexpected money in your pocket

The first snowfall

Hot showers in the winter

Complements that change your day

Complements you never forget

Genuine appologies

Unexpected A’s on tests

Hearing ‘I love you’

The ability to be whoever I want to be

Noticing obvious signs sent specifically for you

That friend whose always there

Making people laugh

Knowing God’s existance

HBO movies

Being surprised with flowers

Being an American

My grandparents

Holding hands

Warm summer nights

Breezy summer nights

Those people you know who are angels on earth

Getting the chills when you hear/see something unexplainable

Being able to have experienced Betania

Pretty jounals

Knowing I have my whole life ahead of me

Runners high

Spirtual high

High on life high

Homemade chocolate cupcakes with chocolate icing

That book you can’t put down

Seeing someones great big smile and knowing you put it there

Connecting with someone like you’ve known them your whole life

Being with someone, not saying a word, but having the best conversation

Deep conversations about life

Boardgames that make you laugh

My health

Having a mom who would give her left arm for me

Having parents who care

Having a sister who is my best friend

Thermals

New pajamas

Toe socks

The perfect dive into a pool

Finding the perfect parking spot

That I’ve realized how much I have to be thankful for

Deep conditioning treatments

Fun nailpolish colors

Finding the perfect present for someone

Sleeping in

Being so happy you cry

The just-because-kisses

The ability to forgive

When someone asks ‘how are you’ and waits for the reply

Aloe

Favorite Christmas tree ornaments

The smell of fireplaces burning

Having the opportunity to vote

Sweatpants

Postsecret

Sleep till whenever you want lazy-days

Clothes that fit perfectly

Sunsets

Sunrises

Teachers you don’t forget

Those moments you realize chilvery isn’t dead

My alarm that goes off in the morning because I know I’m alive

Bonding

Good news

Bad news you are optimistic enough to turn into good news

Going to college

When someone smiles at you

The hard times I’ve made it through that have made me stronger

The people who I thought at the time would break me down, but made me stronger

Making snow angels

Retreats

When my dad brings home donuts on Sunday mornings

Getting a surprise letter in the mail

The way my hair feels after I get it cut

Those select few friends I know that have my back

Being able to run

The feeling you feel after you got done a long and proud run

A rainstorm that lasts through the night

Snapping a picture that captures more than you planned

A picture of myself and someone else that you know your going to keep a lifetime

Each and everyone of the thousands and thousands of pictures I’ve taken over the years

Viewing other peoples photography in amazement

When your favorite song comes on the radio just as your pulling out of the driveway

When you find out something about someone that makes you realize you aren’t in this alone

Understanding the meaning of Mass and why I go

The excitment you get in the Communion line

Giving peace in Mass

When you give peace with someone and knowing they meant it

Adoration

The mass’s you never forget

Quotes that make you say, ‘this is exactly how I feel’

Being winked at 

Coloring with fresh crayons

Stickers

For the people I’ve met, and experiences I’ve shared, even if they didn’t stick around

Traditions

The excitement you feel when you get a hand written letter in the mail

Bike rides on perfect spring days

Nail polish that doesn’t chip

A child’s innocence

A child’s laugh

Making someone laugh

Making new friends

Making a new recipe that turns out fantastic

Homemade dinners

Fattening desserts

Nights in

A combination of a romantic comedy, and pizza dip, and fuzzy socks

…..To be continued