Just Two Photos

The Museum | Summer 13 Adventures

The Smokey Mountain Stranger

Today's Blogtember subject is...

a distinct moment when my life took a turn.

It was a sunny and hot July afternoon in the smokey mountains. We had come from Florida and stopped in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on our way home. My dad and I were walking around the Old Mill area and had been taking some photos of the ducks and geese, sweating like mad in the muggy 99.99% humidity. 

Coming down the sidewalk towards us was a young guy dressed in black jeans, a gray t-shirt, black leather jacket, and dark sunglasses. As soon as I saw him I thought "That guy must be really trying hard to look tough dressed like that in this heat." I moved over to one side of the narrow sidewalk, making room for the dude to pass. Just before he moved past me, he slowed down, bent his arm at his waist, and bowed at me. Like Jane-Austen-meet-Mr-Darcy-style. Before I could respond he continued on down the sidewalk. I didn't know how to respond. It's not everyday a young man bows to me, though I wouldn't mind it happen more often. ;) I turned around to see if my dad had seen his gesture. "I guess he was paying you a complement" he said. 

So, lesson #1: never underestimate a guy in a leather jacket and sunglasses. 

As a side note, I have a theory about who this biker dude was. He looked very much exactly like this guy:

{via}

Lesson #2: Steve Rogers/Captain America could be vacationing in the smokey mountains while under cover. 

You just never know.

Who I Am (blogging confessions) + Blogtember

Being a photographer, I am a very visual person. Writing a blog, however, does include some degree of writing. Shocking, I know. The thing is, I often don't know what to write about. I can't always say "here's a picture of a flower, and this is that time I went to so-and-so". I like writing, but the past three years has consisted of only writing essays and reports. Not very creative.

Enter Blogtember, hosted by Jenni of Story of My Life. Everyday has a prompt for what to write about. Yes! Just what I needed. While I won't be able to write everyday, I will try to do it as often as my coursework allows.

Today's prompt is about what makes up who I am, and where I come from (who I am. because the prompt made me think of this song and because the JoBros were a part of my teenage years, hehe. ).

I'll start off with the very basis of who I am; the most important thing. I am a Christian, a child of God, saved by grace through faith. 

Next is my family. My parents taught me Biblical morals, which are what I live by. They homeschooled me from kindergarten through high school, which I really appreciate. Studying at home allowed me to stay focused and not encounter some of the negative things that come with public school. 

Please know that I have friends who went to public schools and they turned out just fine. :) I know homeschool is not for everyone. 

That being said, I was not a secluded, completely unsocialized child. I participated in various group activities such as cooking, sewing, drawing, dance, piano, and AWANA.  My friends at Blimey Cow can explain homeschool life probably better than I can.

The past 3 years have held several changes for me. I began going to college full time, got my first job, changed jobs, and began practicing photography more, amongst other things. I'm graduating in December and plan on getting a job with my degree. I would love to do photography a bit on the side.

Besides carrying a camera around everywhere, I play piano, read, knit, and sew. I have always been into several things at one and been through many phases. Some of them were cross-stitching, quilting,  paper quilling, and also trying to start a competitive jump-roping team (in case you're wondering, that last idea never left the ground. Pun intended.).

I am currently saving for my first DSLR camera and hope to get one soon after graduation. I have had the opportunity to borrow my grandfather's a few times and get used to how it works, so some of the photos on this blog were taken with his camera.

Now that you know me a bit better, I want to hear from you! What was a phase you went through?