When you give a kid a camera

I got my first camera sometime around 2000 or 2001. It might have been for my birthday while we were living in London.  I was instantly obsessed with photography and can't even estimate how many rolls of film I went through.

I'm up at my mom's and was going through some things in my room (I call it my room but I never actually lived in this house) when I came across a drawer full of old pictures.  Most of them were just blurry snapshots from school or sleepovers with my friends.  I am the type of person who is easily lost in nostalgia, so it was nice to look through them.  I am also the type of person whose awkward phase lasted several years longer than is generally acceptable, so they were also somewhat cringe-inducing.

Anyway.

I found a few gems from some of my travels in Europe with the family.  I giggled at many of them - poorly composed, half of a stranger's body in the foreground, tops of buildings cut off, the usual mistakes people make.  Of course, I was 11 years old and didn't know what I was doing so I shouldn't be too hard on myself.  I also found a few kind of cool pictures.  I will call them happy accidents.

That is my mom sitting on the bench and my dad holding the sheep.

I've always felt more confident expressing my emotions through words.  I don't think that is any secret with people who know me best.  I'd rather think than talk, and I'd rather write than think or be alone with my thoughts.  I get out of bed a lot to quickly jot down lines that run through my head - to get them on paper before they float away.

I love photography because it's another way to feel connected to something without having to formulate a verbal emotion.  Sure, I'm taking pictures of buildings or flowers or inanimate objects that don't have any feelings to relate to, but it's still a type of expression and I find the process therapeutic.

I'm really glad I found these pictures.

Day 3

Even though it rained all day we still adventured around the town of Bled.  We went up to the castle (I say "went" but I mean ascended a very steep staircase and slippery rock driveway), walked around the lake, and managed to find time to eat.

I did not even remotely enjoy Slovenian food.  I ordered french fries twice in an effort to be a really insulting American stereotype, and one night Mike and I went to a pizzeria and that was probably the best meal I ate during the whole trip.  Pizza.

Day 2

The day we left Salzburg the sun finally came out.  Before heading to Slovenia we walked down by the river for a little while.  I wanted to make sure I had some pics of Salzburg with the sun.

We got into Bled, Slovenia in the early afternoon.

We saw a little bit of sun at Lake Bled, but then it clouded up and started raining.  It rained and rained.  Being a tourist is never as fun in lousy weather.

Day 1

Day 1 we spent exploring Salzburg in the rain.  We made a stop at Mirabel Gardens to see some Sound of Music landmarks and also ventured up to Nonnberg Convent.

The first Europe Post

I finally made a dent in my 1200+ Europe pictures. Tomorrow the recap posts start.  I know you're excited!