Taking pictures

is an investment. Purchasing the equipment and editing the photos is one part of it. And then there's the real-time investment of removing yourself from the moment to capture it, preserve it, and share it.

I miss taking pictures.

There's something about moving to a new city that makes me hyper-aware of myself and everything going on. I don't know if it's the particular city or the life-stage I'm in that breeds a very non-complacent culture. I mean this in the most neutral way possible. There's always a driving force-- be it student loans, brand name degrees, poverty in the neighborhood, or the Boston Red Sox-- that keeps people on the go, thinking and rethinking what to do next, what's worthwhile, what makes most sense, and what would bring us closer to our goals. That's the way I've been experiencing much of life in Boston, anyway-- purposeful and angsty.

So it's been a full year, and I've decided that I like it here. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunities, the growing sense of community, and the inevitable exposures to people very different from myself. Living here has unveiled layers and layers of insecurities I never knew existed-- insecurities that drive me to question and listen for God in ways that I never would have from a place of familiarity and complacency.

Will the angst remain? Who knows-- it's only been a year. And who cares-- the journey's been worth it.

Happy Anniversary, Boston! And cheers to another year to come.
This year, I would like to take some pictures.