beached.

it is raining, has been, and will be raining. just a wee little storm that has caused flooding, mudslides, car accidents, power outages, downed trees, and debris laden beaches. it even brought a few sea-faring vessels reluctantly onshore here in santa barbara. my roommate reported this to me, so we thought "well that might make for some artsy photographs." we grabbed the gear and headed down to east beach to see what photo ops we could find/create.

the lighting was incredible and the boats were cool and colorful. and i found an old bottle. a photographers haven. it was so good to photograph for fun. a chance to hang with my roomie. a chance to reflect on seasons. on storms. on life.

i have always known that people love art because it allows them to express themselves, to be creative, to "get it all out" and to be free. but i never really got that. i love art and photography because it is fun and because it tells a story. i like stories. but today, for the first time, i had one of those "self-expression" moments as i was out in the wind on the beach...

life is like a beached boat. so often i am faced with times of tumultuous weather, with stormy seas, and with discomfort and angst. i am challenged, broken, and battered by the winds. sometimes i find myself in a place where i think i should not be. i have run aground or have been uprooted, or i am simply not in my natural habitat. i am broken and stuck and i have no idea how i am going to get myself back on the high sea, back in the routine, back to where i am supposed to be, where i an called, the place for which i am purposed. i have no fuel, no traction, no mobility. all the while, i sit there unable to move, only to be tickled and taunted by the waters, longing to taste the salt of the sea. once i have tasted and seen, i want it all the more. the sand slowly washes away from beneath my haul, grain by grain, inch by inch. i wait. wait to be rescued. wait for some fuel. wait to be dragged back into the sea.

then there are footprints in the sand. and then suddenly, i taste the salt of the sea, and feel the wind in my sails. i am refueled. i am ready to take on the high sea and all that lies within. i have been saved.

jerre & jay: a coffee shop encounter.

i love coffee shops. haha. if i spend enough time in them, i always see and hear interesting things and meet interesting people. it cracks me up. so today i am currently studyin' and workin' at Red's Coffee. i love this place. it is artsy, organic, earthy, and well, strange. such a rare flock of birds cruise in and out of here. haha. here is a tale from a mere 10 minutes ago.

10:30. i was drinking a chai latte and perched on the leather sofa next to the fireplace working on some spanish homework. i heard an occasional breath of air from the steamer, the hum of the blender, or the drop of a coin or two on the counter and not to mention, the eclectic blend of music and conversation vibrating around the shop. then randomly, a lady came into my little nook and hovered her hands over the warm fire and simply fell in love with it. her name was Jerre. "Jay, would you just look at this fabulous, adorable little fire place. this is just what i want." She turned to me, "you have found the perfect spot here...what are you studying?"

"Well, right now i am studying for my Spanish class, but i am a communication studies major," I say not knowing exactly what she was asking.

"Oh, i took spanish in high school. And then i had to take German in college for my math degree. But you know, Spanish is a good language to know in this day and age. It comes in real handy, especially in Santa Barbara...and....and....and," she chatterd on.

Then Jerre, sat down on the couch next to me and asked if she can see my work. She then proceeded to translate the worksheet, proving that her Spanish skills were still intact "after all these years. " I was amused and intrigued, yet all the while trying not to laugh. She whispered in my ear that she and her husband were building a house in Panama. For some reason, she didn't want anyone else to hear that little disclosure. she even covered the mic on her phone. apparently, it was okay to let me in on her secret. haha. not sure why. why i was trustworthy, or why it was a secret to begin with.

Jay, a business lawyer and Jerre's husband, soon came over and the three of us chatted about my growing up in mammoth and my time at westmont. we chatted of favorite resturants in santa barbara, development in resort communities, latin america, math, spanish of course, grad school, business law, real estate, construction, travel, and fire places. we chatted it up for a good twenty minutes or so. then jerre's blackberry rang and she stepped out to take the call, so Jay and I carried on the conversation.

Eventually, Jerre came back over after rummaging through the heap of newspapers and plopped back down on the couch for a few more antecdotes and tales of adventures to mammoth with her kids and remodeling houses in santa barbara. she was a chatty cathy to be sure. randomly, she busted out an invoice from the lumber company from which they had just purchased some supplies for their latest project. she scribbled down some arithmatic and calculated that they were missing a piece of plywood they had paid for. So Jay and Jerre argued you a bit about whether or not her calculations were right and finally decided to head back to the yard and straighten things out. so Jay headed out the door and Jerre got in a few more words with me and proceeded to head out. but only after dropping her heap of newspaper and invoices and receipts on the floor. it was comical. so we got those all picked up and organized and then she says "write this down: Bouqete, Panama. goggle it and then go there and find us when you travel. take care and good luck with finishing school" and then Jerre was gone.

wow, what a funny experience. i love it. it was such a treat to meet this awesome older couple. oh jerre, what a character. and jay, got to love him. who knows if i will ever see them again...but if i did, that would be a riot. haha. so those are my musings from red's coffee.

what are your plans?

well here i am in my humble abode, also known as a dormroom, gearing up for my LAST semester at Westmont. whew. what happened? it seems like just yesterday when i was driving up to campus with my parents all sorts of nervous and anxious about what would lie ahead. and now, i am coming to the realization that soon i will have to leave this place. to begin a new season. a new phase and to start LIFE. also known as get a job and support myself. ugh. so exciting yet terrifying all at the same time. i constantly get asked the question "so, what are your plans after westmont?" at first i liked the question. now, i am started to fear it as if i have to have a definite and developed answer. i know what i want to do, i am just not sure how is it all going to work out. i am trying to be patient and flexible. i want to have a sense of freedom. of possibility. of choice. i like my options. so what lies ahead? who knows. but that is what i am strangely excited about. something that is so weird for me. i usually like to plan, to have it all figured out, to know exactly what is coming. but not now. weird!

when know i will tell you. believe me. so until then...i am on stand by mode. but know this: photography, social justice, leadership, communication, travel, and graphic design will all be part of my life in some way or another. i look forward to seeing how that all works out.

so 2008 and last semester of Westmont here i come! i am so excited for the adventures, moments, experiences, people and photographs therein. yes please! :)