Postcards from: Prague

It all happened so fast that nothing felt real - for any of us.

It was Wilson's 20th birthday and a flash flood was threatening to delay our flight. With a diploma in one hand and a passport in the other, I scrambled as quickly as I could from the car into JFK, shielding my camera from the pelting rain. Still steeped in disbelief that my campus on a hill officially became a chapter in my past, I found myself, twelve hours later, walking through a city as storybook-like as Tallinn with a grunge-y, rebellious edge.

Lauren

In this city, people are judged by the number of letters following their name. But not everyone subscribes to that culture. Some people have a heart shaped like a living room, inviting others to sink into a comfy couch, take their load off, and stay a while. This kind of a heart looks a lot like Lauren's, and Beantown's mighty lucky to have this wonderful human bean around. 

My Year in Pictures 2019

As finals were wrapping up, I found an evening to curl up and catch up on the news. Like all else that's been digitized, The New York Times' website is designed to be consumption-driven, with tempting "Most Popular" and "Editor's Picks" lists at the end of every article. Just when I thought I finished reading about Chile, Hong Kong, and antibiotic-free pigs in Denmark, I added six more tabs to my browser. One was completely irresistible: "The Year in Pictures 2019."

Executive editor Dean Baquet introduces the photos:
"this collection of images is a testament to a mere fraction of the conflicts and triumphs, catastrophes and achievements and simple but poignant moments of everyday life in the past 365 days." 

I was immediately drawn to the concept, the natural end-of-the-year reflection without having to explain too much. The photos say it all. While I don't dare to claim that my life is news-worthy, God brought along particularly formative moments in 2019. It began with continuing to desperately cry out to Him while living in a hurtful environment, and it's now ending in a new city, the fourth I've lived in over the past five years, the first to feel like home within two months. When culling through a year's worth of photos, I kept wondering if I should select "the best few," ones I'd submit to a club competition or ones with a consistent color theme. But that's not what 2019 looked like, and the purpose of this is not to showcase a gallery of my proudest photos.

Portland, Maine

Nubble Light (October 2019)

With the Locals: The Bostonians

My fourth day here, I set out early to walk the Freedom Trail. Bill Bagley was sitting in Boston Common under a beautiful tree, reading. The first thing that struck me was how kind his voice was. The second thing that struck me was the soft spot we share for refugees and immigrants. ⠀

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Bill is a lawyer in the field of philanthropy; he was preparing to address an organization about funding nonprofit support for programs related to refugee resettlement, migration and development, and humanitarian assistance. "You know, it's just so important to help." ⠀

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I couldn't stop thinking about our life-giving conversation and looked him up when I got home. Turns out he's an adjunct professor at BC, spent time at Yale, and of his many degrees, one is from Harvard. ⠀

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The third thing that struck me was how genuine and personable he was, even taking the time to ask me, "Now if I may, let me ask you one last question - where were you before?... Oh, well it's gorges!" ⠀

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Before we said goodbye, he said, "Well, I hope to see your work in the New York Times one day!" 

You and me both, Bill.

Summer in the City

 

Environmental portraits from Washington Square Park.

Urban Jungle (Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Prospect Park)

 

Grounds for Sculpture

Youth Climate Strike (Boston, MA)

"This is what democracy looks like."

September 20, 2019

2ne2 Things (I'd Tell My Younger Self)

To 12 year old Han:

1. The picture's probably not clear to you now and it probably won't be for a while, but that's okay.

2. Emotions aren't inherently bad. In fact, feelings are gifts. Recognize that they may not be truthful, but know that they are real. Feel, mourn, meditate... then move.

3. Eat - without fear, with gratitude.

4. You can't be self-sufficient. You never will be.

5. It's your seas that ebb and flow, not your Rock.

Utah Adventures

July 2019 with the best road trip buddy.

Jenny

Do you know Jenny?
If not, I wish you did. She has a heart of gold and emanates a meekness that'll make you understand what "quiet strength" means without any words.

Jenny has been praying for me to maintain a strong backbone and soft heart through this season of transition. As much as I love a spirit of exploration, I cherish stability of roots and the comfort of home. I needed extra support during the weeks before my move and God's answer? A sunrise shoot in and around Princeton's secret gardens with the one and only Nobreza Silenciosa. We frolicked through grass still slick from the night's rain and discovered Anthropologie-esque archways.

We may be far apart in distance and soul age (five and fifty), but never at heart.

Carly and Patrick

The more I move around, the more I come to understand just how delicate relationships are. I've learned that respecting fragility, maintaining a soft heart, and treasuring the light in another often means surrendering to God's timeline and setting a relationship free. 

Letting go is a growing pain, a necessary one, but a pain nonetheless. When friendships come and go, the ones that stay become especially meaningful. 

Carly and I met in the first grade, some sixteen years ago, and we've continued to walk through life together, no matter the thousands of miles that have physically separated us for the last nine years. Last July, Carly graciously welcomed me into her beautiful state of Utah and our seven days were filled with nonstop chatter - I'm talking about hours of laughter during our road trip down to Southern Utah and around her kitchen counter. There was too much to catch up about; some things can't ever be adequately explained or effectively communicated over devices.

One evening, Carly, Patrick, and I hiked up to Little Cottonwood Canyon to see the wildflowers that were just about to bloom. Did I mention they're about to tie the knot!? Here's to my dear best friend and her wonderful fiancé. 

P.S. Anyone looking for unique, custom-made, luxury rings can look no further than Patrick Adair Designs.  

The Mediterranean Diet: A Food Tour of Athens

"Borei na travixo ti fotografia sas?" 

Greek food is more than the gyros, moussaka, and yogurt it's known for - once you align your expectations with the term "Mediterranean Diet," images of fresh seafood, produce, and cheeses come to mind. After some research (YouTube is the best!), we arrived expecting Greek coffee, koulouri, and pies, too.

The Streets of Athens

Graffiti, ancient relics, and leafy greens (not the kind you eat) are all key to creating the Athenian street scene. Athens boasts a million and one things to see and do, but nothing is as authentic as tasting the local flavor by wandering on foot. If you get lost, look up - like Cornell's McGraw Tower or the North Star, the nearly always visible Parthenon is your compass. So take it slow for an hour or two each day you're in Athens, and meander through the countless squares. My favorite neighborhood? Anafiotika, the hidden village under the Acropolis. There's a cute little souvenir shop featuring contemporary Greek designs called Forget Me Not. You'll be glad you stopped in, but if you can't, check out their website!

#SheSaidYESudasan (Emily & Teddy's Wedding)

Ithaca Through the Seasons: Summer 2019

 

Kalampaka and Meteora by Day

Lunch at Meteoron Panorama 

"I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it."

- John 17:14-16

In, but not of. These monks seem to have a different interpretation of that verse...They live in monasteries perched on top of cliffs! 

Memories of the Heart (My Travel Journals)

I thought it had started when a family member gifted me a scrapbooking kit for my eighth birthday - you know, one of those from Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Little did I know, this meditative process of documenting travels and curating memorabilia was inherited from my mom.

Ancient Athens

I've been sharing about our trip to Greece - how we planned our itinerary to maximize our time while intentionally scheduling rest and exploration. If you're going to visit Athens, however, you don't need me to tell you to visit the Acropolis! 

P.S. Another reason to visit in the winter? Fewer crowds! Per videos, it looks like ants are swarming the Acropolis in the summer.