Memorable Mobilia

I love impulse. Not materialistic impulse, but adventurous living impulse. It's one of my best friends. Saturday morning, I got a text from a friend who lives in Hood River. She had come up with a plan to get me to and from the Gorge this weekend, without me touching a steering wheel. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity, because I don't think things like this through, I just go. Alright, so I made sure I hadn't made any important committments, which I hadn't, and then I jumped into the car. Got to Hood River around 2pm, jumped in my friends AWD Audi, and went exploring. We spent the entire afternoon and early evening in and out of the car, driving around roads that she had always wanted to see, and finding parks and cliffs along the Columbia, to take pictures for my darkroom photography class. I love the Gorge. I say this all the time. But I do. Our photography instructor asked us to refrain from Mt. Bachelor and Drake Park photos for our landscape and light assignment. This trip worked out perfectly.

There's something different about film photography. It takes patience, manual setting manipulation, and the mindset that what you set out to create, might be entirely different from what comes out of the chemicals. I've never been good at waiting for things. I just told you, I'm insanely impulsive. I don't like to have to plan things out, or be constrained to a schedule. Perhaps we can compare this side of my personality to digital photography. I want to take a picture of this thing, and it doesn't cost me anything, so I'll take the photo, and I get to see it right away. Whereas, film photography is the opposite. Maybe that's why it's a dying art, because we live in an 'I want it right now' society. Hmmmmmmmmmm? Regardless, I'm stoked about film. I think it's going to teach me things.

I'm having to suppress my impulse lately. I'm almost positive that at least half of my winter will be spent in the Mt. Baker/Bellingham area, and I'm very excited about it. In fact, I want to go now now now. But, of course, I can't. I have school, friends, house, obligations here in Bend, and I can't just pack up and leave, no matter how much half of me wants to. I'm going to miss this place when I leave, absolutely. And if I were to leave now, I would probably regret it quite a bit. But there's something exciting about the idea of packing up everything in a Uhaul this afternoon and getting the hell out of town. I'm crazy.

Peace, love and patience