from the archives: Nikko in 2009

These are from a visit to an old temple in Nikko in May of 2009 during my Asia study abroad trip. I don't think I ever showed the shots of delicate little flowers growing out of crevices in the temple roofs, the spindly spiders crawling on moss and the steady drip of rain and moisture high up in the mountains.

Lately I have trouble looking back at old photos, I think primarily because of the sheer magnitude of them, thanks to digital technology, but also because I have trouble digesting the thought of a younger me in a different place and circumstances. Thinking of the past gives me an uncomfortable jolt and I'd rather dream of the future than dwell on the past. This is not always true, but as of now it is. That said, as I dig through old pictures I think I'll continue to post whatever evokes a memory, a strong feeling or beauty, just to share. So as I work in the present for the future I won't shun remnants of the past...

I was never a punk.

I wore an old army shirt/jacket all the time in high school - think of the one Lindsay Weir donned from Freaks and Geeks but not nearly as oversized or baggy. I'd affix one, two, or three buttons to the front and change them as I got bored. I never wore them all at once like this though! I went to a public high school so I probably wouldn't have been sent to the office for violating dress code, but that didn't stop teachers and peers from commenting on what I wore. The strangest thing ever was getting featured in the style section of the yearbook my senior year, but I think I only got thrown in because I was one of the two "quirky" girls who looked like they didn't give a damn, hahaha.

So looking at the array of buttons, you can tell who my favorite bands were, my favorite movies, and leading men. So, an ice core look at who I kind of was in high school. yeahhh...