First off… How is October almost over already? Wow.
Secondly, sorry for the hiatus. It has been a crazy couple of months and if I am honest, I have been oscillating between survival mode, growth mode, and consumption mode (usually consisting of an overconsumption of social media and entertainment with the distinct purpose of not feeling my own feelings because adulting is hard and I often feel ill-equipped). So in the midst of all that, writing got lost in the mix. But I have missed this, and a few of you have been asking (thank you, genuinely, for following up with me about my writing. It was the encouragement and reminder that I needed).
Ok, summer recap. There has been a lot and I think I officially hit the stage of life where I have to look through the calendar and photos on my phone to actually remember what all I have done but here we go…
Las Cruces
I started off my summer with a visit down to Las Cruces. It was a bit of a pre-cursor, on my way to Phoenix, because I figured if I was driving as far south as Phoenix, I should swing by Las Cruces to visit family. Nestled between the Rio Grande and the Organ Mountains just north of El Paso, Las Cruces is abundant with beautiful landscapes. Driving and evening picnics are genuinely my favorite pastimes when visiting this desert town. I am always talking my dad into driving me to landmarks or open spaces for the sole purpose of sitting there for an hour or two (some times more) so I can experiment with photography. Check out some of my favorites below:
Phoenix
Next I got the chance to go to Phoenix for the first time in my life and it was lovely. Phoenix is where I relearned how much I enjoy museums, botanical gardens, and architecture. The first place I got to stop at was the Japanese Friendship Garden. It was honestly the best landing place because it was a beautiful and serene garden with a few nooks to sit down in and plan my next steps.
My next notable stop in Phoenix was the Frank Lloyd Wright house called Taliesin West. While I had heard Wright’s name a multitude of times growing up, I had never been to one of his buildings before and… oh my gosh! Now, I have always loved good architecture. The way some buildings are designed to evoke certain emotions or feelings (e.g. awe, wonder, serenity, excitement, etc.). The use of structural lines, patterns, colors, intricate details, lighting(!!) to create an artwork that not only has a functional purpose, but is aesthetically pleasing and can literally envelop you in its existence… Ahh! So good.
So obviously, I enjoyed Taliesin West. The design is amazing. I love Wright’s use of natural light and how so much of the structure reflected the angles, colors, and materials of the surrounding landscape in such a way that it just… fit. And the living room had so much built in seating, it essentially invited you to sit down and bask in the views that were framed like landscape paintings through the windows.
At the time of my visit there was also a temporary art installation. The Chihuly in the Desert exhibition was co-presented with the Desert Botanical Garden and featured various glass sculptures that can been seen in the some of pictures above. This exhibit was a wonderful addition to the already stunning architecture.
On my last day in Phoenix I went to the Phoenix Art Museum. To be honest, that day I was struggling to find the energy to adventure, but I am really glad that I pushed myself and made it to this museum. There were two pieces that really stick out in my memory:
The first was Cornelia Parker’s, Mass (Colder Darker Matter). It is a contemporary piece which features a suspended cube of charred pieces of wood. I was visually drawn to it because it inspired images of an exploding campfire in my mind. I also loved the 3-dimentional aspect of the piece, getting to walk around the cube and see how the light, shadows, and textures played off each other when the chunks of wood are viewed from different angles… ahh! Hopefully you can see what I mean in the video.
The other work that stood out for me was Yayoi Kusama’s, You Who are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies. This installation consists of a dark room with mirrored walls where the only light comes from these small led lights that are hung at varying heights throughout the room. I’m not gonna lie, it was really fun (maybe even freeing and exhilarating) to walk, dance, and spin through the lights as they dimmed, brightened, and changed colors. This work definitely made my favorites list for its encompassing experience.
Surprise Move
The beginning of May brought a bit of upheaval to my life (hence the hiatus). It’s funny(?) because it was actually on the 2nd anniversary of my mom’s passing that we found out we were being forced to move; I remember because my sister texted me to see how I was doing and my only thought was that I was in “Logistics Mode” and didn’t have the bandwidth for feelings that day. We had six weeks to try and find a new place to live, smack dab in the middle of Denver’s real estate market peak and the busiest season of the year for our household. Thankfully, with only a couple of weeks left, we were able to find a place. It was a bit of a rough start at this new house, but we are slowly making it home for the time being, for which I am so grateful. The whole moving process was also really good for me on an internal level, as it was a kind of catalyst that caused me to re-evaluate some thought processes, habits, and priorities, and how those should be played out in my daily life. For example, the act of packing up and moving all of one’s stuff will definitely cause one to question why they own so many things. Like, I comprehend how I acquired those things over the course of five years, but I certainly have a renewed desire to pare down my possessions (mostly because, I don’t ever want to have to pack all that up again).
Omaha
In the midst of our housing search, between canceled trips and vacation time getting eaten up with days spent cleaning and packing, there was one trip I refused to miss and I am so glad on went on, Omaha, Nebraska. This trip started with plans to see a live concert (which I did), and got rounded out with visits to the Lauritzen Gardens, the Durham Museum, and a nostalgic shopping trip to Oak View Mall.
Ok, let’s start with Oak View Mall. Now while you may be thinking, “A mall? What the heck is so special about a mall?” For someone like myself, who has watched all of their favorite childhood shopping centers disappear over the last 10 to 20 years, Oak View Mall was a blast from the past that left a smile on my face. Entering the mall by the food court, I instantly felt like I was walking onto the set of Stranger Things or Wonder Woman 1984. From the big neon sign above the entrance which beckoned me from the parking lot, to the cream and teal colored atrium over the food court, and the lattice work and glass encased elevator that stands like a clock tower in the center of a town, Oak View filled my nostalgia hungry heart. It was great.
Next, I went to Lauritzen Gardens which was a lovely and peaceful time. Located on a property of 100 acres just to the southeast of downtown Omaha, it consists of multiple themed gardens, a conservatory, and an arboretum. One of the more unique and intriguing gardens was their Model Railroad Garden, which is built into a hillside and encompasses a little walking trail. The seven model train lines run alongside and cross over top of the walking trails, all while weaving between various plants and miniature buildings that are made from natural materials (e.g. twigs, leaves, cinnamon sticks, etc.). I loved how distinct the display was and how it honored Omaha’s railroad history.
Another tribute to Omaha’s railroad past is the Durham Museum. When you first walk in, you are greeted with an expanse of architecture and décor in the Art Deco style. Originally Omaha’s Union Station, the Durham Museum houses a multitude of permanent exhibits that range in topics. Including everything from multiple traincars and a steam engine, to various reproductions and dioramas showing the historic daily lives of Nebraskans, and even a substantial rare coin collection. If you have any passion for history, the Durham Museum has something that will pique your interest. Personally, I loved sitting in the Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall (located on the main level), and basking in the beautiful Art Deco Architecture:
After basking, the lower level of the museum is so fun to explore. My favorite had to be walking through the various train cars and seeing the different compartments. It was so intriguing to see how they fit so many amenities into the overnight rooms, and imagine how luxurious it must have be to visit the lounge car while travelling.
Looking forward to this fall/winter, I don’t have any concrete travel plans yet but I have taken a couple of drives and done some sunrise photography, so I hope to get some of those photos edited and posted for you all to see. Thank you again for joining me on my travels.
Sojourn Nation 
Your photo of me taking a photo was so small you hardly had to ask my permission 😆
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