my one year anniversary...

... with New York, that is.

I moved to Brooklyn this day last year, and I have gone through so many changes, from then until now. When I came to this city I knew noone, and I had no knowledge of how the city worked. I remember asking a subway attendant my first week here for directions and confusing avenues for streets. She said, "You're not from around here, are you?" And I said, "No, why?". She then had to explain to me, that there indeed was a difference.

I think that when I moved here, I was nearly fearless. I was not afraid of any area, or situation, because I never knew what there was, or what to expect. Now, I am pretty subway saavy. Starting tomorrow, I will be moving onto my 4th New York neighborhood.

One thing that I apprechiate the most about New York is that nearly every neighborhood is a mini-city within itself, it is so diverse. It is so amazing to me that so much variety can be in one place, that it feels like you could be on the opposite side of the world. But the city is so small sometimes, like when you run into the same ex on 2 occasions, or a friend on a subway they never take, but other times it can be so huge, like when you don't see any other neighborhoods besides the ones you live and work in for a few days.

On that note, tomorrow I move from Alphabet City to another sublet, this time to Astoria, Queens. It is a neighborhood that I already have emotional attachment to, since it is the one I met Jake in, and spent alot of my summer with him there. It feels a bit like going home, but I don't have any real feeling towards moving, I never really do. I sort-of feel like I just go through the motions of changing places. I don't mind moving around, because I don't know if I really like standing still. Although, it seems with most other things in my life, I am reluctant at the prospect of change. I suppose I am just ready. I am excited to start school next week, and excited to get back into a schedule of producing art, and seeing friends that I haven't seen in awhile.

The one year of school that I completed was so fulfilling, and so much fun, that I am looking forward to fall. I can feel it in the air more and more everyday. New York is gorgeous in fall, well, it is gorgeous everytime the season changes because it's like a new beginning, but I especially favor fall. I feel newness, freshness, and excitement. I will surely be very pleased to have a variety of types of New Yorkers to people watch on my morning and evening commutes, in exchange for all of the tourists that have been crowding the trains with their maps and sneakers.

I am excited to start my 5th season in New York, I hope that it will be a good one. This city has shown, and given me alot. I have the job, the boyfriend, and tomorrow the apartment. Not to mention my education. Things are pretty good and I will try to look at this and remember to take things as they come, and to work hard. I will try to meet more people, and remember to take time for myself, because I often find that I never get to go out and enjoy all that NY has to offer, and I won't be afraid to go it alone when friends can't join my expeditions. I will do all that I can, and be inspired to make more photos. And I hope they will be able to have the correct rhetoric to explain what they are.

Dear New York,

All in all, thank you for the most amazing and entertaining year of my life. Let's make this one even better.

I love you more than ever.
-Naomi

I'm a lucky girl

It's been awhile since I've posted, so I figured maybe I should update with everything that has been going on. The last time I wrote I mentioned that I met someone who I thought had potential. Turns out, he did. I've been dating him since a few days after I posted, and I couldn't be happier. I've seen him everyday since I started dating him, and he makes me extremely happy. I am glad to have found him, things can definitely go from bad to good when you don't expect it.

On the other hand, I haven't been working, and I never realized how hard it is to find a job here. I've been looking for weeks, to no avail. I hope something turns up.

Besides that, I am going to meet a bunch of Jake's friends tomorrow for a 4th of July BBQ.

Summer in the city!

I have been having a blast the last couple of weeks. I have been starting to write lyrics again, and in addition to that, I've been taking guitar and vocal lessons. I'm really going to try my hand at music this time.

My vocal coach is the coolest chick in the world, and is surprisingly enough getting me to be comfortable with singing around her, which is something I'm never really able to do.

In addition to that, I've been out of work for almost a week because my boss has been working corporate, but I am going back tomorrow. It's okay though, because I've been occupied. My brother and his girlfriend came up to visit this week and we went to the Museum of Natural History. That was the first time I went there. And then last weekend I went home for a couple of days.

I've also been hanging out with some new people, and haven't talked to my pain-in-the-ass guy friend mentioned in my older posts. I believe things are really done with us and I feel free. Not to mention that I think I met someone who could be for me. It's a great feeling.

Also, I saw Rilo Kiley the other night, and they were amazing. And it was very inspiring to watch in my current musical mindset. I can't wait to get very good at the guitar and be able to write the music to all these ideas in my head.

Wonder days

So totally was possibly one of the best days I've spent in New York.

I started by going up to the Bronx for work, which wasn't work at all, since we were having a garage sale. That was pretty slow so I met up with a new friend at Battery Park, joining him on his photo excursion. This was the first time I went to Battery Park, let along walked around in that area of Manhattan.

It was beautiful, and I have definitely been missing out on things by not adventuring in that area. It's sad to think that I have lived in New York for the better part of a year and have not explored certain neighborhoods. I guess it is something most New Yorkers take for granted because they think they can see it anytime.

So we walked from Battery Park to the South Street Seaport, which is another area of the city I haven't been to. Considering it was a nice spring Saturday evening, this area was crowded with tourists, which was okay with me, it felt very alive. The streets were beautiful cobble stone and everyone looked pleased to be there.

Finally we got near the Pier, and I saw Pier 17 which had been something I had eyed up from across the river in Brooklyn many times. I am pleased that I got to see it, and it one thing in New York I can't believe I never took the time to look at before. The pier reminded me of New Jersey, and it was a beautiful spring moment, and for a small moment I felt connected with the overcrowded city I often feel disconnected with.

From there I met up with Jenna, Josh and his sister near St Marks to get Burritoville. We then walked St Marks which was completely overcrowded with tourists. From there we headed to Little Italy since Josh's sister is in town from Michigan and has never been to New York.

I have to say, Little Italy certainly impressed me tonight. It went from Italy to Jersey Shore within a 3 block radius. Street vendors were selling typical Boardwalk food, and I felt like I was at home.

That was a wonderful way to end the night, that and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Dear Facebook and Myspace,

I am sending you a letter of complaint.

This is because I have reason to believe you are part of the cause of some relationships problems.

Yes that's right.

You give us ample room to spy and learn information we should otherwise live without, or get discouraged over the ability not to spy with private profiles. This is absolutely ridiculous that I have to get my anxiety up over some stupid online babble, that may or may not be true in the real world. And in which I don't have proper context to even take it into.

Okay, so you are not completely to blame for relationships problems. Sure I don't have to partake in such activities, but can I blame my culture for my wanting to?

Probably not.

Regardless, this overwhelming plethora or lack of information makes it seems impossible sometimes to talk about these issues in real life. They provide a barrier in which not to cross in fear of fucking up, while these things go unspoken. Which is just as terrible.

I need to just sit on my hands to prevent them from wandering the web in hopes of gaining a days update on my situation.

It will be what it will be, and maybe it will be nothing since I can't confront anything and I let internet psychobabble get to me.

This is terrible that I (a relatively smart girl, with an o.k. head on her shoulders) should invest so much time into such nonsense when I can be doing much more productive things.

Well I don't know how much more productive I could be at 2:32 am on a Tuesday... but surely I could be planning more productive things?

I need a vacation from the internet.

Greetings from Alphabet City!

Well, I've been here at my new place since Saturday.

It is absolutely wonderful, and everything I expected. I feel like my life is a vacation, I am very stress-free currently.

He came back today and sent me humorous text messages, and I feel fine. I am not too worried about how things will work out like I used to be. Right now I am going with the flow and I have other things in the world to be enjoying.

I feel like Grandma was right and him going away for the weekend has been a blessing, I feel no pressure about it because I was able to get a break from it.

My house and neighborhood are amazing. I've dreamed of living in this neighborhood since the first time I became interested in New York as a child. I can't believe I am doing the things I've always wanted to do.

Life is great right now, I will post pictures of the apartment soon :)

Things to remember

As a photographer I feel it is important to photograph all of the time to keep me aware and in tune to the world.

It is also important for me to photograph recreationally, and not just for work and school. I started a self-assigned project of snapshots a few weeks ago, they are from color disposable cameras, and these photos are on the second roll I took. Just glimpses from my life, things I want to remember.

My first room I ever lived in, in New York... this was taken after moving out my things.











Strawberry Fields in Central Park on a Friday afternoon. A friend of mine and I try to go here every Friday. This just happened to be 1 of many very obnoxious tour groups.









A group of dogs tied up outside an apartment building in the Upper East Side. I watched what appeared to be the owner of these dogs leave them there.









A found chalk drawing on the sidewalk outside my old building in Brooklyn Heights. This amused me because I am a big advocate of chalking for peace.









"Hand Graffiti". These are the tenement buildings of a Led Zeppelin album cover. I went there with him after brunch one day, and this picture ended up having my hand it in.
















I took this on the way to meet up with my friend, it's near his apartment, and my new apartment. John Lennon/The Beatles have played an interesting part in my life the past couple of months...








More soon...!