Miscellany

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I have a folder on my computer titled “Miscellany” to catch the uncategorized moments in my life. Every now and again I’ll go through it looking for something — it’s like a deep closet, one that you toss your body into and are overtaken by its contents, muttering all the while, “I know it’s in here SOMEWHERE. I JUST SAW IT LAST WEEK.” I generally emerge from the Miscellany folder victorious, and I always come out happy.

Please enjoy some of the secret contents of my Miscellany folder, images that bring many fond thoughts to warm my soul.

Hiking Mt. Chocorua, such a beautiful experience — New Hampshire — Summer 2009
C & I in the photobooth at RayKo — San Francisco — Summer 2010
The first snow, always a memorable day — Moorhead, MN — Winter 2010

I love getting Starbucks with my Mom and sister — always wonderful.
Walking to school — I never appreciated this photo until now — Moorhead — Winter 2010.
Olive as a puppy, when Heidi was bringing her to her new home in Minot — Christmas 2010
Doing a hack job on an old art project — Moorhead, MN
Disney World with friends — Orlando, FL — Spring 2005
Walking for Hope with family at the ALS walk — Oak Park, Minot, ND — Spring 2011
The beautiful Holly visiting — Moorhead, MN — Spring 2008 

With Mr. Otis — Minot, ND — Summer 2009
C at Lake Nokomis — Minneapolis, MN — Fall 2010
Reveling in the city of Salzburg — Salzburg, Austria — Spring 2009
In the Irish countryside — Antrim Coast, Ireland — Spring 2009
A moment I never imagined would come true — Paris, France — Spring 2009
Celebrating a roommate’s 21st birthday — Moorhead, MN — Winter 2009
On the Scheel’s ferris wheel with Holly — Fargo, ND — Winter 2009
On the Jersey coast  at sunrise with Holly — Atlantic City, NJ — Spring 2007

Halloween with roommates — Moorhead, MN — Fall 2008
Weary travelers taking a quick cat nap (with Holly) — Rockford, IL — Spring 2007
With my fellow RA’s on a retreat — Moorhead, MN — Winter 2008
My old house where I lived with my sister Heidi and friend Jackie — Fargo, ND — Winter 2010
With my friend Benjamin — Minot, ND — Summer 2009
Being silly on Halloween with Holly — Moorhead, MN — Fall 2007
Lounging in Alamo Park with C — San Francisco — Summer 2010
A long, long time ago, at a family gathering. I’m sitting with my older sister, Kacy — Minot, ND
Love Holly so much — Moorhead, MN — 2008
With Holly for hot chocolate at Perkin’s — Moorhead, MN
With my sister Heidi during the State Wrestling Tournament — Fargo, ND — Winter 2007

Our old pup, Willow, out in the snow — Minot, ND
With Otis & Suzie dog at the studio — Minot, ND — Spring 2009

—jc—

Some Lucky Night

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This is one of my favorite songs by M. Ward. I can’t resist listening to it when I walk through the city at night — it’s great for unwinding. 
I believe the reason why I’ve found great significance in this song is that at times I simply feel lost. And that’s okay! There’s nothing wrong with feeling lost, it usually leads to discovery and growth. I often feel lost when I think of the past, and what life used to be like; the things I could never appreciate when I was surrounded by them. Simple things like space, comfort, familiarity — even in moments of sadness or anxiety, there was always something recognizable to cling to. Leafing through pages of my journal, a year ago I wrote, “I have no idea where I’ll be a year from now…I want to be thrown into uncertainty.” Now I know, and now I have all the unanswered questions I could ever ask for, and now I can’t believe I wished for this. But I can. 
I wrote those words from my bedroom in Moorhead, MN. One-thousand four-hundred thirty-three miles away. I miss the grocery store I shopped at because I knew where everything was. I miss the Starbucks I went to, because everyone knew my name and always got my drink right. I miss cheap drinks. I miss the people I don’t miss. I miss the abundance. I miss the instant gratification. I miss putting my foot on a gas pedal.

Put a dollar into the machine and you’ll remember when

When I listen to this song, I think of someone walking all day and night in search of something. Dripping down an avenue in Manhattan, looking for something that explains it all, and wondering where they’re headed. That same feeling I felt one-thousand four-hundred thirty-three miles down the road followed me here.

I’ll know when everything feels right  

Some lucky night