Day 2: At the Airport

The airport holds potential.  I was at O'Hare today, exchanging dollars for euros.  The rate is really good right now, so I thought this would be a great time.  I love going to the airport, even if I am not leaving.  It is exciting to see travelers with their luggage and tickets.  This particular traveler did not seem as excited as I was, but I'm sure she has her reasons.

Day 1: Beginnings

There are several days I wished I could start this project because I felt I had a story to tell for the day.  Of course, the first day of this project left me wondering what to photograph.  It is supposed to be exhilarating and a chance to begin anew.  Instead I find that today is not so different from yesterday.  But then I think about what is constant, and that is the subject of today's photo.  My daily walks with Kendra are a highlight of my day, even if I must dress like one of the Inuit in my puff coat with the fake fur hood up and my purposeful, yet not fashionable boots.  I enjoy watching ears bounce in her shadow from the artificial light.

Defining Purpose

An original idea appears to only be original until one looks it up on the internet.  I had the idea that I would record my life in 2012 through a picture and paragraph a day.  Apparently someone had this idea years ago, but I will not let that deter my ambition.


I spent days thinking about an appropriate title for this venture.  Essentially I feel that the purpose is to make meaning out of my day to day life.  I have become victim to the dreaded future life syndrome.  I find myself thinking that I will enjoy my life more when I make changes in the future.  The truth is I am alive now.   As Ralph Waldo Emerson has said, "we are always getting to live, but never living."


The title, "Reclaiming Experience" comes from a textbook for my elective class I will be taking next term.  Flow by Csikszentmihalyi, is about happiness, but not the typical perception.  In his section about reclaiming experience he says that, "the most important step in emancipating oneself from social controls is the ability to find rewards in the events of each moment."


That is it the goal of this endeavor.  I am hoping to use this blog as a tool for recording my experiences as well as evaluating my day-to-day life.  With my camera in hand, I will make meaning out of my life.