Sunday, May 22, 2011

Nacogdoches, Texas

It was late March, mildly cold, and my room was empty. I had packed everything I could into my tiny car the night before. Now all I had to do was load up the dog, fill up on gas and head West. My destination was 800 miles away in a small town in Texas called Nacogdoches. Two weeks before I was hired as a copy editor by the Daily Sentinel. So I did what I had to do to follow my dream. I sold almost everything I owned, quit my job and found someone to sublet my apartment. Now I'm here, living the dream, so to speak. All in all I'm realizing a few things, like how I definitely want to get my master's in film. Right now, things are fine, but I can't see myself staring at a computer screen 8 hours a day for the rest of my life. I need to be a journalist, that I'm certain of. But I think I need to include all the visual elements of film. Seeing is believing.

But in the meantime, this is a charming town. It doesn't quite boast the music scene I'm used to. In fact, there isn't much of a music scene at all that I'm aware of yet. But this little town does have appeal. The oldest town in Texas, it boasts a rich history including (but not limited to) rumors of Bonnie and Clyde, Indian burial grounds and the accompanying ghost stories, and a charming downtown filled with forgotten antiques, many art galleries and delicious food. My late hours make it difficult for me to fully enjoy all of these things, but perhaps I'll get the opportunity once I'm acclimated to the crazy schedule. My plan is to sign up for a yoga class at Morning Glory downtown, and perhaps start making art to sell at the farmer's market on Saturdays. These simple goals seem rather lofty just yet, to be honest.

In other news, Ben Recchi has completed his journey by motorcycle across Central America. He decided to stop by Nacogdoches on his way back to New York. His seven month voyage reaped many incredible stories that he has devulged on his blog. There is talk of a book, and I'm going to make certain it happens. It will contain the nitty gritty details that would make his grandmother blush--the one's that aren't included on his blog. I need a project, and this seems like a good one.

Anyway, here are some shots around Nacogdoches today. Enjoy. Comment. Etc.

Kimberly