In My Visions: Two Years Later
IN MY VISIONS is two years old! Here's my place and personal space.
When I have words to say, but no one to say them to...except to myself, I share it here.
In this two-part blog post, I reflect on this website and on the self.
Two Years Old
Two years ago, I sought after my own space online to share the pictures, the visions, the memories, the thoughts and the journey of my growth with photography. Now, I can't believe In My Visions is two years old! I used to think that it would be hard to maintain a site because I didn't know how frequently I would be able to post. Then I realized that timing didn't matter because there is no deadline with something like this. It was all about when I felt like sharing my inspirations, thoughts and moods. No pressure, just pleasure.
With this new year, I already have a great feeling about my visions to come. I know I will continue to travel. Above all, I look back at everything I've done with this website and I see how much it has in turn helped me grow. For those of you who have followed me since I first began this website, thank you for your undying support. And, for the newcomers along the way...I always welcome your visits! Whether you check this website at random, or hardly at all, I hope that those glimpses still allow you to see this space as a reflection of me and find peace, feel comfort, and see beauty in color and nature.
In My Visions brings me joy, excitement and pride.
If you've ever read "The Alchemist," you'll understand that I've learned part of my personal legend. This website is a part of that legend. There is so much beauty in this world and I want to see it my own way. In My Visions will take me to those places. As will my curiosity, wonder and empathy.
Love,
Laura
PS: New year, new logo!
Fun fact: I scribbled that down on a post-it note nearly half a year ago and only recently found it in my notebook. Now I brought it to life, and i'm digging it...so far!
Until next time. Thanks for reading all the way through!
Connecting the Dots
Somewhere between the ages of 4-7, I was playing connect-the-dots without a ruler and with bright colored markers. I didn't connect them in numerical order, as I should have because what did I really know about numbers? It's not like I grew up a typical Asian and already learned that ahead of pre-K...oh wait. Well, what was meant to look like a cow jumping over the moon turned into ET on a psychedelic trip in another dimension. Lines were drawn off the pages, on to tables and even the walls. I connected them the way I felt like doing so, and didn't let numbers tell me what to do!
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Somewhere between the ages of 4-7, I was playing connect-the-dots without a ruler and with bright colored markers. I didn't connect them in numerical order as I should have because what did I really know about numbers? It's not like I grew up a typical Asian and already learned that ahead of pre-K...oh wait. Well, what was meant to look like a cow jumping over the moon turned into ET on a psychedelic trip in another dimension. Lines were drawn off the pages, on to tables and even the walls. I connected them the way I felt like doing so, and didn't let numbers tell me what to do!
I also loved the idea of stars and space. When a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars were gifted to me, I scattered them across my room, on my ceiling, all corners of the walls and directly overhead so that every night I'd stare at them until I'd fall asleep. I was mentally connecting those stars, too.
Then, there were those "beauty" marks appearing all over my body and on my face that wouldn't wash away with soap. At one point, I imagined what design I could create if I connected them. No, I didn't draw on myself, but I almost did...with a pen. I was 20. Just kidding, these are all anecdotes of toddler Chang.
As I got older, the concept of connecting the dots became a lot more figurative than literal-- as all things in life do. The memories of my past have become nothing but a dream. But, I look back and I reflect often. Every stage in my life, every painful memory, every year that goes by, I wonder why something or someone resonates. And it is only by looking back at certain moments, whether joyous or tearful, that I've learned from my mistakes and realized how far I've come, and how to prepare for the future.
The catch is...what exactly am I preparing for when I don't even know what the future holds? How do you prepare for something that is unknown? There really is no preventative measure to take. As I stand on my current dot, I guess let's call it dot 25--a dot for each year-- I realize that I really can't connect to 26. I can imagine myself using that bright marker and drawing lines out of order, but it isn't really in my control. I do just have to believe that some way, somehow it'll all connect until eventually the future is right now all over again at dot 30 and dot 40, or dot 80 if I ever make it there.
I live a little terrified every day, but it's just a matter of how much terror I reveal. Some days are more exciting than others. Some days are a little more quiet than others. All I can do is live it one day at a time. But, at dot 25, I no longer have glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to my ceiling and walls. I just look up to the sky and search for the brightest in this light polluted city I live in.
<3,
Laura
What Fall Leaves Behind
I took these photos almost two months ago and had this post sitting in the draft section for about the same amount of time. Sometimes I just have photographs in my mind, and I ponder what words should accompany the post. It isn't that I think a photograph is not enough to say those thousands of words you want people to see, but more so that I want to be thoughtful about where the photograph came from or maybe why I took that photo. It's also more for my own reference, but I guess I don't always need words to fill a page. That's the whole point of a photograph, right? Well, I've been at a loss of words lately. No matter where I walk, what I read, I'll zone out into time and space. I look back at my past a lot, while trying to move forward. But, here I am in the present. And, this is really all the precious time I get. This time now, and this time presently.
Fall is almost over and Winter is coming.
I took these photos almost two months ago and had this post sitting in the draft section for about the same amount of time. Sometimes I just have photographs in my mind, and I ponder what words should accompany the post. It isn't that I think a photograph is not enough to say those thousands of words you want people to see, but more so that I want to be thoughtful about where the photograph came from or maybe why I took that photo. It's also more for my own reference, but I guess I don't always need words to fill a page. That's the whole point of a photograph, right? Well, I've been at a loss of words lately. No matter where I walk, what I read, I'll zone out into time and space. I look back at my past a lot, while trying to move forward. But, here I am in the present. And, this is really all the precious time I get. This time now, and this time presently.
This is what Fall leaves behind.
Laura
Lavender by the Bay
I've always wanted to visit a flower field-- and dream of being in Holland surrounded by tulips, which I will one day make happen. BUT in the meantime, here's Laura in New York City. So, when I discovered I could drive a few miles out east and pretend to be in Europe, I had to make it happen!
I've always wanted to visit a flower field-- and dream of being in Holland surrounded by tulips, which I will one day make happen. BUT in the meantime, here's Laura in New York City. So, when I discovered I could drive a few miles out east and pretend to be in Europe, I had to make it happen!
Lavender by the Bay is filled with 17 acres of English and French lavender-- truly a flower lover's dream come true. Located in East Marion, New York, it is quite the drive out to the tip of Long Island. From Queens it took two hours, but it was extremely worth it! (Thank you to my favorite brother who did the driving!)
It was a cloudy day, but I was blessed with sunshine when the rays cracked through the thick clouds and unveiled blue skies on Saturday. Lavender aroma filled the air and while it is known to be a stress reliever, it was the sight that soothed my mind. The flower field blooms in three waves and I arrived at the beginning of lavender season. To find out more about the three blooms, click here.
I happened to visit the farm during its first wave, called the First English Bloom, which starts mid to late June. During my visit, only a section of the many acres were filled with varying shades of purple and white flowers. The owners actually recommends people visit early July, during the second wave, because that is when the farm looks most impressive with its French lavender.
Though I didn't go during the "recommended" time, I don't feel like I missed anything. Open 9AM to 5PM and seven days a week, I wanted the field to be empty when I arrived. I got there at 9:30AM with hardly anyone there, some grey skies and buzzing bees. With only a few acres of purple, it was still enough to get gorgeous photos!
During the summer blooming season there is an $8 entry fee to walk in the fields. It becomes credit that can be used in their store. You can buy lavender in various forms: dried, potted, fresh-cut, you name it! Beyond that, there's lavender scones, lotion, soap and even HONEY made from the farm's own beehives. Where there are bees, there are beehives with sweet, sweet honey.
Although bees in general are terrifying when they fly undesirably close to you, I was happy to see them pollinating, feasting, and doing what bees are meant to do. I'm not an expert on the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) where an estimated 10 million honey beehives have mysteriously declined over the last six years, but it doesn't take a scientist to realize that this world is changing. It has been changing for centuries.
While the cause of CCD remains unknown, there are theories that lethal amounts of pesticides and fungicides play a role in their decline. In recent articles, a small parasite may be to blame for the worldwide decline of these bees. This is all sad news to hear and even more devastating to believe.
I know this blogpost took an unexpected turn. At first I thought I'd share what a beautiful experience I had at Lavender by the Bay. I did not expect to mention the death of honeybees, but I realized that what I am seeing in my visions today may not be the same as what future generations will see. One of the most beautiful things about a garden is the life that it attracts. Where there are flowers, there are bees, and many more insects that thrive in this ecosystem.
I am just one girl trying to find the beauty that exists in this world-- and we are losing a lot of beauty. The worst part is, I don't know if it can all be saved. We've got 99+ problems and CCD is just one of them.
I'm grateful for the existence of Lavender by the Bay and I'll be back to absorb its beauty again.
<3
Laura
Travel Diaries: Saint Maarten - Entry One
Beyond the sun's shine, I felt the ocean's breathe
pulsating through the turquoise sea,
sending ripples over white sand below my feet.
Beyond the sun's shine, I felt the ocean's breathe
pulsating through the turquoise sea,
sending ripples over white sand below my feet.
With my mind at peace,
waters waved at me knee-deep.
And every breeze whispered for me to never leave.
And what if?
What if I were just like them?
Neither here nor there, but never to leave.
What if I just laid in the waters, floating to places that only currents can take me.
But, they do depart from this island.
Not even the water stay forever.
Some wash ashore and sink beneath sand.
Some choose the sky and vanish with sunshine,
Others, like me, sail away together back into the depths of the sea.
I prefer to be the sun. Another visitor of this vision that I seek.
I'll rise again tomorrow so that I can see earth, wind and sky where I choose, casting smiles on me.
Love,
Laura
Check out my full vision of St. Maarten by clicking here.
