Peace
within the chaos? The last eight months
have been chaotic. Or at least they fit
my idea of what it is to be ‘chaotic.’
Try this on for size: incredibly sad but ultimately fruitful breakup
with a serious boyfriend of nearly three years, a week of unexpected service in
Honduras, three months studying art in Tuscany, the sobering deaths of two very different family members, a solo spring break romp in Croatia, two months of
unbelievable joy as a summer camp counselor, and now the first week of my
senior year of college. And the surprise
center? I’m doing fine. Great, in fact! The emotional unpacking of this last year
could have gone in so many negative directions, but somehow, I’ve managed to
emerge unscathed. Changed, yes, but for
the better. I can almost feel the
changes happening. In the literal sense,
there were days over the summer, after all of my international travels were
done, that I would look in the mirror and swear I was looking at a grown woman. I felt the ache of my muscles as they stretched
and tightened, proving to me that I was healthy again. Another well-missed ache mocked me as a pain
in my face; sore from smiling so much, all the time, every day. This summer was the culmination of all of the
learning I’ve done this year, core themes including the joy of making art,
recognizing people as fully formed individuals, and the varying forms of love
that have existed and continue to surprise me in my life. Simply, I am now truly seeking connection and
expression. It’s in my nature.
Below are a few photos that I’ve taken this year that, for
me, visually capture the concept of “peace within chaos.” Shout out to the wonderful ECU Expressions arts publication for
prompting the flow of these ideas.
<---a wall somewhere in Europe.
<---a beach on the shore of Pisa
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