There's No Place Like (a new) Home
Hello! I'm back to writing and sharing photos after moving to New York state in June. We are loving the city of Rochester, NY and are so happy we made this huge lifestyle change. Thought I would talk about the transition in case anyone is thinking of making a big change in their life. No? Then just scroll down to the photos. :)
Gone is the 4 bedroom colonial on two acres in rural Connecticut. We now embrace a 2 bedroom apartment on the 7th floor in downtown Rochester. Our view is wide open and it's like the city falls off the earth at the horizon because Lake Ontario is about 5 miles north of us as the crow flys. On the 4th of July, the entire horizon out all of our windows (we have a corner apartment) were lit up with fireworks. We estimate that we can see probably a string of towns that spans 20 miles across the horizon. What I can tell you with confidence is that the Rochester area loves their fireworks! We watched for over an hour. Finally we got bored and closed the shades.
A couple of weeks ago I took a walk on an overcast Friday afternoon, camera in hand. Memories of 52 Magic Mondays always pop up when I walk in a city, taking photos as I go. But now I don't have to go "home" after a day of shooting...I am home. I marvel at the change we made. We did it in about 6 months once the decision was made. It was just meant to be and all went smoothly including selling our house 2 weeks after it got listed! Who does that?
I love listening to the teachings of Abraham-Hicks and the Law of Attraction. They often talk about "the vortex" which is just a symbolic term that describes the high vibration future that is waiting for you if you can keep your personal vibration (mood, way of thinking, etc) up to match all the good stuff. Abraham always says that what comes out of the vortex will delight and amaze you. I feel like I am finally living that exact thing after a 10 year journey of inner-work (which continues, of course). I didn't know anything about Rochester before we started coming up here for my husband's job in November, 2018. There is a rich art community here, diversity, inclusion, education, music and interesting landscapes. We now struggle with too many choices when we want to go out during a weeknight or on the weekends. Too many fun choices is a very good thing.
Here are a few things that changed that I had no idea I wanted or were waiting for me:
- Living in a city where photography is a huge part of everything (Kodak was born here!) There is photography displayed everywhere. I had no idea this town was a photo hub until last November.
- A more minimalist style of living - we downsized in a huge way and it has been the most refreshing thing I've ever done. I love having less stuff! For example, I have 2 nice t-shirts as my pajamas, not a drawer full of old shirts I never parted with. I could go on and on. I have less stuff but better quality in the things I choose to have.
- 7th floor views - omg I love being up high. I had no idea I would love it so much.
- No traffic and polite drivers - Rochester is very flat and from what I've observed someone really thought through their highway system. Even at "rush hour" a lot of cars on the road all agree to just move along at 45 miles an hour. No one cuts you off. In fact, people are constantly letting me in when I pull out of a store parking lots. I am now learning to be a nicer driver myself LOL.
- A supportive artist community - we went to the Corn Hill Art Festival a few weeks ago. Huge variety of vendors selling all sorts of interesting art. And people were buying things! Walking around with all sorts of unique pieces of art. Love that. I am going to rent a studio place in a building full of artists...stay tuned for more on that adventure soon.
- The Farmer's Market is our Saturday morning thing - it's huge! And we can walk there admiring the lovely community gardens along the way. Tons of people meet there for breakfast, socialzing and of course shopping. There are vendors with "Chinatown" stuff, fresh food from local farms, and all sorts of other food vendors with fresh fish and meat. We spend about 1.5 hrs there and maybe explore half of it.
- The Garbage Plate - ok, I haven't had one yet, but there is this dish out here that is layered with macaroni salad, fries or tots, a burger (or veggie burger for me) and more. All piled up on a plate. YES! This is so me.I love lots of flavor and my food mixed together. LOL
- Festivals non-stop all summer - it's quite funny because since we got here in early June, each week that I walk out the front door I see tents, musicians and food trucks arriving somewhere in the city. It's a constant party here.
- Friendly people - I love using Meetup and have been to a few gatherings already. Wine lovers, women business owners, photographers...people have been welcoming and helpful.
My favorite photos from my first street photography walk in Rochester. Let me know if you have ever been here!
Miles walked: About 2.5
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M1 Markii
Lenses: Olympus m.Zuiko 12-100mm PRO
For me, cleaning up my vibration including what I think about and caring about my mood has given me a fresh perspective on life. Gotta keep the inner windows clean!
Without light you're left with dark holes.
I liked this old sign with the neon light clearly missing.
A room without a view apparently.
Modern day steeples.
The mothership in downtown.
An interesting perspective, perhaps a dog's view of the world?
High Falls. The tip of our apartment building is way in the distance on the left.
I love visual artists like this. It makes it look like the sidewalk is sunken which of course it is not. Mad skills.
The sun came out and lit the falls a bit. The water is silty brown so I opted for black and white. Has a retro feel to it.
Always walk towards the light and love.
Thank you for looking through the photos. Send me an email and say hello anytime! This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Until the next Magic Musing....
Love,
~MC
