Turned 26

For my 26th birthday I bought myself a camera. I also wanted to swim in the ocean. I've been holed up in the apartment since early March and decided I would do something special for myself this weekend. Work has remained surprisingly stressful despite being able to work from home. I'm just trying to like, justify my wanting to go to the beach when I really shouldn't.

It would be historically inaccurate to not mention Covid-19 is in full swing during this time. I decided to go through with my plans anyway while following CDC guidelines. Eating at restaurants is personally off limits. Obviously a mask should be worn in public. And washing my hands before leaving and after returning has been routine. I packed and rented a car the evening of July 2nd and was off.

suitcase with clothes

The car I reserved was economy, but when I showed up to the car rental place all they had left was a big ol' van. This picture was taken in the parking lot of the hotel I would be staying at for the weekend.

Checking in at 1am

rare selfie in hotel mirror

Feeling eager, I left the hotel after checking in to take some pictures in the early am hours. The first place I visited was the beach itself, but it was pitch black. I found a sense of terror staring into the Atlantic ocean in the middle of the night. I couldn't bring myself to even get near the water, fearing it would suck me into the void I was staring out on. So I left the beach and took pictures of the surrounding area.

Full disclaimer: I know nothing about photography. My camera has an "Auto" setting which sets up the ISO and focus for me. Some of the photos here were actually a little too dark, so I had to lighten them using windows photo editor. Hopefully one day I can look back at these photos as a more experienced photographer and appreciate how much I've grown.

After taking these I went back to the hotel and slept. In the morning, I was eager to get back out again to try to take some daytime photos. I ended spending most of my time enjoying the beach and swimming, so there is less to show. Also visited a record store and bought a few vinyl: a Robert Johnson compilation, Stereolab Dots and Loops, three Weather Report LPs, and George Benson's Breezin'.

It would also be historically inaccurate to not mention the protests happening across the country for the Black Lives Matter movement. The police and government have responded to these protests with excessive force. For this reason, July the Fourth feels unceremonious this year; a nation so fraught with racism and corruption deserves no celebration. There are early signs of change happening, however, like entire police departments being dismantled and replaced with social workers. Perhaps America will see her citizens live better lives without the threat of police violence by next year.