A Page from My Journal-

Annecy, France

<< So I haven't written in awhile, but this past week was pretty awesome and I hope that I can continue to have weeks such as this. The only thing is that I hope that I find some type of theatre or someone I can assist because right now I'm losing my mind. I have to keep myself occupied and unfortunately a lot of my preoccupation is with homework. But I'm trying to keep up with other things and lately I've been thinking about my future. Ugh...My poor, poor future. I want to do so much and its necessary that I do a lot because where I want to be, along with my occupation of choice, I really have to take risks and hope, pray, that everything works out. But I want my art to be out there as well.

Annecy, France

I'm really not certain, but I think I'm getting this European thing. It's really weird. Don't get me wrong, I'm still not perfect at the language, nor have I accomplished anything dramatic or had a giant epiphany that has changed my whole life for the better, but I think I have become a little bit more comfortable with life here. While things are still hard and there are challenges I have yet to face it's amazing how comfortable I felt in one moment. In that moment everything was like, "okay, I get it", everything was okay. "Look at your life right now and realize how blessed you are"! So taking this back to my future, I think that if I want to keep living this type of lifestyle and having these types of experiences, all the more reason to work harder, all the more reason to endure and pick yourself up when you're down. And all the more reason to try. I saw a quote today on PINTEREST today that was supposedly said by Steve Jobs, "There is no reason not to follow your heart". And I think I agree. Give me one GOOD reason why I shouldn't. >>

Sincerely,

Reiko Huffman

Paris. My thing.

So I went to Paris, as you all know and it was great. Tiring, but great. 

Eiffel Tower

In total, I got to see Versailles, the Musée d'Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower. Everything was wonderful and the experience was great. The only thing was for some reason I didn't think it was that big, therefore, when I was shown that the Eiffel Tower isn't right next to the Arc de Triumph, which isn't next to the Musée d'Orsay, which isn't next to Champs-Elysées, I was definitely thrown off a little, but it was all good. 

Les Escargot

The reason I don't have much to say about Paris is because I was only there for 3 days and in those three days I only got to do those 3 things because again Paris is huge...So everything that I got to see was amazing, but boy, all I can say is plan ahead. One of the things that was pretty incredible was the fact that both in Versailles and at the Musée d'Orsay it was remarkable to realize that you were seeing the original works. I mean, of course they have been restored many times, but other than it what you were looking at was the very original canvas which the artist had begun painting on. So when walking into Versailles and seeing the original paintings and SOME of the original furniture was so cool. I say SOME of the original furniture in Versailles because after the revolution much of the furniture was sold and so much of it is lost or y'know NOT in France at Versailles. Anyways, the same thing goes for being at the Musée d'Orsay. Seeing the original works of the impressionists and Van Gogh was pretty awesome. 

Hall of Mirrors

Personally, I'm more of a Paris person because I love the city, hence why I chose Seattle University, but it also has that city feel to it, where you have the more affluent part, but you also have the underground street style which is AWESOME! I feel like I could fit in there...If you get my feels.

Now, I am planning my next trip there in the springtime. The weather will be a lot nicer, but more people will be there. :(

I think this trip to Paris definitely made me miss and appreciate my love for Seattle a much more because these past two quarters for me (I mean fall 2014 and spring 2014) were kind of the best quarters I could have ever had. For me Seattle has become a second home because I feel welcome, I dont feel judged, I feel like I can dress however I want and not be looked down on, and the list goes on. Don't get me wrong I still want to continue traveling and experience new places, but there's this feeling I get when I talk about how much passion I have for something and pretty recently I've been dying to make art that portrays that because I feel like once everyone has a passion for something they know that feeling, and I believe that abstract feeling CAN be something that connects all of us. That's what I think is possible.

Wine...French Wine

But yeah, my mind right now is in that place and I'm still doing my thing. Continue to do yours.