Two weeks ago I and my girlfriend went on a trip to visit my hometown and see my family there.
I haven't been there in about 15 years, and I've had little contact with my family there in those years. It's not that I didn't
want to, it's just... it has been difficult. Both emotionally, and for many of those years I've been a poor student who couldn't afford making the trip there.
I'm happy to have made that trip, but it's also somewhat bittersweet. The summer house where we spent so many summers is gone. The path we ran down to the sea on is overgrown with vegetation but still slightly visible.
The sea still looks lovely there
Apart from the playground having been turned into a communal grilling spot, my old home and street looks pretty much the same. It has been fun to show all these old places to my girlfriend and share stories about my childhood there.
It was very special to reconnect with that part of the family again. Still so much the same, even with so much changing 16 years ago, and with the passage of time after.
Just as we were going back home, Monday last week, a storm hit us. We woke up early from an awesome thunderstorm and lots of heavy rain, which I'd love the hell out of if we weren't trying to catch some sleep before our journey. Electrical issues with our train caused it to take almost three hours longer to arrive for our connecting train, and if that one wasn't delayed by hours as well we would have missed it.
Arrived back home at about 1 AM, tired, exhausted, and emotionally all over the place.
A week later and not really fully recovered yet. Started working at a new client yesterday though!
I've done a couple freelance photography jobs over a decade ago but overall it has been pretty much just a hobby. Mostly I take photos for inspiration or reference for my other creative projects, other times because I think a scene or subject is pretty or when I just want to capture a moment.
Perhaps I could create a new portfolio and do it as a side hustle?