A couple of weeks ago I said goodbye to a companion (of sorts) of 13 years. The time finally came to trade in my Corolla. It may seem silly to some. You'll say "it's just a car". True, really, it's just a car. But this little, reliable car became so entwined with so many memories that each time I thought about getting rid of it... well, I can get pretty sentimental. This was my first and only car. I purchased it a few weeks before heading off to Denver for graduate school. So during those first two years it made multiple trips between Colorado and Minnesota. To name but a small handful... it has brought me to Kansas City, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Detroit to see baseball. To Columbus to see Ohio State football. To Dyersville, Iowa to see the "Field of Dreams" on my 25th birthday. To hundreds of movies and malls and restaurants and photo sessions. It has been a place to laugh, cry, and sing (usually really loud and really bad). A place to have meaningful and silly conversations. It was an easy place to think and sometimes have great ideas (and some not-so-great ideas). It never, ever left me stranded on the side of the road. It amazingly made it through some pretty bad (Colorado & MN) snow storms. All this and asked for little in return - oil changes, tires, an oxygen sensor, a timing belt. Little really, for what it gave. So while I was beyond thrilled to finally be picking up my new Prius (!), I just kept thinking "please don't cry at the dealer". Thankfully I was so giddy about the new car that I was distracted about what I would soon be leaving behind. But as I was driving off the lot all those emotions I was dreading came and came quickly. Why does it make me so sad. It's just a car, right. It doesn't know I'm leaving it. We had 206,185 miles together.
When I bought the Corolla the dealer took this picture the day I picked it up and then mailed it to me (laminated in wallet size). So while the quality of the image scan is bad (and I'm wearing jean shorts!) I thought it was fun to share.
When I bought the Corolla the dealer took this picture the day I picked it up and then mailed it to me (laminated in wallet size). So while the quality of the image scan is bad (and I'm wearing jean shorts!) I thought it was fun to share.
And now my nearly 8 years of no car payments has come to an end. :) I've thought about the Prius for years. I love it! Now to decide what our first roadtrip will be!
1 comments so far
http://www.krystenhalek.com/2009/11/206185.html
First, I can't believe that the next time I see Katelyn she will be one! Seems like I was just meeting her as a newborn. Doesn't she have the prettiest eyelashes. Ok, I'm quite tired out from this morning's (fun!) mini sessions so I'm going to cut the writing short and get to sharing some of sweet Katelyn's images...
0 comments so far
http://www.krystenhalek.com/2009/11/a-pink-dress-a-track-suit-minneapolis-baby-photography.html
Ok, it's time to talk a little Brandi Carlile. If you're new to the blog let me quickly catch you up to speed... I think she is amazing. She's better than pumpkin pie, heated car seats, The Closer, Chipotle, road trips, baseball and diet coke combined. Oh yeah, that good. Now that you know the depth of my feelings for Brandi, on to why I write about her today... it was recently announced that Brandi Carlile will be part of this year's Cities 97 Sampler Release Party. Getting tickets to this event requires winning them. Oh, the odds are stacked against me. So I'm throwing my virtual penny into the internet wishing well. Internet, I would happily trade a family/kids session (and my forever gratitude) for a pair of tickets. :)
1 comments so far
Annamay says:
Oh, this has to be killing you. Are you going to be trying every day to be the 21st caller? I'll try for you (and me) when I can....
(11.06.09 @ 07:07 PM)
http://www.krystenhalek.com/2009/11/because-you-never-know-who-is-listening.html
This is one of my new families this fall. They are awesome and I feel fortunate they chose me to photograph their family. This first image was taken within less than a minute of meeting Benjamin. He was sitting with me while his parents were gathering things from the car. I usually wait a little bit for kids to warm up before I pull out the camera. But it was clear that Benjamin needed no warming up period. This was a great start to a great morning. There are so many of this beautiful family that I want to share. And we got some great ones of them all together, but I think I'll save my full family shots from my sessions until after the holidays - just to keep them a surprise for any potential holiday cards they may want to send out. :)
1 comments so far
Bonnie Carver says:
Incredible!
(11.28.09 @ 11:43 AM)
http://www.krystenhalek.com/2009/11/happy-to-meet-you-minneapolis-childrens-photography.html
Were you still thinking about maybe trying a holiday mini session? There are just a few spots open. You can read the full scoop on the mini sessions here.
Currently, the following times are available...
* Saturday, Nov 14th: 9:00a / 9:30a / 12:00p
Just email me (soon) if you're interested.
A peek at a couple more card designs...
Currently, the following times are available...
* Saturday, Nov 14th: 9:00a / 9:30a / 12:00p
Just email me (soon) if you're interested.
A peek at a couple more card designs...
0 comments so far
http://www.krystenhalek.com/2009/11/mini-sessions-last-call.html
I love the story about your old car! I wish you a great time making new memories involving your Prius!
(11.17.09 @ 12:10 PM)