I'm Back & Better Than Ever

Life. Holy cow. It's been insanely busy. If it wasn't for Spring Break, I wouldn't be on my feet right now (figuratively, of course). But I'm back and ready to stay on track. This blog has to thrive, so let's get going.

My kid brother

I took an average trip to my hometown this break, spending the uneventful week with family. My family is like a bunch of Italians... except we're not Italian. But my grandma does make incredible spaghetti. They're load, crude, nosy, gossipy, and a whole bunch of other adjectives. The family drama that goes on is better than any soap episode. At first glance, it might almost seem like we hate each other, the way we gossip about our own relatives. But after a double-take, it's the opposite. My family is loving, constantly looking out for one another. I wouldn't trade any of these people for anything else in the whole wide world. My grandfather's lack of a verbal filter is hilarious, my grandmother's impatience with my grandfather is priceless, my uncle's beer gut is irreplaceable, and my aunt's smoking habits will never die. But that's only a few of my very large family. I haven't even met half of my family members, and the ones that I have met are just like the rest.

And keep in mind, this is only just my mother's side.

And while all of this is going on, while all of these people are busying themeselves with others' lives, I still managed to reminence some childhood memories.

I took a trip to the St. Louis Zoo.

Ah, what a wonderful place. I swear, the face-painting table has been in the exact same place since the dawn of time. I love that, though. I love it when nothing has changed, as if God hit the pause button just for me. Everything's frozen in time. It's perfect.

But I was really there on business. The professor I met at MCA advised me to go to a zoo or museum to do some life drawings. I got some great chances with my favorite subject; birds. Hopefully I'll be paying a visit to the Memphis Zoo soon.

Anyway, more to come. I have many stories to share from the weeks I've been absent, so stay tuned.

Happy Sunday everyone!