The Art of Crossing the Street

My life: The big stuff.

I have a complicated love affair with my life. I wouldn’t say that I’ve actually ever been “in love “ with a person, but I have fallen for the beauty of life as whole. Even though I do not believe in God, or even an agnostic, I still do believe things happen for a reason. With this mind set, I believe that one can learn something from every situation, good or bad. And what is learned is always beneficial, no matter how insignificant. As my favorite singer, Edith Piaf would say. “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien”, which means, “No, I have no regrets”. I try to keep this true in my life. I think it is possible to convince yourself that you regret things, but when I look back on my life, I can’t think of anything that I haven’t become stronger or smarter from. With this in mind, I will describe some important and/or influential moments in my life:

I was born in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I grew up in a small house, but with a huge backyard. I would always play in the yard and found I was the happiest there under the canopy of giant silver maples and tulip poplars.

I think my connection with nature was the strongest then. I think this house is almost my favorite place in the world. It represented a time when I lived simply, creatively, and with a deeper connection with my inner self.

When I was 13, we moved into a neighborhood with bigger houses, and smaller yards. At first I was excited about living in a larger house, but my relationship with the outdoors started to deteriorate. I have always had an appreciation and always will, but I lost the deeper connection I once had.

When I was 15, I started exploring the city a lot. I had gone to Elementary school in the city, but never just spent days down there like I started to. This is where I discovered another favorite place. Down on the Allegheny River, there is a walking area that my friends and I would go.

Ssthe water was on fire. It is simple, but also powerful because of how surreal, yet approachable the city seems. Pittsburgh will always be one of my favorite cities, because of how welcoming it is. Sometimes I feel like I know everyone there, and we all have a connection, because we share a love for Primanti’s Brothers Sandwiches, and the Steelers.

When I was 16, I went to the Parson’s Paris Drawing program. It was the best experience of my life. Paris is the most inspiring, classic place I have ever been. There is an air about it that makes you fall in love with everything you see. Someday, I want to go back and live there for a while, because it will undoubtedly have an effect on my art in the way that I will experience different people, and change my inspiration and narratives to things about their lives.

And finally, I have come to Chicago. I have not quite developed much of an emotion connection to it yet, but it is really growing on me fast. It reminds me of promise and fresh beginnings, and I am going to take advantage of that in my schooling and beyond. I would love to live here for a while. It is a fast pace, forward thinking city. I am excited for my future adventures here!