10/13/2022
12:15pm

I’ve been a fulltime freelance photographer for 8 months so far. It’s hard to believe it’s almost been 1 whole year without fully being in the corporate world.

These past 5 months, I haven’t logged down anything on my blog. You can say it was a combination of being kept busy with work, a lack of inspiration, and just wanting to focus more on my mental health (not to say that it’s been terrible or anything).

I was visiting Chicago couple weeks back and it was my first time there. Now I just can’t wait to go back. This was the first time that I was traveling by myself for vacation while working as a fulltime photographer, and I’d say it was a really good refresher for me. Frankly speaking, I’d recommend it to anybody! Just go for a couple of days by yourself, and for yourself.

Where Kevin took me and Jon after my 1st Deep Dish (It was good, and it was because it’s from Pequad’s)

The Chicago hospitality was absolutely impeccable. I stayed there for a week with my friend Kevin Tee and I’m so appreciative of him! One of my favorite memories is when we would spend our evenings just watching The Bear on Hulu. We had no idea it was a show based out in Chicago, and we had no idea that it was going to be SO GOOD of a show. Besides that, he showed me around the city when he wasn’t working and we even spent the weekend going to his alma mater, University of Purdue, for homecoming. I got to experience what it was like going to a college in the middle of nowhere surrounded by cornfields. Shoutouts to JP for hosting us when we were there! We literally drank for the entire day and started at 6am. SIX IN THE MORNING. Was it something else? Yes. Would I do it again? No.

Took an architecture tour at the Frederick C. Robie House

University of Chicago, my dream school which I got rejected from…

OH. We basically started drinking from 6am because there was a football game going on that evening, and it’s just Purdue tradition, or maybe Indiana tradition, or maybe middle-of-nowhere tradition. Besides that game being my first college football game I ever attended, it was also my first football game in general that I ever attended! AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. From the student energy, to the chanting, to the camaraderie that was shared amongst everybody when a touchdown was scored by the Boilermakers (their team) - just incredible. Would I go to another college football game? Yeah, absolutely!

I’m also kind of spitting all this out from my brain as it goes, but backtracking a bit here… The evening before Kevin and I drove down to Purdue, we got to dine out at Kasama. This was the first Michelin starred Filipino restaurant in the world ever! My other friend, Kevin Yoo, got me last minute reservations the evening before, which just put me in awe (he’s a chef there!). And that was only the first part of the experience that put me in awe of course. The entire dining experience to the hospitality of the staff there also did the same. And the food, PFT, OF COURSE. Not only all of that, but to be able to bring my friend Kevin Tee there was so wonderful to me. We’re both foodies, so to enjoy each other’s company and to chat about the dishes there was great. He’s also Filipino, and to be able to dine at a restaurant that represents his culture in such a high caliber was very special to him. So thank you so very much to Chef Kevin for bringing us such joy with your family there at Kasama.

Backtracking even more, I got to catch up with some of my dancer friends Colin, Ellaine, and Emjay. All these guys I met in NYC before through taking dance class together. Just as I spent time with them post dance class with me in the Big Apple, they put out the same time and energy with me out in the Windy City aka CHICAGO! Even though we talked for so much, I feel like there’s still so much we didn’t talk about and I can’t wait to see them again! As a fellow creative, I can’t help but beam with pride for my friends whenever I hear about the new gigs they’ve just finished or are just starting. I think it’s so important for us to push each other, and part of our journey of growing is these moments of interacting with one another outside of the creative space. I took some amazing photos of them, and they shared such beautiful feedback back to me!

That all happened 3 weeks ago and now I’m back in my 570 sq ft unit that I call home. I’m grateful for everyone’s love, and it’s also encouraged me to open up my home more often to others whenever they come over and visit this city that I love so much. My short trip was one that I enjoyed dearly, and I hope that I can pass on that love when they visit.