Cardiff, Wales | September, 2008

This is one of my favorite feet photos.  I took this photo on a disposable camera, outside the Waterstones in Cardiff, Wales.  It was 2008.  I was living in Swansea that summer.  I was spending my days stomping on cobblestones with my laptop stuffed in my M&S twiggy bag.  I would sit in Starbucks, savoring mochas and blogging: an American novelty in an American chain store.  I was wearing ballet flats and beanies made of sequins and cardigans and a fuchsia tank top that just wouldn’t quit.

It was a two month test.  My future husband and I were seeing what it was like to be around each other for an extended period of time- something that an international relationship just doesn’t allow for.

On this day, we went to see Danny Wallace, a hilarious English author who we really should celebrate more in the United States.  Unless it’s Yes Man, his books are near impossible to find here.  I had forgotten my camera at home, so I bought a disposable.  I took this photo because it felt very “Elsie” (my official muse of 2008).  It was delightfully nostalgic to take a photo and then wait a week before I could see it.

This photo is grainy and unfocused, but I love it.  For me, it encapsulates a magical little nugget of time in my life.  It was two months of quiet adventures, days blogging, evenings in pubs with friends, and the non-stop presence of my two loves: Wales and my husband.