Familia

I can hold my own in a conversation but more often than not, I'd rather listen and observe. Change the language to Spanish and my claim is even truer. I consider myself fluent but I'm not the most confident speaker. However nothing brings me more joy than reuniting with my father's side and watching them interact. There are always stories to be told and scenes to act out. I may not always understand the back story but it is enough to see my family laugh until they cry, as my Uncle's are often able to do. These photos are from the first night we arrived at my Abuelita's for our first Christmas visit since 2008.

Sunscapes

 A few more from that time on the roof in Mexico. Color is something foreign countries do so well.

Please hold

This particular morning was spent sitting at my Abuelita's kitchen table while my mother was on hold for a comically long time. Breakfast involved two quesadillas with ham and a sliced apple that I threw in at the last moment. Mostly I sat and listened to my Abuelita talk and my father occasionally chime in with agreement. I spend roughly 5 mornings out of the year at this table but it always feels like home. Nothing about it has changed since I was a child. I spent the next hour taking a series of photos from the single spot I have sat in so many times before.

Roof hangs

It has been several years since the first and last time I got on my grandmother's roof in Mexico. On our last trip, I made it a point to put it down as a "to do." Clean lines, white surfaces and a view that puts you at ease make it feel like a quiet escape from any sea level thoughts. I snuck up right after a long nap in hammock and watched the sun set on this particular day; above it all.

Posiciones de ballet

One of my earliest obsessions was ballet. My mother has some questionable photos of me, big-eyed with boyish hair, wearing a leotard and tutu, I'm sure of it. However I never made it beyond private living room performances to Beethoven. On my most recent trip to Mexico, my cousin Carolina (great name) and I got to talking about the Ballerina Project. Without purpose, we decided to try some photos in her backyard with the fleeting sun. These are only a few but I'd say they're a little better than the ones my mother has of me.

Science of sleep.

During my most recent trip to Mexico, there was a moment one afternoon where I shot these three images consecutively. It's not unusual to find everyone in a state of sleep during the late afternoon after lunch has been consumed. Before I took my place in the hammock next to my sister, I sat in the middle of the room enjoying the surrounding silence and distressed features of my grandmother's home.