Postcards from Laredo

So, here we are… one week into September. These past few days have been an utter whirlwind and I’m not gonna lie, I’m really effing confused about, um, errrrything at the moment.

Let’s dissect it all, shall we?

• My mom popped in from California last Friday… she originally intended to help my younger brother Jake apartment search in Belgium, where he’ll be attending university this fall, but just a few weeks prior to her scheduled departure he decided to continue living with his current roommates because…it be cheaper. Which is great and all but kinda fucked with my mom’s plans a ‘lil bit. She therefore ended up spending nearly a week in Paris, and Jake came to visit us here for a couple of days, as well. Yesterday they left for Belgium, so she can at least check out his school, where he’s living, etc. Hurrah.
• Briggy moved out of my place on August 31st… it was so bittersweet. I’m going to miss her presence but am totally thrilled for the new life she’s starting with her boyfriend and am loving having my apartment all to myself again. It’s so clean! There aren’t suitcases everywhere! My inner neat freak is quite, quite pleased.
• After four years of photography studies, I officially ∼graduated∼ Thursday evening with an RNCP niveau II en photo. So… I can actually refer to myself as a professional photographer now? Like, I have a certificate and everything? Nice.
• Buuutttttt… this whole ‘getting an education’ thinamajig is far from over, guys. In a good way! Mostly. Yesterday morning I finalized the administrative part of my inscription at the Sorbonne and received my student card, which is pretty cool-ish. I guess.

Now! About my itty-bitty-super-short stay in Laredo last month…

This city, two hours south of San Antonio, is where my mom and the entirety of her family grew up, and where my 91 year old grandmother has lived most of her life. My parents are expanding their nursery on land which belongs to my grandma down there at the moment, woo-hoo. Plumerias chilling on a middle-of-nowhere ranch on the Mexican border truly are a bizarre sight, in the very best way. Anyways. Highlights!

• I don’t often visit Laredo (or Texas at all, for that matter) now that I live a million-jillion miles away (okay, not that many. but still.), so I took advantage of ‘being there’ to interview my grandma. Parts one and two can be found here, on the Soundcloud I created specifically for them. You can listen if you want. Whatever.
• My dad and I strolled around downtown in the stifling heat for, like, fifteen-ish minutes (seriously, the heat was unbearable). It was cute.
• My aunt and uncle’s dog is the most effing adorable thing I have ever seen. Gah.
• Revisiting my grandma’s home brought back allll the childhood memories… my family spent nearly every Christmas and Easter with my mom’s extended family under that roof until I was about 14 or so. Not much has changed. I documented allll.
• My dad cooked the tortilla soup that my grandma loves for her while we were there. I also ate many corndogs. Why are corndogs not a thing in France? It’s not even fair.

That’s it! I hope you like zee photooos.