Yellow Moments When You Put The Camera Down
March 8, 2024
Writer: Samantha Luper
Editor: Alena Miklosovic
4/1/2023: Arrived at a rainy new place unlike any I had seen. Narrow streets, beautiful canals lined with bicycles, and bright yellow flowers light up a gloomy day. Tulip market, modern art museums, laughing with my sister, tall windmills cutting through a flat field, warm sticky stroopwafles, and buying mini clog keychains for friends at home.
4/4/2023: Train to Paris. Living out my 8-year-old Parisian dream. Couples enjoying the sun in the Jardin des Tuileries, croissants dipped in hot coffee, cooking classes with strangers, iconic art and regal architecture in Versailles, locks on bridges, skincare and makeup finds, and stray cats hidden in the corners of streets.
4/7/2023: Flight to Barcelona. Being shown around by my sister. Rooftop bars, tapas shared with family, intricate details creating amazing windows and buildings, stomach full from endless breakfast buffets, and huge pans of paella for dinner. Gelato, Michigan sweatshirts in vintage stores, hot showers and fluffy robes, and pitchers of sangria with fresh bright oranges.
I’ve always wanted to go to Europe. From the world-famous museums to the historic buildings to the fresh food, it seemed to be this oasis of culture and an opportunity for new experiences. I was determined to take in every moment of this trip. A part of me wanted to capture and save every moment digitally, but I made it a goal for myself to live in the moment. It forced me to take a step back and consider who I was taking the photos for–myself, or what I thought my followers on social media wanted to see? Reflecting on this encouraged me to soak in every aspect of each place I visited: I admired the outfits of people on the streets, tried interesting foods, and better integrated myself into a new culture.
When I returned to my small, “boring” hometown in the suburbs of New York, I realized that even though I had lived there my entire life, I had failed to do what I prioritized so heavily while on my trip: appreciate the small yellow things. Not only did this trip teach me about the history, culture, and beauty of Amsterdam, Paris, and Barcelona, but it also taught me the beauty of Cross River, New York. The way the leaves change in the fall, old couples sharing dinner at a local restaurant, cooking meals with family, passing childhood friends in the halls, laughs during basketball practice, blasting music out open car windows, beautiful homes, and the warmth of familiarity. Of course, there is something to be said about exploring a new place, but often people forget to appreciate the small things in day-to-day life; to be grateful for the beautiful things in our own lifes, rather than yearning for a new place or different circumstances to bring them to you.
This is a reminder–to both me and you–to live in the present moment rather than through a camera lens and cherish the yellow things.
