365 days

Today is a special day for me. It's been exactly one year since I started Hummusbird (here's my very first post). I had no clear vision for what I wanted this blog to be, and to be honest, that vision is constantly changing. But since that very first day, I have learned so much. I've learned so much about blogging, about taking photos, about health, beauty, relationships, life, and myself. Since that very fist day, I have met SO many new people -- both online and in person. And I'm so grateful for every single bit of that.

One year ago today, if you told me I'd be getting paid to blog for Free People on a daily basis, I'd've peed my pants right then and there. I never would have expected that I would be living in Philadelphia all on my own like a real quasi-adult. I never would have expected that I would meet Bombay Bicycle Club or get my first parking ticket. Tweet as a job. Go surfing in Costa Rica. Cut my own BANGS. Learn "Happy Birthday" on the ukulele. Become part of an entirely new group of friends. Grow wheat grass. Ride a bike on my lunch break. Adopt a kitten. Make a YouTube video. Date one of my best friends. Whitewash my own furniture. Brush my teeth with charcoal. Be asked to be a bridesmaid. Go under anesthesia. Dress up as a reindeer... just to name a few.

Usually New Year's is a time to reflect on what we've experienced in the past year, but I like the idea of using a different, seemingly random date to do that. For me, that date is September 23rd. And to keep this going, today I'm starting a new project: 365 days of feet.

It's a concept that's intrigued me for years, and I finally decided to make it happen. This past week I've been experimenting with different ideas, and today I've finalized the idea. I mean, I'm sure it will change by the time we reach September 23, 2013, but here's the plan:

Every day for the next year, I'm going to take a photo (or 2 or 3). My feet will always be in the center of the photo, but the rest of the photo will say something. It will give a little picture of something I did that day -- like a photo diary. When 365 days are complete, I'll edit the photos together in a stop-motion video (I have ALWAYS loved stop-motion). It'll be so cool to look back on an entire year in a few short minutes, to have memories of particular days come flashing back to me in an instant. I love that my feet will be in every photo because it'll make the entire video be seen through my perspective. I know this is going to be a challenging project. Some days it'll be difficult to find an interesting shot, and some days I might even forget. And I'm totally cool with that. I'm just excited to be taking on a creative project that's totally my own. And I can't freaking wait to see the finished product.

Today, even if September 23rd doesn't hold a special meaning for you, I want to ask you just reflect for a minute or two. Think about this time last year. What did you look like? Who did you speak to on a daily basis? What were your priorities? Has any of this changed? One year goes by so quickly -- too quickly, even -- but when you look back, it's amazing to see how different your ever-changing world has become.