The initial adjustment was difficult but while I may occasionally think drinking coffee like a soup with a spoon makes sense (a habit I picked up in Peru - no, they do not all do this at all, but one family did), still have a taste for potatoes (I never liked them until they were a necessary part of my diet in Bolivia), and like to listen to musically simple and annoying reggaeton on occasion (don't worry, I will not subject you to this), Keira Grant is back.
I recently spent two amazing weeks in my favorite city to work in, NYC, going from one shoot to another and getting to catch up with friends I had not seen in far too long. This city is always excellent to work in because I know so many people, there are so many things to do, there is coffee everywhere and I do not have to drive a car. While gone last year, I did not miss driving a car at all. And while I have always had a preference for public transportation, last year solidified the fact that I need to live somewhere with at least decent public transportation. I was actually nervous about getting back to driving when I first returned to Texas, which might be a bit silly, and I quickly got over that as soon as I started driving to shoots. I had a quick motorcycle lesson in Peru, but my young, handsome instructor definitely was better to look at while he walked around the home I stayed in than he was at teaching. Also, a friend tried to convince me to drive his car in Bolivia, as I was the only licensed driver, but the drivers there are disorderly and if even taxi drivers run red lights, I was under no circumstances going to take the wheel down there. There are currently flurries of snow in Baltimore and in a couple of days I will be driving to Philadelphia, so I have my fingers crossed that snow will be at a minimum so my shoots are not cancelled as tends to happen, and driving is still safe, as this girl has never driven during snowy conditions. When I was in NYC, some of my shoots were cancelled due to the big storms that happened while I was out there, but those I could reach via the subway and train system were not interrupted.
On my trip, I had many friends who had never left their country, and in some regions met numerous people who had never traveled more than a handful of hours from where they were born, and yet a couple hour drive is a fairly common part of my life job. I had to remind myself of this, as I laughed at my own wonder of seeing the middle of Pennsylvania and only barely being able to get down the long unplowed driveway to my friend's home as we worked our way through in his 4x4 jeep. I had never seen such snow before, which seems silly, even if I have seen more of the world than many people. I have absolutely learned that I do not need to live anywhere with so much snow, as snow is gorgeous to look at from within the safety of a heated house, but to trudge through is not my idea of fun.
I am currently the Model-In-Residence (MIR) at my friend Carly's brand new studio the Atomic Canary. After a few weeks of running around in NYC, then a handful of snowy days in the middle of Pennsylvania, an oversized helping of car rental drama in DC, I have been enjoying working in this studio as I have primarily had my shoots all in her studio, allowing me to focus on my artistic creative collaborations without the added complication of driving in DC and Baltimore regional traffic. As a model as well, and far too familiar with disorganized and dirty studios, this studio is kept incredibly clean and full of great lighting equipment and props to use. There is the option for great natural light, or any of the lights here can be used, and your fee can include lighting assistance as well. I will be back for another MIR at this studio this summer and hope to be able to spend a good amount of time shooting at this studio then as well.
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