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Chicago on film 📷 It’s my 11th year as a sch

Chicago on film 📷

It’s my 11th year as a school librarian, but, having started at a new school, it’s the first in several that the job has consumed a high percentage of my free time. I have two extra distractions at home that I didn’t have at the start of my career, and between their emotions and those of 300 middle schoolers, I don’t have capacity for much during my down time.

All of that is to say that my writing has been woefully neglected due to lack of brain power. But with an unexpected day at home today (thank you, sick daughter), I finally FINALLY wrote about the eldest daughter trip we took to Chicago back in the spring.

During that trip, I disconnected from my usual level of documentation and let the 6-year-old build the itinerary. A summary of that trip and the magic of new experiences is now on the blog, and here’s a few film shots from the twin lens, too.

📷: Rolleiflex 2.8B, Kodak Gold 200
Processed by @boutiquefilmlab
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#filmfeed #rolleiflex #shootfilm #questioneverywhere #chicago #travelwithkids

Off-peak hours at Grand Central Terminal 2 unrel

Off-peak hours at Grand Central Terminal

2 unrelated things to share about this iconic spot:

🍸 If you’ve never visited the Campbell Apartment (@thecampbellnyc) in Grand Central, add it to your list! It’s a grand yet cozy bar with a speakeasy vibe tucked in the stations’s West Balcony. Don Draper would’ve loved it.
📚 For a fun historical read centered around Grand Central, pick up Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald. History + time travel + romance + New York = 👍👍
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#ilovenewyork #nyc #tlbestshot #stademagazine #suitcasetravels #mytinyatlas

When it’s autumn in New York, all eyes are usual

When it’s autumn in New York, all eyes are usually on the Met, with its atrium views perfect for Central Park leaf-peeping. But here’s a plug for @themuseumofmodernart with its quiet, insulated courtyard, modern architecture, and elevated views of midtown. Oh, and the art. ☺️
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#newyorkcity #prettycitynewyork #artmuseum #tlbestshot #suitcasetravels #afarmag #wanderlustmag #mytinyatlas

“Bookstores are lonely forts, spilling light ont

“Bookstores are lonely forts, spilling light onto the sidewalk.” —John Updike, @nytimes, 2006

Nothing increases my reading ambition like being in a bookstore. WHAT I WOULD GIVE for a weekend of solo, uninterrupted reading where I could delve into book after book after book!

A good used bookstore is where I find the magic—the randomness and coziness, the thrill of the quest and the stumble-upon.

@westsiderbooks is a lovely one on the Upper West Side. We roamed the neighborhood last week, an area we’ve never much explored, and this book shop was one of my destinations. In 2019, it announced it was closing its doors after 35 years. Customers surprised the owner by crowdfunding $50,000 in a matter of days, keeping the shop’s doors open for another year.

And still it stands. A testament to the joy of discovery and comfort in a community space.

(They also own a record shop a few blocks away!)
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#bookstagram #bookshop #secondhandbookshop #newyork #nyc #upperwestside

Oysters were king in New York City’s early histo

Oysters were king in New York City’s early history. The Hudson River was flush with oyster beds, long harvested by the Lenape; and as European settlers arrived, New York became the oyster capital of the world. They were a ubiquitous sight on menus prior to the 20th century.

Their availability ranged from fine dining to street food, including “oyster barges” that once lined Manhattan’s waterfront. It’s from here that @grandbanksnyc takes its inspiration—a modern-day take on the seaside oyster experience.

We could not have had a more perfect weekend of weather for our sans-kids NYC vacay. As I shared in my stories, it’s harder for us, after living there so long, to find new or novel things to do, but this one checked that box. 😊
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#newyorkcity #prettycitynewyork #nyceats #nycviews #travelgram #suitcasetravels #voyaged #tlbestshot #stademagazine #afarmag #wanderlustmag #pathport #mytinyatlas

A peek down the alley at #asundaycarpic in Oamaru,

A peek down the alley at #asundaycarpic in Oamaru, along with a couple more wheels of a different sort!

If you were dropped down in Oamaru without any sense of where in the world you were, it might be hard to determine your location in time and place.

In the natural world, its coast is home to an infamous penguin colony, and in its streets, the Victorian Precinct boasts an impressive collection of 19th-century buildings constructed from local limestone. This physical setting, alongside its community and dedication to history, art, and crafts, has also earned it recognition as the Steampunk capital of the world.

These photos are 10 years old, but I’m happy to report for future visitors that Google indicates both the bakery and bookstore are still open!
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#newzealand #oamaru #waitakinz #iwalkedthisstreet #bitsofbuildings #travelnz

Nugget Point boasts one of NZ’s oldest lighthous

Nugget Point boasts one of NZ’s oldest lighthouses, perched atop a dramatic ridge with an absolutely amazing view.

It may not be Greece, but Meryl could make it work.
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#newzealand #roadtripnz #southislandnz #thecatlins #lighthousesofinstagram

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