Pilot Post: The One with all the Photo Albums

At 24 years old, I have a full shelf of photo albums.

Photo albums.

It is a phrase not many of us millennials use these days, because not too many of us have them. You probably have seen glimpses of your baby book or flipped through the wedding album of your parents once or twice. My grandparents have full closets of photo albums and I am proud to say I have at least 13.

The idea to start a photo album, began at the end of my Freshman year of college. It was the last week of school, and while out shopping at the Rite Aid in town I thought it would be fun to buy a disposable camera.
So I did.
For one week, I carelessly took pictures of raging parties, my college dorm room, my boyfriend drinking out of a 40-ounce beer bottle, an early summer sunset. The camera passed out of my hands to those of others, and after 27 pictures were taken the wind-up wheel clicked to a stop and I was ready to buy another.

Ever since then I continue to buy and use disposable cameras.
I faithfully keep one in my purse.
I love the mystery of them.
I love not being able to see a picture I took until weeks, sometimes months, later.
Not many things take time anymore, but this is one thing I still have to wait for.

Once a camera has been finished I take it to the closest Walgreens, where it is then sent away for further development. This process can take one to two weeks, depending on how far the film has to travel in order to be developed.

I love the excitement.
During those two weeks, I try to remember what pictures I had taken and imagine what pictures will be developed.
When the day of delivery comes, or the number for Walgreens calls my cell phone and a young girl says “Your pictures are ready,” there is no greater feeling.
The day my pictures come in is the best day of that week by far.
I quickly drive home, plop down on my bed and carefully pull out the fresh stack of glossy 4x6s.
Looking through the new pictures is like putting the puzzle of my life together.
One piece is one picture.
They quickly add up, forming this work of art called,

Me.