Mackenzie Rollins | Weblog

m: i’m sitting in the remnants of a cafe that i’m convinced has been here since the dinosaurs. it’s shocking (in a good way) that my internet works here.

a good mexican beer + garlic peanuts + me = delight.

i am filled with carne asada from a freshly slaughtered goat. reminds me of bosnian days. the goat today was tougher and quite charred. part of the biggest burrito i’ve ever seen and was enjoyed with 15 pairs of eyes watching my every bite. with packed cheeks, i smiled a lot to assure the cooks that it was the best.meal.ever. (as they were obviously wanting.)

despite the many moments we’ve shared while lost in translation, the family and i have gotten so close. they’ve started to feel like home.

i think that statement, in and of itself, is the reason i love traveling so. to connect deeply across cultures is the richest experience i can imagine. i’ve found it in the hills of the atlas mountains while living with berber tribes. on lice-infested floors of an orphage in india. on the hillsides of bosnia. the fields of hungary. the coast of croatia. the quaint neighborhoods of seattle.

community.is.beautiful.

my peers in this photography workshop are incredible. so so talented. quirky. passionate. i will miss these people when i go.

tomorrow will be a day of feasting with the family. they’ve warned me to eat nothing until then, as my stomach will be filled beyond satisfaction. elastic pants to the rescue!

we spent the day running barefoot on dirt roads. splashing fully in puddles. coloring on dirty paper with the crayons i gave.

such a beautifully simple and unconditionally giving people. i wish you could meet them.

my thought now is that i will continue working with them for years to come. i want to come annually and shoot them as they grow. change. mature. stay true to their simple life.

i wore these shoes home today, as was advised by the family because of the state of my drenched toesies. they told me to go inside and grab the shoes just near the door. and if you can’t find them, just look for the sick chicken. he loves those shoes and we think it makes him feel better.

oh, right. the shoes by the dead chicken.

because you hear that every day.

i’m just praying that the chicken isn’t dead when i return tomorrow. i mean, if he has attachment issues it’s totally possible.

the beer has been drunk. the peanuts i’ve been enjoying for the last hour are a mere memory. i think it’s time to go.

goodbye for now. i love you.