Hey there! I'm sure you remember me. How could you forget? I'm the annoying friend that's always got the camera in your face; parties, vacation, study dates, you name it. As excessive as it may seem sometimes, I always find thankfulness when I randomly spam those that I know with forgotten photos that take them back in time. So this is what I have to say to those who ask me, "why must you always take pictures?"

I take pictures because these moments encapsulated in time are the tiny remnants of everything that I was in that moment: a me that I won't ever be able to be again. A then-untouched-with-today's-information version of myself that I can only escape to through the viewing of a picture. As I constantly change, of which I welcome warmly, there is a part of me that does not want to forget the previous building blocks of me that are so rapidly transforming. Not only me, but my loved ones as well. The photo of me laughing until I cry with my best friends warms my heart no matter what mood I am in. Or the candid photo of my grandparents that I know I will wish I would have taken more of in memory once they are long gone. The seemingly overwhelming amount of photos that I took of my past pets, I am now so grateful for, as they hold their own scrapbooks that I always bring out when I miss them terribly.

I take photos to not only be able to reminisce on the physical aspects of my past, but to temporarily relive the emotions evoked from viewing the recollections of deep in my memory bank. It's scary sometimes how suppressed things can be with the overflow of information that we are constantly taking in. Many instances in my life never cross my mind until a photo reminds me of the situation, and immediately I'm flooded with details that find their way to the surface.

So, no, it's not to portray my life as something extravagant on Facebook or Instagram and, no, it's not to show off. Forgive me for holding deep the experiences that I have encountered and the individuals I have had them with. Please, bear with my aesthetically pleasing sunsets and perfectly placed cups of coffee, or the readjusting or poses to get that group picture just right. Allow me to snap those shots. Whether they make social media or not, they will be in the archives for whenever we might need a reminder of yesterdays. I take photos because I'm addicted to nostalgia, and that will never change.