The Beginning:

Before I start any of the school stuff (that i know youre all just dying to hear about), I'd like to start with a post regarding my summer break--i just want to record where im starting off from with RISD. Think of it as the prologue to a (GREAT) book. But this will mostly be pictures. So anyways, before summer, i was quite excited (SO excited) to leave the valley/los angeles. But then four things happened that suddenly changed this.

1. Gregory Shilton

If it weren't for that fateful exclamation of "MELT BANANNNAAAA" who knows where i'd be now. But before i knew it, i had a noise buddy who was able to appreciate the fine nuances in music ranging from freak folk to noise that most everyone i talk to is completely ignorant to. hes also able to appreciate the finer things in life such as Disneyland, eating delicious food, California Adventure, and Disneyland. people just dont understand. He does. But for some reason it took two years for me to make this discovery. Even still, the massive amount of shows we crammed into summer and the hours we've spent driving over the past three months seem almost impossible, but it still wasn't enough. BUT THATS WHAT WINTER BREAK IS FOR. And greg leads to number 2.

2. Rachel Mary Birke

Okay, here's where greg's one flaw comes into play--it took him three years to start hanging out with and introduce me to rachel. whats up with that greg? But i dont think ive ever met anyone whos shared my same philosophies on art and people in general as rachel. and did i mention that, like greg, she too has that wonderful attention to the finer things? oh it's all in the details. but i dont think ive gotten to know anyone so well over such a short (ugh, short) period of time (ahem, winter break). the best part about rachel is when i look down at my phone from a long day of tests to see

Dahomie dylan takina test. Uknow he gonna scoreda best how can he do it with such ease? That mutha fucka is half japanese

plus, she has a friggin' chalkboard for her kitchen wall. HOW CAN YOU BEAT THAT?

3. Joshua Amato

No, that is not a recent photo. I know, i know, youre probably thinking "What the fuck dylan, you dont even have a picture of one of your best friends? BAD FRIEND BAD FRIEND." But we were above that. We never needed photos. I literally lived with this kid for nine to ten years. A weekend rarely passed where i didnt see Josh. then, that one unfortunate day, he moved quite a bit away. so that was the end of that. but this summer i finally got the chance to see him (its been like a year or so) and that was perfect (minus the short time).

4. I got my license

Yeah, i know, im fucking slow. But holy shit, the ability to drive changes everything. I could do whatever i wanted. I didnt have to rely on other (flaky) people with dissimilar interests to me. and it was a great opportunity to shut down the world and discover new music. Plus, getting my license led to picking up greg and rachel, going to shows with greg and rachel, eating wonderful food with greg while rachel watched us eat, driving home with greg and rachel, DISNEYLAND, and just doing generally nothing. it also allowed me to see OTHER people too (yes i do have other friends), and go eat whenever i wanted (ohhhh yess).

so as i learned, it gets really hard to fit everything you want to do in when youre moving across the country in a month. Over the course of two months those three people were able to change my mood from "cant fucking wait to leave this place" to "ugh give me another year or so." (oh and my apologies to greg/rachel/josh if reading that was at all weird in any way. i tried my best to be fairly normal.) Although don't get me wrong, my sumer had a wide variety of people, colors, and shapes. Saying goodbye to old HighTechHigh friends, even older Taft friends, and so on. Aside from that, my summer basically followed a pattern roughly similar to the one seen bellow:

eat drive greg! concert eat sleep Taftfriends! drive concert HighTechHigh! eat sleep greg! rachel! concert eat eat eat drive guitar

Anyways, enough awkward talk. Following are a collection of photos, mainly of my last few weeks in California. They were taken with an old camera and no flash. Theres a lot.

Josh's House
It was fucking hot. And far away. But so worth it. Josh even has his own little bachelor's pad. And the most kickass dog ever.











Disneyland
I have one more roll of film, but its as undeveloped as a 14-year old BANANA?? No, but that one should have group shots of everyone (including Collie!), minus me.













"fuck the blue bayou." -Greg


Greg says pirates








GABY/MS. JENSEN??


















Final Days
These are various pictures from the final days in LA.
Having no flash really captures the feeling of it going by in a blur.


<3



Dad; Fox



Mom

John C.; Lucy

Greg





the final meal
(actually, no)

Rachel; Colie(?!)


i agree

so basically, its sad to leave all this, but im gonna make some amazing shit here, and then ill be back for christmas before you even know it. itll be like nothing even changed.




except i cant go to disneyland. FUCK.