Monomad: Bright streets and cozy cafes

I'm trying to slow down a little these last days, but it has been a bit hard with how things have been going. It turns out the landlord forgot to pay the bills, which resulted in an unexpected day of zero power, to a large coincidence even the water turned off in a totally unrelated incident. Sudden plans had to be made as the apartment was just a void with little light in it, and no Internet access meant I couldn't really do anything. A choice to run over to a nearby cafe was made, one that I haven't been to yet as exploring the general area is something I still haven't had all that much time to do. Most of the days have been running off to the mall to buy essentials and some food. Things recently have been busy, I feel tired and have barely done things beyond mere survival. Few moments of relaxation are welcomed with great joy, even if it comes late at night as the sun sets and the evenings cool off a bit. Outside it is definitely quite hot, but the sunlight is often blocked by Tbilisi's beautiful large number of trees with cover the streets for the most part. I do feel a little bit of burnout with photography, but I think a lot of that comes from just feeling general burnout with most things.

I wrote a post the other day that mentioned how I felt like I was running on empty, much like the city also felt that day. Things a little more quiet and slow, less energy around as everything just felt fatigued. I still feel that to some degree, and the hardest part of any day is waking up before noon. Even after, I feel that tiredness. Coffee isn't helping much yet I cling to it.

One thing I've really been loving is the brief moments with the drone. Running around a more isolated area and getting unique viewpoints on the city. Flying around and being a bit risky with it in the pursuit of unique and cinematic footage. The stills side of things is far more exhausting in comparison given I have to keep moving and walking around in order to capture things. There's more energy to be saved by just throwing up a drone into the air and flying around residential and commercial zones in the city. It has definitely made me realise how dense this place is, how there are so many stories unfolding at any given time in this general space. It's a very busy city and that's something I really love about it. Coming from some more quiet places that seemed to have less to do and see. I do feel that I need this in life, that momentum around me which tends to keep me moving and looking around, finding new things to see and have fun with. Whether it's picking up new hobbies or new forms of exercise: the ability to go swimming more, or taking nice evening walks. Even just visiting new cafes near the apartment, or bakeries! It feels really motivating to have so much more around me again, and I do think that once I relax a bit more and regain some energy, I'll be everywhere.

One thing I'm really falling in love with again is Magic The Gathering, a card game I left behind back in England, and mostly stuck to playing online due to living in a village and without people in real life to play with. I even intend to attend drawing classes and find artists to hang out with, just trying to make friends and pursue the hobbies I have. No longer doing them alone and inside.

I still feel that I miss Armenia to some degree though. It often feels like I'm talking shit about that place but the truth is, I truly love it. It just didn't hold the support needed to pursue a healthy lifestyle there. Too void of life, too empty in its ability to offer things to do and opportunity for most. Though I think frequently of its landscapes, the magical aspect of its nature. The open landscapes that remind me of deep fantasy films. Rocky, or dense in cliffs, mountains and trees. A nation that is deeply beautiful from its nature point of view, but everything people related seems to have fundamental flaws. I do want to go back one day, to roam it properly and capture it properly. I certainly didn't do enough of that beyond Yerevan, and I barely scratched the surface of its deeply rich Soviet past. The old bus stops, industrial towns in the middle of nowhere. Those architectural beauties that lay dormant in places so few stumble across these days. Even earlier I found myself looking online at certain areas on the map, looking at the landscape and trying to learn more about those places I never saw. Still intrigued, even if now I am in Georgia with the same idea present.

Though I think Georgia's rejection of that side of its past make it more challenging to appreciate. It's almost like it's instantly frowned upon to mention or show interest in it. A little tragic given the beauty of the creations and how the ideologies then certainly had some good intentions. Just that the present hasn't been all that great between Russia and Georgia. I just hope that people learn to appreciate the past and those creations, not wanting to remove them.

I think recently I just have a ton of different thoughts and ideas. So many things I want to see and do all at once, so much interest in everything without the energy or time to pursue it all. I guess I have to learn to be a bit more patient and take things as they come. I definitely don't want to remain with that burnout. Especially in the things I really enjoy and tend to give me direction. Also, one of these photographs was taken from the window of a cafe, can you guess which one?