Every year I promise to do two things for myself:
1.) Go on vacation
2.) Buy myself something nice
I've got the first part figured out - in exactly a month I will be frolicking about in the fertile lands of Peru. (More on that in future posts.)
For the second, I wasn't sure what I wanted this year. Last year's big splurge was my mattress, which looking back I still think was kind of startlingly expensive but also completely worth it because I spend a third of my existence on it and couldn't be happier with it. A new, nice mattress was also fitting because it marked my transition from living in a door-less sunroom in an old and craptastic* student apartment to a real room in a nicer, more residential neighborhood.
This year, I've held off on my splurge purchase because I was really happy with everything that I owned. A year and a half of constant travel and living out of a suitcase had instilled in me a more or less minimalist approach to living. Nothing seemed it was going to be that perfect, duh item that was going to enhance my life. Other than fifty boxes of these.
Then about a week and a half ago, a notion sprang in my head and would not leave, and I immediately knew what I was going to purchase. It made so much sense: my current job and stage in life provide me with the opportunity to travel frequently while I am still young, healthy, and hungry for new sights. I blog semi-regularly and love sharing and looking back on pictures of adventures with my friends and family from afar. And I always love the challenge of learning my way around unexplored technology, to fiddle and tinker with a new gadget. I knew that somewhere out there was a dSLR with my name written on it.
Fast forward to yesterday. After many, (probably too) many hours of Googling, visiting Best Buy, reading CNet reviews, e-mailing friends and family, flipping coins, chewing my nails, bashing my brains against the wall, and blabbering to anyone still had the patience to listen to me list the pros and cons of Nikon vs Canon, I made that fateful click and purchased my new baby.
*cue "Hallelujah" as the heavenly skies part to make way for sparkly beam of light*
The dSLR I purchased was the Canon EOS T3i (otherwise known as the EOS 600D outside of North America). I got it with the standard 18-55mm lens - I'm not going to bother with learning about glass until I get a hang of the camera's body first - and also purchased a much larger memory card, a bag, extra batteries, and a copy of the all-important Canon T3i for Dummies.
When selecting which dSLR, I had a pretty tough time deciding between the T3i and its younger brother, the T3. Both cameras are fantastic in their own right but have different feature sets and price points. After reading tons of comparison reviews and spending many hours of soul-searching and muttering to myself in Best Buy ("do you REALLY need that swivel LCD screen, Rose? Do you really?"), I was still not sold on the price difference being worth it. But ultimately I went with the T3i for several reasons:
Towards the very end I sorta had to coax myself, "It's ok. Breathe. You can buy it. It's ok. Because you're worth it. Maybe it's Maybelline. Yes, put the damn camera in your damn virtual cart. No you will not be homeless after this. Breathe in. Then out. Do not pass out again."
Now that the order is (finally, irrevocably, permanently) made and my baby is en route to me somewhere in the hands of a UPS stork, I am RIDICULOUSLY excited to get to know my T3i and to take a bazillion photos of my cat. And I guess Peru and L.A. and India and these other places I'm visiting in the near future. But mostly just portraits of my cat as she licks herself in unmentionable areas and dips her silly head into a jug to drink water.
1.) Go on vacation
2.) Buy myself something nice
I've got the first part figured out - in exactly a month I will be frolicking about in the fertile lands of Peru. (More on that in future posts.)
For the second, I wasn't sure what I wanted this year. Last year's big splurge was my mattress, which looking back I still think was kind of startlingly expensive but also completely worth it because I spend a third of my existence on it and couldn't be happier with it. A new, nice mattress was also fitting because it marked my transition from living in a door-less sunroom in an old and craptastic* student apartment to a real room in a nicer, more residential neighborhood.
This year, I've held off on my splurge purchase because I was really happy with everything that I owned. A year and a half of constant travel and living out of a suitcase had instilled in me a more or less minimalist approach to living. Nothing seemed it was going to be that perfect, duh item that was going to enhance my life. Other than fifty boxes of these.
Then about a week and a half ago, a notion sprang in my head and would not leave, and I immediately knew what I was going to purchase. It made so much sense: my current job and stage in life provide me with the opportunity to travel frequently while I am still young, healthy, and hungry for new sights. I blog semi-regularly and love sharing and looking back on pictures of adventures with my friends and family from afar. And I always love the challenge of learning my way around unexplored technology, to fiddle and tinker with a new gadget. I knew that somewhere out there was a dSLR with my name written on it.
Fast forward to yesterday. After many, (probably too) many hours of Googling, visiting Best Buy, reading CNet reviews, e-mailing friends and family, flipping coins, chewing my nails, bashing my brains against the wall, and blabbering to anyone still had the patience to listen to me list the pros and cons of Nikon vs Canon, I made that fateful click and purchased my new baby.
*cue "Hallelujah" as the heavenly skies part to make way for sparkly beam of light*
The dSLR I purchased was the Canon EOS T3i (otherwise known as the EOS 600D outside of North America). I got it with the standard 18-55mm lens - I'm not going to bother with learning about glass until I get a hang of the camera's body first - and also purchased a much larger memory card, a bag, extra batteries, and a copy of the all-important Canon T3i for Dummies.
When selecting which dSLR, I had a pretty tough time deciding between the T3i and its younger brother, the T3. Both cameras are fantastic in their own right but have different feature sets and price points. After reading tons of comparison reviews and spending many hours of soul-searching and muttering to myself in Best Buy ("do you REALLY need that swivel LCD screen, Rose? Do you really?"), I was still not sold on the price difference being worth it. But ultimately I went with the T3i for several reasons:
- I knew it would make me happier and that I wouldn't look back at the T3
- If I held onto this camera for five or so years, which seems very feasible, the price difference would more or less be negligible
- This was supposed to be my yearly splurge to offset all the normally rational budget decisions I make. This was supposed to be expensive and make me mildly uncomfortable, damnit!
- T3i isn't even that expensive - it's around the same price as an iPad
- I really do need that doggone swivel LCD screen
Towards the very end I sorta had to coax myself, "It's ok. Breathe. You can buy it. It's ok. Because you're worth it. Maybe it's Maybelline. Yes, put the damn camera in your damn virtual cart. No you will not be homeless after this. Breathe in. Then out. Do not pass out again."
Now that the order is (finally, irrevocably, permanently) made and my baby is en route to me somewhere in the hands of a UPS stork, I am RIDICULOUSLY excited to get to know my T3i and to take a bazillion photos of my cat. And I guess Peru and L.A. and India and these other places I'm visiting in the near future. But mostly just portraits of my cat as she licks herself in unmentionable areas and dips her silly head into a jug to drink water.
Dear Thundercat, I'm ready to take you and your antics to the lands of dSLR!
* don't get me wrong, I had some of my fondest memories in the Shire. But boy was it crappy
Great. I remember your Aunt said in Beijing after seeing all your pictures that you should have a good camera to record places you travel, people you meet, and take more pictures of youself before your bueatiful face gets wrinkled (I am sure it will be still beautiful).
ReplyDeleteThe camera is pretty heavy, especially later when you want long lenses and other stuff. Enjoy it and you deserve it! love, mom