Getting Back to Business

This photo is a summary of my life right now: two large dogs (plus the occasional brown interloper), my wonderful wife, spending as much time as possible in the outdoors, and staring at a pier with only two directions: backwards, or forwards off the edge into unfamiliar waters.

My 2017 New Year’s Resolution was to blog. Then 2017 happened, and I lost all interest/inclination/necessary energy to do so. Frankly, I’ve been depressed, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of crap there is to do to make our society better, and feeling pretty powerless to stop the steady slide of civilization into darkness. But that ends now. There are too many things to talk about, to fix, and I have many strong opinions. Now I’m getting back to business, and starting over again with my writing. Hello everyone still out there. Stay tuned for more really soon as I spend the next week gathering some (hopefully original) thoughts.

In the meantime, I also bought a domain name for myself. So now you can find this blog at http://www.daniellestrollo.com (it’s just a redirect as of now, until I figure out what I want to do with the domain). I think this means I’ve officially arrived, and I’m very excited.

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The Last 3 Months

Moving is hard work.

In honor of the February 2015 release of the movie musical The Last 5 Years (a musical I adore and played in the pit orchestra for in college) starring my favorite actress Anna Kendrick, here’s a brief synopsis of the last three months of my life for those of you who haven’t been in touch with me. 

Under the Sea: Learning to Dive in Koh Rong Saloem, Cambodia

For as long as I can remember, I have had a fear of being underwater. Which is strange considering I spent all of my early years by the ocean, and most of my summers at the beach. I was convinced I could swim by the time I entered college, since I could theoretically move myself in water from point A to point B. It wasn’t until college that I learned that swimming meant sticking your face, and part of your head, underwater, where it was impossible for humans to breathe. So how did I get from there to diving? And what lessons, if any, did I learn from the whole experience?

Ideas: Writing Begets Writing

Hello everyone who reads this blog, which is pretty much just me at this point since I haven’t publicized its existence much. It has been awhile since my last post. I’ve been wedding planning and doing schoolwork for my public relations class, and working hard at work work. I’m hoping things will start to get better this week and next.

It occurs to me that I need to start writing more.

Ideas: The Time to Act is Now

Another day, another senseless tragedy in America, as an armed gunman walked into an elementary school in Newtown, CT and opened fire on teachers and students. White House spokesman Jay Carney responds by saying that now is not the time to talk about gun control or gun reform.

Really? Because now seems like EXACTLY the right time to talk about gun violence and the grave need to reduce the number of guns out there.

Ideas: Photography Matters, or, I Want to Make That!

Just found this blog post from America’s Test Kitchen, which by the way, is by far my FAVORITE cooking recipe site. Their recipes are flawless. And though they are a little labor intensive, trust me: it’s definitely always worth it.

But I’m writing this today because they posted a photo that literally made me go, “WOOOOOOOW.” That, in case you don’t speak Danielle, is a mix of “WOW” and “OOOH.” Which is to say, I got excited.

Now if that doesn’t make you want to EAT THOSE MUSHROOMS, then you are a samba step away from crazytown, my friend. Get it checked out. Because this is an awesome photograph.

K now I’m going back to work.

My Multimedia Life

The cricket in Dilek National Park.

In a difficult job market like the Bay Area, and a difficult economic time like today, it’s not enough to be good at one thing. I love social media. And though I don’t have direct experience in social media, I know I would be great at it. And I have done what I can to link my social and professional life together online. I’ve edited my LinkedIn profile, created a pretty consistent Twitter personality (though that’s a work in progress), decided to keep my Facebook profile personal, linked my Flickr and YouTube to my email, etc.

But in the Bay Area, it’s not enough. Which is why I’ve decided to do more, beginning with a Photo of the Day recurring series.