First Post

Today is the 20th of the month and I've just realised it is my last normal pay day. One month from today I'll get a smaller amount to cover the remaining time at work and after that the visible means of support that has appeared in my bank account every month for the past 21 years and 4 months will come to an end.  I will, of course get some money appearing except it won't be anywhere near so much and it won't be called a salary. I'll be a pensioner!

I may not look like a pensioner, I definitely don't feel like a pensioner, and I don't qualify for a free bus pass just yet.  But that's what I'll be, technically speaking.  Except what I'll be really is a student.

The 20th of next month is the last day in the little flat I'm renting in Edinburgh.  With a bit of hard work the place will be empty by then and I'll just turn up to hand back the keys.  My possessions, such as they are after a drastic pruning, will be either in storage or else in my car ready to drive down to the Midlands. I'll have just over a week to catch up with my folks and then I'll end May 2011 on a plane to Missoula.  Actually three planes cos there isn't a direct flight. It will be a long day for sure but a very memorable one.

I've never been to Missoula before but I have travelled across Montana by train.  There was quite a lot of it and the plains were just starting to give way to the hills as the light faded. This time, rather than travel across it I'll be staying put for 5 months... hence the title of this blog. MT 59802 is the zip code of RMSP where I'll be studying.

So what's RMSP and why a blog?  Well RMSP is the Rocky Mountain School of Photography where I'll be studying and there are several reasons for the blog. Firstly it will be a way to record what I do and experience and include some of the pictures I take.  Secondly it will be a way for folks I know to keep up to date with what I'm doing - I don't expect to have a lot of time to write emails to everyone as the course will be very intensive. Lastly my blog may also be a help to future students of RMSP, to inspire and encourage. I certainly appreciated the insight and inspiration that I got from following several blogs from some of the 2009 students.  I still follow a couple even now and I'm still encouraged and inspired by them.

Then there are the rest of the students who I'll be getting to know on the course, maybe they would appreciate my take on things... always assuming they have time to read it in between eating, sleeping, laundry, and studying photography.  I'm sure we'll have some downtime too :-)