Instagram


Instagram.

The virtual home of hipsters who drink organic green smoothies, display nail art and Crossfit abs, and spend hours writing songs in Starbucks. Since I do none of the above, I obviously do not belong on Instagram.

Or so I thought.



Last week, while playing around with blog widgets, I found one for Instagram. I already had a slideshow app on my blog, but updating it required 1, taking photos, 2, uploading them to Picasa, and 3, making sure they were in the right album. Which I don't prioritize with the wiggly baby, piles of dishes, and spring sunshine calling my name. Go figure.

But if, say, I installed Instagram on my phone, I could just point, snap, and upload. Maybe even add a filter or fade if the artistic urge hit. Instead of waiting until I had time to sit down with my computer, maybe I could edit on the go.

Installing that app has been one of the best decisions I've made this year.

Upcycled cereal boxes into building blocks
I don't upload many photos to Facebook. My Dutch friends are not exactly intrigued by Dutch architecture or Dutch foods. My expat friends might be, but they (and my family) are often more interested in personal news. On Instagram, fortunately, I can upload as many photos as I want without boring friends to tears. Since it's not as personal of a platform, I also worry less that I might seem to be bragging by posting pictures of recycling and crafting. (Hmm. Hadn't realized that.)

An added perk - I can subscribe to people on Instagram who share my interests. Travel, TCKs, parenting. National Geographic has an account; so do Mercy Ships and the City Photo Archives.While I wait for my coffee to brew (not artisan, unfortunately), I check my phone. Blame it on my ADHD *insert background music* but I like the bite-size pieces of information and inspiration. In the last week I've gotten a mini-history lesson about the 1940 bombing of Rotterdam, a mini-wildlife lesson on penguins, and a mini-challenge to memorize a verse on patience. Etc.

While my little phone can't compare to a real camera in taking photos, my phone is with me throughout the day. When I recycle. When I stop to admire stained glass windows or laugh at a Smart car convertible. Which means my Instagram photos form a more accurate representation of how a DutchInLaw lives, compared to the beautiful, deliberate photos from visiting somewhere special.





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