As I continue to do these types of videos, I am always learning something in the process. After posting the first video, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do— but then it hit me. Initially, I planned on making this solely about growing up, but because my birthday was so close, I thought to kill two birds with one stone. To be honest, the original plan was way different than what ended up happening, but I am pretty satisfied with this outcome. Anytime I've spoken to peers about these topics, the same conversation arises about missing our childhood and taking for granted what we once had. There was probably a lot more I could've said, so I had to limit myself but I'm pretty happy with the end product. A huge inspiration I drew upon was the idea of childhood but also home. A majority of the clips are from Alaska, which draws upon a few near and dear places to my heart that I used to frequent quite a lot growing up. It's always weird visiting back because it never feels quite the same, but there's a bittersweetness to it. Places like my old childhood home or the top of Baldy Mountain that overlooks the entirety of Eagle River mean so much more because I can use it as a reflective point for where I'm at in life. This video is an ode to my childhood because it's as if I'm trying to console the person I once was, while also attempting to bridge the gap between enjoying those old moments but also being okay with change and the present. Anytime I try to write scripts, I have big ideas and then I'm able to narrow them down one by one and it usually takes forever. Funnily enough though, I always make revelations through this process. I never thought of myself as a writer but it has been oddly fulfilling, and has made me closer to emotions that I feel, but could never describe until I write them in a script. This video is a love letter to the kid I was and in some ways, it probably will be for my future self too. Turning 21 has made me more emotional than I thought I would be as I pieced this video together, but I'm excited to keep growing and learning in my adulthood. Here's to 21! A huge thank you to Savannah, Jadyn, and Ria for helping me out during this process, whether it be helping me film a portion of this video or just being my test puppet, I would not be anything without y'all!! And an anti-thank you to Adobe Premier Pro for wanting to crash as I was exporting this video and having to spend two hours making sure everything was still in the right place. Nonetheless, this video was fun to experiment with lighting, angles, music, etc. Already, I have learned a lot doing the past couple of videos and I hope to keep improving this, as I continue. And a huge thank you to everyone who watches these videos, whether you've been here since the vlog days or just recently, my heart feels full knowing that people enjoy these types of videos. I make these videos for myself (I guess it’s my own cathartic way of piecing together my experiences and stories) but I think in part, other people can resonate with them because it's all about the human experience that connects us together! So knowing that people continue to cheer me on, connect their own stories, and resonate with the same emotions I feel is all I could ask for!! Thank you for taking the time to listen to my stories. ~ ~ music: "The Kite" by Luisa Marion and "The Big Ship" by Brian Eno ~ ~ p.s: this video coincidentally was the exact same time as the last one which is pretty funny to me.

I will not be going anywhere in a car for at least the next year after this.... jk... (but fr though) 5 days, 50+ hours of driving, and a dream (with a trailer). because we were driving for 6-8 hours a day, I couldn't get as much footage as I wanted, considering I was battling with exhaustion 24/7. So basically, I worked with what I got! I hope it wasn't too boring! Overall, driving from the west to the east coast, I am reminded of the diverse environment and nature throughout the United States. Whether it be clay rocks in Wyoming, the flats and hay bails of the Dakotas, or the arbors of New England, it was really amazing to see the variety of culture (or lack thereof) come in many different forms. I invite everyone to do a cross-country road trip in their life because it truly is a beautiful experience to share with the person you drive with, yourself, and all the people around. thank you to my dad for doing this trip with me! love ya! next stop, boston abbey :) i was heavily inspired by secret life of walter mitty when making/editing this, so shout out to one of my fav movies out there. taking that risk and next step is what it’s all about and that’s what i’m here to do! song - suddenly by junip

i love take clips like this, capturing moments of people when they're having a fun time. definitely going to get copywrited but i had to put labbi siffre on here, simply because of the holdovers hehe.

written by - tim donahue visuals/editing by - me :)

“What is the purpose of life, if not to share it with those you love?” There’s a quiet significance in people watching—an art of noticing subtle moments. I didn’t have a specific intention to film anything outside of just collecting footage, until I realized a pattern. Old friends sharing their old and new fears about getting older, a jittery couple slowly inching closer to each other on their first date, coworkers lamenting about their qualms of the week, grandparents lifting their grandkids on their shoulders to experience the world as innocently as possible. There’s a collective synchronicity we all search for on the weekends. A togetherness that brings us all in tandem—the ability to share something with someone. That repeated question, “What is the purpose of life, if not to share it with those you love?” kept circling my mind, every time I witnessed those little instances. As I stood alone grasping my camera in my palms, I’ve come to realize I don’t necessarily think there is one.

This short film was made for the WWU AS Productions Short Film Spring Contest shot in May 2024. The prompt was, "A group of friends going on a summer vacation and something goes horribly wrong." RELISH Written/Directed/Edited by: Abbey Raynes Cast: Ryan O'Hara - Danny Brown Luke Wilson - Jackson Fox Wesley Pick - Jacob Wohnoutka Extras - Donna Wilson & Samira Wilson Crew: Production Assistants - Daniela Reyes & Nathan McFeters Script Editor - Tim Donahue Graphics - Larry Obernberger - NO HOT DOGS WERE HURT IN THE MAKING OF THIS SHORT -

I've been wanting to rehabilitate my youtube channel for a while, but I wasn't exactly sure where to start. School and life got in the way and I got busy, and I wasn't able to spend as much time on videos unfortunately, but before summer started, I vowed to spend more time making videos for this channel. About a month and a half ago, I stumbled upon a video called, "For those waiting for life to happen" and I knew from that moment, I wanted to make videos that gave me a similar feeling to the one I just watched----so intrinsically and beautifully human. This video is way different than anything I've posted before, but I hope to keep exploring this style of content because it was a very cathartic project for me. It took about a month to film everything, write a script, edit, and finalize it, and it feels like a piece of my heart went into this. Now, I'm not sure what this channel will become but my plan is to keep creating videos as much as I can, especially before summer ends. As I've said in previous videos, I hope in the future I post more and really spend time creating things that inspire me. So, this is just step one. :) Here's the video that inspired me: https://youtu.be/ij84DoCEmdI

A guy contemplates suicide, but is at a crossroads. - - - Shot on: Sony A7 Written and Directed by: Abbey Raynes & Liam White Cast: Liam White Dylan Moore Crew: Caleb Cross in LACES

If anything taught me these past few months, I hate summer. It's hot, sticky, and rarely meets up to its expectations. We romanticize it, just for it to disappoint us. It's simply a season of change that slows us down. I've been reading a lot of poetry lately (which I never thought I would say) and Richard Siken has been at the top of my reading list. His work is subtle and crushing, so I thought it would be perfect for this video! Regardless, this summer has been all about change and growth. Learning to slow down and taking every single day as it comes, without asking too many questions about the future. This has offered me an outlook on life that makes me feel genuinely human, and that it is a privilege to feel the emotions we do, even if they are painful and uncomfortable. I remember reading a quote somewhere that "change is inherently uncomfortable", and boy were they right. However, these past few months have given me a perspective that has really made me recognize the minute things in existence that make it all worth it. Appreciating friends, capturing beautiful moments from strangers, and truly loving what life has to offer (including the bad things as well), has made me very appreciative of my life. Outside of summer, I am not as able to stop and slow down, so it has been scary but necessary in order to grow. My camera has felt like a third arm to me during this time, so I tried taking as much footage as possible, but obviously, I wasn't able to film everything that happened. But with the footage I have, there are so many sweet little moments that are lovely, as I look back on the entirety of this summer. Thank you to everyone there for me this summer, in this video and those not. Thank you for these moments and for taking the time to grow with me.