fieldJournal_.1 — Rue Conrad

Today is my first day of what will hopefully be a lifelong project, so I’ll get right to it.

Hello, Reader. It is the 26th of February, 2026. It’s a strange world to be in, right now—there is so much at stake, and yet, there seems to be a common sort of indifference, almost as if we all put our blinders on—blocking out the things we would rather not see with the phones in our pockets, or muffle the world—put in the earbuds to cancel out the sounds we’d rather not hear.

Today was a bright one, though. The Sun was shining through an odd haze which lingered over the city. I repaired my bicycle, attempted to repair some shoes, and worked on some homework before settling down to start this project.

I walked a lot, today. I found a Porsche Dealership, and they let me come in and look at their cars. I do not drive, but I enjoyed looking at the machines which were made with so much care and attention to detail. My favorite one was a GT3 RS. I’m not sure the year, but it was shiny, and it looked like it could really move… fast, that is.

My beloved, trusty Bicycle—recently repaired by myself with what middling knowledge I have on bicycle mechanics. It rides great, now, and the fenders I put back on will make all the difference for the rainy weather, here. I bought this bike a few years ago, and I’ve ridden it in all sorts of weather. It’s a mismatch of parts, and the dents and scrapes on the relatively well-kept paint all tell a story. That bell in the picture was hand-painted! I found a maker who takes old brass bells and paints them. Strangely enough, I think that bicycle bell is one of my prized possessions

A quick self-portrait in the mirror to document what I look like today. I recently cut my own hair! It was fun and I felt so free. ‘ Shaved and trimmed one side of my head really short, and kept the other side long. I think this is the closest I’ll get to looking “edgy.”

The Sun is now setting, and the haze I mentioned is plainly obvious, here, I think.

The above recording was made from my 10th story home. It’s a record of what I can hear day to day from my place. Sometimes I fall asleep to that sound, my window hanging open and a soft breeze wafts in through. I remember when I first moved in. It felt weird to have more space from my closet-sized space before. I love listening to the train go by underneath the window in the night, and late last summer, tempting a breeze through the open window wasn’t difficult at all. I stayed perfectly cool. How many other people have looked through this same window? How many more will look through it before this building is gone?

fieldJournal_.1 (Cont.)

I return to this entry, now, to mention that—for the entirety of this project, I will travel exclusively by bicycle. I’ve been thinking a lot about bicycles, actually. They’re non-destructive, meditative, healthy to ride, and the amount of freedom they offer is unparalleled. I can travel as far and as long as my own body can take me. That’s something I haven’t encountered anywhere else.

The above was recorded near my university dorm house kitchen. I’m sitting next to them as they clean up after a long day of cooking. Someone takes an elevator up to a resident floor as I’m doing homework on my laptop. There is an orange glow from the overhead lamps, and the steel containers which make up our mailboxes are to my left. It is currently around 9pm. The train passes by behind me on one of its last routes until morning, and a few lingering students meander through the lobby up to the classrooms.