2010 Review: Isabella Rozendaal

Is there anyone better suited to kick off the 2010 Review? We feel not, given her answer to question 1. Having described Isabella as “someone with spark to spare” in our third publication, we recently had the pleasure of meeting her in real life, and can confirm we were right.

Isabella’s image of the year: “A shirt I had air-brushed at the Texas State Fair, the place to be if you’re looking for things like deep-fried butter or deep-fried beer.”

Mark out of 10 for 2010?

9.9, no joke. It was a year of peace, love, prosperity, adventure and new beginnings.

What broke? How did you fix it?

My first car, a huge green station wagon. It took me all over Europe in 2009 and gave me a real sense of independence, I basically lived in it for the summer. It was not fixable, it died a sad death, and I was inconsolable for a good bit.

What was the best thing you saw this year?

The sun rising over the swamps of Louisiana.

What was your favourite day of the year?

January 19, the day I first kissed my boyfriend. I know, it’s ultra cheesy, but how do you top that? I had jello legs for at least three days after that.

Most dangerous/scariest moment?

When my friend Julia and I were stuck in a dodgy motel in Opelousas, crime capital of Louisiana, she was woken by what she thought was the neighbors murdering each other. We tried to sneak out unseen and unheard in the middle of the night, packing our bags in the dark.

Turned out the next day that it was actually two lesbians arguing over a cheating situation, so we almost crapped our pants for nothing.

Best Google image search of 2010?

I’m not sure what the search term was, but it was something to do with hunting, and either Texas, Louisiana or alligator.

Best man/woman of the year?

I’m just going to be shameless here. It would have to be Michiel Schuurman, my fantastic man who also happens to be an awesome designer.

Your finest moment?

When I decided to enroll in university to study English Language and Culture. It was the best decision I’ve made in a long time, it feels like I was always supposed to do this. I finally found a place where being a nit-picky know-it-all is actually appreciated. If photography wasn’t already my favorite thing to do in the world, this just might be.

Actually this could also be categorized as the most terrifying moment of the year. I wasn’t so sure I could handle it, what with my regular work load often being too much to deal with already. But it’s going surprisingly well, and doing something completely different from working with images is actually really refreshing, like brain-vacation.

If you could only take one thing that you bought in 2010 into 2011, what would it be?

I haven’t bought very many personal things, I spend all my money on work and food, but I think it would have to be this shirt I had air-brushed at the Texas State Fair, the place to be if you’re looking for things like deep-fried butter or deep-fried beer.

What would you like to say to 2010?

THANK YOU!