Photography is a Great Excuse to Travel
Traveling + Photography = Joy
Traveling has never been more accessible to humanity than it is right this moment, you can purchase a plane ticket online today and be on the complete opposite side of the world the next day. Alternatively you can get in your car and take a road trip a few hours away from your home and be immersed in a whole new city and breathe air you have never had. Growing up my family always moved around every few years to entirely new states due to my pops serving in the military which had its pros and cons, in hindsight that was the biggest blessing in disguise. It was always an adventure to be in a new place, meet new people, and explore the all new fresh world around me. When I travel nowadays I get that same sense of newness that I felt when I was a kid, going somewhere entirely new no one knows you and you know no one. It can be daunting at times but it’s an adventure to meet new people, to learn about their stories, and to explore this new map around you. It dawned on me when thinking about photography coupled with traveling, combining the two is a match made in heaven.
Lately i’ve been wanting to get out into the world with my camera and just explore the world around me, immerse myself in the unknown. From traveling to Toronto, Texas, Thailand, to even local places within my home state. The rich experiences you get when traveling will live with you for the rest of your days, that to me is what makes life worth living. Capturing some of those experiences with my love of photography and sharing that with the world is one way in which I want to give back to humanity. I’m currently writing this while in Asheville, North Carolina and even this 5 day long trip has been packed with such memorable experiences. From hiking 9 miles up a mountain to capturing a full on protest in the heart of Downtown Asheville, you never know what might await you while traveling. Photography is not the end all to why I travel but it sure as hell is rewarding and very inspiring to be able to look back on those windows of time I captured and relive those memories. Creating intentional artifacts of my existence is something I am consciously striving to do more of. When I look back on images i’ve taken from the past, it is like a Time Machine, it brings back so many memories of where I was in life and how far I’ve come.
Nature
It’s crazy to think us humans will travel thousands of miles to go look at a mountain but it’s the truth, nature has such a healing and restorative quality to it, I always make it a point to escape into nearby nature when traveling. This world is riddled with so many natural wonders that captivate and inspire you. Something i’d like to personally do more is explore more national parks in the United States, there are 63 national parks in the US. From Yosemite to Zion National park, the US offers such rich outdoor experiences that will leave you in sheer disbelief. So far in this life i’ve only explored 4 national parks, so i’ve got a long way to go haha.
New Experiences
Life in my eyes is all about experiencing different things and stepping out of your comfort zone, from touring beautiful estates to backpacking a foreign country, live life to the fullest. I find I can draw new ideas and new perspectives from my growing pool of experiences in life thus far. Recently I heard someone say “if you aren’t growing, you’re dying” that hit me like a freight train, it completely makes sense. This life is about change, that is the only thing you can guarantee for certain, evolving and growing is the only path forward.
The World is a Small Town
Living in the Information Age we live in, the world has never been more connected than it is today. Traveling exposes you to the fact that the world indeed is a small town, you’d be surprised to travel somewhere entirely new, far away from home only to meet someone that came from exactly where you left. Ideas and thoughts are now spread at the speed of light all around the world, news in Miami can make its way to Japan in split seconds.
Community
With the power of the internet you are able to connect with people in person that share the same interests and passions you do, this cannot be overlooked. From meeting up with my fellow bitcoin plebs to tagging along my local photography group, i’ve met some amazing people in the process. My world has swung very far into the digital realm so it is always nice to get back to seeing a real human face in person. Having real conversations and telling stories will always be the backbone of humanity, it’s hard to do that without being apart of some community.
Quote of the Day:
If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we aren't really living.
This video is a good recap of my recent trip to Asheville, NC. I really wanted to test out my new Leica and decided to take a little road trip to the mountains, I had such a great time exploring Asheville and I took some great images while out there! If you are interested in seeing more behind the scenes of the Asheville trip, I highly recommend checking out the video, enjoy!
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