Darling Harbour, Sydney Australia
I have been following a few photographers who travel a lot. This is not to say that they are travel photographers, but more photographers who travel. It’s not their profession. From the outside, it appears glamorous – you get to see all sorts of cool destinations that people only dream of. From the inside, according to their blogs, it’s a bit different. It’s somewhat of a lonely life as they can rarely find someone who can/wants to go with them. There are few people who have the time or resources to do such a thing and, probably more importantly, have the desire or ability to spend so much time alone.
When there is no place you’ve decided to call your own, no matter where you go, you are always heading home. ~ Muso Soseki
My own experience with Australia was that, although it was exciting, it was a bit lonely. Perhaps, being inexperienced, I ended up in the wrong place, downtown Sydney, where everyone kept to themselves, save for one gentleman that I met on my last full day there. The people in the businesses were friendly enough, in a polite business sort of way. I said at that time that it reminded me of Manhattan – full of hustle, bustle, head-down hurriedness. I’m sure that I would have had a completely different experience had either of two things happened:
1. I had met Cedric in Sydney or,
2. I had met him in his home town of Brisbane.
Also, if I had had someone with me. The big difference is that I would have known someone who could have showed me around, given me a bit of local flavor, or since I was in Australia, “flavour”! 
It really was my first solo trip and what a big one that was to try to chew on.
Freeport, Grand Bahama – The Bahamas
This, of course, is a personality thing. I handle aloneness well, but sometimes I like to have someone to share the journey. I guess that it depends on what is the mission. If it is photography, probably not a problem. If it is a mixture of vacationing and photography, that’s different. I no problem when I was in California for a week by myself. In fact, I really enjoyed. It started of with meeting Anita, from there it was photography in the mornings and evenings, all alone in the Mojave Desert, yet not far away from civilization, quite enjoyable.
As I look to my final adventure this year, The Grand Canyon, Tucson, AZ, Nogales, Sonora – Mexico, all with Deb, all in about 6 days, I’m excited. I get the best of both worlds, photography and ‘vacationing’. Next year looks to be a busy travel year, too. I plan to head north, hitting Webster, NY (Where life is worth living) for Ken and Paul, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, just to see Niagara Falls again, swinging over towards Detroit, MI to meet Mark, then back down through Akron, OH and Columbus, OH for a visit. A round trip of nearly 2,000 miles. I plan to make this a two week journey. This will be more towards the summer, long after the snow has cleared, as I plan to be driving!
Also on the schedule is a trip down into San Miguel de Allende, Mexico to visit with Niels Henriksen, who has generously offered to show me around the town. He visits here from time to time and makes the occasional post. I also follow him on Facebook.This will probably be more on the order of a long weekend, Wednesday to Sunday. I’ll have to complete this before March, though, as he plans to make his route back towards his home in Canada at the end of March.
White Sands National Monument – Alamogordo, NM
Will I get to do all of these? Life will let me know soon enough, but it’s what I have planned.
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Sounds like you’ve got some interesting journeys planned, Paul. We haven’t planned too far into the new year yet… Hoping to get up the gumption to try some new and different things ourselves next year.
Tom Dills recently posted..Fall in Roanoke
I hope to be able to do all of them. I find it necessary for myself to have an idea of what I want to do, not necessarily a plan or New Year’s resolution, just an idea.
I like your phrase “photographers who travel”. Definitely not my profession and never was, but it kind of fits. As I’ve said on my own site, my wife and I would rather be on the road than at home. There’s always something new to see (and photograph). I know that sounds strange coming from someone who lives in the place “where life is worth living”, but it’s true.
You’re actually thinking of travelling to Webster, NY? You may be the first person to come here by choice! It ain’t exactly a vacation hotspot. (And since Kodak essentially “died”, we don’t get a lot of businesss visitors either.) Of course if you do venture into the region be sure to let me know. If we get Ken involved, we can probably show you all the local “hotspots”. It will only take about 10 minutes to do that, but what the heck………..
Well, I guess that I could come to see the skeletons of the famous Kodak. At least I can get a picture of the Webster sign that lets me know that I’m in the location “Where life is worth living”. It will be 10 minutes well spent. LOL
I love that last image, Wow! You sure have been traveling the past couple of years and I like the sounds of the coming year. Life is to be lived in the world and not in a cube. Not only is it good to experience and see the world around us but meeting new people is gift capable of changing us. You’ve already experienced western Nebraska so those hotspots in Webster may awesome. The trip to Mexico sounds like a top notch experience. Go for it!!!!!!
Monte Stevens recently posted..Walking with our Muse
Monte: I would be hard to beat western Nebraska, so I won’t even try. I’ll just have to face the fact that after seeing that “place”, everything else is downhill, well, except Webster(Where Life is Worth Living)
Not being able to meet up with you was really annoying and frustrating for me but there was so much going on at the time that I would have made a terrible host. Still, I’m sure there will be a next time. Here, or over your way. In any case, I’m looking forward to the photos from all these trips you’re planning
Cedric Canard recently posted..The mythical art of introspection
We both know that “life happens” and you just have to roll with it. We both did. I am certainly looking forward to our meeting. I’m sure that I’ll back “down under”! Hopefully, you can get over this way, too!
Yeah you kind of hit the nail on the head here Paul. I hope you get to go to everywhere and that it nets new friends
John
John recently posted..Charles Town