It's June here in Hawaii and my around-the-world travels have now been finished for a couple of months. I've been home, got all the "necessities" of my life (a car, a computer, a new bed, a couple of surfboards, etc.) in order, run into & caught up with most of my friends, and began re-establishing a daily routine of work & play. Although I enjoyed my time on the road (with all the experiences had, perspective gained, things saw, food ate, and friendships forged) it is great to be home... to again be close to my friends/family, the ocean, and "creature comforts" of familiarity...
It has been fun to tell stories of my travels; to recall a place, a face, and/or experience. There are so many that already (and maybe it has something to do with getting older too) there have been a couple where the details are blurry or several different ones tend to meld together! Hey... 'just because it didn't happen doesn't mean it wasn't true' right!?! Well, unfortunately, not all of you have the benefit (or torture) of being subjected to my story telling... as I continue to reflect on my travel experiences I wish to share with you a snippet from each of the 20 countries I visited by sharing my favorite image captured from each... ENJOY...
I'm STOKED to have completed this dream/goal... STOKED to be home... and STOKED to now be in my "here-and-now" with gained understanding of myself, acceptance of other cultures/beliefs, and overall gained life experience. It's "a trip" in itself being back in my world without the itching desire to go globe trotting around yours. Though I'm content being on Kauai for the moment... I need to constantly remind myself to be careful of getting too comfortable... of loosing that perspective of general curiosity about the world, appreciation for other ways of thinking, and avoiding the pitfalls of complacency.
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
— Chris McCandless
It has been fun to tell stories of my travels; to recall a place, a face, and/or experience. There are so many that already (and maybe it has something to do with getting older too) there have been a couple where the details are blurry or several different ones tend to meld together! Hey... 'just because it didn't happen doesn't mean it wasn't true' right!?! Well, unfortunately, not all of you have the benefit (or torture) of being subjected to my story telling... as I continue to reflect on my travel experiences I wish to share with you a snippet from each of the 20 countries I visited by sharing my favorite image captured from each... ENJOY...
The beauty of the Polynesian people as personified in the smile of this little Tahitian girl across the breakfast table.
Teahupoo, Tahiti
Australia is famous for its variety of wildlife... these are wild birds that payed a daily visit to my friends porch!
Currumbin, Australia
The monkeys rule this temple and this is one of the elders.
Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
The orange garb of the monks throughout SE Asia never get old against the contrast of the many ancient ruins.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
The people and culture of the Vietnamese are colorful in so many ways...
Hoi An, Vietnam
These boys wanted me to take their photo SO bad... they struck a memorable pose.
Muang Ngoi, Laos
I got to celebrate The New Year 4 times as I traveled through countries with different calendars... this was the Chinese New Year in a Hmong village.
North of Chaiang Mai, Thailand
The Middle East was not an easy place to travel through but full of great experiences to look back on. This was one of the second crew of guys that sailed us down the Nile after our first crew got arrested!
Nile River, Egypt
After months of visiting ruins you kind of get bored. I almost didn't go but was glad I got persuaded to make it to what I consider the most incredible ruins/park in the world...
Petra, Jordan
The most surprisingly cool country I visited where you witness old melding with new, east clashing with west, and Europe colliding with Asia.
Istanbul, Turkey
This guy is serious about his job as security during the "Changing of the guard". His uniform and the writing on the wall in the backdrop make this one of my favorites.
Athens, Greece
Water and Gondolas Reflected.
Venice, Italy
Surfing in Germany? It pumps everyday all year round.
Stationary Wave, Munich, Germany
Random Street Artist setting up her stand.
Amsterdam, Holland
In my opinion the worlds most beautiful man-made monument.
Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
I got bored of taking pictures of buildings alone... I like the moment captured in this mans stride across my view plane.
Sevilla, Spain
The simplicity and 'texture' of this image make it a keeper
Algarve, Portugal
Hiking through the foothills and you come across a random guy playing bagpipes? It can only be one place...
Edinburgh, Scotland
It's pretty awesome when you get to be somewhere as iconic as this place.
Stonehenge, England
I'm STOKED to have completed this dream/goal... STOKED to be home... and STOKED to now be in my "here-and-now" with gained understanding of myself, acceptance of other cultures/beliefs, and overall gained life experience. It's "a trip" in itself being back in my world without the itching desire to go globe trotting around yours. Though I'm content being on Kauai for the moment... I need to constantly remind myself to be careful of getting too comfortable... of loosing that perspective of general curiosity about the world, appreciation for other ways of thinking, and avoiding the pitfalls of complacency.
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
— Chris McCandless
