This I Believe

This morning marked the final broadcast on NPR (National Public Radio) of a 4-year series entitled "This I Believe," the personal philosophies of famous and ordinary people. For most of the series, I thought about writing my own statement, but never quite got around to it. Until this morning. And the thoughts flowed. Not necessarily related directly to travel and/or photography - but one's philosophy toward life, I'm sure, has a bearing on all aspects of life. So, without further ado:

This I believe ... I believe in calculated risks. Not jumping off a cliff without a parachute into a foggy mist. But taking a leap of faith with a worthwhile goal in mind and the odds at least a bit in my favor.

I have not done this too often, but there have been those times – moments actually – when the leap seemed a good option and I went for it. And they have always worked out – maybe not exactly as intended – but worked out nonetheless.

I remember some of my dad’s final words – “I wish I had taken more risks in life” – and how proud he was that I had taken risks here and there.

* When I changed majors the first week of my junior year in college from the “safe” major of “business administration” to the “interesting” major of “political science.”

* When I quit my decent paying, pension-oriented job with a Seattle transit agency and moved to New York City, sans job, to be close to my then-girlfriend (and now wife).

*And when I quit my decent paying, pension-oriented job with the same Seattle transit agency a number of years later to go out on my own as a consultant so as to have more control of my time and to work on a project dear to my father’s heart – Safeco Field.

I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t make any of the leaps on account of my dad (at least I don’t think so!) – I had my own reasons for each – but it certainly made it easier knowing of Vic’s support for each.

Leaps of faith require faith – a belief that it will all work out – and require a leap – taking off into the unsecured future. Most importantly, they require making a decision based on incomplete information, “trusting in the universe.” And, thankfully, the universe provides!

Ever Onward - Why We Travel

I was just reminded this morning of one of my favorite sites within the NY Times website - a slide show that is updated from time to time entitled "Why We Travel." There's obviously no one answer to the question and that's what makes this site so interesting - 17 photos and short stories of individual responses to the question. Check it out - it might inspire you and your next journey.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/26/travel/20090426_WHY_slideshow_index.html

And note, if the link is broken at some later date, just go to www.nytimes.com and search for "Why We Travel."

Hot Time in Belize

We recently returned from spring break in Belize. During our ten day stay, we hung around the pool, snorkeled, ate very well, did lots of walking, got WAY too hot, saw a few Mayan ruins, got addicted to Belikan beer and fresh limeade and met some of the friendliest and most helpful folks in the world. Some photos and a more detailed description of our experiences can be found at my realtravel.com site:

http://realtravel.com/b-283249-belize_blog-spring_break_in_belize, or click on the Real Travel link on the right column of this blog.

Inspiration from Jodi Cobb

"There are stories everywhere—in your own house, your backyard, your town. You need to find out what you’re interested in, what you’re passionate about, what you want to change, celebrate, illuminate, interpret. It’s right there. You just need to get started. "

This quote is from an interview conducted by Hannah Theim on the photo.net website. The link to the full interview follows: http://photo.net/photographer-interviews/jodi-cobb/?p=3#love-documentary-project. Occasionally (or more often!), we all need a kick-in-the-pants, an incentive, an inspiration to get us going. And I feel that Jodi's comment fits the bill.