Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Itching to Travel

I'm itching to travel.

I can't imagine a time when I didn't want to go out and explore this great, big world of ours. Different cultures. Different people. Different languages. All of them were fascinating to me.

England, Wales, and Scotland were where I went on my first overseas trip. While there, I discovered my love for interesting architecture. I discovered my love of photographing those buildings at interesting angles on the same trip.

My first few photos (well, to be honest, first couple hundred) were straight-on pics. Then one day I cocked my head and looked at a building in a different way. That photo wound up being my favorite and most interesting one of the entire trip.

Since then, that's about all I do when I go on trips. I will take one or two shots head-on, just so people can easily recognize what they're looking at (myself included), but most of my camera's disk space is chock full of angled pictures.

So, what does this have to do with me being itchy to travel?

I think it's to do with the sameness of my daily life. Each day I get up, head to work, come home and get ready for the next day's business. I do see some cool things along my route that I'd like to take pictures of, but I'm so caught up in making sure I get to work or home, that I don't stop and take the time to do so. Even when I do think I'd take the moment to capture it, I'm not fully prepared, having left my camera at home.

When I go on trips, however, my camera goes with me everywhere. It's wonderful to have it along, so that I can capture a particular glint of sunlight on a building, or shoot a secretive alleyway that most people would simply pass by. Sometimes it's even as simple as the mood I happen to be in at that moment.

Take the two photos above, for example. The next time I'm in London or Paris, I might not even look at Parliament or La Tour Eiffel (respectively) in the same way. Next time, the photos I take will show a different side of the structure, as well as where my mind is that day.

So I'm itching to get out of my daily routine. Ready to explore sights and sounds that I've yet to discover; even if they're in places I've been many times before. Craig and I will be going to Greece this year for our honeymoon, so that will work.

It just means that I’ve got to wait until then to scratch my itch.

9 comments:

  1. Congratulations, Alyx! I hope that Greece has settled down by the time of your honeymoon. Yesterday's headlines read, "Athens in Flames." You could end up getting pictures fit for mayhem.

    You have a gift for photography, getting unique angles. I hope you migrate that talent of getting unique angles to your writing.

    Let's pray for peace, which will help your honeymoon plans.

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  2. Thanks, EB. I hadn't seen the latest headlines on Athens. Yes, let's hope things will be calmer in the fall.

    And thank you for the compliments on my photography. Since I like to look at most things from unique angles, I hope it does migrate into my writing. We'll see, won't we? :o)

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  3. I look forward to seeing you photos of Greece, a place I would love to travel to. Congratulations and best wishes for your marriage.

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  4. Alyx, you certainly have a gift for finding a creative angle in your photography! I look forward to seeing your photos of Greece and hope it's settled down quite a bit before you get there. But what a wonderful place to travel for your honeymoon! Congratulations!

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  5. Thanks Linda & Warren! Yes, I'm looking very forward to going to Greece. I certainly hope there aren't more than the original ruins to see.

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  6. I can understand your urge to get back overseas. I think Greece will have settled down by the time you go.

    My first trip overseas was on a "Holy Land" tour to Italy, Israel and Greece. I went leaving four young kids behind. Years later it was England, followed four or five years later to Great Britain, and years later to Italy and then to Spain. Most of my travel has been at home, though. I can understand your itchy feet.

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  7. Yep, Gloria. I think that once you get bitten by the travel bug, it's hard to lose that "fever". :o)

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  8. It's amazing how well known places and ordinary things can look different when the perspective changes. Great choice to use black and white, too. I look forward to seeing your photos of Greece!

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  9. Thanks, Kara. & I agree that even the well-known can seem new when presented at a different angle.

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