I’m biting my nails and already stressing out about all the film, rain jackets, hiking boots, and things I need to acquire to get ready for this.
I cannot wait to get on that plane, with my passport safely tucked in a pocket, and take off and see the ocean far beneath me. I have not left this solid continent in 4 years, and it has been 4 years too long. I cannot wait to smell and hear and taste different air and sleep in unfamiliar places and have sore feet from poor footwear decisions. I cannot wait to see my beautiful sister experience these things for the first time, to see her face puzzle when all the different languages permeate around us, to see her realize that we are in a building from 900 years ago, and the stone floors of a church we are in has been walked on for centuries, and that there are people resting forever underneath the foundation. That the echo we hear in the hallways of buildings was heard by people back when the world was a dark place lit by candles, when most lives were short little blips, when plagues were real, when most people couldn’t read. We will see paintings made from eggs and look at things dead men left behind for us and walk around streets that are older than the nation we come from and we will also be silly and eat herring and odd dishes that fill our mouths with question marks and simultaneous delight. We will try out foreign words and mess them up but be better for trying, and we will meet people from all ends of the earth and revel with them for a time and remember that the world is indeed a small place, and that traveling is a renewal of ones faith in humanity.
I cannot wait. I am an anxious soul already and knowing that soon I’ll be somewhere else saturates my dreams and my days.
The Photographist 
your photos are just gorgeous…still. do you have any suggestions for an aspiring gorgeous-photo-taker? I have only used cameras borrowed from the art school at my college, so I am in the dark with what to use!
Hey! Sorry it’s been awhile since I got on here! I finally dropped some good money on a Canon 60D and a 50mm f/1.4 lens…are you looking at a DSLR or something that takes film? Or what I guess are your goals with a camera?
I love film because you can spend $100 and get a Pentax K1000 or an Olympus OM-20 and get a nice lens and body and get to really know photography from scratch, having to wind the film and get it developed and make mistakes.
Also check out the mirrorless cameras like the beautiful ones Fujifilm, Sony, and Olympus are making…they’re more compact than a DSLR but they pack a photographic punch, plus their design is gorgeous! (Check out B&H Photo Video online)
Let me know what else you want to know, I can get way more specific about my photography experiences with different cameras! š
Hey, thanks for your input! I am looking for somewhere to start because right now I am using my phone. I would love to try everything, but I think something digital for right now because I want to use it for blogging as well as for a hobby! Do you think a DSLR or system camera would be best for that?
Hey I had a really long reply to this all written up but it got deleted! GAH!
Okay so since you want a camera that is multi-use but probably not crazy pricey I might go with the amazing new mirrorless system cameras that Sony, Olympus, and Fujifilm are making. They’re light, sturdy, and have really good lens systems to them, plus they don’t cost quite as much as a full blown DSLR but still pack a large pixel size!
I personally got to hold the Olympus OM-D EM-10 (phew long name!) and it was so beautifully made, and it seems like a really really nice camera.
Of course all of this depends on your budget- some mirrorless systems cost about $600 for a lens+ body set.Checking out Adorama and B&H Photo Video often can help you find sales on them or get rebates!
What’s nice about the mirrorless system cameras is that they’re really nicely made, light, portable, and you can build a nice lens collection without dealing with the weight and bulk of a full DSLR system. I bought a Canon 60D and I love it but…it is not an “everyday camera” unless I carry it in a dedicated case because it’s pretty hefty!
Feel free to ask me more questions, but also check out Amazon reviews of different brands/lenses/etc. and read reviews on photography sites like Ken Rockwell, etc.
Good luck!
Sincerely,
Kate