Over the years I have come to the realisation that travel has, for me, three main parts. The first is the journey itself, and the exploring which goes with it, on the ground, in the moment. Experiencing a new culture, practicing my (usually not so good) language skills, trying the local food. And keeping a photographic record of what I've seen and done, so that those experiences can live on, beyond the time and beyond what my fallible memory can recall.
The next phase is that post-journey time of reflection and assimilation. As I rarely go far without my camera in hand, a really important part of my reflection is the process of sorting through, editing, and sending out for the whole world to see, the photos which most closely capture the essence of the journey. "Essence" in the sense that they reveal some of the beauty, or the quirkiness, of even the joy of what I was seeing at the time. For this latest journey I've added a few shots which I really like - to see them click here.
The reflection is a lot more than the photos, though. What did I learn? What changes might I need to make? Open questions. The answers will come over time.
And the third part? That's the completion of the circle. To start thinking about the next journey, to plan, to wonder ...
