Final Thoughts

 


Wow. Just wow. What a journey!


These past 100+ days have been an absolutely incredible adventure, with highlights ranging from seeing a few wonders of the world to simply spending every day for an extended period with my life partner, creating memories and sharing experiences. I can’t believe it’s over but wow, what a journey it’s been.


I want to thank our “sponsors” who contributed financially and emotionally to this journey, particularly my family and Sunny’s family and guests from our wedding that contributed to our honeymoon fund which allowed us to afford such incredible experiences. Also to all our friends being encouraging and giving tips along the way, we missed you and are excited to see you again!


My final thought come from a description at the art exhibit we stumbled across in São Paulo. Sunny loves taking pictures of everything and I prefer more to sit back and observe so I think this quote addresses our relationship and travels in a provocative and encompassing way. (Also, before I forget, about 95% photo credit to Sunny!)


“Currently, there is no way to think about our relationship with nature without thinking about photography. We start the day looking at a picture of breakfast. We start a trip with a photo in the car, on the bus or at the airport. We feel fulfilled at an art exhibition with a portrait of our favorite work. Photography leaves us satisfied, complete, happy and fulfilled. Seen in this light, it’s an important part of human nature, for it is often through it that we satisfy our desires to relate to the world.


It is thus possible to turn to a slightly more philosophical question: if we only feel satisfied with a  visit to an art exhibition, or on a trip, for example, after we’ve taken a photo, then photography, far beyond just ‘recording’ the moment, completes our desire to live and experience the world. Can we travel to a waterfall or visit a new museum without taking at least one picture? Or would we feel that our experience was incomplete and a ‘waste of time’? Photographer is often the way we satisfy our relationship with nature and art.”

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