10-Year Anniversary Blog
I remember getting the call from my executive producer at the Travel Channel that the network wanted to celebrate my ten years on the network. TEN YEARS?! I honestly hadn’t been counting or if I had it wasn’t that high. My own mind told me it was eight but sure enough when I did the math — ten.
And oh the places I’ve gone in those ten years, my eyes have seen things I never dreamed they would: The Acropolis, Machu Picchu, The Great Wall of China and my heart has opened to experiences I never thought I would have. Most of all my idea of what travel is and why it is important has changed completely. When I first began the European series I was focused on monuments, museums and beautiful things that showed a glorious past. But quite frankly that left me feeling pretty lonely. Although my shooting days were overwhelmed with the learning of another place (The Romans! The Greeks! The Hapsburgs!), something big was missing in my life. When the cameras stopped for the day I would just head out for a walk, what I was searching for exactly I didn’t know. I guess I wanted to find a small piece of the town, city or country I was in that I could call my own, a part of a place that I could feel intrinsically without the help of a history or travel guide to show me its importance.
And I found it.
On my walks I would naturally gravitate to neighborhoods that were far from the Champs-Elysees, or the Spanish Steps. These were the neighborhoods of just regular people and I would walk thru their parks with them as they came home from work, wander the aisles of grocery stores as they thought about preparing dinner and sit down to eat with them at their local cafés.
And I loved it.
Those walks recharged my batteries. I recognized my own life in theirs and yet also saw how it was a bit different. It may have been normal everyday life but it was in another place around the world and to me that made it extraordinary.
I also found something that I was finally good at. I was good at connecting with people, of recognizing their subtleties and appreciating them for it. I wanted to look for what made a place more human and therefore intimate, looking past a Classical, Baroque or Renaissance façade to find out what was happening now. How were the people today? Yes we all know that Michelangelo was a genius but what about that older gentleman over there roasting chestnuts by the Vatican? How long has he had his tiny cart on that corner? What do his hands look like? Has he ever seen the Pope?
For me it’s rarely the big ticket items of travel but the hidden jewels of humanity that plant tiny seeds which grow deep in my soul.
So I guess that would be my focus as I approach every place I am lucky enough to go to. I love being somewhere where I am the only person who looks like me in the room. I don’t speak the language and I barely understand what is going on but now it’s up to me to find out, it’s my job as a traveler to figure out how to connect with the people and discover their culture. I learn about them and I learn a lot about myself in the process.
I’ve also learned that travel is not a luxury but a necessity. We need to travel. We are all trying to figure out who we are in this life we’ve been given and nothing gives us that opportunity like travel. It doesn’t have to be big trips 5,000 miles away for months at a time. It really can just be a weekend trip, two hours from your hometown. Because no matter where or how far you go, travel marks a new beginning a chance to open our minds and see things in a different light.
As I write this I am 35,000 feet above the earth, I just passed the Arctic bay a few hours ago and the sky is slowly turning that orangey-pink you see in Impressionist paintings. I’m coming home from a trip to Thailand and Cambodia. It was an amazing adventure but after being gone for 25 days I am really ready to be home. I am so close that the plane and “New York” finally appear together on the flight map showing on the tiny screen in front of me. Soon I’ll see my husband of three years and my cat of 17. Soon my days of exploring 800 year old Cambodian temples and hanging out with Thai elephants will be replaced with sorting thru mail, picking up dry cleaning, meeting up with friends and lying on the couch watching reality television.
It’s my everyday life and it’s extraordinary.
Thanks A Lot Again…
You will want to acquire your thread that matches……
We should make sure that excursion coming from a first of all over the internet selling Uggs Deal, toward the final shipping charges of your respective galoshes is just as very soft as feasible
I’m writing to make you understand of the superb experience my wife’s princess enjoyed browsing your site. She came to understand plenty of pieces, which included what it’s like to possess an awesome teaching heart to let folks really easily completely grasp chosen hard to do subject areas. You undoubtedly exceeded our expected results. Thank you for showing such essential, trusted, explanatory as well as unique guidance on that topic to Jane.
pretty decent web website…
F*ckin’ remarkable points one more. I’m extremely happy to appear the particular post. Thank which you lot in addition to i’m having a anticipate touch a great person. Do you plan to please crash personally nearly every mail?…
Marketing…
In today’s beautiful evening I found new, which suspiciously made me….
delinquent write-up…
It might be ideal sufficient time to produce several choices afterwards furthermore involved with it genuinely is time towards possibly wound up being delighted. I have observe that write-up in case I in reality might truthfully Their sooo wish to sugg…
YouTube video lessons are famous in entire globe, because it is the leading video sharing website, and I turn out to be too cheerful by watching YouTube video tutorials.
OBpiOI Im thankful for the article post.Much thanks again. Want more.
I savour, result in I discovered exactly what I was taking a look for. You’ve ended my four day long hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye
pleasant released item…
I’m favorable always conducting a search online regarding articles that could benefit every final person. Many say thanks in order to people!…
Thorn of Girl…
Very good info can be identified on this website website….
significant info…
Hey merely wished to offer a helpful mind upwards additionally notify you most pictures aren’t creating effectively. I’m not necessarily certain how arrive however Anways, i actually think the nation’s any establishing problem. I’ve tested out this…
reliable as internet sites…
I like all you males can become right max in add-on. A lot of those smart get the job done plus insurance programs safety! Carry with the outstanding goes males Nowadays you will find enclosed one genuinely males kid this specific blogroll. There’s ob…
I hope you liked this post
Great Photos!!!!!!!!!!!1