Hey, look – it’s my little bro! I took this shot of my brother, Michael, while we were wandering around Boulder, Colorado a few years ago. I was going for a band-album-insert-artwork vibe (you know, like a band member bio photo), and I think we accomplished that.
Alternate title: “Photos of the Backs of People’s Heads.”
In honor of the last days of summer and perhaps a very belated nod to Shark Week (although no sharks were seen on this trip), here are a few photos from my deep-sea fishing adventure in Florida a few years ago. Despite my strong distaste for early mornings, I decided to give this type of fishing a try along with Chris, his brother, and step-brother. And on that note, why does fishing have to take place so early anyway?! Isn’t the ocean there all day long? Sigh. But there I was, up at the crack of dawn to head out from Jupiter into the sea in search of my first big catch. We chartered a boat with Chris’s dad’s friend who offered to teach us the finer points of deep-sea fishing. The weather that day was gorgeous, although the ride out over the huge waves challenged my ability to keep my breakfast down.
Once we arrived at the designated spot, we each took turns playing angler. That rod was much heavier than I expected! If you’re looking for a new upper-body/arms workout, this is it. I admit to being a little sore the next day.
Steve had the best luck skill out of anyone – he managed to snag a marlin! It’s hard to see in the photos because we didn’t take it all the way out of the water. He (the marlin) was putting up a really good fight.
And not to be outdone by a bunch of boys, I caught my very own fish, too! I’m told it was “just” a bonito fish, but it was exciting to me nonetheless. And for something so small, compared to the marlin at least, it was a TON of work reeling that sucker into the boat. I can totally appreciate the appeal of fishing now, and I’d go again sometime if I have the opportunity!
“Fish,” he said, “I love you and respect you very much. But I will kill you dead before this day ends.” – Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea (Actually, I put him/her back in the water right after our photo op.)
Chris and I traveled together for the first time to Corolla, North Carolina in 1999. Fifteen years ago, people! We have been traveling together as a couple for fifteen years. Wow. So in honor of that milestone, I scanned some very dusty 35mm film prints from our Outer Banks trip. Chris’s mom rented an awesome house in Corolla and graciously invited me to stay with them for the week, and it was an amazing vacation. We spent lazy days on the beach, shopped in the cute little towns nearby, ate and drank our way through the week, and spent quality time with Chris’s family. The weather was so gorgeous with the exception of one short and sudden downpour while Chris and I were walking on beach – we still remember running home through the massive sheets of rain. Despite the many islands and beaches we’ve traveled to since then, the Outer Banks still remains one of my favorite places and this trip holds a special place in my heart.
I’m trying to remember exactly where I saw this building, but I do remember it was in Maryland on the way to photograph a wedding. It was such a gorgeous day, and this message lifted me up! I pulled over for a quick iPhone photo before heading to the ceremony.
All of the trips I’ve taken for the past fifteen years, whether for fun or for work, have been documented in a travel journal with the form of guided prompts like, “What I (We) enjoyed most,” and “Most memorable event.” I purchased this spiral-bound Journals Unlimited travel journal in Duck, North Carolina on my first vacation with Chris back in 1999. I’ve been using the book for every single trip ever since, and filling it out it has become a huge tradition with Chris and me, and also with friends when we travel together.
I think I misunderstood the layout of the book when I first bought it – I’m pretty sure each page was meant to cover one whole trip, but from Day 1 I used a single page to represent each day of a trip and have continued that format for the past 15 years (except for short weekend getaways). For that reason, I’m actually on my second copy of the spiral-bound journal and it’s nearly full.
While traveling, I wrap up the day by turning to a fresh new page in the book and answering each of the guided questions about the day’s events. When I’m traveling with someone else, I read the questions out loud and we answer them together. Now that I type it out, it sounds cheesy and maybe even painfully dorky, but somehow it ends up being a really fun way to recount the funniest, craziest, and most memorable moments of the day.
You might wonder why I write in a journal when I also write blog posts, but there are things in the journal that don’t make it into the blog posts and vice versa. The books are filled with odd inside jokes, hilarious quotes heard throughout the trips, along with accounts of travel shenanigans and unforgettable memories. I’ve always loved documenting in various formats and I want to remember as much of my travels as possible, so for me there’s room for both in addition to my photos and more recently my videos.
The hardcover journal with its giant spiral is heavy and awkward to pack and I wish the company made a more travel friendly design, but I still love the format and I’ve brought it with me on almost 60 trips. The last couple of times I’ve printed out the questions on a few sheets of paper and brought that instead to save space, but the tradition continues and I can’t wait to add 60 more trips!
What about you? Do you write in a travel journal or keep record of your trips in another way (scrapbook, blog, photo book, etc.)?