Friday, March 27, 2009

Its a Trip.

A Long December

If you were unaware, I am planning on taking the month of June away from regular life and driving off "to look for America". I've wanted to take a cross country trip ever since graduating from high school, talking about it frequently but never quite committing. It wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that there is never enough free time to do the things you want to do, you have to MAKE the time. So I am.

Its been flattering over the last three years or so to be contacted by models, photographers, and other fans of my work saying that they would love to meet and/or work with me if ever in my area or vice versa. Ever since officially deciding to take this trip last Fall I have been in contact with many of them, and my only regret so far is that I will not be able to meet them all.

I love interaction with new, interesting, creatively challenging people, and I am continually pleasantly surprised at just how many kick-ass people I have been in contact with recently around the country. West Virginia, Montana, Florida, and surprisingly Omaha, Nebraska all look to be absolutely wonderful and exciting additions to a trip that is already taking on a life of it's own. One of my only concerns, aside from the money running out, is how my stamina is going to hold up traveling from place to place, no real time to linger in any given area for more than a day.

For as much as I love traveling free of restrictions and complications, I do find that after some of my great and legendary trips my only regret is that I've taken them alone (aside from the Neff Trips, paperback coming out soon). From peaks of mountains in Costa Rica to countless breathtaking sunsets in Oregon, it would be nice to have a memory of sharing those with someone rather than remembering long moments of thoughtfulness and lonesome introspection. Still, those were lovely, undeniably wonderful times.

In two months I foresee laying my eyes upon glorious moments of beauty and simplicity, unexpected miracles of life and nature, fun, wild, nervous and hectic moments of hilarity, all peppered bitter sweetly with visions of home, or lost friends, or you. I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

5 comments:

  1. OOOOOOOOO Hope I'm one for your stops!! Poor ole me here in the cold cold cape...HEHEHE am I getting any pity at all from you..HEHE....Thats gonna be an awesome trip! You're going to have so so so many awesome shots I can't wait....its as if we'll all be on the trip along with you...you sharing the images and stories from the trip will definitly put us there..

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  2. Well, cheer up my dear. We know you won't be alone, for at least 2 or 3 of those days... :)

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  3. Any chance you're coming to VA?!?!!?!?!?

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  4. i keep an eye on your stuff on flickr and have always dug your work (i'm www.flickr.com/photos/mpadkins on there). if you roll through west virginia (near ohio and kentucky), you're welcome to crash at my place. i live in a little garage apartment with a roommate and my two dogs, but we have a bad ass sofa bed at your disposal.

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