For the last 5 months or so I’ve been talking pretty big; building foundations, achieving dreams, getting your ass in gear, and moving forward. I’ve gone on and on about how for the next six months I want to be a travel photographer searching for business opportunities around Asia. What exactly that entailed didn’t become clear to me until I hefted the backpack onto my shoulders. My eyes bulged slightly as the rubber met the road.
I have to say, it is quite scary how fast weight adds up. I’ve done some backpacking around Japan before but nothing really prepared me for what I put on my back. Tent, sleeping bag, clothes, camera, cooking gear, odds and ends, it felt like there was a ten year old with his arms around my neck and legs around my waist. It was then I had to chuckle, with a few tears, because I saw that I still hadn’t put my computer in yet.
I realized as I adjusted straps and balanced weights (as well as chucking out a few less vital pieces of equipment) that being a traveling photographer with my life on my back wasn’t going to be as simple as I had been making them out to be. Or rather I should say I realized that my idea, despite coming this far, was going to take a lot more work to become (and stay) reality. A thirty minute trek around the neighborhood drilled that into my head and I was reminded for hours afterward by tender muscles.
As I lug around my new kid (I am taking suggestions for names) I will have to make a decision with every destination I chose and every step I take whether to give up or go on. Not to mention that my backpack is only one of many challenges that I am going to have to face on a daily basis. It is both scary and exciting, with the ratio of fear to excitement in constant flux. Right now, though, having just gone through 3 sleepless nights (cherry blossom viewing party –hanami-, goodbye party, final cleaning before move-out) and 2 weeks of endless stress I just want to get going (and get some sleep).
Unfortunately my trip will have to be put on hold for 2 weeks as I take a 12,000 mile detour to the U.S. for personal reasons. Some challenges we can choose whether or not to face, others we have to face whether we want to or not.
But it is official; I am now the Tramp Royal looking for my next adventure. For those of you interested in exactly what equipment and stuff I’ll be cavorting around with I’ll be letting you know in an upcoming post.
Days left to departure: 0 (2 weeks)
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