What I’ve Learned from Where I’ve Been
I submitted the image below to the competition that my office of international programs conducted each year upon the students return from study abroad. to be honest I was very much hopeful for the money award that was attached to winning first place; I wasn’t a work study student. Please do not mistake. My intention, my main objective was to submit what I thought was a profile representation of my very weird experience of being in a totally different place in the world. Taking this photo required me to go prone onto the ground. I am not saying this was a dangerous photo to have taken, but I took the time to take in the beauty as best I could in the place that I was. Enjoy the experience that I wanted to share with others when I saw the opportunity, and the fact that winning could possibly pay a few bills is very much icing on top of the proverbial cake. And I did win. First place, an award for which I am grateful, but an experience for which I am much more thankful. Sharing these images was never about the money. It never will be, but it will be an innocent reflection of my thoughts as I trot from one place to another.
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Once I Trot | • Part 1 • Europe, 2014
During the spring of my junior year in undergrad, I studied abroad in Europe. I packed more camera equipment than I did changes of socks—those I could buy after I landed. My first DSLR, a tripod, and six lenses (four of them vintage) filled my barely carry-on-sized backpack. Personal towels served as makeshift padding for the gear, leaving little space for souvenirs. Before and after leaving Austria, I had more photography equipment than clothing. Here are just a few images from my time there.
My time abroad wasn’t a story of extravagant backpacking or fine dining. Limited resources kept me grounded, but where I did go, I savored each moment. When I could, I pulled out my camera to capture an image—a fragment of memory. I travel less these days with my personal and professional focus on caregiving and nursing. But once I trot, I never trot backwards. This series is a testament to the creative eye I carried along the way.
The images here were taken in Austria (including Salzburg and Vienna), Budapest, Prague, and London
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Once I Trot | • Part 2 • Time in NOLA, 2015
While I fancy myself an explorer, I often get wrapped up in personal projects, leaving little room for the simple joy of travel. In 2015, I finally took the opportunity to step away, embarking on a much-needed week-long trip to New Orleans with my then-girlfriend. Both full-time teachers and graduate students at the time, we were juggling demanding schedules and relished the chance to pause and experience the world outside our routines.
Though my camera gear traveled with me, it remained mostly packed away in favor of enjoying the present moment. Yet, as a photographer, I couldn’t resist capturing fragments of the trip. Equipped with my now-defunct Windows phone, known for its innovative manual controls, I captured snapshots of vibrant streets and quiet beauty. This wasn’t a commercial project—just a gallery of memories from an unforgettable journey.
Once I Trot
