Well, I've finally done it - I've posted photos from all of the places I've traveled to.
(At least, all the ones I've traveled to since 2005, when I got my own digital camera and started organizing my photos on the computer. Somewhere there are photos of other places I've visited - but they were trips I took with my family in elementary school and middle school, and either I didn't take the photos myself or I otherwise don't have easy access to them in digital form.)
My point is, that I am all out of source material to post about. I am far from out of source material to use in artwork - very few of the photographs I've posted on this blog have actually been made into drawings or paintings so far, and I still have a lot I could work with for future works - but as for photographs to sort through and post here, my digital folders have run dry.
It's been a long time since I've traveled anywhere or had a "vacation" to speak of. My husband and I join his family in Virginia Beach every year for a week, so we do have that. But rarely do I take photos on that vacation, since we stay in the same place and go to the same beach that we do every year. I've already taken those photos; there is no need to take photos of the same things again.
Lately I have been trying to capture "local" moments. I take photos of the plants in my own front and back yard, or in my parent's or grandma's yard, or at nearby parks, or the landscaping and gardens along Main Street, or the Detroit Riverwalk, or other lovely local places - even supermarkets and local nurseries that have bouquets and potted plants for sale. I have also made a list of gardens around Michigan that might be fun to take a "day trip" to photograph some weekend; maybe one day soon I'll start in on that list.
But the fact remains that it's been a while since my husband and I have traveled anywhere; we certainly haven't traveled internationally since our honeymoon, which was almost five years ago now (!) - not counting Canada, of course, which we did drive through on a short road trip to upstate New York for a wedding. For a while, I was crossing the Atlantic every couple years. I went to France in 2005, I studied abroad in Switzerland/Italy/Greece in 2008, I joined my husband's family on a cruise to Spain/France/Italy/Croatia in 2010, and my husband and I honeymooned in Greece in 2011. But since 2011, we haven't left Good Ol' North America.
We went on an extensive road trip in 2012 - but we crammed it all into a week, so we hardly had time to really settle in or look around in any one place for more than a few hours. We drove to upstate New York for the aforementioned wedding - again, crammed into a weekend. We've driven to see my husband's family near Chicago, Illinois several times over several weekends. And we go to Virginia Beach for a week every year. But that has been the extent of our Married Life Travels so far.
Part of the reason we haven't traveled much has to do with finances. I wasn't working for much of that time, or only working part-time, and my husband was not getting paid enough working as a high school teacher. We also had little time to travel - even though he got summers off as a teacher, he had to do a lot of prep work for the next school year and was often taking summer/evening classes to work on his two Masters. We also prioritized buying a house over travel, investing money and time in our house in Rochester Hills - adding landscaping, getting a new roof and new siding and new installation. And then we got a puppy - which made traveling even harder.
I don't know when we'll plan our next big trip, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. For the longest time France was my biggest item on my Travel Bucket List; then, once I visited France, it was replaced with Italy. I wanted to see art, and the cities that saw so many important art movements and nurtured so many artists. Now that I've been to the Mediterranean three times (!) those are no longer priorities.
My current Travel Bucket List is as follows -
IN NORTH AMERICA:
1. New York City. I've never been! And for someone who is into looking at art museums and who loves live theater, this is an obvious travesty.
2. Harry Potter World. My husband and I have been talking about making a trip down to Orlando to see the Harry Potter World for ages. One of these days it'll happen!
3. Holland, Michigan. It's only a few hours away, but I have yet to make it to Holland during its renowned tulip season! This could even be a little weekend trip and is totally doable - if the husband and I just schedule it right for peak tulip color. Think of all the floral photo opportunities!
4. Hawaii. Not exactly North America, perhaps, since it's way out there in the Pacific. And I am a little concerned about the Burn Factor. But maybe the heat/sun wouldn't be so unbearable if it was a winter trip? I'm sure they have lots of lovely gardens to see out there!
5. San Francisco & Vancouver. Cities on the Pacific that I've never visited.
6. Philadelphia. My family went on a road trip that included Pennsylvania when I was in middle school - but the stops we made were only for Pittsburgh (to see a friend), Hershey Park, and Gettysburg. We missed Philly!
7. Stratford, Ontario. I have been several times to this little town with a Shakespearean-inspired theater, on field trips in high school. But high school was ten years ago, and some day I would like to return to see another play.
INTERNATIONALLY:
1. The U.K. & Ireland. I've covered the Mediterranean pretty well, but haven't been to Northern Europe. I would love to visit England, Ireland, and Scotland - for the nature, the landscapes, the gardens, the castles, London, and yeah - perhaps a tour of Important Harry Potter sites, as well. :)
2. The Netherlands. For the same reason I always wanted to visit France and Ireland, I'd love to visit Amsterdam and check out it's art museums and art history.
3. Eastern Europe: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland. Yes, I have already been to Switzerland - but it was only Zurich, and it was for only two days. My father's ancestors came from a little German-speaking town in Switzerland many many generations ago, but it would be kind of cool to go see it anyway, though I know nobody there. I bet there are also some lovely landscapes and castles and gardens around near the Alps. Similarly, I'd love to see Germany. I've only been to the Frankfurt airport; I'd love to explore Munich or Berlin. My uncle recently took a river cruise down the Rhine and his photos looked really beautiful. I know Germany has some great forests and castles and charming towns. And while I'm in the area, might as well check out Vienna, Austria, or maybe Budapest, Hungary... All the non-Mediterranean cities I haven't visited yet.
4. Sweden, Finland, Norway. Some sort of Fjord cruise would be really beautiful I bet. I know next to nothing about these countries and what there is to do for a tourist, but if I cross off England, Scotland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Poland... somewhere in these three Scandinavian countries would probably be next on my list.
5. Spain. I have been to Barcelona, it's true. But Spain's a pretty big country, with other big cities to explore and plenty of interesting art history.
6. Russia, Turkey, Morocco. I've considered these places before, but don't know if I'll ever actually make it there. I'd love to see some of the major cities, like St. Petersburg, Moscow, Istanbul, Marakesh - the places I always see on TV, with the awesome architecture and colorful marketplaces. But I'm also a little wary to travel to places that aren't exactly the most politically stable/safe and friendly toward American tourists, especially when said American tourists known very little about the countries. Maybe if I did enough research and looked into exactly what I would like to see (and the best ways to do so), I could make one of those trips work out some day.
I realize all/most of these are in Europe... And I am not against traveling to Asia or Africa or South America some day. I just know so little about the world outside of North America/Europe that I haven't learned anything that has really sparked my interest to want to travel there yet. It's Western bias, I know; but I spent semesters upon semesters being fed anecdotes and histories and slides of artwork from the Western world and getting excited about all there was to see. I find that I get the most out of a trip if I know something of it's history; if I know what I'm looking at. And even if I were to find a way to easily/safely explore Asia or Africa or South America (i.e. with a local guide, or at least someone who spoke the language and/or knew the area and what things I should be looking out for), I still wouldn't really understand what I was looking at.
And also I am super pale and burn easily, so the closer something gets to the equator, the more I'm Not Sure if I actually want to travel there. Southern Italy and Greece were already bad enough for my poor skin... ;)
(At least, all the ones I've traveled to since 2005, when I got my own digital camera and started organizing my photos on the computer. Somewhere there are photos of other places I've visited - but they were trips I took with my family in elementary school and middle school, and either I didn't take the photos myself or I otherwise don't have easy access to them in digital form.)
My point is, that I am all out of source material to post about. I am far from out of source material to use in artwork - very few of the photographs I've posted on this blog have actually been made into drawings or paintings so far, and I still have a lot I could work with for future works - but as for photographs to sort through and post here, my digital folders have run dry.
It's been a long time since I've traveled anywhere or had a "vacation" to speak of. My husband and I join his family in Virginia Beach every year for a week, so we do have that. But rarely do I take photos on that vacation, since we stay in the same place and go to the same beach that we do every year. I've already taken those photos; there is no need to take photos of the same things again.
Lately I have been trying to capture "local" moments. I take photos of the plants in my own front and back yard, or in my parent's or grandma's yard, or at nearby parks, or the landscaping and gardens along Main Street, or the Detroit Riverwalk, or other lovely local places - even supermarkets and local nurseries that have bouquets and potted plants for sale. I have also made a list of gardens around Michigan that might be fun to take a "day trip" to photograph some weekend; maybe one day soon I'll start in on that list.
But the fact remains that it's been a while since my husband and I have traveled anywhere; we certainly haven't traveled internationally since our honeymoon, which was almost five years ago now (!) - not counting Canada, of course, which we did drive through on a short road trip to upstate New York for a wedding. For a while, I was crossing the Atlantic every couple years. I went to France in 2005, I studied abroad in Switzerland/Italy/Greece in 2008, I joined my husband's family on a cruise to Spain/France/Italy/Croatia in 2010, and my husband and I honeymooned in Greece in 2011. But since 2011, we haven't left Good Ol' North America.
We went on an extensive road trip in 2012 - but we crammed it all into a week, so we hardly had time to really settle in or look around in any one place for more than a few hours. We drove to upstate New York for the aforementioned wedding - again, crammed into a weekend. We've driven to see my husband's family near Chicago, Illinois several times over several weekends. And we go to Virginia Beach for a week every year. But that has been the extent of our Married Life Travels so far.
Part of the reason we haven't traveled much has to do with finances. I wasn't working for much of that time, or only working part-time, and my husband was not getting paid enough working as a high school teacher. We also had little time to travel - even though he got summers off as a teacher, he had to do a lot of prep work for the next school year and was often taking summer/evening classes to work on his two Masters. We also prioritized buying a house over travel, investing money and time in our house in Rochester Hills - adding landscaping, getting a new roof and new siding and new installation. And then we got a puppy - which made traveling even harder.
I don't know when we'll plan our next big trip, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming. For the longest time France was my biggest item on my Travel Bucket List; then, once I visited France, it was replaced with Italy. I wanted to see art, and the cities that saw so many important art movements and nurtured so many artists. Now that I've been to the Mediterranean three times (!) those are no longer priorities.
My current Travel Bucket List is as follows -
IN NORTH AMERICA:
1. New York City. I've never been! And for someone who is into looking at art museums and who loves live theater, this is an obvious travesty.
2. Harry Potter World. My husband and I have been talking about making a trip down to Orlando to see the Harry Potter World for ages. One of these days it'll happen!
3. Holland, Michigan. It's only a few hours away, but I have yet to make it to Holland during its renowned tulip season! This could even be a little weekend trip and is totally doable - if the husband and I just schedule it right for peak tulip color. Think of all the floral photo opportunities!
4. Hawaii. Not exactly North America, perhaps, since it's way out there in the Pacific. And I am a little concerned about the Burn Factor. But maybe the heat/sun wouldn't be so unbearable if it was a winter trip? I'm sure they have lots of lovely gardens to see out there!
5. San Francisco & Vancouver. Cities on the Pacific that I've never visited.
6. Philadelphia. My family went on a road trip that included Pennsylvania when I was in middle school - but the stops we made were only for Pittsburgh (to see a friend), Hershey Park, and Gettysburg. We missed Philly!
7. Stratford, Ontario. I have been several times to this little town with a Shakespearean-inspired theater, on field trips in high school. But high school was ten years ago, and some day I would like to return to see another play.
INTERNATIONALLY:
1. The U.K. & Ireland. I've covered the Mediterranean pretty well, but haven't been to Northern Europe. I would love to visit England, Ireland, and Scotland - for the nature, the landscapes, the gardens, the castles, London, and yeah - perhaps a tour of Important Harry Potter sites, as well. :)
2. The Netherlands. For the same reason I always wanted to visit France and Ireland, I'd love to visit Amsterdam and check out it's art museums and art history.
3. Eastern Europe: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland. Yes, I have already been to Switzerland - but it was only Zurich, and it was for only two days. My father's ancestors came from a little German-speaking town in Switzerland many many generations ago, but it would be kind of cool to go see it anyway, though I know nobody there. I bet there are also some lovely landscapes and castles and gardens around near the Alps. Similarly, I'd love to see Germany. I've only been to the Frankfurt airport; I'd love to explore Munich or Berlin. My uncle recently took a river cruise down the Rhine and his photos looked really beautiful. I know Germany has some great forests and castles and charming towns. And while I'm in the area, might as well check out Vienna, Austria, or maybe Budapest, Hungary... All the non-Mediterranean cities I haven't visited yet.
4. Sweden, Finland, Norway. Some sort of Fjord cruise would be really beautiful I bet. I know next to nothing about these countries and what there is to do for a tourist, but if I cross off England, Scotland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Poland... somewhere in these three Scandinavian countries would probably be next on my list.
5. Spain. I have been to Barcelona, it's true. But Spain's a pretty big country, with other big cities to explore and plenty of interesting art history.
6. Russia, Turkey, Morocco. I've considered these places before, but don't know if I'll ever actually make it there. I'd love to see some of the major cities, like St. Petersburg, Moscow, Istanbul, Marakesh - the places I always see on TV, with the awesome architecture and colorful marketplaces. But I'm also a little wary to travel to places that aren't exactly the most politically stable/safe and friendly toward American tourists, especially when said American tourists known very little about the countries. Maybe if I did enough research and looked into exactly what I would like to see (and the best ways to do so), I could make one of those trips work out some day.
I realize all/most of these are in Europe... And I am not against traveling to Asia or Africa or South America some day. I just know so little about the world outside of North America/Europe that I haven't learned anything that has really sparked my interest to want to travel there yet. It's Western bias, I know; but I spent semesters upon semesters being fed anecdotes and histories and slides of artwork from the Western world and getting excited about all there was to see. I find that I get the most out of a trip if I know something of it's history; if I know what I'm looking at. And even if I were to find a way to easily/safely explore Asia or Africa or South America (i.e. with a local guide, or at least someone who spoke the language and/or knew the area and what things I should be looking out for), I still wouldn't really understand what I was looking at.
And also I am super pale and burn easily, so the closer something gets to the equator, the more I'm Not Sure if I actually want to travel there. Southern Italy and Greece were already bad enough for my poor skin... ;)
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