The things I’ve seen in my travels would make some run…

I’ve always said that if I stopped traveling tomorrow it would be okay because I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited many parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. But every once in a while I get the urge again, and getting on a plane and going to a far away land is all I can think about. When I travel, I get inspired…to see new things, meet new people, eat familiar and new foods is a great feeling. When I travel, I start to breathe again.

I’ve been traveling solo for the better part of 15 years. I’m a backpacker at heart. I travel with lots of camera equipment and a few changes of clothes, and tend to walk every where I can. I like to move relatively slow because I want to take the time to absorb everything that I come across. And while it gets lonely on the road at times, it affords me all sorts of opportunities to meet people. Now my mom always said “don’t talk to strangers.” Well I did follow her advice for a long time, but once I started traveling on my own, that pretty much went out the window…and talking to the wall has never been an option for me. I like to strike up conversations with the locals, asking them all sorts of food questions. And asking “what’s this?” while pointing with my fingers in open air markets or sidewalk food carts, for example, will be rewarded with all sorts of foods to try and more importantly discuss. Now granted many of my conversations, especially in Asia have required an interpreter or some clumsy form of sign language, which I make up as I go along. The good thing is that food is THE universal language. It’s sensual, and everyone gets it! (more…)