atlastrekker.com

Today has been a very emotional day for me. It’s my daughter’s eighth birthday, and I’m a bit sad that I’ve not been able to speak with her in over a month. One of the major bummers about being down here in Baja is that cell phones don’t work most of the time. Communication is really important to me, as I’ve mentioned over and over again, and this one feels like a huge hole for me. What it comes down to is I have a career that takes me away for much of the year and I need to get better about this.

Another emotion that’s been going through my mind is being away from my kids so much. I do get to spend some good quality time with them when I’m home, but the emotional stress of missing yet another birthday or Christmas can wear on my soul pretty heavy at times. I think that what makes the whole thing so difficult is that there are huge parts of me that need to be home with family, but there are equal parts that need to feel constant motion. I realized a long time ago that it’s not running. I have nothing to run from, no skeletons in my closet, and all is peaceful in my life for what may be the first time ever. I wonder if I’ll ever be able to remind myself that life is never easy. The grass is always greener, or so they say.
A funny realization did come to me today. That is, even though I am on a ship cruising hundreds of miles a day through some truly beautiful country, it’s still possible to feel confined. I’ve been almost to a stage of claustrophobia at points today, and had to step out onto the fantail several times for some fresh air. My tiny office/cabin and engine room just cannot offer the space I need right now. Looking back, it seems that maybe this has been the case for me in the past. It seems to come about halfway through my time aboard and hit me like a brick. Sometimes I can’t shake it for the rest of the ride. Others I can pull through and end up on a good note. I’d guess that I just need more practice.

The psychological aspect of this lifestyle is something else. It really does intrigue me. Why do I live like this? Why do so many others? I believe that every person has their place in life, and that I am in mine. I just don’t really understand why.

Getting back to my daughter, my kids and life I really do feel that my relationship is strong with both of my babies. They are growing to be strong people, with a different perspective on life, and maybe that is the gift that I give to them. I know that I’m gone a lot, but I also realize that when I’m with them I am teaching them that there are other things to life than what they get when they are with their mothers. I am in a situation to take them places to teach them and show them things, and I very often do. My kids have been more places and seen more culture in their short lives than many people ever do their whole entire lives. That’s not such a bad thing, right? In essence, they are getting a huge blend of knowing what home feels like, while also seeing what the world is really like. I do feel good about that.

So how will I recoup from losing this time in my daughter’s life? I’ll take the time we do have together and make the very most of it that I can. It’s all that I can do, I believe. Oh, and thanks for letting me vent about this….. I feel much better now.

I’ve added links to two websites I’d like to encourage you all to visit. Flip Niklin is a Nat Geo and more photographer with some amazing whale pics that will blow your mind. As mentioned before, Jack and Rikki Swenson are amazing teachers and their latest pictures of mountain gorrillas in Rwanda are something to see.

Enjoy!

1. Traveling to beautiful places year around.
2. If you are having a bad day at work, you just look outside.
3. The whales. Lots and lots of whales.
4. The 10 second commute.
5. Working with top notch Natural History staff and Photographers.
6. Bio-luminescent Bow Riding Dolphins.
7. Calving Glaciers.
8. Taking a zodiac for a spin, and enjoying things many people never have a chance to see.
9. Summer solstice in Alaska.
10. Going on a trip that people pay thousands of dollars for, but instead they pay you to go.

To the right is a new page I’ve written about my photography. Please take a look.

If you would like to see more, you can always take a look at my albums on Picasa

I put together a trip report for the Bahamas. Please take a look.

There is an excellent article in the Jan/Feb issue of National Geographic Traveler that is a subject which often comes up with people I meet on the road. There are several different types of travelers, and many different views on the way one should go about traveling. One end of the spectrum is the “go with the flow” type, traveling with no plans what-so-ever and leaving the trip up to fate. This person is most likely to have some crazy stories about both the good and bad things that happen along the way. On the other end of the spectrum is the techno traveler, who not only has a fully detailed and very planned trip, but they spend most of the time on their I-phone, laptop or behind the digital camera.

I’m sure that a good many people are just like me, somewhere in the middle. At times I even sway more to one side or the other, but that is mostly dependent on just how comfortable I am where I’m going. There has been several times in recent years where I really wished that I would have planned less and gone with the flow a whole lot more. As I become more used to being a stranger in a strange place, I realize that other than some basic needs that have to be met, I really should just wait to get to where I’m going to plan things out. Having the plane tickets and hotel rooms is pretty important. Of course, there are exemptions from this rule. If you are going on a trip specifically to do something, of course. Sometimes a trip is solely based on the dive site or hiking trail.

Now, on to the subject at hand. There’s quite a bit of talk amongst my traveling friends about whether or not it’s good to focus on taking pictures and writing stories As I’m traveling I usually work on writing and photo’s for part of the time, but I try very hard not to let it control the trip. I enjoy writing about the places I go and the things I do, so it does make the trip more enjoyable for me. There has been times when taking pictures just seems wrong, or I even totally forget to take them! As any one who reads my blog regularly knows, there are often times I DON’T come up with just the perfect shot that explains everything in one picture. This is partly because I lose track and get caught up in the moment, but it’s mostly because I believe that there is more to traveling than having a camera in front of my face the whole time.

Photography has turned into quite a passion of mine, I love it and the amazing things I have been able to capture forever in time. With out a doubt, I would have long forgotten great moments without it. I do hope that in time I’ll be able to select just the right time to snap a photo AND enjoy the moment. I’m sure that there is a way to do this, it’s hard for my mind to wrap around the thought of all of these world renowned writers and photographers traveling around not really seeing anything or enjoying it. I sure hope not for their sake.

Any one out there have information on traveling in Mongolia? It’s starting to look mighty tempting!

I guess it’s time to do some real research on traveling there and see what it looks like.

It’s not so easy to pick out a nice place to go for a few days and relax on the beach. the problem is that there are so many places, and they all cost about the same. I’m a bit over-whelmed at trying to find something.

Do you have any suggestions? Thoughts?

Where would you go to relax in a nice warm place for a while?

Comments would be appreciated!

I’ve added a link to a long time friends website. He’s a PAW fiction writer, and he’s work is pretty highly thought of. Not only by me but many others. Please take a look and buy his stuff!!!

Alright. I updated the pictures in the upper right corner with some from this last Alaska season. Please let me know what you think!

Also I’m working on a trip report from my drive from Utah to California. Stay tuned for that.

In the works as well, I have some video I’m working on putting together for the site.

I picked up some new camera goodies, and will talk about those a bit, too.

In short, there’s a whole lot of updates coming…..