Life on Location.
In our last newsletter, I shared with you our new sponsor Cinebags. When I received the box with all my goodies in it, I was excited about everything sent to me. It is always fun getting new gear for your travels.
I can't wait to use it all.
However, what stood out for me was their product Thank You card and the small catalog in the box, promoting all their bags and merchandise. On the cards and catalogs were images of their gear, out in the world, being used by people just like me and you - experiencing life, with the words, Life on Location on it.
Life on Location is the company's motto or tagline. Their motto and their catalog got me so fired up. As I looked at those images and read those words, my mind magically transported me to my next adventure. I felt travel anxiety and wanted to be out there right now.
Receiving that package was an experience. I loved it.
Markus (the owner of Cinebags), left me in awe of not only his product but his storytelling abilities. I was sitting there, with my mind racing about my own storytelling skills, hoping that is what we are able to do when we share experiences with you all.
Jaguar off the Northern Pantanal, Brazil.
Every time I share images or write a trip report or a travel blog, my goal is to hopefully transport you to wherever it is we are. I want you to feel the excitement we feel when we photograph or find the animals we are looking for, helping you long for your own adventures.
I am sure we do not always accomplish this, but I hope that most of what we put out into the world gets you fired up. Of course, sometimes I think I over-share by writing about our bad days - talking about terrible seas or days that the animals do not show up.
Beluga whales in the Churchill River. Churchill, Canada.
That is not good business, I am told.
But to me, if I just shared only the good things from our adventures, my stories wouldn't be stories, they would be fairy tale sales pitches, and that is not me.
We have good days and bad days. That is just life and the reality of looking for wild things. I know our job when we write is to transport you to a magical place, but those far away sites are real, and this is not Disney - they sometimes have crappy weather and hard-to-find animals.
Off the Beaten Path. Searching for anacondas on the Southern Pantanal, Brazil.
That is just part of the job, and what makes each interaction so special.
To find the animals we photograph takes work. They are wild and free, and sometimes nature is not kind.
Leopard shark diving off La Jolla Shores, California.
Night safari off Borneo Malaysia.
For me, it should not be easy, it should be a challenge. So that when you do find them, the emotions you feel are the true reward, and the excitement is just the best.
Of course, when we do find them, those are my favorite stories to write. Journaling my thoughts, and looking at the images we captured at the end of a long exciting day… I am filled with fire as I am writing.
And that fire is what I hope comes out in the writing and images that I share.
Orca diving off Baja, Mexico.
I want to move you so much that you take action in your own life. I want you to create your own memories and write your own stories… all of those perfect and imperfect moments that you will happily carry with you forever.
Thank you for reading.
Crocodile diving off Banco Chinchorro, Mexico.
