Explorations

Just one of many Explorations, I designed this chessboard after wondering why chessboards have to be flat. Start with “why?” and you never know where you’ll end
Here you’ll find insights and observations on what I’m learning as I try new experiences and offer exercises, experiments and expeditions for you to try as well.
Think of it as behind-the-scenes explorations on new ways of learning by learning new things.
Our starting Explorations are in Food, Photography, The Art of Craft and, of course, Travel.
Come back soon for more.
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How many hidden worlds lie in your own backyard? More than you may realize. Literally, if you were to pay close attention to all the details of your home or backyard, you’d be amazed by what you find. Xavier de Maistre did just that. Journey around your own room In 1790, de Maistre wrote a book, A Journey Around My Room. According to Alain de Botton in one of…
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You travel far off any known tourist map to encounter what you believe will be a unique travel experience. No one there speaks your language or appears to have ever encountered a Westerner before. You learn enough of the local language which, combined with gestures worthy of Marcel Marceau or an Academy Award, get you by. You come home from this seemingly unique travel experience. You post stories…
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Learning how to use textures in Photoshop has been one of the best ways I’ve found to add interest to some otherwise so-so images. In particular, applying textures in Photoshop to travel photos can add depth and meaning to your trip images. How? Because you’re able to add associations to the image that may convey more of how you felt when you captured the image than the photo…
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How do you get the most out of a guidebook? In today’s interconnected world, you wonder if the guidebook itself is becoming an anachronism, a throwback to a time when people read actual newspapers and a social network usually involved a potluck. So I’m less concerned with the medium in which the information is presented – books, printouts of PDFs, downloadable e-books, podcasts, phone apps or live access…
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The best travel advice is to find advice that works for you. Here’s a useful bit of advice that can help you plan a trip and not be overwhelmed by all the details.
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Taking time for small, unplanned, “unnecessary” trips may be more necessary than you think.
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