FINALLY BACK TO WRITING

Well...it has been some time since I last wrote anything for my blog.

SORRY!

A fun little blending of my cities…can you identify them?

I meant to keep up with my writing, but all sorts of events got in the way. So much has happened over the last 18months that there is much to catch up on. I guess one advantage now is that I have a ton of things I can write about.

But where to start? That is really the question.

To be honest, I am not really sure where to start. On one side, there are the events that have unfolded since my last blog entry. On the other hand, there are the realizations, haha, nothing profound, but interesting, nonetheless. All of these, in theory, present worthy writing materials. Yet the question still remains: where do I start? Which story makes it onto paper first?

Side note: Can we still call it "makes it onto the paper"? We are so digital nowadays that I doubt much is penned on paper anymore. I, myself, doubt I could write all this with pen and paper; my poor hand would probably cramp shortly after the first page.

But I digress.

An image from my “Going Home Drunk” image series.

I thought about this for a while, trying to figure out how best to sort through all the elements and regale you with stories. Sounds a little presumptuous to assume that I regale anyone; a more apt phrasing would probably include words of hope and wishfulness. Anywho…I hope I reach some of you and that you, who do read my stories, find some humour and interest in them.

At some point, my best guess and recollection, most likely over a late-night glass of whiskey, it dawned on me that I might be approaching this deliberation too methodically. I should just start writing; I can piece it together later, rearrange the order, or even simply post it in the order I write.

So, where to start? Yes, I know, not the first time I have asked this question.

Haha, I am still none the wiser. Also, this blog entry is not big enough to contain all of it. I will just go with the flow and see where it takes me. I will lob chunks of the stories into different posts and try to keep a good narrative flowing through them.

For now, I will stick to laying out some groundwork of what these "catch-up" blog posts will cover.

So, let's see...one of the major events in 2024 was a fundamental change to how my life is structured. "I sort of moved" about sums it up. Yeah, I know, what could I possibly mean with “sort of” and wait, did I say "moved"? It is a point of perspective. I have become more of a digital nomad. I can work remotely and find clients around the world. But when you become a digital nomad, can you say that you moved, or is it more of an ongoing traveling? (Topic for another blog, maybe.)

Let me try to explain my current “sort of moved" state. I am now a legal resident on three different continents. I have a base of operations on each, and bounce back and forth between them. Each provides me with shelter and a place to store enough of my things that I can basically travel suitcase-free between them.

On a more personal level, I had a deeper realization of what makes me tick and motivates me. Sounds soul-searching, if nothing else. Funnily, I didn't retreat, meditate, or actually try to soul-search. This was much more a side swipe, unpremeditated, totally unexpected, and spawned from a source I never expected it from.

I was reading a book written by one of my all-time favourite comedians, the immeasurable and ever so very Scottish Sir Billy Connolly. I was regaling in and laughing my way through his book "Rambling Man". A book filled with his stories. A veritable rambling of his mind and memories. All with the purpose of explaining why he sees himself as a rambling man. Not to cause any spoilers, and while he does ramble in a speaking sense, he refers to being “a rambling man" more in the sense of a person who needs to be on the move all the time. Sort of a nomad, I guess.

Billy Connolly’s book “Rambling Man, my life on the road”

This book is a real cracker, to use one of Billy’s many ways of describing things. “Rambling Man: My Life on the Road” is a 2023 non-fiction travel memoir by Scottish comedian and musician Billy Connolly, chronicling his global adventures and philosophy of being a "Rambling Man," a free spirit who lives on the road, exploring the world with curiosity and humor. It is well worth the read, and it will have you laughing with Billy all the way through.

As he pulled me through his stories, it slowly dawned on me that he was talking about me. Well, not really me, yet his essential point of explaining why he sees himself as a "rambling man" was just as clearly painting the picture that I was one too.

What is a "Rambling Man," you might ask. For one, as mentioned, it is not "one who talks too much," although that might apply to Billy, the man sure can talk and give you side stitches from laughing when he does. This rambling man is one who is driven by the need to travel, one who is most alive when on the road.

“Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I’ve met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights, and I’ve rarely come across something I couldn’t get a laugh at. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad trip[…]” – Sir Billy Connolly

Billy has wandered to every corner of the earth and believes that being a

“[…]Rambling Man is about more than just travelling, it’s a state of mind. Rambling Men and Women are free spirits who live on their wits, are interested in people, and are endlessly curious about the world. They love to play music, make art, or tell stories along the way, but above all, they have a longing in their heart for the open road.” – Sir Billy Connolly

Yeah, that's me in a nutshell. I come alive on the road. Even traveling for work has always felt like a partial vacation. I was off and away, on the road as they like to say. Off to new places, see new things, experience something different from the daily routine, and meet new people and listen to their stories.

The poster advertising one of my exhibitions

Intertwined into the two aforementioned themes is my professional development. Both "sort of moved" and being a "rambling man" fuelled my drive to make some changes to my professional tapestry. More of a reshuffling of how I earn my keep. Until now, the majority of my business has been more geographically localized. Maybe this will all make more sense once I explain in more detail. Any type of relocation or roaming around the world would necessitate a less geographically bound income stream. I was not going to give up photography, so I had to find a way to earn a living as a photographer that would function best for my new lifestyle.

As you can see, there is much to write about. Some chronicling of what has actually happened, how I am progressing with my plans, and just some stories and introspections that helped me get to where I am now. All this will generate a bunch of blog entries. A lot of this is still work in progress, a learning experience, wrought with uncertainties, possible mistakes, and an unknown result. Really exciting if you ask me. It is motivating me to go for it!

I hope these ramblings to come will reach some of you and be enjoyable to you, my readers.

Thrown into these will also be topics that are solely focused on photography, as I have written in the past, and not to forget, also some travel-focused blogs.