Grand Education

Two days later and I might be only amazed with my daughter.

Hard to believe after witnessing the stunning scenery of Grand Teton National Park.

But it doesn’t compare. I’ve wondered, on this trip, if we’re setting up our 18 week old for bemusement: is the Earth always this volcanic, this dramatic, and full of such strange creatures?

No, I told her tonight at dusk, as the wind rolled through violently and quickly as we watched the trees blow. Pacha Mama gives us more than this. We walk this planet of wonder with privilege. She gives us everything, and it’s best for us to be appreciative.

On this trip, in one of America’s wildest, most surreal places, my daughter is gaining an education.

It is one I’m still receiving, one our species needs to keep seeking. We are a part, one small part, of this glorious planet ecosystem.

Grand Teton will show that to you.

Magnificent Yellowstone

I feel far removed from the fervor of Friday, and I see that as a good thing. Despite the crowds, of which I contribute to, I feel immersed in a foreign land.

I’ve joked to our family that our daughter will have a completely warped sense of the Earth. No dear child, most of the planet’s surface is not covered in volcanic activity, with bison and elk and bears roaming around. This is a special place indeed.

It’s felt so special that I’ve been reluctant to try to capture and summarize my sensations throughout each day here. Simply put, there’s nowhere else on Earth like it.

If we can give in to the natural beauty afforded to us on this planet, if we can let go and see just a little bit further to the horizon… There are no naysayers here, at the pinnacle of national parks, some of the last protected spaces. Tourists and sunscreen diehards like myself can’t preclude any other reaction but awe.

Nature Walks

When I was a high school freshman, I went on a hike with a friend and his dad. He told me to bring headphones (back in the day when you'd lug around an actual CD player if you can believe it). I found it incredibly weird, the three of us walking in the woods silently, each listening to music instead of fully immersing ourselves in nature. I didn't hike with them anymore after that.

And yet today, I'm constantly plugged in to either podcasts or music.

I went for a walk yesterday without headphones for the first time in a long time. It was liberating. I listened to the birds chirping and noticed the different types of trees I passed by. My thoughts were recursive at first, my brain grasping at ways to stay busy. But eventually I was able to simply enjoy the walk for what it was: a stroll through nature.

How often do any of us do that anymore? This basic act was a staple in humanity's daily routine for hundreds of thousands of years, and yet today many of us never walk with nature. I live in the concrete jungle, like an increasing number of humans today. What if a big part of the solution to our problems was just to get out in nature more? No notifications, no human-made sound, just you (and maybe a companion) and the trail.

We didn't grow up in such crowded, concrete conditions as a species. Maybe the cure for our rising animosity is to ditch the CD player and just take the walk. We can still learn from Mother Earth.

Human Duality

We’re smart. We’ve developed complex economies and built incredible infrastructure across the globe. We’re potentially on the verge of creating Artificial General Intelligence. In many parts of the world we live in relatively safe societies of abundance.

But we’re still apes. We still have hair on our skin and limbic systems and biological responses to our environment. We’re still animals. As proud of ourselves as we may be, we get angry and territorial and tribal. We’re flawed. We’re bipedal beasts.

I often think this when I read any sort of psychological or sociological research. That we’re just monkeys studying ourselves, and from a certain cosmological vantage point, it’s comical. We try to reason ourselves into or out of things, but in the end, we’re tied to our primal biology.

But this is part of what makes us so unique, this ability to live within two worlds, the primal and the logical. It’s what drives us to explore and accomplish and create. We help each other. We make art. And we contemplate our place in the universe. We started surviving the savannah and now perceive black holes and distant galaxies. 

It is on this grandest of stages we must consider our predicament. We are the tension between animalistic and logical. We are conscious creatures making sense of ourselves and our place among the stars. We are imperfect, but nonetheless a miracle. What’s next?

From Fear to Wonder

I don't think I'll ever forget that jolt of fear when I first opened my eyes under the water. The thing coming toward me was massive, and I felt naked, exposed, powerless... and just pure terror.

It had taken a lot longer to reach the spot than originally planned--we probably sped along in our motorboat for close to 2 hours before we reached the seemingly innocuous patch of open ocean. This was off the coast of Quintana Roo, near Cancun, Mexico. Finally, we had arrived. And the creature had been spotted. It was time to jump in the water to see what we came for: whale sharks.

Whale sharks are harmless to humans. They're also incredibly alluring in the water, how they seem to glide effortlessly and peacefully through buoyant film. But I was terrified when I first got my bearings and saw the gargantuan fish slowly moving toward me. After a couple of seconds my logical brain took over and I calmly swam alongside the creature for about a minute. It was incredible. Despite moving so "slowly," relative to most things in the ocean, we had to swim near full throttle to keep up with it, as its huge tail fin, the length of my body, powerfully swayed back and forth in the water. Eventually, after kicking furiously after it for several seconds, the guide tapped my foot—it was time to go back to the boat.

The shark seemed totally at ease, indifferent to our presence. Whale sharks inhabit the tropical waters around the equator, and feed on plankton, much like baleen whales. Slow humans nearby are of no concern. And they're probably getting used to us; tourism trips centered around seeing them in their natural habitat are becoming increasingly popular. We just happened to realize it was possible to see them from Cancun while on a family trip. It sure puts our human limitations in the ocean into perspective.

It's amazing that whale sharks even exist on Earth. They are larger than any other fish in the ocean by far (the largest recorded whale shark was 18.8 meters). They have striking, stunning markings on their skin. It's as if God created the world and decided it wasn't interesting enough, and so created whale sharks. And we are the lucky recipients. We enjoy opportunities to not only scale mountains and traverse valleys and explore oceans, but we get to swim with these gentle giants in warm water. What an amazing world we share, with so many other beautiful creatures.

Why I take photos

I currently have about 83,000 photos in my iCloud right now. My Lightroom contains over 59,000. I’m working on culling them, as a good chunk are dupes or near dupes.

Intricate Thai architecture in Bangkok, Thailand - February 2020

I don't remember any specific event or instance when my interest in photography began, which is strange given I’ve been shooting earnestly for the past 13 years. But I think it’s safe to assume it all started with travel photography. My mom bought me a basic point and shoot camera when I was young, and I started imitating her photography on trips. I tried to capture the feel of the trip, choosing all sorts of subjects. She started in a similar way, using my grandpa’s camera when she went to Europe for the first time in college. That was back in the 80’s, with actual film. She shot the desert in Egypt, wildlife in Africa, and the local people all over the world. My photographic intuition derives from imitating her.

I still don't have a lot of technical acumen when it comes to photography. Most of my ability is instinctual, following my mom’s lead. We know how to frame shots, how to capture the uniqueness or the moment of what we're seeing with a photo. The style of my photography is still reminiscent of some of the really cool photos she took so long ago.

The most spiritual place I’ve visited - Sertar, China - August 2014

Travel photography gets a bad rap. Today's sentiment is that anyone can do it, that it doesn't require any special talent or thought, that it's simple tourists carelessly snapping photos of their vacation. But it’s the basis of what I try to do with my photography for TAV. It can showcase the world. The Earth is a big, beautiful, amazing planet, with so many diverse places. I try to highlight this beauty and diversity through my photography.

Much of my photography also encompasses wildlife. It is the animals on our planet that make it dynamic: blustery hillsides and deep valleys would appear barren without the animals that inhabit them. The world is adorned with fascinating creatures—my photography tries to capture their essence, in their natural habitat. I also frequently engage in street and architectural photography when visiting cities in new countries. We humans are fascinating, and I try to capture our innate humanity in our diverse communities, as well as the feel of the buildings themselves. In this type of photography I try to prove that we are in fact more similar than we are different.

King penguin closeup in the Southern Ocean - March 2019

Photography is also a vehicle for me to travel the world and spend time in nature. It's not wholly a means to an end in that regard, but travel for me is capturing the world through photos. I try to make people think, or feel, or wonder, when they see my photos. I want the reaction to be more than 'oh that's pretty." Why? Why do I want more, a different reaction? Because my goal is for people to see the world the way I see it. As a beautiful place, an enchanting place, one full of mesmerizing creatures and incredible landscapes and vibrant cities; a planet that is as alive as it is beautiful; a world we should be grateful to call home.

Still photography, done well, lets the world shine.

Our Home - What a Wild World!

Photographs can inspire more than video. We evaluate a video’s content instantly upon watching, moving on if it’s not captivating enough for our attention spans. But a good photo makes you stop. It provokes, and it allows you the space to sit, process, and wonder. Haven’t you ever whispered ‘wow’ upon viewing an amazing photograph?

I want to capture that awe for the natural world, so I've resumed showcasing my work on Instagram. Every day I aim to publish a compelling photograph from somewhere around the world and include some sort of personal story or interesting tidbit. This is separate from my writing here.

I want people to celebrate our home. Too easily we forget: it truly is one big beautiful amazing world. I seek to prove exactly that, day after day, with a single photo.

Picturesque Bergen

Recently I posted this picture of a street in Bergen, Norway. I was there in the summer of 2023 and became fascinated with the town. It had such an interesting history, being the most populous place in Scandinavia in the 1500's and 1600's. Back then it was mostly inhabited by Germans, functioning as a prolific artesian and trading town. Today it's still the second largest city in Norway, but minuscule in size and importance to modern Europe. You can feel this history walking the streets, yet are still connected to the surrounding water and mountains typical in Norway.

I only learned of Bergen through my research for Svalbard, and we only visited here because it was the terminus of the train and boat tour from Oslo. Yet it was this vibrant, beautiful city, tucked away on the edge of Europe. 

Our planet is full of so many interesting places. Earth is just this absolutely incredible home. If you had to create a home world for humanity from scratch, it would be this. There’s so much wonder to discover and experience. 

Guangxi Province evokes awe and wonder

I also shared a shot of the Li River. On the other side of the planet from Norway, this waterway meanders south from Guilin, China down to Yangshuo in Guangxi province. I visited this region back in 2014, as part of a grand Southern China trip. Guilin is lesser known in most of the world, but in China's it's widely considered one of the country's crown jewels of natural beauty, famous for its karst topography of green-carpeted mountains and picturesque valleys. On this trip I had taken the train from Guangzhou to Guilin, a regional hub with millions of people. It had rained heavily in the preceding week, and Guilin was a "Tier 3 city," meaning it had grown in population but its infrastructure hadn't kept up. I was headed to Yangshuo, closer to the famous scenery. But there was no way to get there because of all the rain—there was so much flooding that buses, trains and taxis were all cancelled. After talking with some locals, I realized there was only way to get down to Yangshuo that day: by raft. So I hired a man to take me down the river, enjoying a free sightseeing ride along the way. Those few hours of peace and serenity, away from the hustle and bustle, were a superb introduction to the region and all it had to offer. This all unfolded by happenstance, as things often do while traveling. What a wild world!

Earth is full of natural wonders, from the wild freedom of the ocean to far-flung volcanic islands; from the frozen deserts and tundra on the poles to the gigantic forests and jungles near the equator; from the wide open plains and steppes to the majesty of the mountains. Earth has it all. And the planet isn't empty! There are so many cultures to experience, foods to taste, customs to appreciate, and history to learn. There are lilac-breasted rollers and incredible bridges, red rock mountains and lions napping in trees. What more could we ask for?

I've always been drawn to Mary Oliver’s quote: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" It motivates me to live well and strive for adventure. The Earth is the perfect canvas to make our mark. To explore it, to experience all it has to offer, seems, to me at least, a fine way to spend our time well.

So follow my journey to document and experience this wondrous planet and all its offerings. I hope my photography inspires admiration and awe for our home. And maybe, just maybe, by appreciating our one shared world, we can unite around this most basic collective condition, and strive for a beautiful future.

Hiking Matters

A walk is not a hike. And there’s a clear difference.

Four dimensions differentiate hikes from walks:

Terrain. On a hike you negotiate natural terrain—dirt, rocks, or sand— on some kind of trail. You frequently have to watch your feet and choose your path, otherwise you’ll trip on rocks or roots. The terrain is usually uneven, necessitating selective footwear. Walks occur on some manmade material or such well trodden pathway it might as well be manmade. You can wear flip flops on walks. Here’s a simple litmus test: did you think about what shoes to wear? If not, it’s not a hike.

Distance. Going for a walk is easy, it’s casual, it’s nonchalant. Spur of the moment you can just decide to go. A hike? Then there are consequences. You’ll likely still be hiking an hour later, and you’ll be exerting effort. Walks can be long, but hikes always are—unless they score excessively high in one of the next two dimensions. People feel a sense of accomplishment when they finish a hike, because a hike isn’t a 1 mile loop around the pond by their house.

Looking toward the Bay atop Windy Hill - June 2023

Elevation. Hikes aren’t flat. We enjoy hiking Windy Hill because it’s relatively short on a clear dirt path. What makes it a hike? The 1,000 foot elevation gain to the top, from where you can view the Pacific Ocean and the San Francisco Bay simultaneously. I’m pouring sweat by the time we reach the summit. Many pursue hikes for views of the surrounds. In order to get those views, you need a hill. Even hikes ending in waterfalls need some type of elevation to exist—the water has to “fall off” something. And that sense of accomplishment? You feel it when you’ve climbed something, instead of “just” walking a couple flat miles. 

Nature. A walk can circle a city block. You go on a hike because it’s in nature. You hear the songs of birds, the rustling of squirrels in the underbrush, perhaps the trickling sound of running water. You’re out in the elements, you acutely feel temperature change, even if just from sun to shade. You’re aware of the wind picking up, of the foliage changing. This immersion within nature is a hike prerequisite, but not necessarily a walk. 

Say we use a famous waterfall to contextualize these dimensions:

The start of Lower Yosemite Fall Trail - July 2024

In July my wife and I walked the Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. The loop is paved and almost entirely flat, measuring about a mile. You get an amazing view of Yosemite Falls (the tallest waterfall in North America), and experience some forest along the route, but you’re never fully immersed in nature due to the throngs of people and proximity to the main road. The terrain is negligible, the grade is almost nonexistent, and it’s short. The Lower Yosemite Fall Trail is a walk. Yosemite Falls Trail, meanwhile, qualifies as a hike. You must climb 2,700 feet up to the top of the granite cliff where the waterfall begins its plunge. The trail isn’t paved — it’s a root and rocked-filled dirt path that winds its way up from the valley floor. There are switchbacks, and switchbacks, and switchbacks… and you are immersed in nature throughout the hike. There are mesmerizing views of the falls, Half Dome, and the picturesque valley floor far below. Yosemite Falls Trail is a spectacular 7 mile hike.

So hikes are inherently out in nature and involve elevation and long distances on natural terrain. Who cares? Why does this even matter?

Sometimes I wonder if the very simple things can change the world—like getting out in nature and going on a hike. What if more people hiking more often is part of the solution? What if hiking provides the needed respite, the connection with Mother Earth, that empowers us to be better to each other, to be better humans? We are connected to this planet and all life on it. We have been for millennia, since the dawn of our species. Hiking enables us to live that experience, and maybe to understand that we’re all part of one beautiful system, that we are one.

Upper Yosemite Falls with Half Dome looming in the background - April 2017

One Little Piece

Everything’s going to be alright. No matter the course of our lives, we get to be here in this incredible universe together. We get to be one little piece of it, no matter what happens. I try to remember this when life seems mundane. Because it’s a big beautiful amazing world.

Experiencing Earth

I was going through pictures on my computer this evening and I was struck by Earth’s majesty. I don’t think there’s any other word that captures it. There is glorious architecture in Prague and awe-inspiring wildlife in the Serengeti. There are thousands of waterfalls all over Earth right now, their streams gushing over cliffs as you read this, all the time. One can visit the polar cold or the humid jungles on this planet. Earth truly is a miracle. Life is enriched when we go out and experience it.

Ethereal Green

Have you ever paused to admire the translucent green of a leaf in the shining sun? It’s incredibly beautiful, otherworldly even.

Plants possess this amazing ability to use chlorophyll and sustain themselves solely with light. It’s something we can’t do. Their very cells are different from ours.

Sometimes the seemingly smallest things can spark joy. When we’re still, we don’t need to go looking for wonder—we recognize it’s all around us.

Animal Living

It’s always different living with animals. When you live with other species like dogs or cats your perspective somehow dehumanizes. You see the weather as it is, conditions at your current place on Earth, rather than how it might affect human activities. You can view the day in terms of work, play, feeding and rest, like they do. It makes you consider how we’re living, and helps ensure you’re valuing the right things in life. It’s an incredible experience, this life on planet Earth.

Birthday Observations

Waking up in Yosemite for your birthday’s not a bad way to go. Some observations from the woods:

• it’s possible to look graceful setting up a tent

• we enjoy just this brief glimpse of time during our lives compared to the geological timescales of this planet

• the mountains and woods restore you soul - we should visit them more often

• watching children play in the river reinforces they’re the future of our species

• driving is hard for humans

• it feels really good to shower after camping for three days

• Yosemite is one of the most beautiful places on the planet

I go into a new year of life full of hope and with many aspirations. I want to learn to cook more things. I want to keep reading and prioritizing exercise. But most of all, I want to renew my focus of contribution, of giving to the world. I foresee big things coming in 2024-2025 for TAV. Stay tuned.

National Parks for All

When this is published I’ll be hiking a trail or basking in the Merced River.

I implore those who haven’t been to visit Yosemite, to see our national parks. They are one of America’s greatest features.

When we appreciate our open, wild places, we can all come together as one species on one rock.

We are lucky to inhabit such a beautiful place, beyond our wildest imagination.

Into the Woods

Today I head into the woods. More specifically, we return to my favorite place on the planet: Yosemite Valley.

I look forward to what we all need: an occasional disconnect, a mental refresh and a spiritual reset.

Here’s to communing with nature and seeking oneness with Mother Earth.

Island Wonder

I got to chat with my old housemate today who is also currently living the island life, in Greece. Being here automatically unlocks possibility. With basic needs met, the simplicity and beauty of the island feels like all you need. Millions of people around the world have inhabited islands for millennia, living out a simple, but likely fulfilling, existence. It’s just another way. I’m grateful to experience this and wonder more.

Summer Ascendance

Californians will sometimes complain about the approaching heat of summer, but I love it. Summer is when everything is happening. Kids are out of school, families are going on vacation. The pinnacle of basketball is on tv. Concerts and festivals are happening every weekend. As per physics: when the temperature rises, the molecules speed up. Here’s to summer in the Bay fast approaching.

Returning Home

The easiest way to feel alive and human? Walking in nature. We sometimes call it hiking. It’s the setting we evolved to thrive in, and leaving our boxes, we can return home.

Connection Level

We claim to be more connected than ever before. Our technology certainly enables forms of communication across great distance.

But it’s ironic: we’re less connected than maybe any point in our species’ history.

Because on a fundamental level, in this particle soup we call the universe, we are already inherently connected to everyone and everything; to the Earth and its top soil and plate tectonics and water cycle; to all the organisms on this planet as part of the biological ecosystem and the food of our food and the bacteria in our gut; to the people of every corner and culture and to the memories of our ancestors; to the very elemental particles coming from space that interact with the magnetic field of our planet. We are connected to all of it, a part of it. It simply is.

Can we feel it?

Pinnacles in the Rain

We got rained on multiple times at Pinnacles National Park today. Transfixed by the shimmer on the spires, I couldn’t help but be amazed by the rain. I was like Chani in Dune, seeing for the first time a blue planet of which water falls from the sky. Earth truly is a big beautiful amazing world.