First Impressions! 5 Days In.
Travel is always an adventure and this trip was no exception. From to the inevitable delays, to smashed boxes, absolutely mad traffic and beautifully quiet country side and interesting faces, this adventure is shaping up to be everything I was hoping for.
First hurdle came before I even left Kansas City, I was told my bike would fit on an itty bitty plane that quite obviously was much to small to carry the bicycle in the hold. That miscommunication condemned me to 7 hours of hanging out in my hometown airport waiting for a later flight. But fast forward 12hours and I find myself here, in the UK!
First thing I learned upon arrive was my packing job was woefully inadequate and I feel lucky that the box didn’t split open and dump everything on the tarmac! The other realization was that travel in London is expensive! I spent $32 taking a 15minute train ride to the city, that got me prepared for the $6 single use subway passes and 30$ commuter train rides. But after shelling out half my life savings on train rides I found a perfect spot behind some dumpsters to tear apart my box and build up my bike.
I have to admit building up my bike and cycling out onto the streets of London was such a thrill. I think it is one of those memories that will stick with me for a very long time. The streets are so narrow and the traffic is crazy, as a cyclist you are integrated into the traffic unlike in the US where you feel like a despised outcast pushed into the gutter. Being a first timer in London it just felt like a million things were coming at me at ounce, traffic, people, wrong side of the road, angry taxi drivers and of course amazing architecture and winding non-grid patterned streets. The other cyclist were so helpful in pointing me in the right direction and I struggled to keep up with their breakneck speed. I have yet to figure out how to weave and merge in heavy traffic the way the locals do!
Stranger Faces
- Philo of Alexandria: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
After being here only a few days I saw this quote and it struck me very keenly, as being absolutely true. I always attempt to learn something about and from the people I photograph and sometimes I learn more than I ever expected. But as always I never know what to expect, I’ve talked about everything from being 30,000 pounds down in business to the story of an attempted suicide. I find it incredible, you never know just by looking at someone what lies beneath the surface or in the years gone by. I feel as though I am biased, after interacting with these people and hearing their stories I find it so difficult to judge the quality of my portrait work. Their faces are so much more than just artistic expression.
Above is Jeremy, an extremely nice person and a lawyer from a nearby town offered to take me on a tour and drew me a map of places to go. 
And of course where would I be without some mandatory architectural work! Honestly I was very very impressed even after having seen hundreds of pictures, nothing compares to standing at the base of these amazing cathedrals and looking up. 
I want to extend a huge thank you to Laura and Don for hosting me in this beautiful city, which happens to contain the Cathedral above. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing family and generous host. Both of them have given me the opportunity to slow down and really appreciate all the subtle beauty this city has to offer. Not even to mention how awesome the meals are at this house! We completed their family shoot today and it should be going up in the next week.
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