#087: Take a Moment

I have no interest in being someone who posts contrived social media content about how their traveling lifestyle is the coolest thing ever in order to make themselves happy that you are sad wishing you were so happy like them while they sit in some comped five-star hotel room wishing they were home.

For me right now, I’d rather hang out in a familiar spot with a familiar face and have a mind-blowing conversation.

It is amazing to travel to so many places; to be afforded the schedule and ability and whatever else to see so many interesting things, interacting with so many interesting people, finding so many interesting foods, sights and experiences. I fully appreciate all of my travel and would never complain about these blessings and opportunities.

But at some point, when it all starts to blur, when it just feels like you are on the run, forever running for something you won’t catch and from something that doesn’t exist, you find it best to stop.

And you may find yourself there – whether its travel or people or hobbies or some lifework or whatever.

People might wonder why someone in NYC who likes to photograph probably has less than 1% of their total photos from NYC. Why aren’t there blog posts and informational tips and so forth from NYC? And, the reason is, it’s where I can just be. NYC is not a travel destination to me. It never has been a travel destination for me. Home bases are where you can exist and explore quietly, slowly, naturally and just take things in, to appreciate the simple things greatly, to live each moment and take it all in.

It is wonderful to organically walk into some half-empty place and enjoy it without it being “the thing” or “the place” or the “must do”. I don’t want to think about social media. I don’t want to think about a photograph or a story. I don’t want to think about navigating the bizarre. I don’t want to think about logistics or connections or anything else.

Sometimes you just need to be.

Travel is great; but sometimes, even more optimal, is staying still.

Staying still so you can let the world catch back up.

Staying still so you can be productive.

Staying still so you can form deeper bonds and offer more to your world rather than just taking the energy and sights and sounds for glib entertainment.

And then, once you stop running and finally catch your breath, you look out past the block, down the street and wonder if you can get to end of that street and what might exist on the one after that. Ideas start to percolate. Wishes start to propagate.

And before you know it…

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Tak

New York, NY

Internationally-published photographer with a passion for creative food, fine products, unique cultures and underground music. Twitter / Instagram / takw at triphash dot com