Mission Statement - A Picture, Worth a Thousand Words?

The goal of this blog is to present a new perspective in travel blogging, by providing a picture, and a thousand words contextualizing said picture.  Why a thousand words?  The saying goes, "a picture's worth a thousand words" but what does that mean, really?  Is a picture, in fact, worth a thousand words?  And what's that got to do with travel? In its original usage, in the early 20th century, the adage was in reference to advertising. The saying at that time was, "Use a picture.  It's worth a thousand words."

Now, in the world of advertising, that may well be true. I'll certainly get a better idea of what your product does if you show me it in action, versus spending time (and valuable copy space) describing what it does.  And in writing, we're often reminded to "show, not tell."  That's certainly in line with the photo adage.  So how does this relate to travel blogging, and why have I made this my goal?

Frankly, it's because while the world of travel blogging, and travel social media in general, is rife with content, I find only a small portion of it speaks to why I personally love to travel.  I have been fortunate enough to live abroad and travel to around 15 countries, with hopes to see many more.  Over those years and trips, I've definitely developed my own preferred style of travel.  If I can get away with bringing only a backpack (and I do mean a regular backpack, not a travel particular one), I will bring only a backpack.  Rather than thinking of myself as a tourist, I like to think of myself as a guest, or a traveler.  Maybe the distinction is minor, but the word "tourist" has a negative connotation in my mind, and to me, conjures images of loud, large groups of Americans abroad, complaining about the country they're in.  That's not for me.

All of this is a very roundabout way of saying that what I enjoy most about traveling, both domestically and abroad, are small, ordinary, mundane things, and the connections you make with others in that process. I almost wanted to title this blog, "In Defense of Boring Places" because I feel strongly that there are no boring places, only people who themselves are so boring that they won't learn what makes somewhere special.  After all, everywhere has something that sets it apart, and even the most "ordinary" places have much to offer us.

More than anything, this is a question of perspective, which brings me back to both what I find lacking in the current travel social media world, and the thousand words adage.  With this blog, I'd like to present readers with perspectives that I hope challenge them to look at their world and daily lives differently. and look at places they take for granted as places that have stories worth telling.  With each post, I'll post a photo I've taken somewhere in the world, with a nod to where and when it was taken, and then take a thousand words to contextualize it.  I hope that in doing so, I can effectively share with others the way that I like to travel, and why I like to travel that way.  It's so special to me, and I hope I can help you feel that too.