Writer’s Dilemma: To Take Notes, Experience, Photograph or All of the Above?
Very often, I’m a klutz when I travel. I have everything neatly planned and packed on trips before I leave: my well-worn notebook (not always a Moleskin), the Nikon D-90 camera, Android (for videos and instant photographs). Before a trip, my soul often feels like an oasis. But, very much like an oasis, that feeling is short-lived, a mirage.
Nothing really prepares me for the fast pace of travel. Very often, the pace of travel can be a blur that ebbs and flows like the Doppler Effect. From the time I wheel my suitcase out the front door and hear the click of the lock, to the time I board the plane, unplanned events transpire and throw a curveball at the most well-laid plans. Sometimes the travel experience is like playing roulette games. During my recent trip to Aruba, I was not prepared to take a taxi from the airport to the wrong hotel. Nor was I prepared to wait for the bus for an extraordinarily long 20 minutes (normally, 20 minutes would not have been long at all; but after a 5 hour long plane journey and a taxi to the wrong hotel, you’re eager to soak in a tub full of Epsom salts).
A shot from Ghost Ranch, the expansive wilderness where Georgia O’Keefe lived and painted. I’m glad I paused to take this shot
It occurs to me that during these times of experiencing the “curveballs,” I must be taking diligent notes or recording my chronicles in some fashion. After all, how am I to remember them when the time comes to put pen to paper?
I’ll be honest, my memory is getting better, but it still isn’t the greatest. When I’m rushing around trying to get my travel feet wet, I’m always trying to experience and understand a place. Here are some of the questions I ask myself: why is this destination popular? What exactly is the history behind the culture? How can I understand the local customs better so I can respect the citizens? Amidst the tourists doing the point and shoot dance and shouting “amazing” and “gorgeous” at every picture, how is the travel writer supposed to respond?
What has worked for me is to first experience the destination with a relaxed mind. Often, I get stressed when I travel only because I’m asking way too many questions and trying to get everything “right” the whole time. My best experiences have occurred when I’ve just let the wind take me where I’m supposed to go, without too much planning.
But even during those moments, I’ve had to decide whether I’ll use my Android device, my notepad, or my “proper” DSLR camera. Over the years, I’ve learned to let go of these questions a bit, and just let my imagination and travel hunger (call it inner GPS if you will) triumph over pure reason.
Oh wow, this was a fantastic post!!! Probably one of my faves (though nothing will ever beat the butterfly one)! I think this balance is probably impossible to achieve when traveling. I try to stay as disconnected as possible, so that I can fully embrace every moment while on the road, but I still think I could probably do a better job…
Thanks so much! It really is a conundrum sometimes but a good opportunity to “go with the flow” when it comes to reporting and experiencing.
I travel to experience the moments, not to capture them. If I do not remember them a couple hour (or days) later when I finally start typing then they weren't that amazing to begin with.
Maybe I stop to take pictures too often, though it usually feels like not often enough. Some days I don't really want to be "on" but I still manage to get something out of the experience. Maybe it is a meal that was unplanned or that taking the break from being "on" allowed me to relax and actually interact instead of just record and process. Again, the memories are going to stick if they're good ones.
Plus, I usually have a photo or a receipt when they don't stick as well as I'd hoped.
I know what you mean, but there are times when I wish I could capture the moment so I can remember it later. For me, it’s the reverse, I always feel I missed out on the Henri Cartier Bresson moment. But I do also feel the experience is far more important, but how to then differentiate between the tourist and the journalist?
I still struggle with this every single time I travel. I wish I had the answer.
This really resonates with me. I always have so many projects on the go when I travel – I'm looking for unique things to write potential feature articles on, thinking about what I could blog about, taking photos, writing notes and travel also tends to get me thinking about my fiction projects. And – oh yeah! – there's the actual enjoying the moment thing. It is really difficult to strike a balance these days and I think slow travel helps – the more time you spend in a place the more time you can dedicate to each pursuit.
But sometimes it's nice to have a day off, and think about nothing but the moment, and don't feel guilty about it. After all, travel shouldn't be a chore!
I find that I really need to “experience”first— then take notes as and when I understand a place’s POV. It’s not an easy task while traveling solo no doubt!
Great question Charu! BUT, I don't have an answer. I think this is one of those "in the moment" things. There are times, however, that I purposefully leave my camera and notebook behind. Maybe it's a sunset, an expedition, or something else, but there's typically one time while traveling that I'll leave those things behind. I do it with no regrets, and that often becomes the experience that I treasure the most. So I don't have an imitation of the moment in visual or written form, but I was in the moment. It's been challenging; I've wanted there to be that camera or notebook with me because the scene has often been so amazing, but there's been a certain sense of freedom being "all there".
Thanks Spencer. It’s definitely a question a lot of my friends don’t have. They just “do it” because they are not pressured to record every moment. I really think in the long run, it diminishes the experience and the memory. But, who knows?
Not easy. I've struggled recently with sunsets. Has my love for them pushed me towards the mantra of "i need to capture the perfect moment," instead of 'enjoy the perfect moment?" As soon as I feel it has, when I feel an ounce of that "stress" I always sit back take a deep breath and think about where I am and what I am doing? I suddenly realize I'm living my dream… then it just all comes to focus.
stay adventurous, Craig
C'est superbe, j'adore.
Brigitte
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