Field Notes, 2026.
When I sat down to write, the words did not come to me. My mind moves so quickly sometimes, I’ll just write my thoughts. The scenery describes itself to me but I do not know how to respond, so I just smile. Sometimes it feels awkward. I like to imagine that is welcomed somehow, though. The sounds of leaves blowing in the wind calms me down. They remind me of ocean waves (which I like). The chilled wind pushes my hair against my forehead, I think it looks funny. When I feel lonely, I think of these memories.
Puerto Natales, Chile 2026.
Stumbled into a shipyard being worked on by a Javier, a guy we met whose stories made our head spin. He’d been all over the world living in all sorts of unique places from Russia to Antartica and everywhere in between. His smile was infectious and it was great to talk to him for a short while as he was fixing a small boat.
Then we walked through the shipyard and got to photograph what felt like a bunch of retired projects.
Torres del Paine, Chile 2026.
After a fun but tiring few weeks in Santiago, I dragged one of my friends down to Punta Arenas, then to Puerto Natales, and finally to Torres del Paine where all I wanted to do was just be in the mountains for a day. We dragged so many cameras along and hiked about 19 miles in 6 hours before rushing back to catch our flights that night.
New York, 2026.
Writing this on my birthday from the warmth of Chile far removed from the frigid New York weather. I’m reflecting on moments shared with close friends lately. It gives me strength in darker and more isolated times that sometimes come when you’re away from friends and family for a long time.
My note to myself is this: Today is an opportunity to learn something and a place to make tomorrow more beautiful than yesterday.
