Planes, trains, ferries, airports, and bus rides have always been exciting and interesting to me. Whenever my family went on vacation I would pack my backpack and suitcase one month in advance, savoring the details of our travel plans. I dreamt of airplanes, airport and hotel features, plane food, and of course little plastic wings a flight attendant would pin on my chest. I also remember wanting to ride buses as much as I could. Traveling alone gave me a sense of independence and a chance to get away from life at home. Subways were particularly fascinating; a form of mass-transit neither Florida nor Washington states had. I used to plan bus schedules a couple days in advance, maximizing the number of vehicle transfers I'd make, increasing the number of buses I'd get to ride in. No mini-van rides and parental escorts for me. I was free. I could only imagine how much fun grown-ups must have traveling whenever they wanted to.

I have fun traveling. I still get a bit excited about transpacific crossings when I haven't flown in more than a few months.

However, too much of a good thing... I forget the proverb, but that's not important. My relationship with travel is ironic. When I haven't traveled in a while, I still have the same childhood urge to hop on a bus across town and back for fun. But when I travel as much as I have in the last 6 weeks, I find I'd rather eat splinted balsa wood than step on another plane or train.

Right now I'm on my second delayed Northwest Airlines flight of the day and it's driving me crazy. I slept most of the first flight, but the Detroit-Seattle leg I'm choosing to get some work done. At 9.30pm I'll arrive at SEATAC, a half-hour bus downtown, half-hour ferry, and hour long car ride home. One days rest then: bus>bus>ferry>bus>train......>bus>bus. I shouldn't complain though.. my mother's a transit driver.

I'm returning from Ohio BTW. It was a three and a half whirlwind trip to visit family and scout Ohio University, a grad school I'm considering. It was great to see family and spend time with with everyone.

Yesterday, cousin Josh, Grandma Colleen and I made a trip to OU, Athens, OH. Nice campus. I wonder how'd nice it'd be mid-winter though. I enjoyed my meeting with the director of the Visual Communication school (VisCom offers both Photojournalism and Commercial Photography). Terry explained that OU became know as one of "the top 5" school for photoJ because it found a niche: mid-carear students. Over 90% of their accepted applicants are 5+ years into their career. He suggested I also contact the other top schools including Syracuse, Missouri, Illinois, S. Kentucky, NC, RID, and U. of Lincoln (a partner of Bangkok University!). They all have niches and do one thing better than the others. Syracuse is mostly students fresh out of school, and leans towards commercial/magazine photography... interesting.

I'm back in town for a day, then back to Portland for a week, returning to WA on the 19th. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday I'll be on a commercial advertisement with photographer Daniel Root shooting for a sportswear giant (one that's known for it's logo, a greek god, and sweatshops). Might also be assisting for a Nike youth soccer shoot too. Both of those should be great fun. I've never seen how full-scale ad shoots work and I love watching soccer. Friday I'll be working with Lincoln Barbour on an editorial shoot for Portland Monthly.

I'll be in an airport waiting for a 16-hour flight back to Bangkok in another two weeks. Can't wait...