7 Years Ago I Took My First Solo Photography Trip and It Unlocked My Life
Many years ago an old mentor of mine told me, roughly speaking, “Don’t take a gap year. I’ve had students who’ve taken a gap year, traveled, and then come back, and all of the sudden want to do something else with their lives.”
I’ve always found that interesting, because, she said it almost like it was a bad thing.
Of course, we were talking about the graduate school process and sticking to the path you decided upon.
In that instance, changing paths could be seen as a bad thing, because you’ve “wasted” your many years of studying.
But what if, in that gap year, you realized what you were actually supposed to do with your life?
From that perspective, you wouldn’t have lost years, you’d have saved many years of pointless student debt and hardship doing something you weren’t supposed to be doing.
Ironically, that’s kind of what happened to me.
Seven years ago, I had my first international trip and that changed the course of my life.
That’s when I really started street and travel photography, committed to YouTube, and here I am now, on my eight “gap year” (the timeline’s a bit confusing) enjoying what I think I’m supposed to be doing with my life.
But I don’t regret it.
In fact, if you’re stuck, unsure, or undecided, a solo photography trip might actually unlock your life.
Traveling (the solo part)
In the past I’ve been on many different trips, both solo and with a group.
What I can say is that they are two very different experiences.
With a group you share schedules, bookings, and flights.
But when you’re on your own, you have to do all of that yourself.
For some, this can be anxiety inducing; for others, it can grant a lot of freedom.
Because being on your own means you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want.
And although there are many pros about group travel (the shared experiences, the memories, the fun), you’ll learn more about yourself when you’re on your own.
Being Alone
A lot of people are scared to travel alone.
There’s a lot of logistics, language barriers, unknown fears about the outside world, etc.
And in many cases, it’s probably better that your first few trips are with other people.
In fact, my first solo experience wasn’t the prettiest.
Back in 2019, after spending a week with friends in Korea, I split up to do a solo portion in Japan.
That was the first time I’d ever really felt homesick.
I was in a place where I couldn’t speak the language, knew nobody, and was not used to how things worked there.
And although I’m quite introverted, I still would have liked to have someone with me.
Traveling solo is interesting, because it reveals a part of yourself you may not have known existed.
Fast forward to now and I travel solo quite often, and in many cases, prefer it.
You see, I learned that being alone isn’t something we should be afraid of, but rather something we should aim to be more comfortable with.
Because it makes up more than half of the journey of life.
Most of our time on this Earth is spent doing things by ourselves, on our own.
So if you’re the type of person who is scared of or hates being alone, that’s okay, but understand that it’s actually a skill you can get better at.
And the better you are at it, the more comfortable you’ll be living life and existing.
If you ever feel the need to, you can always meet new people and make new friends.
Although we all live in our bubbles, it doesn’t take much to say hi, reach out, or send a text.
In fact, the world is a lot more connected than you’d think.
Pacing
In life, some people are always rushing and rushing, trying to get from point A to point B.
While others are more lax, chill, and take life as it comes.
When you’re with different groups you’ll realize how different people like to pace themselves, what worries them, when they feel anxiety, etc.
And when you’re in a different country you’ll experience different lifestyles and cultures and realize there’s more than one way to live.
For example, countries like Spain are known to have siestas, an extended afternoon break where businesses close and people rest.
It made it hard to find food or have a late lunch when I was in Barcelona, but the concept was cool, and a great contrast to the constant productivity of America.
It doesn’t mean coming home and trying to integrate a three hour siesta at your workplace.
Just that how you live is up to you and it’s okay to live differently.
In the past I always felt this sort of pressure or need to be at a certain place or point in my life by some certain time.
And that whatever I was doing now wasn’t fast enough.
That pressure is still there (because time is a constant and we’re not going to live forever), but it’s a lot less now, because I understand that everyone’s got their own timeline.
And there’s no need to sprint to the end.
Understanding pacing of life and how you like to live yours can take the pressure off from feeling like you need to accomplish everything now.
You can slow down or blaze ahead, because we’re all walking our own independent paths, and there is no one way to live life.
Pacing, being alone, and drawing those analogies to the bigger picture were some of my most valuable lessons from solo travel.
Photography (the thing)
Seven years ago I couldn’t have predicted I’d be on the path I am now.
Back then, I picked up photography just for fun, to try and capture the places I went.
But through that I realized much more about myself and the world.
Photography now isn’t just a creative hobby but a creative pursuit.
Something to improve at but also get me out of my own head, when life gets weird.
Something to Do
In my early 20s I used to stress a lot about my career.
Finding something I wanted to do, that also made money, and was worth spending my life on.
Those were big questions to ask a 20 year old who knew nothing about the world and himself.
I think society gives us this illusion that there is a perfect path, a perfect decision, and a way things should be done.
And it traps us into either doing something we hate or being scorned for doing something we like (that isn’t conventionally accepted).
The beauty of photography then, is that it’s self-assignment.
You can pick what you’re interested in, photograph it, and turn it into something.
You have a project in mind, a goal, something you want to capture, and that compels you.
Whether it’s simply taking nice photos at a coffee shop or of a landscape you’ve always wanted to see.
Through photography I realized that life is actually not any different.
We see all these transparent or imaginary barriers getting in our way.
But they’re human made constructs, while the game itself is open ended.
What we do with our lives is actually up to us, whether we think so or not.
Life, like photography, is self-assignment.
That might be why a lot of people come back from a trip and suddenly want to do something different with their lives.
Because they could finally be honest with themselves, when the noise of the outside world was no longer clouding their judgement.
In actuality, it doesn’t matter what you do with your life, just that you do something and preferably have chosen it for yourself.
Because something to do means something to look forward to.
It’s there, your true life gets unlocked.
People get disillusioned with life and themselves when they lack something to do.
It’s hard to feel positive when you’re always thinking, “What’s the point of all this?”
But the “point” can be whatever you want it to be.
Big or small, impressive or not.
Humans can choose what they want to do and why they want to do it.
(as long as it’s not illegal or harms others, of course.)
It also sucks when that decision is made for us, and not what we’ve chosen, even if it works out.
So autonomy is a big player in that as well.
If you’re stuck trying to make a decision in life, I like the question:
“What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?”
Whether it’s the subject matter of my photos, projects I’ve decided to make, or even these YouTube videos, I’ve personally found creativity to be the thing that opens the door for me, and gives me permission to live life more true to my nature.
Something like photography gives me a mission, reason, and purpose other than to just exist.
And unlocking your life means finding something worth spending your time on.
Paying Attention
To me, travel and photography are always interconnected.
When you travel to somewhere new and see something you’ve never seen before, it’s almost irresistible to take a picture.
Photography in a sense, is a way of paying attention to this new or different place we’re in.
We see others interact, get a glimpse on how they live their lives, and more closely get to appreciate the beauty of the world.
One of the funny things I’ve noticed that happens whenever I return from a trip, is a newfound appreciation for home.
You go someplace, see all the things they have or don’t have, and realize:
Well, it’s nice here, but it’s actually not so bad at home after all.
All the little things I was complaining or worrying about don’t seem like such a big deal anymore.
Actually - I’ve got it pretty good.
You see, changing what you’re looking at changes how you see the world.
A lot of people live their lives floating along, doing whatever they’re supposed to do, but never intentionally.
And many people don’t realize how nice the world around them actually is, because they’re so caught up or wrapped up in their own heads.
Photography really forces you to observe, pay attention, and truly get out of your own head and own life.
If you’re thinking “me, me, me” all the time, you’re too self absorbed to see reality for what it truly is.
Street photography especially, is like a sneak peak or preview into someone else’s life.
You never get to know the person on an in-depth level, but faces, emotions, postures, etc, tell a billion stories.
And building an understanding of the many people out there, even if superficial, has helped me realized personally that:
we’re not so different after all
everyone’s going through something
our lives are just a small tiny insignificant blip in the larger scheme of things
We don’t need to overthink it.
But What About the Money?
So, that’s great Andre.
Of course I want to travel, have these adventures, and unlock my life.
But you’re forgetting one really big important thing.
What about the money?
Well, I’m glad you asked.
Of course when it comes to travel, money is one of the biggest obstacles.
“I don’t have the time.”
“I can’t afford it.”
“It’s too expensive.”
Those right there are probably one of the biggest misconceptions when it comes to travel.
Because contrary to what many might think, travel doesn’t have to cost a lot.
There are all sorts of cheap ways to travel.
And having a solo photography trip doesn’t mean you need to take a four week all out vacation to Switzerland.
If you’re in the states you can plan a road trip to different cities or states.
Or you can go camping - the National Parks in America are awesome.
In fact, I’ve even done a lot of cheaper trips internationally.
Many times I’ll stay at hostels instead of hotels - if you plan well, you can get some pretty nice ones for 30$ a night.
Pick a cheaper airline and bring less luggage - the more stuff you need, the more expenses goes up.
And go at a time when nobody wants to go - the prices will be lower, it’ll be less crowded, and you’ll have a better time.
There are plenty of ways to travel on a budget, you just need to be smart about it.
Nobody said you have to blow five or ten grand on a trip.
Seriously, you don’t.
In fact, I probably make the least amount of money amongst my friends, but I travel quite a lot.
In my experience, I’ve learned that travel is “expensive” when it’s not a priority.
For example, in the past, I’ve saved up for a bunch of trips by working part time jobs, living at my parents’ house, and going out less.
But I wasn’t rolling in paper.
I just took the money I would have spent going out drinking, eating out all the time, etc, and added it to the travel fund.
So if you really want to do it, you can afford it over time, you just need to prioritize it, be patient, and stop spending money on dumb stuff.
Obviously, there could be things you may have to worry about like medical bills, rent, etc, that make it harder to save up.
But it could still be a goal you work on and get to eventually in life, as you improve your circumstances.
If it’s something you actually want to do, it’s worth aiming for even if it seems impossible.
Because if you’re watching this video on a smartphone in a first world country, you have more means than you think.
Some trade-offs will be made, but that’s how life works.
For me it’s worth it, because the experiences, the lessons, and the photos pay off for the rest of my life.
I always think back to the Confucius line:
“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
Escapism
One of the unfortunate sides of travel is that many people think it’s going to change everything.
They save up, go on some existential trip to a faraway place, and come back thinking “everything’s going to be different now”.
There’s a fantasy, a romanticism, a delusion to it all.
But in reality, going on a two week vacation to “find yourself” can only do so much.
Yes, travel can change you.
Yes, travel can teach you more about yourself and the world.
And yes, travel can help you come to a decision or bridge a gap in life.
But travel will not magically get rid of all your problems.
That’s why they say:
“Wherever you go there you are.”
For me, whenever I travel, I can’t help but remember that line.
A lot of people travel to escape their current, normal, mundane, or even chaotic life at home.
Something’s unsettling, bothering them, or they don’t want to deal with it.
So they use travel as a means to get away and avoid, rather than deal with and solve.
But then they come back and are hit with the heavy realization that: not much has changed.
Your problems are still here.
And you’re still more or less the same f’ed up person you were before you left.
Because unless you actually focus on and work to improve yourself and your life, travel isn’t going to magically do that for you.
You can use travel as a means for self-exploration, discovery, and understanding.
It can give you motivation, newfound energy, or direction to face your life head on, if you have the right mindset.
But don’t use it for escapism.
You’re not going to leave it all behind, just by leaving.
Because wherever you go, there you are.
This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t travel.
Just that we keep our expectations in check, and our mindset right.
A solo photography trip can serve as a catalyst to unlock your life - I know it has for me.
But the work, the change, and being honest with yourself, what you want, and what you need to fix, still comes down to you.
So that’s how taking my first solo photography trip seven years ago unlocked my life.
If you’ve had similar or different lessons from travel or photography that you’d like to share, please do so in the YouTube comment section.
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Thanks for reading, best of luck.
