What Makes International Travel So Tough?

 

Art Model @Kayci.Lee Twitter Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

I get asked often about why I travel, what its like, and when I'll come home. I'm amazed at how mysterious so many people think this is. In fact, international travel is no different from when you start a new job, enroll in a new school, or vacation someplace new. It could be that your significant other takes you camping for the first time and you spend your first night eating by campfire and sleeping in the woods. You do it. You get used to it. And after a while, it becomes life. 

But then again, I forget my hypocrisy because I used to be the exact same way. All the excuses I've heard are some of the same things I once said... I can't speak the language. Its too expensive. I have kids or a job that won't let me take the time off. I had the same mentality, but eventually, the right circumstances happen or when certain people cross your path, change is inevitable. 

German Art Model traveling through out Central and South America

The military set the ball in motion, for me. My first duty assignment was in Germany. I hail from Texas where being 200 miles or more from home was a rarity and most of those times when I exceeded 200 miles, I was still in Texas! I turned 20 in Germany. It was a wake-up call and was the first thing or event in my life that let me know I wasn't in Texas any more. During my off-duty time, I traveled around Europe. Eventually, other duty assignments took me to more places and I learned to enjoy the deployments ad frequent reassignments.

Towards the end of my military career, I settled in the city of my last duty station in Tennessee which is where my kids call home. I traveled to Lake Tahoe with a girlfriend who travels domestically often. I learned that it's not as expensive as I had been lead to believe to arrange flights, hotels, and car rentals, if you do it wisely. The advent of online booking options really aided me in those efforts. And yet, I let myself get bogged down in work and making money. 

Through some hiking associations, I met a fellow traveler, who took off on her own to Southeast Asia for two months one summer. I couldn't wait till she got back to talk to her about her trip. It was at this point that I realized a few things. Excuses were just that...excuses. I had already been through enough life experiences to realize I wouldn't end this life wishing I'd made more money for my employer. I was on the road WITH that same friend the following summer to Guatemala and Belize. There was one thing in particular that I had to change in my life in order to make these things happen.

Art Model @Kayci.Lee Twitter Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

Priorities

Yes. Prioritizing travel was all it took, really. Just make the decision to go. Go anywhere! But don't be deluded. You ain't going anywhere until you get a passport and book an international flight. All the plans you make... all the good intentions, and mean-wells do you absolutely no good until you GET THAT PASSPORT and buy a TICKET! Plan a trip that is several months away to give yourself some time to make the arrangements. Central America has been the perfect proving grounds. For one, its close. Two, its cheap. Three, it eliminates any and every excuse you might have to NOT travel. As many times as you've flown across the US for the holidays or other family events, you'll pay less in many cases flying internationally to the Central America. 

So what, you can't speak the language. That's fine. Learn some key things like social greetings, numbers, and how to ask where something is. My Spanish is getting better. But for my first time, I didn't remember much of anything outside of counting to twenty-nine in Español. Don't be scared of that. I'd wager that 80% of all the travelers I meet do not speak the native language. However, answer honestly. What are your priorities? Is it getting the new iPhone or a better gaming system. Or maybe trying to find a way to keep those $500 a month car payments current. Or its probably more important to have your Starbucks in the morning. You will find a way to spend your money on what is important. If you cared about traveling, odds are that's what you would be doing. 

Art Model @Kayci.Lee Twitter Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

"There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million."

~ Walt Streightiff

So you got kids

Children playing in Belize ©2012 Terrell Neasley

Yeah, my kids are grown. Is that an advantage? I won't lie. Yes it is. However... So what?? Bring the kids!! Why not raise 'em on a good wholesome diet of culture variety? You can't tell me how this would be a bad thing unless you are planning a trip to Syria. More likely than not, your kids will also become travelers. Why? Because they'll be used to it and will ALREADY have passports. Many people stay put because they have never applied for a passport. I see kids on the road with their families all the time. Many get raised on sailboats with parents who circumnavigate the world. You know who I meet on the road from other countries traveling by themselves? 18 to 23 year old kids doing extended travel for a few months before they get locked down in jobs and careers. Do you think your 18 year old is ready to cross the Pacific on their own? Well they would be if you took them traveling and let them see how it's done one or two times before they eventually leave the nest.

Is it the job?

This is probably a tough one. But then I gotta ask. How important is traveling to you? If your job doesn't understand your need to be off more than a week a year, then...damn. I don't want to tell you you need to find a new job. YOU need to tell you that you need to find a new job. America is one of the few countries that still don't understand the value of time off and burn-out prevention. Traveling or not, a well-rounded lifestyle is more beneficial to your health and longevity. Expense reports are not. But honestly, who can tell you to change careers. I follow travel blogs all the time and often hear about husbands/wives, or single people quitting their jobs to follow their hearts. I know we can't be stupid. But whatever you make your priority, you'll find a way to do that.

All I'm saying is this: There are options out there if you look. Plenty of them. But none of them will do you a bit of good until you make the call to prioritize travel with your money and your time. You can do this. Go meet some new people and experience the hospitality of your neighbors. Thank me later.

Locals in Antigua, Guatemala ©2014 Terrell Neasley

Two Years of Travel- Final Stretch of My Americas Tour.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, and her photography, @K.clayphoto ©2018 Terrell Neasley

“We travel, some of us forever, to seek other places, other lives, other souls.” 

– Anais Nin

On 08 January 2018, I set out on a dynamic, ever-changing journey to backpack around the world. My endeavor began with tumultuous life events that got worse the next year. It has taken considerable effort and time to center myself and in truth, I should say it's an ongoing process even now. I have marked objectives I need to achieve, but I still have yet to wrap it into a specific purpose and I try to be patient with that process. Right now, all I can do is simply keep moving and figure it out along the way.

In less than a week, I will complete my tour of Central and South America albeit this is not the last I intend to see of this place. I am grateful to have visited Nicaragua, Colombia, and Peru twice yet I have more to see in each of these places. In a few days, I will have spent 5 weeks in Ushuaia, Argentina at the bottom of the world. I have done more writing than photography. I was not able to make it to Antarctica. My plans changed from desiring to see Chile and more of Patagonia. Instead, I elected to stay in one place longer which has been true to my habit. Now I have an excuse to return here again.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, and her photography, @K.clayphoto ©2018 Terrell Neasley

My next leg will take me further away, although I have not made up my mind 100 percent. It will either be French Polynesia (Tahiti) or I will skip the South Pacific and go straight to Australia. If at all possible, I would love to sail around the South Pacific Islands with someone who could use a photographer aboard or at least a good friend. But maybe I will have to be cool with doing Tahiti, Fiji, and Tonga by air and THEN fly to Australia.

I'm working on a complete restructure of my photography business that will incorporate and consist primarily of LANDSCAPE, PORTRAITURE, and NUDE photography. This will include a new website, a new blog, and a few other options that will consist of LESS social media. I'm not an Instagram fan and I don't believe it should kill me that I'm not. I hope you don't hold that against me, either.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, and her photography, @K.clayphoto ©2018 Terrell Neasley

I wish I could have finished out this year the same way I started. Coming out here alone would have been much tougher when I left in January 2018. Kayci.Lee chose to join me for a month and that steadied me. I've mentioned in previous posts that Oct/Nov 2017 was a wreck for me. And oddly, then again the same exact months for 2018. But when we left that Dallas Airport 8 Jan 2018, I was in a much better state of mind to do this journey.

There's a good chance I would have canceled the whole thing in less than a month, otherwise, had I been alone. Shooting her gave me something to do... something to focus on. My brain was occupied on something that had to be completed instead of dwelling on past events. After she left, well... then I had work to do. I still had mess to deal with, of course, but I was dealing with it from a much better perspective. I would have loved to have her here with me in Ushuaia.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, and her photography, @K.clayphoto ©2018 Terrell Neasley

I sincerely hope I don't have to go such long stretches between my nude shoots. Having somebody traveling with me is definitely preferred, but this is not an easy option for 99% of people in the world. I confess travel life would be much easier if I didn't have an absolute need to shoot nudes. The places I will visit over the next year... man! They're gonna be expensive and this will likely be the case until I get to Southeast Asia... probably another year away. But who knows.

I have learned a lot about Latin America, though admittedly I can't say I understand it all. Positives? The diversity of all the forms of beautiful country you'll run into from the tropics to the cold spots and from sea level to 12K feet up. On the negative, damn... I have run into some of the same racial biases that we have in the US, between indigenous people, referred to as locals, Indians, or natives and those of European descent.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, and her photography, @K.clayphoto ©2018 Terrell Neasley

I have so many reasons yet to revisit Central and South America. I've been to Nicaragua and Guatemala 4 times each and I'm still not done. There are still places to see and I have friends there to visit. It's the same in South America. I need to get a better feel for Ecuador as I was only there for 3 weeks and all that time was spent grieving my brother. If you have any questions about making a trip to any of these places, please feel free to ask me. I want to encourage you to spend a little time out of your familiarities and travel outside your comfortable element. You won't regret doing so.

Thank you for following along with me this year. A new one awaits and I hope you'll be with me on the other side of the world next year.

I tried, but there's no way I could end a post of her with NO nudes. I was kidding myself and cheating you. Apologies. Let me correct that egregious error now...

What's it Been Like for My First Year of Travel - Part One

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, © 2018 Terrell Neasley

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” - Gustav Flaubert

On September 7th of last year, I left the US to begin my backpacking trip around the world. That was a year ago, yesterday. Art Model, @Kayci.Lee accompanied me for that first month flying into Nicaragua. We traveled north up into Guatemala and in early Feb, she flew back to the States. Me...well, I found a home for 6 months in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala.

@Kayci.Lee and I traveled fast to many places trying to maximize time to shoot throughout the month of January. After she left, I sprouted roots. I rented an apartment and settled down in the cold mountains. My beautiful apartment was just what I needed and people were put in my path that definitely helped me along the way.

When did you ever get horse lessons while naked?
Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, © 2018 Terrell Neasley

In no way has this been all glorious fun filled days, but its definitely been an adventure. I've learned a lot about traveling and even more about myself. I've had fabulous escapades as well as sudden pitfalls, but its hard to complain about any of it. I still hear somebody tell me at least once a month that I am living their dream or that they wish they could live my life. Granted... I know they can't be serious because they don't know my life, but I get what they are trying to say. I just don't take them literally or let any of it go to my head. I don't fool myself, at least not in that regard.

I'm glad I didn't start my trip alone, but rather eased into it. It took some getting used to, I can assure you of that and the process wasn't immediate by any stretch of the imagination. My first lesson was simply trying to relax and not feel like I needed to have something scheduled every day. Along with that, I realized that I didn't have to feel guilty about chilling out or not doing something somebody else expected me to do (or not do). Next has been finding the "OVERALL" purpose and goals for this trip. I've still got to be about my business and that starts now.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, © 2018 Terrell Neasley

2018 has been a trial period. And for that reason, I say my 5-year stint starts now. I don't count 2018 as part of that. It was a year for acclamation and, as I call it, just learning to breathe easy. Granted I'm still working on that, but I have a much better mindset about it and a more clearer direction. I'm refining and making adjustments as I go. The plan was initially to zig zag my way down through South America. Now, I think its better to hop down as far south as you can go and make my way up again. Its going to be winter there by June, so I'd rather bounce on down there and head back up before the freeze sets in. After South America, I think I will head to either somewhere in the South Pacific or New Zealand instead of Vietnam. I'll see Vietnam now after I cover the South Pacific and come up through Indonesia.

Then, its just keep heading west as the flow takes me. But here's one thing that I've learned and it continues to be reinforced. People are the same. Families here are just like families stateside. Parents love their children. They want the best for them just like us. In Mompiche, Ecuador  during Christmas, a predominantly black family came by the beach house rolling in about 25 to 30 strong. I sat with them and drank a whiskey mixed with coconut water straight out of the tree. Do I need to specify that only the coconut water came out of a tree...not whiskey? Surely not... I digress. When we ran out of coconuts, somebody got 4 or 5 more of the tree and filled the pitcher back up.

Yep. She's in church.
Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, © 2018 Terrell Neasley

I even saw the same characters just like one of my family reunions. There was my cousin Sheila cracking jokes and laughing the loudest. My Mama was there as well as my uncle Ulice Ray. There was one brother who brought his white wife, who in this case she happened to be Cuban, but looked white. They had a girl that looked just like my daughter...no kidding, with that. And a son, named Jeremy...no kidding there either. The only and I repeat... ONLY difference is that they spoke Spanish. Well, that and they were mixing whiskey with coconut water. But we are all the same. Its been the same with all the Latin families I've come to know. I could still identify the same characters in my family with them.

I'm learning much more about black people. Not just African-AMERICANS, but black people from Colombia, Ecuador, Belize, and all over Central and South America. Its been quite the enlightening experience. I'll be talking more on this in the future, but its helping me learn a little more about myself, as well. But back to my point, Americans are no different than Ecuadorians, or Guatemalans, or Canadians. We just have different cultures and languages. Outside of that, we are the same.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, © 2018 Terrell Neasley

In each country I find the poor, as well as the well-off. Same in America. Opportunities are better in some countries than others. But I wish like FUCK crazy that we Americans stop looking down on other countries, particularly countries with people of color. Travel definitely helps one's perspective in this. I'm not talking about a trip to Cancun where you get off a plane, travel THROUGH the country to an enclosed all-inclusive resort. So if you listened to that public address from the White House Tuesday night, about the "dangerous people", I'm really hoping you can... damn people ...you can literally Google the facts yourselves. But if you want to believe the racist con man, I guess that's you. But YOU tell me what decent trustworthy human being has ever had his foundation shut down and then gets barred by the courts (along with his family) from running a charitable organization for the next ten years? That's what a CON-ARTIST literally gets busted for. Preying on charity cases! Same thing happened to his "University" just last year for fraud. Racist people market fear. Its like a standard bullet item for them. Stop friggin' giving life to the lies.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, © 2018 Terrell Neasley

As for me, I'm going to try my best to get better at photography. Getting my shots is, like...Goal number 1. Outside of that, its experiencing new people, cultures, and landscapes. And that doesn't always involve a camera, but rather just experiencing and appreciating life. Today is the first full day of my two month Peruvian experience. I pray God continues to bless me with great people along my path.

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” – Mark Twain

Finally Editing Again

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, ©2018 Terrell Neasley

"Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world."

~ Gustave Flaubert

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, ©2018 Terrell Neasley

I'm grateful that I'm finally able to edit photos and work on a decent laptop. As I mentioned in the last blog post, I ordered the Gigabyte Aero 15X. Its beautiful, lightweight, fast, and I'm very happy with it. I've almost finished with customizing it to the way I like a laptop to work. I've got Adobe loaded on it, but I've only installed a single Plugin of the usual ones I normally work with. If I'm going to have anything, it's gotta be the Nik Collection that is now being distributed under DxO Labs, who took it over from Google. I still wonder if DxO Labs will really continue to develop this plugin or just roll it into their own PhotoLab editing software. They have already incorporated the Nik U-Point technology into PhotoLab. Nik is now available for $70.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, ©2018 Terrell Neasley

Of course, that also means I have a lot of edits to catch up on. I can tell you the feeling of 8 months worth of shots to even look through feels daunting and slightly overwhelming. At the same time though, there are some that I've eagerly been awaiting to get to work on. Namely, these shots you see here of @kayci.lee from January as she traveled with me from Nicaragua up to Guatemala. The horse ranch shoot was definitely my favorite time of her entire visit. It was quite remarkable to get her up on those Andalusian horses and get some shots. @kayci.lee 's efforts paid off handsomely to make that contact to get us access to that ranch.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, ©2018 Terrell Neasley

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

~ Mark Twain

Shooting on Nicaragua's Little Corn Island didn't work out as well as we had hoped. Despite being there during the peak of the dry season, somehow a weather phenomenon caused a deluge to drench us during our entire 5-day stay. Our clothes never dried out even a bit and actually began to mildew by the time we left. A few days in the hot El Salvadorean sun fixed that problem. These things happen and sometimes seemingly often. We stayed in 10 different hotels/hostels over almost 5 weeks. Something is bound to go wrong at some point. We ran into a 5 day storm during dry season. This is where they say you have to take the good with the bad. You can plan all you want but sometimes things are out of your control and you either roll with the punches or you'll spend your days frustrated and a great trip can end up fraught with mishaps because you're not flexible enough to maintain a good attitude. Plan as best you can and then just do your best. After that, deal with what's before you and make the best of things. The world is not obligated to be considerate of your itinerary.

Yes, we are watching Ice Age 3 in the last photo. You can't tell me you wouldn't have also taken that shot.

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, ©2018 Terrell Neasley

Art Model, @Kayci.Lee, ©2018 Terrell Neasley

Why Traveling (Internationally) Seems So Hard - REPOST

**** Originally published July 17, 2015 ****

I thought this was definitely worth a REPOST! Enjoy!!

Couple traveling in Guatemala

"For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move."

~ Robert Louis Stevenson

I get asked often about why I travel, what its like, and how I do it more times than I'd care to count. I'm amazed at how mysterious so many people think it is. But then again, I'm reminded of the fact that I used to be the exact same way. It's not easy when you can't speak the language. Its too expensive. I have kids or a job that won't let me take the time off. Trust me. I had the exact same thoughts and had a few events and people in my life not helped me change that mentality, I'd still be in the same mindset.

German Art Model traveling through out Central and South America

For me, the military set the ball in motion. My first duty assignment was in Germany. I hail from Texas where being 200 miles or more from home was a rarity and most of those times I exceeded 200 miles, I was still in Texas. I turned 20 in Germany if memory serves. It was a wake-up call and was the first thing or event in my life that let me know people did things differently. During time off, I got to travel around Europe. Eventually other assignments took me to more places and I learned to be in the habit of moving a lot.

German Art Model traveling through out Central and South America

Towards the end of my military career, I stabilized in the city of my last duty station in Tennessee which is where my kids call home. I got to travel from there to Lake Tahoe with a former friend of mine who travels domestically often. I got to see that its not as expensive as I had been lead to believe to arrange flights, hotels, and car rentals if you do it wisely. The advent of the internet and online booking options really aided me in those efforts. And yet, I gradually lost the calling to seek out new life and civilizations. I got bogged down in work and making money.

Through some hiking associations, I met fellow traveler, @Heather Rae Murphy  (www.heatherraemurphy.com/) who took off on her own to Southeast Asia for two months one summer. I couldn't wait til she got back to talk to her about her trip. It was at this point that I realized a few things. Excuses were just that...excuses. I had already been through enough life events to realize I wasn't going out of this life with thoughts of making more money for my employer. I was on the road WITH Heather that next following Summer in Guatemala and Belize. There was one thing in particular that I had to change in my life in order to make these things happen.

Art Model Covenant on Little Corn Island traveling throughout Central America 

Priorities

Yes. Prioritizing travel was all it took really. Just making the decision to go. Go anywhere! But don't be deluded. You ain't going anywhere til you get that ticket. All the plans you make. All the good intentions and mean-wells do you absolutely no good until you GET THAT TICKET AND PASSPORT! So booking the flight is first. Well at some point before you go, you're gonna have to get a passport if you don't already have one. Plan a trip that is several months away to give yourself some time to make the arrangements. Central America has been the perfect proving grounds. One, its close. Two, its cheap. Three, it eliminates any and every excuse you might have to not travel. As many times as you've flown across the US for the holidays or other family events, you'll pay less in many cases flying internationally to the Central America. So what you can't speak the language. I'm still alive after several trips of being down there. My Spanish is getting better. But I didn't remember much of anything outside of counting to twenty-nine in Español. Don't be scared of that. I'd wager that 80% of all the travelers I meet do not speak the native language and yet you don't hear of news reports of people dying because of it. But chances are your priorities are probably getting those new J's on your feet. Or maybe trying to find a way to keep those $500 a month car payments up. Or its probably more important to have your Starbucks in the morning. You spend your money on what you are about most. If you cared about traveling, odds are you would be or will soon be traveling.

Art Model Covenant on Little Corn Island
traveling throughout Central America 

"There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million."

~ Walt Streightiff

So you got kids

Children playing in Belize ©2012 Terrell Neasley

Yeah, my kids are grown. Is that an advantage? I won't lie. Yes it is. However... So what?? Bring the kids!! Why not raise 'em on a good wholesome diet of culture variety? You can't tell me how this would be a bad thing unless you are planning a trip to Syria. More likely than not, your kids will also become travelers. Why? Because they'll be used to it and will ALREADY have passports. Many people stay put because they have never applied for a passport. I see kids on the road with their families all the time. Many get raised on sailboats with parents who circumnavigate the world. You know who I meet on the road from other countries traveling by themselves? 18 to 23 year old kids doing extended travel for a few months before they get locked down in jobs and careers. Do you think your 18 year old is ready to cross the Pacific on their own? Well they would be if you took them there before they leave home.

Is it the job?

This is probably a tough one. But then I gotta ask. How important is traveling to you? If your job doesn't understand your need to be off more than a week a year, then...damn. I don't want to tell you you need to find a new job. YOU need to tell you that you need to find a new job. America is one of the few countries that still don't understand the value of time off and burn-out prevention. Traveling or not, a well-rounded lifestyle is more beneficial to your health and longevity. Expense reports are not. But honestly, who can tell you to change careers. I follow travel blogs all the time and often hear about husbands/wives, or single people quitting their jobs to follow their hearts.

All I'm saying is this: There are options out there if you look. Plenty of them. But none of them will do you a bit of good until you make the call to prioritize travel with your money and your time. Get the ticket!

Locals in Antigua, Guatemala ©2014 Terrell Neasley

Making Choices and Being Flexible

Art Model Covenant, Belize 2015

Its been almost two months since I've started out on this adventure. Month 2 has been one of a more slowed pace. Over the first month, I stayed in 9 different places moving through Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala. In this second month, I've only been in two places. I moved from Antigua, Guatemala 3 hours west up into the mountain highlands of Quetzaltenango, more locally known as Xela (Shay'-la).

Art Model Covenant, Belize 2015

I stayed 3 weeks at Kasa Kamelot Hotel, even though I had it booked for 4. Then I found an ad on a Xela Facebook Group (Thanks, Lani!) for an apartment on the other side of the city. I went to see it and jumped on it. I'm not the greatest at shopping around for a good deal on certain things. It was the only one I looked at and I knew I wanted it, though I knew I could find something cheaper and closer to where I was. This deciding factor for me was the fact that it was on the outskirts of town and has an amazing panoramic view of an active volcano. That spelled good for my peace of mind. And right now, that's quite important.

Art Model Covenant on Little Corn Island 2015 

For the moment, things have been slow and that's just how I want it for now. I'm going to sit tight here and explore this place until June when I head back for two or three weeks for that Surface Book 2 and the Sigma 20mm 1.4. I'll use the time to just breathe, you know? I'm working on some "In My Bag" videos as well as some that explain WHY I chose to bring the tools I have. So namely camera gear of course, but also the periphery accessories like grips, lighting, extra chargers, etc. I'm also doing vids on why I travel, why I think its important, and maybe even I can give you some ideas on how it could benefit you in what you're doing EVEN if you won't do extended travel like myself. But of course NONE of these videos will get edited and done til I get that friggin' laptop. This will be new to me because I have NEVER edited ANYTHING on the road. But with a powered up laptop like the Surface Book 2, I don't think I'll have to deal with many of the hang-ups I have with doing edits on most laptops. (Got my eye on a drone as well, but we'll see.)

Art Model Covenant, 2015 traveling throughout Central America 

Speaking of Sigma...they just announced last week 9 new FE mount lenses for Sony, which means I won't need an adapter for my camera. In the meantime, I'm going to utilize the time til June to work on how I plan to do a restructure of my blog and website to reflect the work I'm doing while traveling. I'm making videos to accompany them but of course I can't edit them just yet. Over the course of this journey, these videos will document my travels, talk about photo technique and ideas, explain my processes, review products and talk about gear (of course), and overall keep you updated on this adventure.

Art Model Covenant, 2015 traveling throughout Central America 

I will also utilize this time to hone in on my whole purpose for being here as well as contemplating ideas and travel concepts. After talking to several people just since I've been on this journey, I've come to give heavy consideration to traveling abroad vs living abroad. There are benefits to both and I have to consider each of these concepts. I'm not saying to live permanently in one place. I've talked to expats that stayed two years in Costa Rica before moving to Vietnam for two years. People like this prefer that lifestyle over traveling through from place to place every few weeks. For me, I'm pretty sure its going to be a balance. Case in point, I just spent a month in 9 places, but right now, I'm renting an apt for 3 months. If an opportunity strikes me to stay put longer, I'll consider that. I may get to Colombia and stay there a year.

Art Model Covenant, Juayua, El Salvador 2015

Regardless, however I choose to roll, it's got to fit into my mission, objectives, and opportunities. Staying in Xela does just that and I think 3 months will be long enough. Where will I go from there? Not sure. I initially planned to head up into Mexico, come around the Yucatan, back down into Belize and start southwards again. But now, I'm thinking of heading straight to Colombia when I return from the States after my June visit. For now, I've got time to weigh all those options. I'm excited about it.

Month ONE - Central America

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

Yeah, everything changed after October. October happened to be one of the most challenging and weirdest months that has hit me in quite some time, as I stated in the previous blog post.

So after going through a few interesting life events and situations, I decided to delay Southeast Asia for a little bit. I moved all my things in storage and sold the rest. I needed a life "re-calibration", of sorts. Over the last few months, I've lost some people that were dear to me and as close to family as you can get without sharing the same blood. Rest in Peace, Jerry Brady!!

L to R, Susan, Jerry, Tracie, and Me! RIP, my friend

I'm in Guatemala right now. I've already been through Nicaragua and El Salvador. So for something a little bit different, I'm doing something I've always wanted to do... extended travel... quite a bit longer than the usual 3 or 4 months that I usually do. I've been gone just a little over a month. I chose to start this venture in Central America because it's familiar. I was accompanied by my good friend and art model, Kristi C., but she left last week. We traveled to several places and tried to shoot where we could, but sometimes situations didn't lend itself to doing our best work. That happens. You try again or do something else. Little Corn Island was such an adventure. It rained on us every single day for five days. We saw the sun once as it peeked through the clouds and set over the horizon. Our clothes smelled of mildew and I became concerned for our camera sensors with the heavy humidity and salt in the air. So, I cleaned our sensors when we got back to dry mainland.

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

I've met some very interesting people along the way and saw some old acquaintances from previous visits. I learned a ton about coffee and now I appreciate everything that goes into it so much more from my time in Juayua, El Salvador. A Canadian girl has given me some things to think about as it relates to depression. I had a great night in El Salvador with some guys drinking a few beers as we talked of our perspectives on cultural differences. An Austrian, a Salvadorian, a Canadian (who showed me a tat on his butt of another dude's name who did the same while they were drunk), a Belgian dude, and another cool guy from Norway. A Finnish guy joined later. No arguments. No judgments. Just 6 adults from different countries sharing opinions and experiences.

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

Presently, I've got a room in a hostel in Quetzaltenago, Guatemala. I'm pretty sure I'm going to find a place to rent, chill for a few months and figure some things out. Quetzaltenango, also called Xela, is the second largest city in Guatemala. Its got a nice feel to it. Its got a good blend of the modern Guate City and the old colonial Antigua. There's something here and I want to find it. Ever get that feeling? I'm going to see if I can teach some photography as well as capture this city from my own perspective. Its a little cold here. Wasn't expecting that. I'm the only fool around here still walking the city in shorts and flip flops. At more than 7500 ft ASL in these mountains, it can still get quite chilled. And I still like it here.

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

I'll have to head back stateside in May/June because I need to buy a laptop that I can edit on, likely that Surface Book 2. And maybe pick up that sweet glass Sigma 20mm 1.4, with the MC-11 adapter, of course to fit on my Sony gear. I'll only be there for a few weeks before coming right back down here and continuing with my adventure. I've been warned that many come here and don't leave. I can see why.

More updates to come. All these images are unedited. Til I get my new laptop, I don't have the photoshop tools I usually use. I rarely edit on the road. But I'll have to now tho. Soon tho! Til then...I'll manage with the likes of these.

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley

Art Model Kristi C., Nicaragua Copyright 2018 Terrell Neasley