Londinium: The First Step Abroad

           It has been about a month since my last entry, which I suppose shows how busy and fantastic studying abroad must be (or how forgetful I am). It has been almost weeks since I and the other members of my program arrived in London, spending our time observing the city and its history. Through navigating the tube, visiting sites, and managing a food stipend with just enough left over for a night at the pub we have immersed ourselves in another world, but we have only waded into the shallow (although very tempestuous) edge of the water. Despite the short period of time I have been in London there has been an enormous opportunity to practice photography. While it is possible to remain in one area and truly get in touch with your surroundings, having the opportunity to document entirely new and candid experiences in another country is a blessing. 
           The last time I spent more than an interim in London (and by that I mean a layover in the airport) I was eight years old. Children possess a remarkable quality of wonder, always fascinated by the world around them. It is a lens that we should maintain, while still changing and improving the body and mind. Experiencing the UK and the rest of Europe as a child was a fairy tale come true, but now it is time to remove that filter. I should still seek out the extraordinary in the mundane, but there is a need for some sense of maturity and responsibility (at least when it comes to my work). There are the spontaneous moments to document and preserve, but there must also be a plan of some sort, almost like a retractable leash. I should be able to roam about and at times engage in reckless abandon, but my work needs to eventually be drawn back to the focus. Whatever the circumstances I need to become more adaptable, prepared to lose myself in my surroundings and place enough trust in myself that I will be able to return to where I was before a better and more polished person. We shall see.

Open your mind, be brave, and be kind.
- Noah