At the time, I didn't record any of my experiences, preferring to focus solely on getting out and doing as much as possible (as if the two were incompatible), and not worrying about taking notes or photographs. Inevitably, the memories began to fade after returning to the UK, and though many of the impressions remain, the details become hazier with time.
Before moving to Japan, I decided to take up photography in order to help preserve the memories of my upcoming travels. This original, simple idea quickly grew into a far more involved hobby: photography for the pleasure of it, for the love of (attempting to make) good images, virtually every day, whether on the road or not.
The intention behind this blog, as I originally had planned for photography, is to record my thoughts and experiences of the world. Not so secretly, I also hope this first post forms the germ of a new passion: writing for pleasure, just as a birthday-present compact camera once opened my eyes to the joy in photography.
Some of my photographs can be seen at my Flickr account here.
