Milan, Italy
a stopover in
Late January 2024
Issue # 4
Yet another "What a day!"
I lost count of how many consecutive days I found myself saying, "What a day!" during my time in Switzerland. It's a fun metric to track how I'm living: How long has it been since the last "What a day!"?
But alas! my time in Europe has come to an end, and I'm gearing up for a flurry of work trips back in North America.
This post is a look at what's coming up for me next. Holler at me if our paths are set to collide!
Where I’ve been:
Switzerland and Milan
Where I'm going:
I'm currently en route to New York City for a few days of "housekeeping" plus visiting with friends. Next week I'll be shooting an assignment in Cancun. After some fun in the sun I'll be photographing an expo in Houston, and then finally returning to the mountains for both work and play in Colorado. That's how my February is shaping up. March is still a question mark.
What I’ve seen:
a sampling from my camera roll
What I’ve thought:
[ Six things on my mind ]
-
Mansplaining is simply how I communicate that I understand the topic at hand; I'm not trying to teach anything most of the time. I do this even when I'm talking to other men. Yet, I can see how this may come across as condescending, especially to women smarter than me. However, I would compare mansplaining with the way women communicate when they are talking through a problem --they're not asking for advice or need me to fix something; they simply need to be heard. Maybe we're not so different after all.
-
It's wild to me that I can afford a month of snowboarding every day in Switzerland, yet I haven't found any place in my own country where I can do that because lodging is just too expensive. It's a shame, because the relaxed mindset that comes from having plenty of time to enjoy the slopes, as opposed to a packed weekend, makes the whole experience more enjoyable.
So far this season I've snowboarded over half a million vertical feet in 28 days. Mind you, this is coming from the same app that said my top speed was 190mph, so I'm not saying it's a reliable source...
Evernote's tag-line should be, "From great to horrible. How over-complication ruined a simple product."
Air travel stuff: 1.) The TWA Hotel is a great place to pass the time at JFK. The lobby is beautiful, comfortable, and open 24 hours. 2.) The Mobile Passport Control app is a must-have for international travel. It's basically a free skip-the-line pass when returning through U.S. Customs. 3.) I'm trying Lugless for the first time, to ship my snowboard, so I don't have to carry it with me to Mexico and Houston.
Milan is a bit like Hollywood in that the reality of it is nothing like its reputation. At least Hollywood has great weather. Milan, on the other hand, is basically gray, and it doesn't get pretty until night time.
What I’ve felt:
Comfortable hitting jumps in the snowpark
Sad, indignant, hopeless, and concerned about my dad's health
Anti-social
Proud of the way I move through the world
Overwhelmed by my goals for this year
What I’ve wondered:
What things have you lost?
What book has compelled you to take action immediately?
When was the last time you were outside of your comfort zone?
How recently have you changed your mind about something?
What do you like about yourself?
Photography tip:
A friend sent me this photo with the caption, "This town is GORGEOUS!"
I responded snobbishly by saying, "Could you send a picture of the town instead of the sky?"
The single most common problem I see in photos is that the top half of the image is a complete waste of pixels -- total dead space, like the sky pictured above. This happens because it's natural to place the subject (horizon, person, pet, moon, etc.) smack in the middle of the frame, but that is the least interesting choice for composition. If you do nothing other than simply tilt your camera down, even a smidge, before taking the picture, your photos will be more visually appealing.
What I’m
grateful for:
New fun socks
Another season in Andermatt without any significant injuries
A few days to myself after five and a half weeks with others
Luca & Anna, the kind strangers on the train who invited me to dinner in Milan
Ranunculus in a wine glass
Power outlets on airplanes