Reflections on the Road

A traveling photographer's blog about the world around us, and within us.

Snippets Of Conversation From A Month In Iraq

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Almost two years ago, in May 2017, I spent four weeks in northern Iraq, meeting an eclectic mix of people, from youthful backpackers to weary soldiers, from Catholic nuns to restaurant cooks. I think often of these people, and am thankful for the small glimpses they gave me into their lives, hearts, and work. To mark the two-year anniversary of the visit, here are eight snippets of conversation jotted down in my notebook:

Keep Some Room In Your Heart For The Unimaginable

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“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable,” wrote poet Mary Oliver. Much of the news, and sometimes much of our heart, is filled up with frustration, not least when we look at the political situation in Washington D.C. But I don’t want to write about the negative stuff right now. The picture above […]

15 Photos: 2018 In Review

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It’s that time of year again, when I inadequately summarize the year that was with a line of statistics. Here it goes: In 2018, I traveled for 129 days and set foot in nine countries: the United States, Portugal, Ireland, England, France, Morocco, Spain, Germany, and Switzerland. Compared to 2017, which was 302 days in […]

The Threat To Tweety Bird

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In the mountains surrounding the Panamanian town of Boquete, there is a rather phenomenal coffee farm called Hacienda La Esperanza. It is run by Jose Pretto, a Panamanian citizen of Italian descent seen in this photograph. We met one day in 2008, two hours into my walk down a curvy two-lane highway, where I was […]