Once Upon a Time in Mexico

Once upon a time last weekend, my brother and my dad drove down to Mexico for an ATV trip through Baja (I did this same trip 2 years ago, it was super fun/one of the most dangerous things I've ever done). The group they were going with also does a service project while they're there in the form of passing out clothing items to needy families. My dad was given the responsibility of packing all the donated clothing in his truck to take down for the group.

When they arrived at the customs station in Mexico, they were promptly arrested for "smuggling" and the truck, ATV, trailer, and everything else they had, save for a backpack each, was confiscated. It is apparently illegal to take donated items like that into Mexico. My dad was detained for hours in a holding room, and both my brother and he were made to sign confessions or be taken to jail.

Because they didn't have 15,000 pesos to pay their fine, and also because the Mexican government doesn't take credit cards, my brother and dad had to wait until Monday morning so they could go to the bank. They had to walk sneak back to the California side of the boarder with just their backpacks.

Monday rolls around and my dad decides to venture back to Mexico alone to pay their fine and get the truck and everything else back. The nearest ATM wasn't working, but a sweet looking senorita named Adrianne (who also had been stopped at the boarder for smuggling) was also trying to get money out of the ATM. She offered to take my dad to the American side of the boarder to the Wells Fargo for $20. My dad agreed and she dropped him off after exchanging information so she could pick him up.

After getting the money at the bank, he called the number she gave him only to find it was disconnected. He figured Adrianne had swindled him out of the $20, so he started to walk back to the boarder. It was around sunset, and his cell phone battery had just died, so he tried to hurry.

While walking, two thugs appeared asking if he was looking for Adrianne. My dad knew this was not a good sign and tried to play dumb. The guys jumped him! My dad rocked one of the thugs square in the nose, breaking it, while the other thug punched my dad in the back of the head and tried to wrestle him to the ground from behind-- probably not the smartest way to attack a wrestling champion/all around badass like my dad.

Right then, a cab driver came flying down the road, honking his horn, and jumped out of the cab to help my dad. The two thugs ran off and the cab driver took my dad to the boarder.

When my dad finally got to the Mexican customs office to pay the fine, they told him they couldn't find his truck, and that he should come back the next day. He kindly informed them there was no way in hell that was going to happen, and 45 minutes later they appeared with his truck and all his other belongings.

He drove back to America, in all his Mexican thug punching glory.

The end.

The KSL story can be found here.

President's Day Highlights

For President's Day weekend I drove up to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to visit my cousins. These are some highlights.

• Mumford and Sons, David Bowie, Temper Trap, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me, and This American Life made an amazing audio accompaniment on this particular road trip. Unfortunately The Historian did not.
• Umcka drops and garlic tablets kicked the crap out of my cousin's horrible cold (and prevented the rest of us from getting sick). I'm now a believer.
• I watched Breaking Dawn Some Cool Movie Without Lame Vampires, Anonymous, Contagion, Crazy Stupid Love, Tree of Life, and the finale of Downton Abby, all in one weekend, guilt-free, with snacks, without multitasking.
• Speaking of snacks, movie popcorn and hot tamales... enough said. 
• My cousin made me the best steak I've ever had in my life (complete with black truffle butter). It made me seriously reconsider my vegan weekdays.
• Ignight is far more hip than anywhere in Jackson Hole, which is a welcome relief if cowboys aren't your thing. I recommend the skirt steak flatbread.
• It's ridiculously cute when your young cousins are horrified and then enormously impressed when you make them try a green smoothie for breakfast.
• Scum should always be played with Downton Abby characters.
• I saw a million mountain goats, a gazillion elk, and 3 moose.
• These are really good.
• People weren't really impressed with chocolate mousse made from avocados, but I suspect they wouldn't have even noticed if we wouldn't have told them what was in it.
• I cannot leave Vom Fass without spending money.
• Moroccan oil makes my hair super sexy.
• "Cousin Matthew" is really important code for future reference.
• I'm really visually into snow covered fields and trees right now, though I took no pictures.
• If he pesters enough, a little girl will let her father yank out her (not quite ready) loose tooth.
• I had such an amazing weekend, I may or may not be considering a move up to ol' Wyo for the summer...

Traveler's Tips

It doesn't have to be expensive, but you may have to rough it a little bit. We're talking about traveling after all, not vacationing, BIG DIFFERENCE. Look for cheap airfare at kayak.com, hipmunk.com, studentuniverse.com, cheapoair.com, etc (and places like ryanair.com and easyjet.com when in Europe). Set a budget and when airfare reaches that price, buy. Travel during the off season. Stay in hostels. Sleep in airports. Sleep in your car. Camp. Couch surf (but be safe about it). Eat cheap.

Pack light. Trust me. You don't need all that crap you think you need. How you pack will greatly depend on where you're going, but a good standard rule is if you're packing more than you can carry on (as in carry-on) the plane, you've packed too much.

Buy a map before you go (or look at/print out googlemaps). Sometimes you won't be able to find a map once you get there, and it's smart to at least get somewhat acquainted with the lay of the land if you're going to a new place.

Take facial cleansing cloths/wet wipes. Showers can sometimes be few and far between when traveling, but when you remember these bad boys you packed away, it will be a like a day at the spa. You might also want a little bottle of hand sanitizer.

Leave a copy of your travel info with someone back home. This includes passports, IDs, flight information, and even a little list of things you might be taking with you. Chances are those people will never need to use that stuff, but in the case you find yourself in a tight spot or go missing, it will help them out. 

Every trip needs a playlist. It's a rule. So make one before you leave.

Eat what and where the locals eat. Keep an eye out for restaurants that seem busy, but not with tourists, and don't be afraid to eat street food. Eating local food is a great way to experience the real culture of a place, and it will save you money.

Talk to people. You'll never have more interesting conversations than the ones you have with strangers while traveling (but just remember you don't want to be that guy that never shuts up).

Wander. This is my absolute favorite thing to do while traveling. I love the solitude of being alone in a new place with no agenda. Your senses are so much more receptive when you aren't stressing about a schedule, so you'll observe little things you would have never noticed. Give me the whole day in a new place with just me and my cameras, and I'm in heaven.

Some tourist stuff is actually pretty cool. Try to stay off the beaten path as much as possible, but sometimes places/people/things are a big deal for a reason. Usually if a famous site is free, and won't take all day, I'll at least take a peek. I do, however, get really grumpy if I get stuck on an expensive tour that involves many stops at gift shops.

Take pictures. Most people (parents usually excluded) forget about taking pictures after a few days into the trip. I, being a photographer with no excuse, am one of the worst culprits of this. Take. Pictures.

If you ever find yourself in a public restroom without toilet paper, use your sock. But really, it's just kind of nice to avoid that situation by packing some tissues with you in the first place (especially if you're more of a sandal wearer like me).

Speaking of bathrooms, go. I hate to treat you like a 5 year old, but if you're about to leave the train station/hostel/restaurant/whatever, go to the bathroom before you leave. You never know where/when your next one will be. The same thing goes for getting gas (for your car) on road trips.

Respect the culture you're in. Don't expect a country to adapt to you, you adapt to it. Yeah, you might think some customs are a little weird, but that's the fun of it! Get outside your comfort zone, people!

Don't be stupid. This includes flashing huge amounts of cash in the open, leaving anything unattended, telling strangers intimate details about yourself, wearing white New Balance sneakers and a fanny pack, etc. In short: don't act like a tourist. Try to blend in. A game I love to play while traveling is to try to get the locals to think you're a local. If they try to give you the locals discount, speak to you in their language, don't try to sell you crap, don't try to steal from you, or if they aren't completely annoyed by your existence... you win.

Don't stress. Mistakes, mishaps, setbacks, and delays are the spice of life.

peace,
k.

My Brother The Travel Show Host

For my most recent trip to Europe, I rented a mic for my 5DMKII so I could make some talkies when I got home. It was a wild success! Not only did I discover my talent for never actually turning on the mic (creative choice, I say!), but I also discovered a hidden talent of my brother's: travel show hosting.

Anyone have the number for the Travel Channel? Homeboy's got mad skillllz over here.

peace,
k.

Why Your Sister Should Be A Photographer

Because when you go on a trip with her, instead of this...

...you get this:

And of course some of this too...

What would my brothers' Facebook profiles (and the girls who stalk them) do without me?

peace,
k.

Europe 2011 | Day 1

We've arrived!

Our flights weren't bad (in fact, we had some of the nicest and most attentive flight attendants I've ever had... nice job Delta), but flying is still definitely the worst part of any trip. None of us slept very much, which is surprising since we are traveling with Sleep Master Jamie (who just so happens to be the greatest public sleeper of our lifetime), and so we were very excited to finally climb into our gloriously horizontal beds at the end of our travel day.

Tonight we're staying in the Kyraid Hotel in Porte d'Ivry, just outside Paris. At around $20 a person for the night, it was cheaper than a hostel this time of year. The room is small, but it has a huge (clean!) bathroom, moderately sized TV (we watched The Simpsons, Planet Earth, and Tennis all in french this evening...), and free Wi-Fi. It's within walking distance from a bunch of restaurants (we got cheapo doner carry out), and supposedly the metro station is a just a few blocks away. It was easy to get to from Orly Airport, though if you're traveling in a group without train passes, it's cheaper/easier/faster/better to take a taxi.

Tomorrow we are going to go museum hopping and to the Eiffel Tower! More to come!

The Next Big Trip

I can't help it, it's an addiction and the world is my enabler... 

In March through April of 2009 I took my first solo European trip:

Then in July of that same year I want to Uganda, Africa:

I didn't travel again until I went on an quad trip to Baja in February of 2010:

Then I went to Kauai that June where I didn't get any good pictures so here is a point and shoot:

And then I spent Christmas 2010 in Europe:

In the fall of 2010 I started college (as a 22 year old freshman... woot woot) which greatly reduced the free time and money I had to travel. I get really antsy for trips and pretty much try to leave the state and/or country at any and every opportunity. I have a serious case of wanderlust. I ache to travel. If I'm not actively traveling, I'm thinking about my next trip. And don't think I'm talking about "vacations". Vacations to me are a free afternoon reading a book and drinking a delicious beverage. Why would I want to spend three grand to do that in the bahamas? No thank you. I'm a traveler. I wander. I photograph. I eat street foods. I befriend locals. I get lost. I find secrets. I live. 

So, without further ado, I am overjoyed to announce my next big trip that will take place May through August of 2012. Drum roll please...

Namibia 

(with a galavant through Europe to start it all off)

Among other adventures, I'll live in the bush for a month with the Himba tribe while I photograph them and record their stories. It's like Nat Effing Geo, people (except, you know, I'm paying for it and it's not going in NatGeo). I could not be more excited. 

Alaska | Part 3 - The Point and Shoot Tourist

The day after the wedding, Jason (best man/awesome pal) and I had the day to ourselves. We wandered around downtown Anchorage most of the afternoon.

 For lunch, we ate at the Glacier Brewhouse. The soup nazi would have been proud of that lobster bisque.

 Then we stopped at the Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge for some delicious beverages. I am a hot chocolate connoisseur, you see, and must try hot chocolate in every place that I visit. So how did Modern Dwellers of Anchorage fare? VERY well. I got an iced dark chocolate with soy milk and cayenne pepper which pretty much changed my life. Possibly the second best chocolate drink I've ever had (which is saying a lot with my connoisseur status and all). Modern Dwellers also had a wide variety of unique truffles. Among the most unique were the anchovy and salmon topped dark chocolate ones. Whenever you see something like this, it must be tried regardless of how gross it looks. Surprisingly, it was actually really satisfying. I'm not a big fish fan, but something about the salty and the sweet flavors mixing really hit the spot!

 After a couple more hours of wandering, shopping, and lounging, we decided to try a reindeer hotdog from one of the street vendors. I'm a big fan of street food, but not a big fan of hot dogs so I only tried a bite of Jason's. That bite turned into another bite. And another. This was a little bit of a big deal because I hate hotdogs. I want to like them, but they are gross, so I can't. Reindeer hot dogs are a lot less hotdogy I guess, because I could eat like four enjoyable bites before I felt a little queazy. Totally something I'd eat at a game. Huzzah.

Then B + D met up with us later in the evening and took us to Beluga Point where I introduced Jason to Sigur Ros (who just so happens to be a perfect soundtrack to Alaskan wilderness). Jason and I also scaled the fierce (not really) wall to the top and took far too many silly pictures of ourselves. 

The view was gorgeous AND we saw a double rainbow (all the way)! What does it mean?

 The groom's parents took us all out to dinner that night before Jason and I boarded our red eye flight back to Utah.

All in all the trip was a wonderful success! I'll blog more about the wedding part in the coming weeks, but for now I am just trying to keep my head on straight. I'm in verifiable zombie mode from the Alaska trip, finishing finals, shooting 2 more Utah weddings, and breaking an extremely expensive lens (first time ever). Also, I just was informed that I'll be teaching the lesson tomorrow in Gospel Doctrine.

Whew!


peace,
k.

Alaska | Part 1 - Getting Here

It's rainy, green, and breathtaking here in Alaska. But, getting here was a little rough. As much as I love airports, I hate flying. Like really. Hate. Fiery death variety. My passionate love for travel outweighs this hate slightly, so I deal. Sort of.

The flight out of Salt Lake was delayed which was fine, it just meant more airport time. Delayed flights never bother me, in fact. They are just another part of the journey and the journey is half the fun of travel. The flight out of Long Beach to Anchorage, however, was a little more... interesting. Just as we sped up on the runway, about to leave the ground, the pilot suddenly slammed on the breaks. This, my friends, is kind of an intense moment in one's life, even for a seasoned flyer. Apparently one of the engines had a failure, and after sitting on the plane for a little while, we were ushered back into the gate to await for another plane to take us to our destination. By the time we finally took off (this time with working engines) it was about midnight Utah time. It's probably important to note that I was running on very little sleep as it was. The week prior to this departure, I was in crazy zombie mode trying to finish everything before I left. I was beat and desperately wanted to sleep, but I have never been a good napper (doubly so on airplanes). By the middle of the 5 hour flight, and in my hazy non-sleep sleep, I silently cursed Alaska for deciding to be so far away from real America. How dare it be part of the United States. If Alaska was united, we wouldn't be flying over Canada to get there. At least Hawaii has an excuse! It's an island! I hated Sarah Palin so much more than I ever had, and I even sorta wished that all the bears and wolves in the whole world were dead. This was a very dark time in my life.

But, as always, my personal tantrum eased as we pulled into the gate and got off the plane. Soon I was curled up in my warm bed listening to percussions of the precipitation outside, remembering the opportunity I was being given by being here. I didn't hate Alaska quite as much after that.

Tonight is the wedding dinner and tomorrow is the big day. The forecast is stormy, but I'm at least hoping for (and feeling slightly entitled to) some good dramatic clouds if it's going to be wet. The groom showed me some snapshots of the location, and sheesh, all I can say is you all better stay tuned for pictures. I can't wait to get out there and shoot. The flight was definitely worth it!

Bon Voyage

I am typing this from one of my favorite places in the whole entire world.

The airport.

I love airports. Not only do they mean I'm traveling somewhere (and traveling is one of my most favorite pastimes), they are also the most premiere people watching venue (another one of my most favorite pastimes). It's like the ultimate watering hole for humans. You have your loud businessmen, your stripper-hot hoochie with the tramp stamp and the stilettos, your families with parents who look like they are about to kill their whiney children, your scruffy backpackers with Chaco tan lines, your teenage sports teams going to tournaments, your groups of Howard (you know who you are that knows that that means), the list goes on and on. Where else but the airport do you have such a completely random mix of people? Nowhere, dear readers, but the airport.

And why am I at the airport? Because I am going to shoot a wedding in Alaska on a glacier.

Yep. That we have to helicopter to.

Stay tuned...

(PS. There are some people next to me speaking the most beautiful french. I want to learn. So much.)