I heard something recently that said people who go to a museum and don’t take pictures actually learn and remember more from the experience.  At times, I find it hard to balance being in the moment and wanting to whip out my camera to try to capture it.  So I try to live first, snap second, but sometimes that leaves me wishing I had taken more.  One regret I have about this trip is the lack of pictures I took.  I often scroll through my old pictures for fun, and so my mission for our next vacation is to follow the rule of live then snap, but keep the camera out for a bit longer.

I also hate being that American tourist.  You know, the one who pushes people out-of-the-way to get a good shot.  Or the one who has the big map out and is silently screaming, “PICK POCKETS COME HERE!  TAKE ALL MY MONEY AND IMPORTANT PERSONAL DOCUMENTS.”  I also like to be respectful of the places and people I visit.  Maybe they don’t want to show up on a random blog on the internet in their bikini, you know?

But, I do love to take pictures.  It’s an artistic challenge that seems like it would be so easy, but it’s actually really, really hard to take a good photo.  I usually have one in about 500 photos that I’m proud of (no exaggeration).  Someday I would love to get a really nice camera and maybe take some classes.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of my favorite shots from the trip.  More details to come soon!