During this Boston-based break week, I’ve been getting back in touch with this ole blog-o-mine, photography, and activities I rarely enjoy at work, like reading or going to events around the city. Though my attempt to see an advanced screening at a cool, old movie theater didn’t pan out, I was successful in attending a speaker event at MIT’s Media Lab.

You’d think I’d have done ample research already on a program/building attached to a snazzy institution that bears a similar name to my own course. Nay, I have had no time to do such frivolous, awesome things. I’ve made it into the MIT buildings, to film Noam and all, but the Media Lab was impressive…almost an operational exhibition of innovation in the making. My jealousy was raging.

I wasn’t just wandering aimlessly this afternoon in the Media Lab; I was there to see a speaker and witness an anal-retentive production team in action. Whoa, that was a meticulous sound check. They produced a webcast that ran live online, but I felt like testing out my own webcasting abilities with Ustream.tv. Check out the conversation below on regulation and access to the Internet by Susan Crawford, author of Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry and Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age.

Nomadderwhere’s video streaming by Ustream

New tools. New capabilities. New information. Just trying to keep up with my mini-manifesto!

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I began with the image I loved the most, because it’s the latest creation. The rest fell into place based on the whim of my finger at that moment. Whatever reasoning determined was reconsidered with the next pass of the eyes.

This exhibition being my first–and at a significant location for me–I have a strong desire to make all decisions with intention.

The initial definition

And so, I went to my original post on the definition of nomadderwhere. It goes a little something like this:

A nomad never stops. A nomad moves and continues to flex their idea of home and comfort. A nomad doesn’t settle on one way of thinking or one surrounding. It’s a lifestyle of adaptation and life-long learning.

Nomadderwhere is a philosophy: it doesn’t matter where you are, it matters that you’re always learning and flexing with your surroundings, whether you’re traveling or stationary. To capture this idea is to capture the art of travel; to know the importance of movement and to become self-aware…because you are the only constant in your world.

It’s about connecting with a place and its people. This facilitates learning, when exposure leads to questions and answers and understanding. I learn when I stick around and talk with the people of the area. I used to thrive on the quick picture and hitting the next path, but having a big photo library does not sustain me. Knowing myself and partaking in the active pursuit of knowledge; this is what sustains me.

I must note this posting date in 2009 was not the earliest use of the term. I made it up in 2008 prior to graduating from university. It was meant to replace my school e-mail address and be something I could distribute without others knowing my name (not sure what specific examples I had in mind, but I still think it’s not a bad idea). I remember the little yellow Post-it that held all my failed attempts and the eventual success. I think “navigatorade” was on there.

The above description clearly came after some extensive traveling and deep contemplation of travel’s integration and meaning in my lifes. I came away with a strong belief in learning and education that even preceded my work for educational organizations…or my eventual transformation into a teacher!

Weighing the definition against the years

Back to this exhibition…in May of this year, I will be showing my favorite images on a LCD monitor with a supplementary physical/digital guide that connects viewers to the stories behind the images. The audience is my hometown population, to which world exposure and travel opportunity have been afforded to some but not all. The exhibition is called “Far Far Away” and will show international work from Wabash County (possibly former) residents.

Since I’m not in the right time or place to print and frame my images, my work will be digital, and the guide will bridge viewers from their instantaneous read of an image to the digital reflection of the story behind it on Nomadderwhere. My hope is to deliver interesting moments for a viewer to engage with and offer the opportunity to immerse themselves in a visceral experience. Ideally, they might even contribute to a dialogue in the blog comments. No, wait. More idyllic than that, they would find a call within them to pursue opportunities that would lend to life-changing experiences. I know they’re out there at any price range, any opportunity cost. Dare I dream.

So how does one sequence these 60 or so images in a way that further compounds the underlying message? And thus, I went back to my “philosophy.” Reading it aloud and recording for playback, I ordered my images to match the keywords and themes that resonated. I took a script unknowingly written 3.5 years ago and based my first real showcase around it. No edits.

But is it still relevant as is? Haven’t I evolved or changed my mind in that time? After experimenting in Fiji, working for Project Explorer, and teaching at a traveling school, wouldn’t I have adopted new strands and nuances to what governs my lifestyle?

Let me bring out the proverbial red marker, though I never use one at work:

A nomad never stops (ha, well I’ve definitely slowed down a tad with my four month max). A nomad moves and continues to flex their idea of home and comfort (completely true…my nesting habits are strong, odd, and different in each place). A nomad doesn’t settle on one way of thinking or one surrounding. It’s a lifestyle of adaptation and life-long learning (…that must always be acknowledged as an experiment, one that benefits from successes AND errors).

Nomadderwhere is a philosophy: it doesn’t matter where you are, it matters that you’re always learning and flexing with your surroundings, whether you’re traveling or stationary (it often makes me sound self-righteous, but I still echo this point to those who never change places). To capture this idea is to capture the art of travel; to know the importance of movement and to become self-aware…because you are the only constant in your world (this point is also a liberating one for those who recognize the exploration possibilities at home).

It’s about connecting with a place and its people (I never feel supremely successful at this connection, but if that sense follows in line with “The more you learn, the less you know” then I guess I can never tell). This facilitates learning, when exposure leads to questions and answers and understanding (this reminds me I’ve learned a helluva lot with the idea of school). I learn when I stick around and talk with the people of the area (and photograph seemingly banal but ultimately illuminating subjects). I used to thrive on the quick picture and hitting the next path, but having a big photo library does not sustain me. Knowing myself and partaking in the active pursuit of knowledge; this is what sustains me (I am learning alongside my students, and if I stop, I should slither into a hole and rot away).

I guess I had plenty to add. Yikes, that red marker concept is a little too powerful for the meager aim for moderation. I think it’s about 90% there, and the last 10% must reflect the myriad life experiences I’ve had since scribing those words, since I joined the work force doing something I loved, since I’ve accumulated 53 new country stamps on my passport.

The revised definition

I’m glad I took on this exercise. I’ve been set on my concept and blog appearance for a couple years now, and those digital facelifts were usually when I would reexamine and finesse what I proudly attach to my name. Having just renewed my web domain this week, this situation came to mind recently.

Here I sit, in my Boston penthouse I did not earn, rewording and restructuring the governing rules of my lifestyle blueprint. I feel fairly lucid and deliberate today, ready to laminate this revision in video form. I encourage you to watch, examine the words for yourself, and provide feedback on this redefined mini-manifesto.

A nomad never really stops. A nomad moves and continues to flex their ideas of home and comfort as these relate to their evolving understanding of life. A nomad doesn’t settle on one way of thinking or one setting forever. It’s a lifestyle of adaptation and life-long learning that must always be acknowledged as an experiment, one that benefits from the successes as well as the missteps.

Nomadderwhere is a philosophy: it doesn’t matter where you are, it matters that you’re always learning and flexing with your surroundings, whether you’re traveling or stationary. To capture this idea, to know the importance of any range of movement, and to become self-aware, because you are the only constant in your world; this is to capture the art of travel.

It’s about the constant pursuit of a deeper connection with a place and its people. This facilitates learning, when exposure leads to questions and answers (or further questioning) and possibly even understanding. A nomad learns by sticking around, talking with people, dropping their guard, and observing moments that ultimately inspire greater inquiry. This path lends to introspection and assurance that one’s path leads to fulfillment and, as a result, a better world.

What are your thoughts on this definition of nomadderwhere and the lifestyle/mindset it describes?

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Every 15 minutes, I captured a few seconds of the unfolding scene, ultimately mashing all the clips together. Around 9pm, my window was so coated with snow, I had to open it to get a good shot. That’s when I truly realized how beautiful this natural phenomenon was.

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Would you like to see who I work with?

Or how about the environment in which the students live?

I create content on the daily for TGS, so if you’d like to follow more closely, check out their Facebook page, Twitter feed, Flickr account, YouTube channel, or Vimeo account. I’m always trying to get better as a one-man crew, so any and all production critique or commentary is welcome!

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Videos are those of THINK Global School. The opinions stated in this post are mine and do not reflect the positions, strategies, or opinions of THINK Global School.

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Video is that of THINK Global School. The opinions stated in this post are mine and do not reflect the positions, strategies, or opinions of THINK Global School.

Last year’s school locations of Ecuador, Thailand, and Germany look to be replaced by some diverse locales, all brought to you by the letter “B”.

I’ll be spending the first term in Buenos Aires, Argentina, visiting Bhutan in January, and spending the rest of the academic year in Boston, USA. I’m equally excited by all three locations for very different reasons.

Perks of BsAs

• I can, without judgment or question, wear a massive red flower in a low bun.
• It will be early spring when I arrive, and that means boots. Stomping around cities in big ole boots.
• I have dreams of killing at some form of latin dance. Maybe Tango is my zone. If not, I’ll find another and put my packed dance clothes to good use.
• Red, red wine.
• New country of which I’ve never heard an ill word spoken.
• Apparently, it’s easy to live like a rock star with the help of a Mr. T. Ferriss.

Perks of Dragon Land

• It’s on those mountains I love so much.
• They have dragons…or so say my Bhutanese students. I’m ready with my binoculars and fire-resistant jacket.
• Gross National Happiness > Gross National Product
• Did I mention mountains yet? I like them a lot, especially when we can mix and mingle.
• Photographic opportunities will abound. I’m sure of it. This video by Pogo proves it.

Perks of Beantown

• Murka! We’ll have easy access to liberty, freedom, and all sorts of patriotic goodies.
• Same time zone and country as my friends and family, so NO ONE has an excuse not to call…frequently.
• Friends and family can not only call but visit!
• Pandora. Hulu. Good internet connections. Work and life never buffering.
• I have missed New York City this year and hope that the close proximity means filling some of those gaps.

Preparing to be a Porteña

My clothes are splayed out across the basement floor. This cues my cat to nervously pace and start killing woodland creatures for bait to make me stay. This is when I’m motivated to find new music, new apps, new outfits, and possible events, activities, and excursions to enjoy in the new host city.

It’s a special time of optimism and promise.

What often happens–rather quickly–is that I get distracted by the new locale and the tasks at hand. I lose perspective and the kind of balance that allows a person to be well-rounded. To curb this phenomenon, I’m hitting BsAs with a list of goals on a desktop Stickie. They’re ones I successfully eased into during the Berlin term and seemingly written by someone realistic with experience.

Once I find an apartment and get my claws in, I’ll be spending very little downtime at home. After all, there are festivals, good food (not just beef and wine), dancing opportunities, chances to giggle, and recommendations from other travelers to look into. It’s four months of living uninterrupted. That hasn’t happened to me in years.

As you can see above, I like to mentally prepare for a destination by watching shorts online, and while looking for videos of Bhutan, I came across this one that brought to my attention my need for fresh air in many forms.

Well said, Mr. Bertke. I’m ready for a couple deep breaths.

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This is a promotional video for the clean-up efforts of the Wabash River Defenders.

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Here’s the write-up:

Skyscanner has launched a travel video competition in its search to find its very own Travel Reporter!

Submit a short video shot on location at one of your favourite destinations and you could win £1500 worth of vouchers to travel the world to take more video footage for Skyscanner. The top 5 videos along with judges choice of top 5 will go into a Top 10 showdown with the Star Prize and two runner-up prizes of £100
of travel vouchers.

To enter, simply:

1. Film a short video of yourself on holiday
2. Upload your video
3. Ask your friends to vote for you.

My two cents and advice

It looks like Skyscanner wants to help you reach your travel destinations in exchange for a little content creation; it’s perfect if you’re already inclined to host travel videos on your trips. Three vouchers over the course of a year can help you reach where you have been dying to go, and Skyscanner can be a great venue for you to display your self-hosted content.

If you don’t know Skyscanner (first time I’ve heard of it, too), it appears to be a UK-based Kayak equivalent for searching multiple engines for the best flight cost.

Here are some of the important points from the Terms & Conditions. That legal jargon is always good to skim through on offers like these.

• The competition starts on 12 June 2012 and ends on 31 August 2012. Videos must be submitted by 31 August 2012

• Participants must be aged 18 or over on 12 June 2012 to enter this competition

• Entries must be submitted via the Facebook app and can be hosted on either YouTube or Vimeo

• Participants must own the copyright to their video and plagiarised or stolen videos will be disqualified and/or removed from the Facebook app (don’t forget your video soundtrack ethics!)

• Videos should last around three minutes, at the discretion of Skyscanner

• Videos should be tagged on YouTube with ‘Skyscanner’ and feature a holiday destination, e.g. ‘Barcelona’, ‘France’ or ‘Barbados’ which must also be tagged with the name of this destination

• Skyscanner will choose the Star Prize winner and winner of runners-up prizes will be the videos with the most votes (second and third place will received £100 worth of travel vouchers from a website of their choice from a selection offered by Skyscanner) after the closing date of 31 August 2012

• The winner should allocate funds for each trip so as to cover transport, food and drink, accommodation and all other costs associated with the assignment (important note!)

If you’re inspired to go for this, I suggest checking out my application advice for the WTI, which applies to most travel online competitions, as well as my grooming post. Online travel video competitions are a lot of work, so if you have any specific questions or want further advice, feel free to contact me. Best of luck!

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World travel on Nike’s dime

Nike made a new product that basically detects energy expended (a.k.a. Nike Fuel) throughout your typical, active day, and with this new product comes an intense online marketing campaign called #makeitcount. This video, created by Casey Neistat and Max Joseph, is reminiscent of the STA Travel Australia video “Move” and shows Casey plowing through his budget from Nike with 10 days of globe trotting. I just had dinner with one of the developers of this campaign. The world is small, people.

Advice for starting a creative career

This is good and giggle-worthy. Here are my favorite excerpts:

…it’s true that nothing I did where the only reason for doing it was the money was ever worth it, except as bitter experience. Usually I didn’t wind up getting the money, either.

IRS on your trail? Make good art. Cat exploded? Make good art. Somebody on the Internet thinks what you do is stupid or evil or it’s all been done before? Make good art. Probably things will work out somehow, and eventually time will take the sting away, but that doesn’t matter. Do what only you do best. Make good art.

The urge, starting out, is to copy. And that’s not a bad thing. Most of us only find our own voices after we’ve sounded like a lot of other people. But the one thing that you have that nobody else has is you. Your voice, your mind, your story, your vision. So write and draw and build and play and dance and live as only you can.

The moment that you feel that, just possibly, you’re walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself. That’s the moment you may be starting to get it right.

That was the hardest lesson for me, I think: to let go and enjoy the ride, because the ride takes you to some remarkable and unexpected places.

Other discoveries

Getting better production audio: who wouldn’t want that?
STA Travel’s World Traveler Internship 2012 commences: Matt and Amma begin the documenting of their European jaunt with this video of a Czech beer fest.
Reinventing the office, how to lose weight and increase productivity: Though these days I have no control over what my office looks like, I like to take these tips and think of how they could again be redefined for this transient setting.
The new MacBook Pro: No Film School explains the newest version of the MBP.

Update on Nomadderwhere

Throughout June, I felt incredibly confident in my role as media specialist for this world-touring school, TGS. I don’t know if it was the homey accommodation we had, the energy of Berlin, the enthusiasm of the students, or something else. I created a rhythm of working and playing that felt solid and sustainable, which is harder than it seems to create structure in a fluid, ever-changing environment. It was so successful that I had time and energy to document for myself.

A few weeks ago, I packed up my ephemeral life and reverted to backpack living for about 25 days. After train journeys through Prague, Budapest, Salzburg, and Austria, I flew to meet friends in Denmark and said goodbye to Europe from Stockholm. Landing stateside in early July, I quickly picked up again to visit my hometown of Wabash and then the third place I’d call a ‘home’: New York City. Home is a loose term for me.

This summer break from school will consist of portfolio tweaking, reading of many travel narratives, home creative projects, and the ever-important duty of reconnecting with my community.

Here’s my latest work:

• Q&A: Dealing with cash and cards on the road: Just my tips and habits at the current time
• Is it important to visit the places to visit from which your family originates: A reflective piece after a trip with a student to investigate her family history in Germany
• What creating art in a world art capital looks like: Two videos covering the Creative Arts curriculum in Berlin

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Videos and captions are those of THINK Global School. The opinions stated in this post are mine and do not reflect the positions, strategies, or opinions of THINK Global School.

At the end of the academic year, my students were given the great opportunity by the school to live out their own Amazing Race through Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Austria.

I went along for the ride.

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