by Phil on November 5, 2010
I’d lived in Columbus for a few years when I met Nathan. Although we’d gone to the same school for a time, I can’t say that we knew each other. It was a few years later that another friend of mine Andy suggested that Nathan come to hang out with us at the Beach. Back then my friends were in the habit of mass vacationing, and it wasn’t until years later that I realized just how amazing and wonderful that idea truly was. Of course, I enjoyed it at the time, but looking back it’s something that I have to promise myself we will do more of someday.
Nathan came all the way back from teaching in Japan to hang out with our little crew for the week. We were loud, er I was loud…and I wasn’t sure what to make of this dude. Soon enough, I came to know him as a dude you can trust sincerely and someone who I consider one of my very close friends. Back then we were calling him Butros, and over the years his name has changed to suit various interests. I can’t take credit for Butros’ name, but I will proudly claim variants such as Buch, Butrosenine, and Butron.
Nathan’s wife and I became friends while working at a technology firm that I’ll discreetly not mention. While they were dating, I didn’t realize the awesome couple they would become, but I’m proud to have witnessed their becoming. When their daughter was born at the end of the summer, I was honored to be asked to come over and capture some images. With that in mind, here are some of the ones that have stuck with me over the past weeks.
Thanks Guys!
by Phil on November 4, 2010
Like a utility belt, it's everything you need to survive. If you're me.
There’s a lot to be learned by riffling through someone’s stuff. This is my stuff, so while I rifle you can get an idea of who I am.
If we hang out, you’ll soon learn that I am a creature of habit and I get pretty attached to the stuff I carry around regularly. I’ve had this bag for quite a while, so it means a lot. Here’s our story.
In 1999 I found the perfect bag to take to college. From then until now, I’ve carried my Trager Saddle Expandable, except for a brief separation in 2007. It came along with me on all my trips with particularly good service in Nepal, China, and Israel. It was in Nepal that a shopkeeper attached my first set of flags. I’ve always liked flags, and if you’re ever in Kathmandu I’d suggest getting some custom work done in Thamel. While you’re there, consider staying at the KTMGH, the Kathmandu Guest House. Lookout for the hashish and tiger balm salesmen; they rival the best used car hucksters out there…but back to the bag.
The patches represent the places that I’ve ventured beyond the airport grounds, which usually include a passport stamp. The problem is that I have a bad habit of loosing my passport, so I opted for a bigger keepsake of my travels. This worked out well until a frustrating experience with a thief in 2007. That’s when some lucky vagabond absconded with my bag after breaking my car windows. I’m thankful now that I only had my bag and not my cameras in my car, but I wasn’t very happy at the time. For weeks I searched dumpsters and alleys around my neighborhood, as I was sure that once the thief realized their error, the bag would be dropped. So, how do I have this bag now?
The story isn’t as intriguing as you might expect. New bag, new patches from Flagline, 10 hours of hand sewing patches and voila! Cloned bag. The difference is that now instead of getting a copy of my travel documents, a few books, and a coveted set of negatives from Israel…a thief would get some moleskine journals, business cards, a leatherman, and paperwork…piles and piles of paperwork. I’ll admit life isn’t so adventurous since finishing my TESOL degree and starting work with the ESL Learners of Central Ohio.
So I may not be ready to travel at the drop of a hat anymore, but at a basic level…I’m usually good to go pretty quickly. The stuff in my bag reminds me of who I’ve been, where I am, and what I’m moving toward. Sometimes portraits aren’t of faces, but they tell us just as much. When I see my bag at rest I know that I’m at peace, and I know that the world awaits us to pick up and go.
Thanks for Reading,
Phil
Let's go somewhere!
