The Adventure Continues

Hi Everyone! Flo The Pig here taking over Mark’s blog. It’s early and he’s still sleeping, but I’m sure he won’t mind.

I know, I know…it’s been a while since you’ve heard or seen me. There was a time when you saw me more on this site. Mark and I we’ve had some great adventures together. It all started back around 2001, I think. I was content to sit on his girlfriend’s (now wife). Then, Mark kidnapped me for a trip he took to Kalamazoo, Michigan. Next thing I knew, he’s taking a photo of me with this new-fangled thing called a “digital camera” in front of a 25 foot Santa Clause being held by some other photographer guy.

From there it was a whirlwind of domestic locations: St. Louis, Missouri; Creve Coeur, Missouri, Venice Beach, California; Chicago, Illinois. I never knew there was such a big world out there!

Then things really started to take off (no pun, intended.) Mark started to do more global travel and, with every take off, I was tucked in his carry-on bag.

As Mark’s travels continued, I became more “one with the people.” No longer was I just sitting on cold, hard pavements, I started to connect with the people I was meeting all over the world.

It was really fun. Even though Mark didn’t speak their language (usually), a smile and a motion with his camera and people would willing taking me into their hands.

One of my favorite experiences was in China. Mark kept trying to get the guards at Tienanmen Square to hold me. But no dice. They were all business.

Then, a Chinese woman tugged on Mark’s sleeve, and motioned to her young daughter. No words were exchange, but we got our shot.

There have been other locations shoots as well – Granada, Nicaragua; Nairobi, Kenya; Shanghai, China; Lancaster, Pennsylvania (hey, it counts.)

As times changed, and budget restrictions occurred, and more crowd sourcing of stories and images happened, Mark and I started traveling less for business. I’ve spent more time buried at the bottom of his kids’ playbox than bouncing around in overhead.

Tonight, though, the adventure continues. We’re on our way to Cape Town, South Africa, to chase the light and the pixels for a couple of weeks.

If everything works out weather-wise, it’ll be wheels up this evening, a stop-over in Amsterdam, and then on to Cape Town. First production meeting will be 9 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Of course, I’ll share carry-on luggage space (Mark’s a one-bag guy: Hasn’t checked a bag in almost five years) with Mark’s camera and a couple of lenses (after his 17-85mm bonked at the start of a trip in Ireland, he now tosses his Nifty Fifty into his bag just in case.)

Kipling may have said “He who travels fastest travels alone”, but lucky for me, Mark doesn’t quite fully believe that.

As long as I don’t pork up too much (heh, pig joke!), I’ll still make it into his bag.

As they say in Afrikkans: Totsiens!

See you on the other side!

© Flo The Pig | Part of JerseyStyle Photography | All Rights Reserved 2014

Tags: Cape Town, Chicago, China, Flo, India, Ireland, JerseyStyle Photography, Joe McNally, Kalamazoo, Kipling, Missouri, Russia, Travel

• February 14, 2014
• Conceptual, Projects, Travel
• 4 Comments