Fall in the Dolomites
This year was a bit crazy for me. I did a bunch of things on my bucket list and I lived like I wasn't going to make it to 2025. I went to Canada, Iceland, Yosemite, Boston, Europe, and Southern Utah. I spent 4 days photographing a youth "pioneer trek" in Wyoming and I still have sand in my camera and lens. Yeah, it's been a crazy year with my 3 kids in college, my solo trips, and spending more time hiking solo. I'm kind of a lone wolf, I guess.
My favorite destination is Italy. Italy is the "old country," the homeland of my great grandparents. I feel a deep connection to Italy and it's a place where I could live....buy a house for a Euro and live happily ever after... but enough of that fantasy.
In September I flew to Venice with my mom and we spent 5 days seeing places we hadn't seen before and old favorites. My mom loved shopping and eating gelato every day. She slept in while I got up by 6 in the morning and followed google maps to San Marco to see the gondolas at sunrise. The streets were empty except for the street sweepers and bread makers. I carried my tripod around and I think people were more worried about me than I was of them. It was definitely spooky with no one around.
We bought plastic boots for l'aqua alta (high tide) and flooding on Piazza San Marco. Venice was super busy during the day and I guess people wait for September since the weather is cooler then.
My mom flew home and I rode the bus back to the airport to meet my photography group. It was a great group of guys and I'd been on workshops with Andy Mumford and Jonas Paurell before and my favorite one was Norway.
The Dolomites were stunning and the landscape was so green. It's funny so many people come to Utah to see the red rock and desert and Utahans go to Europe and can't believe it rains so much and everything is so green. Such a different climate.
We hiked around the Dolomites and I could have stayed longer in Italy, but I ended up getting a cold the last day I was in Italy. I slept for most of my flight from Paris to Salt Lake and tested positive for Covid when I got home.
Good news: I didn't lose a camera this trip. I didn't get hurt. I only missed one bus stop and took the wrong bus once, but that's part of the adventure. I'm happy I know enough Italian now to talk to people and I love the culture in Italy.
I'd love to go back to Italy but I don't have any plans. I'm a wanderer and I just have to get outside.
Here are some of my favorite photos from the Venice and the workshop.
