It’s been a weird few months. After an incredible adventure in January and February – Lalibela, Ethiopia, then Kenya’s Maasai Mara, then diving in Zanzibar – I came home to (yet another) foot surgery and (yet another) recovery, one I didn’t write much about because I’m getting a little self-conscious about just how many times I reference the fall in Italy that broke these feet, and the way that it has become a point of reference for almost everything in my life.
I’ve made the best use I could of this time off, writing a couple more books (and starting to get self-conscious about how many times I write the words, “So, I wrote another book.”) including A Beautiful Anarchy which has become one of the best-received books I’ve written, and one I’ll be releasing in a few months called, How to Feed a Starving Artist: A Financial Field Guide for Artists, Solopreneurs, and Other Anarchists, a book I finally found the courage to write after this article, Chains All The Same, seemed to hit the nerve it did. I’ve printed some work. I’ve read some books. And I’ve schemed, but most I’ve longed for the day I could, once again, walk again and resume my adventures beyond these four walls.
I’m almost there. I’ve done a couple camping trips in the Jeep (photos above), my ankle wobbly and uncertain, but the rest of me so glad to be out in the wild again and breathing deeply. I did my PADI Dry-Suit course so I could scuba dive in the colder water of the pacific northwest, and I’m doing my Advanced Open Water course at the end of the summer, in preparation for a week of diving up north next spring, to spend time with the giant octopus and kelp forests off the northern tip of Vancouver Island.
In a couple weeks 50 of you are joining me in Vancouver for the Created Image conference. I can’t wait to see some old friends and meet some new ones. Then a couple weeks after that Cynthia and I climb into our Jeep, Emily, and head out for what is planned to be a two and a half month trip across the country to Labrador and Newfoundland on the far east coast of Canada. I’ll be posting as much of my adventure as I can on Instagram – you can find me here – and probably Facebook if I haven’t given up on it entirely between now and then.
In November I’m spending a week and a half with the Polar Bears up north, and I’ve got a few other Canada trips planned as well – all in hopes of another fine-art book of photographs, this time from the country I’ve grown up in and loved all my life, but so seldom photograph. A lot can happen between now and then, but that’s the project that’s driving me right now – bears and octopus and the wild beauty of this astonishing country. I can’t wait to share it with you, both as I travel, and once the work is done.
Thanks so much for your patience. I know the blog posts got a little thin, and on top of that we just keep rolling out books and resources. I value you all so much, and am so grateful to have such a great community to share my work and life with. Thanks for the patience, the adventures are about to resume. I hope you’ll join me.
Comments
I’m ready to continue the journey David. Do take care – it’s good to see you out and about. Keep on trucking 🙂
Great post…but that Jeep though.
Quality over quantity is a good thing. I always enjoy your blog posts as well as your books and other resources. I think you tap into a side of the creative process that few dare stick a toe into.
Among the most valuable tidbits I’ve gotten from you relates to the creative waves we all face. There are times when we’re riding the top of the wave, but when you’re up there, there is almost nowhere to go but down. Being at the bottom of the wave is okay, you cannot be a creative powerhouse 24-7, 365. Its okay to be at the bottom of the wave because it gives you a chance to recharge, refocus and get yourself ready for the next wave. Sorta like a surfer paddling back out after riding a wave in.
Clearly you are in a phase of paddling, so you need not apologize to us or yourself. You are merely getting ready for that next wave…which…if I’m seeing clearly… appears to be headed in. Sounds like you’re ready for it.
Enjoy the ride, safe travels, and watch out for high walls.
Steve P.
Good words, Steve. Thank you for the reminder.
Great to hear you are mobile again and off to new adventures. I get antsy when I don’t get out and travel on a regular basis. Even just a weekend trip to Joshua Tree or Yosemite is often enough to reset the senses.
I also like hearing about the tweaks and changes you make in your traveling setup. Is there a specific tent system you could mention that you would go to if starting over?
If I were doing it again – and I will some day, I imagine – I’d look seriously at a Series 3 from Eezi Awn – http://www.eeziawn.com/eeziawn/rooftents.html – much roomier when set-up and less room taken on the rack when collapsed, though they also take more time to both set up and collapse.
Thxs!
Wonderful to see you up and about and getting ready to travel.
The books are good, but the images you capture and create are fantastic, so I’ ll be looking forward to more. They are always from the heart, and will surely be so when you get to capture your beloved homeland.
Just please take very good care!
Thanks Tom. Planning to be a little more careful this time. 🙂
Great to hear about the exciting months coming up… Hopefully you will not need pontoons as you cross Manitoba… we have had a little rain lately… but I suppose no worse than the rainforests of BC… 🙂
No worries, Dave, the Jeep has a snorkel 🙂
Have a great time! Reading A Beautiful Anarchy now and looking forward to your new book 🙂
the hello bar is very annoying,. bright red when your try to read a black on white post, this is in effect making me leave this page without finishing the post
Thanks for the feedback, Bob.
Hi David,
This post reminded me of your Jeep Emily, and I had to go back an read you Jeep Geek post… After a couple of years traveling with this setup, how are things going? Are there any things about the rig you have changed, or wish you had done differently? Any new additions? I recently picked up a ’12 unlimited and am slowly outfitting her for some nice overland trips, so I love to hear about these geeky topics 🙂
~joe
Hey Joe – My set up remains very much the same, though I’m hoping to get a small drawer system in the back for the kitchen and food stuff so I don’t have to pull the Zarges cases out just to access stuff to cook. I’ve added a small hydraulic jack to the kit because the Hi-Lift is great but lifts the body, not the axles, off the ground. I’ve also started using smaller refillable propane bottles instead of the weird custom one I had – that just confused people when I needed it refilled. If I had to do it again I’d get less than a 3.5″ lift – it’s more than I need. And I’d look at other rooftop tents. I like mine a lot, but there are others that take less room on the rack, are larger when open, and have an integrated ladder, which would be awesome. The compressor under the hood has been amazing. Oh, and if I were sinking money into this right now, I’d look into a secondary battery and a long-range fuel tank. Also synthetic line for the winch instead of cable – that’ll be the next little upgrade as my cable’s getting kinked and worrisome.
Have a great time! Can’t wait to see what comes to be 🙂 I loved your new book, A Beautiful Anarchy, by the way, and hope to post a review soon.
Warm regards,
Sharon
I was wondering the same thing as Chris. I’m sure David bought pre-cut firewood for this trip.
Check out the video above, Michael.
Clever design, but 223 euros! There again, hard to put a price on safety. I am looking forward to the posts from your cross Canada trip.
Great to here that you are mobile again. I cannot help feeling somewhat concerned at the sight of you tending the camp fire in the top image. Did Cynthia actually allow you to wield an axe after what happened last time?
Best regards,
Chris Bone – Bragg Creek, Alberta
Funny you should ask. Cynthia has strongly encouraged me to get one of these: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4I3i36IJrY – not cheap (read: HOW MUCH?!?!) but then neither is an axe in your (ahem – my) leg. Hoping mine gets here before i take off in the Jeep.