Close to Home

There’s something about buying a plane ticket and knowing adventure is around the corner that makes me feel alive. Travel has shaped who I am. It has been eye opening to see how big the world is and that endless adventure is mine for the taking.

Yet as far as I have traveled, some of my biggest adventures have been no further than my own backyard. I live in Syracuse, NY and to most it’s nothing special. With an average snowfall of 124 inches a year and a whopping 163 sunny days (well under the average), it can feel as though we should just live indoors. But I’ve taken this on as a challenge that can be overcome. Exploring the world and coming back home, I’ve grown to love my little corner of the world more and more. The city of Syracuse is in Central New York(CNY), and no, New York City is not the only city in ALL of the state;) (a question I get every time I tell someone I’m from “New York”). CNY is nestled in the finger lakes region, leaving us with no shortage of lakes to enjoy in the hot summer months, the most beautiful foliage in the fall, and an easy drive to the Adirondacks region for more of all the above.

I've come to admire my surroundings in the winter months, finding hygge in the nature right outside my door, instead of viewing it as a prison of snow and ice. As a photographer I think in the frame of my camera lens. I love seeing color and texture in nature, and in CNY there’s a whole lot of it. I try to challenge myself to go to a new place each month and explore outside of my comfort zone. Just like keeping my creativity fresh, I like to keep my sense of adventure alive.

Weekly walks at the parkway with my family, seasonal trips to pick apples or pumpkins, and day trip getaways to the lake. These may be close to home for me, but they bring about some of my greatest adventures.