All posts tagged: the100dayproject

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Alyse Liebovich

“In 2009 I was offered an irresistible opportunity to spend a month in Tanzania photographing the grassroots beginnings of what has now evolved into Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic/WAVE, an organization aiming to build a floating hospital ship to provide ongoing medical services for the people living in the four countries that border the lake: Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Zambia. I had done a decent amount of traveling both in the U.S. and abroad, but I knew when I boarded the frighteningly small plane to transport us from Dar es Salaam to the remote lakeside sustainable organic farm we called home, I was about to embark on a whole new adventure. During that month, I celebrated World Malaria Day in Korongwe, participated in a mosquito net delivery via boat to several villages, spontaneously boarded the famous Liemba in the middle of the night, and fulfilled a lifelong dream of going on safari in Katavi National Park, where I got choked up when I first spotted giraffes in the wild amidst the …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Lynn Kim Do

“So there is actually a specific encounter with two strangers that I tell over and over again during formal dinners or drunken sloppy Happy Hours. It’s not my trip to Turks & Caicos or Paris or even Vietnam. It is actually an encounter in Baltimore. I tell it because it’s funny, dynamic, hopeful, involves a love story and someone dies. Okay, maybe not the last two. But all things considered, it could make a melodramatic scene in a movie. Haha. It was an underwhelming yet subconscious-changing event.  In the encounter, many things could have gone wrong. It was the trust between the parts — the individuals in this story — which made it utterly beautiful. This story began with a road trip I took last October when I turned 23. I wanted to travel but I didn’t have the funds, I wasn’t sure how long I could take off of work, and I was super superstitious about not making traveling plans during Mercury Retrograde. I decided to take my best friend’s advice – “If you …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Tanya M. Odom

“For me, being a sola woman traveler means that I am often stepping outside my comfort zone. I am often the only woman seated in an area of the plane, in the airport lounge, or at breakfast in the hotel restaurant.  I do it anyway. I enjoyed hearing Gloria Steinem talk about eating out alone. After being in a country for several days, and especially if it is a new project – I often treat myself to a very nice restaurant.  After working on a global project, I remembered wanting to treat myself while in Paris. I remembered reading a review of a restaurant in Paris that talked about how people dining alone were not treated well, and that they did not get a “seat with a view.” I am glad that I went anyway… I was seated right next to the window at Le Jules Verne, and the service, view, food, and wine were all spectacular. I was given a tour of the restaurant, and took tons of photos.  I am glad that I …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Amy Zhao

“North Korea is one of the most mysterious places on earth right now. The experience of going to North Korea has already been the best pick-up line of mine for months. Not only because it sounds intriguing in conversation, but also, it taught me a lot because I would never have believed there is still a country like this without actually getting into it. As a student who majors in politics, the concept of third wave democratization is deeply rooted in my mind. But, North Korea changed my idea and my whole concept of the world. The concept of political culture didn’t actually exist in North Korea because there is basically zero citizens’ participation in politics. Citizens accept the political facts and they are living under a relatively stable situation apart from the outside world. What they care about are their daily lives instead of political issues. As far as I could see, the life standards in North Korea are like those of the Chinese in the 1960s/1970s. But changes to their lifestyles and political systems …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Martin Brusewitz

“I was walking down a dusty road in the town of Harar in eastern Ethiopia. It was one of the main roads and full of people and traffic. I’m really tall and most Ethiopians aren’t so I was drawing some attention. At this point I was used to it though. I had travelled for months through Ethiopia and everywhere my height drew attention. Understandably so. Even in my home country of Sweden, I sometimes feel like I’m from another planet. In Ethiopia people were staring, laughing and yelling jokes at me all the time. Anyway… All of a sudden further down the street, I see something. A head is floating way above the crowds, just like mine. Could it be? A few moments pass by and I realize it’s not my lonely mind playing a trick on me. It’s a brother. A tall Ethiopian. Our eyes meet. Everything goes quiet. We start smiling. We walk straight towards each other. Our smiles growing. Around us, the daily life of Harar goes on like it was just …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Gilad Goren

“About a year ago, about 8 of us set out for the first Sustain The Stoke session, a new take on the ‘traditional surf trip’. Usually people learn about an amazing wave out in some far-flung beach, make their way out there with as little damage to their boards as possible, and settle in for several days of waves, some beers, and little else. Thing is, surfers are a unique kind of traveler. Those far-flung beaches mentioned can easily be in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, or any other standard, and frankly easy, destination. But those beaches can also be in Haiti, Sierra Leone, and even Iran. Surfers are unique in that all they need is a wave. The modern comforts of the standard tourist are, well, nice to haves at best. In other words, those beach bums that come to mind as you read these very words, and there are 35 million of them around the world, can serve as the first wave of tourists upon which any developing nation (with a beach and a wave) …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Sarah Poyet

“I traveled to Mexico with two friends and a Panasonic home camera. I had no idea what I was doing. We found ourselves in a Zapatista compound celebrating New Year’s Eve, and I came back to New York and made a film about it. We rode buses from Mexico City to Oaxaca City to San Cristóbal de las Casas. Waking up in a sleeping bag… feeling cold morning mountain air in my lungs and on my body… having warm clothes to put on…running for the train with my belongings on my back… life simplified itself so quickly and I never felt as free and uncluttered, rising with my companions in San Cristóbal one buena mañana. It’s hard to live simply in New York! That unfolding feeling I discovered while drinking the scenes into my camera, I’m still seeking through a deeper commitment to my work. It’s a matter of discipline – which contrasts so much to the freedom of traveling. I fiercely resisted at first, holding on to my free spirit – but now I …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Tyler Riewer

“I traveled to Mali with charity: water last year to meet people in rural communities where we work and capture stories about the impact of clean water. One early morning while we were running around and taking photos, I came upon a man sitting on the ground outside his home. He motioned for me to come over. Normally, I don’t go anywhere without my translator. My local language skills are limited to “good morning,” “how are you,” and “thank you.” But I was merely on the hunt for beautiful photos of people preparing for their day and incorporating clean water into their morning routines — I hadn’t been anticipating conversation! But here we were. “Ouh sogoma!” I began, issuing one of the only three phrases I knew to greet him. “Ouh sogoma,” he replied with a smile. As I approached and took my seat, I noticed the ground before him. He had dug a series of small little holes in the dirt, and it almost looked like he was cleaning them out… quickly picking up little …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Natalie Jeffers

“I recently spent time in Memphis, which was deep, dirty and delicious. There are many stories I could share but the most life-affirming/transformative event happened on my flight back to Brooklyn, when I took a seat next to this man. Robert Hawkins. I almost didn’t sit next to Robert, as he had a cane and a support brace around his waist so I didn’t want to make him get up and move just so I could get my window seat! But Robert insisted I sit, and we all got settled in. I was so blessed that I ended up in that seat, at that very moment in time…Robert told me that he had been released from prison that very day and that this flight was his first taste of freedom, and our conversation his first with a person who wasn’t his family, lawyer or prison mate in 26 years…intense, right? As Robert shared his story, I gave him my respect and compassion for the tough life he had been forced to live behind bars. Not …