Hi, I’m Ryan Eccleston and I am a Photographer/Artist. Because of my father’s occupation, my family was pretty nomadic, so I travelled frequently growing up. I was born in Jamaica, but spent the first 8 years of my life living and travelling throughout the Middle East. Growing up like this really nurtured my curiosity about life, because for me, traveling is the biggest classroom. You never stop learning. You are able to see that we are all so different and unique. While each culture brings its own flavour to life, at the root we all have the same ambitions, fears, and joys. As I continue to travel, the more I learn; and the more I learn, the more I realize I don’t always have the answer. And I’m fine with that because it’s a beautiful thing! Photography has influenced the way I travel in many ways, especially as I get older. I look at things keenly and try to soak up the moment since I am not a native in most of the places I find myself. Photographs are a receipt that I was here or there. Many people don’t get the opportunity to travel, so I am aware how truly blessed I am with this gift.
Read MoreMOTORCYCLE DIARIES THROUGH VIETNAM BY KAREN CYGNAROWICZ
My name is Karen Cygnarowicz. I am writing you from a cozy home in a little town in northern New Hampshire, U.S.A. I am 26, and an American poet and artist currently working as a freelance editor and writer while studying my MFA in Writing at Vermont College of Fine Arts. My partner Adam Wilson and I were on the road for the last half of 2014. We began by traveling the States before landing in South East Asia. For this trip abroad, our time included Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and then again in Thailand before making our way back home to New England for Christmas. We didn’t plan our trip beyond agreeing to go and booking our tickets. Although word of mouth is helpful, we learned to trust ourselves by navigating our own route. Adam had heard of the idea to buy a motorcycle in Vietnam and considered the possibility with his license back home. After a couple months traveling by foot and bus in Thailand and Cambodia, we both wanted to be able to make our own path.
Read MoreBACKPACKING INDIA WITH ZACH LOUW
My name is Zach Louw and I was born into this world sharing the womb with my twin brother Abe, in a small town called Macclesfield in the UK. I’m currently studying Economics, Applied Statistics and Marketing in arguably the most beautiful city in the world: Cape Town, South Africa. The travelling bug bit me after I spent 6 months studying Mandarin at Tsinghua University in Beijing where I spent time in the forbidden city, horseback riding in the inner Mongolian grasslands, spending the night on the great wall of China and News Years eve parties in massive abandoned grain silo’s. Those 6 months really opened my eyes up to how diverse cultures can be. I left Beijing with a strong hunger to read more pages from the world’s book. I was drawn to Asia because it’s cheaper and in my mind wilder than Europe. I chose India in Asia because of its rich cultural diversity. I knew that India would be tough travelling and I didn’t want a typical holiday. I wanted an experience that was enriched through its hardships.
Read MoreEXPLORING SENEGAL WITH LAYLAH AMATULLAH BARRAYN
My name is Laylah Amatullah Barrayn, I am a portrait and documentary photographer; I’ve been dedicated to this work for about 18 years, creating my first series at age 17. What I love the most about travel is how intensely present I feel when I’m away from home. Being in the ‘now’ is such an incredibly peaceful feeling. Much of my recent travels have been around photo projects; I really love learning on-the-ground, through the process of engaging and experience. Initially I headed to Dakar to study abroad. I thought it would be a fantastic idea and it certainly proved to be a more powerful experience that I could have imagined. I was able to learn so much about the political and social environment in West Africa before colonial times. I learned so much about the Senegambian region, the Fouta and Sahel and historical figures like Lat Jor and Umar Tall. It was incredible.
Read MoreFAIR TRADE IN GHANA BY AKOSUA AFRIYIE-KUMI
I 'm Akosua Afriyie-Kumi, a fashion and accessories designer from Ghana. Having graduated with a BA honours Fashion Degree from Kingston University in London, I embarked on a journey to Ghana to start my own fashion business before I turned 30! Like so many 20-somethings, it was a very intense period of my life. I was in a transition, and I felt this deep need to figure out who I was and where I was going. The defining moment came when I thought, “Now is the time to make or break, to put myself out there and see what I am made of.” I knew I wanted to go out on my own and pull together all my passion and talents to create something unique that would be fulfilling both personally and professionally. Bolgatanga is a largely unexplored, dry land in the Northern region of Ghana with a large population living without electricity or any source of water. It is extremely hot with day to day temperatures reaching up to 45 degrees in the dry season, which is 8 months of the year. Due the inclement weather, it can be tough for farming, which is a main source of food and income. Women, men and children sit under trees to get some fresh air and weave to supplement their income.
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