Some of this has involved travelling overseas, much of it interstate, and the majority of it fairly close to home.
Wherever I go I love to take photos because these consolidate the memories of those places and are also taken at places where something great happens, or where I have discovered something in particular. Sometimes it is just who I am with, or what I am doing.
Just a snapshot os some of the places where photos have been taken.
For some reason it says that I have been to Japan, and I haven't, although I did teach Japanese for 3 years. Does that qualify me?
A closer view of where in Europe I have been.
Canada in 2011 was brilliant.
I have done pretty much all of Australia, but have never been to Western Australia.
This doesn't show the numerous trips through Central Australia.
So how do I combine this interest into my blog? Share some of them of course!!
Also, I know this blog gets read by many people who are still yet to leave a comment (which of course I'd love from time to time, as that could create further discussion topics), and from many places around the world.
So what could be better than doing something that my readers could also do!
By posting some photos of moments in my life, hopefully that might encourage others to add a few of their own?
Who knows, we may end up posting photos from the same places, but our experiences will no doubt be entirely different.
So, in no particular chronological order, or order of importance, here goes...
The last photo of our family, minus our mum who died ten years earlier. Dad passed away soon after this was taken.
Growing up in a large family was an experience for sure. So many ups and downs at different stages of my life, but I wouldn't swap it for anything. We continue to share so many things together and have all played big roles in each other's lives, and continue to do so.
The five boys together on a very rare occasion.
No matter where we go, or where we live, we always know where home really is.
My last game of football, and we won the flag. Sam was brought to me in the rooms before the game wearing this jumper, all without me knowing. It was great to be able to have this shot taken playing the last match of a game that I loved so much.
Each year in Ballarat there was a 16.5 km running race for the annual Begonia Festival. I liked to take the boys for runs in this pram long before they became so fashionable. In this photo I am getting ready to run with Sam.
A few years later, same race and I get snapped with Will.
And a few more years later, the pram is still going and it's now Lachie's turn.
I was so glad to be able to get snapped with all three of them.
A couple of years ago..
And 2016
Only now do I really appreciate the times that the five of us are together. With one in London, one in Melbourne, and the other busy with work, Uni and socialising, it is now just Jen and I most nights.
The boys are incredibly close, something which we are just so proud of.
I came across this on the footpath when out for a run in Vancouver.
It just sums up everything about life that resonates with me, rarely a day goes by where I don't think about it.
I was out for a run early one morning in Canmore, Canada. Every now and then when running I'd get a feeling of "It never gets better than this", when the body feels great, the mind is right and the run just couldn't be any better. This was one of those moments, and I always take a photo when I can when I have one of these moments.
Mum and Dad.
No words needed.
Lake Louise in Canada. This is the most beautiful place I have seen in the world. The experience there helped as well, as while I was walking along the edge it started to snow, and the colour of the water changed dramatically. The sheer peacefulness of the snow falling in such a majestic setting is something that I will never forget. The photo doesn't show well enough how beautiful this place is, probably because of my fat head blocking the view!!
One of my favourite shots. We had just met up with our son, Sam in London for dinner, and I managed to get this one as we were leaving the venue. A mum and her son in deep conversation.
In Berlin. The Wall may be down now, but the legacy continues. This brick line traces the path that the Wall took through Berlin, a permanent reminder to their past. One only has to see the difference that is still visible between buildings on each side of this to understand the contrast between the lives of those on each side of the Wall during this time.
This was taken in Dubai as I was looking for my connecting flight to London. It really struck me at this moment how much of the world is still out there to see. I was just dreaming about visiting so many of these places, and realising at this time that I was just one plane flight away from each of them was such a thrill.
And just behind me was another board with just as much information.
I love being in airports and looking at these boards just to see the possibilities available.
This was taken in Lincoln, in the north of England. It may look rather plain, but I'll remember this moment forever as I was in a new city in a country that I had not explored. I had a few minutes to kill before visiting a school, and just stood on a bridge over a canal and saw this group of swans paddling up the canal so casually. It doesn't show how cold it was at the time, and this added to the moment even more. While not being a tourist attraction, it really summed up 'the vibe' of this city at the time.
This is why I love travel. Rather than the grand tourist spots which I have seen and loved, it is the small streets in cities that really tell you about that place. I just soak up the atmosphere and history of these places. This city (Plymouth) just had so many streets like this, I could have taken a million photos!
And sometimes it is not wanting to see things, but to do things. I have always wanted to eat good old 'Fish and Chips' in a seaside English town, and this I did in Plymouth. They tasted so good, mainly because I was savouring the moment more than the product. The experience was as good as I could have hoped for.
And one of my favourite places in London!
I actually went and saw Mamma Mia twice while I was over there, I just love it so much. I also went and saw 'The Book of Mormon' with my son, as well as 'The Lion King'. Last year with my wife we went and saw 'Les Miserables'. None of these can compete in my eyes with Mamma Mia, I could go there day after day!
This photo sums up a lot of my recent trip to Finland. Snow everywhere, which is odd for someone coming from Australia. This was the road I walked along to get to one school in particular, the cold was numbing, but the experience was so memorable.
A random snap taken in the West End of London while I was waiting to meet my son. This part of London is so alive 24/7. Just walking around and watching what is happening around me was one of the things I loved to do most. This was taken just after dark, and it was still the same 5 hours later.
In doing this post, I have come to realise just how big it could become, so where do I stop?
Every photo is taken for a reason, meaning every photo is important.
I could go on and on posting photo after photo, so where do I stop?
Now is a good time because I am getting so nostalgic. If anything, by doing this I have realised just how lucky I am to be with the people in these photos and to have had the experiences with them.
Whether they have been taken in my own backyard or at the foot of a world known tourist attraction is irrelevant, they are just the shots that have meant so much to me at the time.
Until my next post...
Cheers!
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