H
Heie
Guest
I am very, very much the alien here.
-Heie
Edit to Add: I think the bigger issue at large is the over paranoia that we have allowed ourselves to be comfortable with accepting in society. I am considered "reckless" amongst my friends, however I just see it as willing to take chances that, to me, aren't really that significant. I have friends that have not traveled outside the country alone because their parents thought it be unsafe. I am 24 years old, and I have been to almost 20 countries, most of which were traveling completely solo. I don't carry a money belt. I have flaming red hair and skin that has been known to blind others when t-shirts are removed, so unless I go to the UK, I will never fit in and seem to be "a local." But that isn't stopping me from planning solo trips to several countries in Africa and Asia, as well as the Eastern Block of Europe.
Here's how I see it: to me's it's a numbers game. Let's say 1,000,000 people travel to a certain country in a given year, and there are 10,000 thefts of photography equipment (which I would argue is extremely outlandish given the sample size). That is less than 1 tenth of one percent. .01! Now compound that with my own natural ability to be situationally aware, and I am completely and utterly comfortable with "accepting that risk." The greater risk to me is the adventure I would otherwise sacrifice. Equipment can be re-bought. Missed opportunities you take to the grave.
I'm a 23 year old lieutenant serving as a platoon leader in the US Army that has an extremely voracious appetite for backpacking and adventure. I am also finally feeding my passion for photography while working on the fluency of my two languages other than English: Spanish and Arabic, and now picking up some broken German as I live in the Fatherland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexjansenphotography
-Heie
Edit to Add: I think the bigger issue at large is the over paranoia that we have allowed ourselves to be comfortable with accepting in society. I am considered "reckless" amongst my friends, however I just see it as willing to take chances that, to me, aren't really that significant. I have friends that have not traveled outside the country alone because their parents thought it be unsafe. I am 24 years old, and I have been to almost 20 countries, most of which were traveling completely solo. I don't carry a money belt. I have flaming red hair and skin that has been known to blind others when t-shirts are removed, so unless I go to the UK, I will never fit in and seem to be "a local." But that isn't stopping me from planning solo trips to several countries in Africa and Asia, as well as the Eastern Block of Europe.
Here's how I see it: to me's it's a numbers game. Let's say 1,000,000 people travel to a certain country in a given year, and there are 10,000 thefts of photography equipment (which I would argue is extremely outlandish given the sample size). That is less than 1 tenth of one percent. .01! Now compound that with my own natural ability to be situationally aware, and I am completely and utterly comfortable with "accepting that risk." The greater risk to me is the adventure I would otherwise sacrifice. Equipment can be re-bought. Missed opportunities you take to the grave.
--... you all speak European and the locals (probably) won't/shouldn't
bother you (as much).
;D
Jack
--
STREET PHOTOGRAPHY DOCUMENTARY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kkHKP4Gnd0
( UPDATED NOV 16th )MY BLOG.... http://www.nakedmanonawire.blogspot.com
MY EMAIL ADDRESS IN IS MY 'VIEW PLAN'
It's amazing what one can do when one doesn't know what one is doing
I'm a 23 year old lieutenant serving as a platoon leader in the US Army that has an extremely voracious appetite for backpacking and adventure. I am also finally feeding my passion for photography while working on the fluency of my two languages other than English: Spanish and Arabic, and now picking up some broken German as I live in the Fatherland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexjansenphotography
" - Daniel Whitney (aka Larry the Cable Guy)
