F:stop

(Wednesday, Sept. 22nd, 2010)

As our time in France continues, we are gradually starting to travel on more trips to various towns throughout South Provence. It is very interesting however, how alot of these towns scattered throughout South Provence, are not even marked on any type of map. Truthfully, I love it. There is a reason for this as well, if you think about it, it all comes together and makes perfect sense. It’s an escape. An escape from the working world. If you truly want to be hidden and disappear from the world, the towns here are the perfect locations to do so.

You become so encaptured and lost within this life, that yourself included is lost. A sense of self-Identity is forgotten, transforming oneself into a new unrecognized persona. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the worlds greatest authors, artists, and performers come here to be forgotten. Replaced only by a memoir of who they once were. The locals, they do not care who you once were, for all they know, your just another new tenant that is now apart of there community.

I do know this, if i ever want to leave everything behind, my past life, my career (Probably not going to happen) my wealth and everything else, i would escape to this place. But, didn’t i just give away my secret and location away? Not so, I would escape here, yes, but there are plenty of villages here to make it a pain to find someone here.

Although here in Lacoste it’s quiet, It still gets quite noisy. However if you move further East, the closer you get to the base of the Alps and the higher the elevation gets, the quieter it gets. The only sounds to be heard are the winds that rush through the street of the villages and the whispers of the locals talking to each other. Frankly, that’s what makes these villages so discreet. It’s actually kind of eerie in a way.

The villagers themselves, seem very discreet with what they do as well. Tourism makes this town popular, but very rarely do you meet or see any of the locals out and about. It makes me wonder sometimes if they too, do not want to be known but for the exception of others that live in the village. You notice that the farther away you travel from the cities, the less the population is in the towns. Although this is true in every other town in the world, towns like they are here, are extremely different. It’s a subtle life here, and i like it. It’s quiet, yet busy, to an extent. However you take it, you will always fall in love with this place.

As serious, yet relaxing as this place (South Provence) may be, it seems that we tend to lose touch of a big part of ourselves back in the States, that strive here. We have lost touch with our Inner-child. Americans, like myself, have lost touch with something that should be a big part of our growing lives. Here in South Provence, what we do not realize is that embracing your inner child is commonplace. It’s not in terms of acting Childishly, but almost as a sharing connection with Mother Nature, spouse, sibling, and your son/daughter. The people here enjoy themselves with a profound nostalgic presence. Young or old, play is still a large part of living a fulfilling, enjoyable life.

How can you come to terms with your Inner-child here? It’s all about what you do for yourself. You need to be expressive, open up, and let yourself, your soul, be free. Once you accept this, then can you embrace your inner-child, and feel what it is like to be a child once again, which consists of being fun, curious and spontaneous. Curious, I swear, you cannot fully experience the pleasures and secrets this land has to give us without being one bit curious of your surroundings. If you cannot be curious, then why even bother to come to this colorful, historically rich land? Yes, laws still apply here, yes there is still private property here, and yes there is danger, but being curious is one of the most exciting traits one can have.

So doesn’t this mean that sometimes being curious can create trouble? Perhaps, but why live life in fear? This is all apart of embracing your Inner-child. I find myself living without fear here in South Provence. What is there to be fearful about? Nothing. I have found no reason to be afraid, no reason to be hesitant. Just GO, Go and be free without a worry in the world. Explore, experience, be expressive and most of all, let your curiosity take you places that you thought you would never visit or achieve. You see, expressing your Inner-child and manifesting that neglected trait will instantly spark that flame for which curiousness resides. If you can’t create the spark, which creates the flame, how can you ever call yourself a traveler?

Spontaneity is another trait, which should be highly embraced in a place such as this. Embracing your Inner-child is the foundation to the stepping-stones of truly enjoying yourself here. Exploring your surroundings and learning more about yourself as a person will help you understand your connection with the world. Being curious is the first step; here you learn to explore your surroundings without fear, as mentioned earlier. Once you have successfully conquered fear and embraced the terms of being curious, thus you can transition into one of the most important traits, “Spontaneity.”

Spontaneity is one of the more exciting, key motivators; that a person could have. Like majority of Americans, and most of the world, planning becomes too common with everyday life. How can you enjoy yourself and havce fun everyday knowing what lies ahead of you? we rely too much on plans, schedules, and appointments. Why can’t we just say, “Hey, lets go do (this)?” Why is it so hard for us in today’s world to make a simple decision? It’s because we are afraid of not having activities planned for us ahead of time. Now i could be lying if i said that i never plan, I do, you need structure sometimes; something that holds bearings so you’re not always in a state of being discombobulated.

However, that doesn’t mean that plans are not meant to be changed every once in a while. I have found myself in countless situations where I and/or a group of friends would have a set plan, start to follow that plan and then end up spontaneously changing the plan altogether. A lot of times this leads to more beneficial and/or exciting things. Once you have fully conquered the fact that you can be curious and spontaneous, then you can truly explore your surroundings and find out more about yourself and what you get out of how you live.

(Monday, Sept. 20th, 2010) Exhausting. It has been a pretty tough three days, not mentally or emotionally, but physically. The Last two days, I have hiked up a mountain… Twice. Although the second day, (Sunday, Sept. 19th, 2010) was pretty rough at first, it was backed with the motivation of about 7 people. We had a larger group with us this time around with my friend and I from the first trip acting as guides. When we re-visited the beautiful Cedar Forest, we decided to venture down a new path. The Cedar Forest seemed to grow larger as we further progressed down this new path, the trees that lined the trail seemed to grow thicker, as if it was protecting the life below from sunlight and rain.

The trees were old and weathered, some with a wisdom only known to mother nature herself. An inviting scheme of branches protruding each tree was a calling for anyone willing to climb upon the tree. As so inviting as it was, I heeded the call. I cannot even remember the last time i climbed up a tree, but it was invigorating, and exciting. Un-expectantly, you feel like a kid again, going back to your childhood when fear held no bounds, and you felt free to explore the world. Even though I clambered up the tree for only a good 5 minutes, it was one of the most enjoyable things i have done in a good while.

As we further progressed through the forest, we started to head through another change of environment, this time going back to an almost California/Mediterranean environment. It’s funny how this region changes so much, it is as almost like you could experience majority of the world’s tundra in just one day. When we progressed through the change , we came upon something that we would have never expected. Unlike the side of the mountain which we tiredly climbed, it was all cliffs and rough mountain ranges on the other side. It was incredible. It was definitely a change of pace with the environment. On top you could see the vast valley that was below, along with a river which runs right through the middle. Though this was not the only thing that was noticed within site, along with other mountain ranges, you could see, very vaguely, what looked to be cargo ships? Indeed it was, it was the port of Marseille, which surprisingly is only about 40 Kilometers away.

It is funny how we do not realize how close everything is around us. It is evident that all kinds of environments and tundra are scattered throughout this area, to the south of Lacoste is the mountains ranges which we climbed, and out in the distance to the north is a large snow capped mountain. I don’t know what it is, but this constant erratic tundra change is what makes this place a unique and extraordinary land.

(SEPTEMBER 18TH, 2010) Exercise is an important routine here. You eat, you drink, you live in the moment. It is this that keeps this region so inviting. The cherishment of food, drinks and good friends are a huge part of life here. So exercise creeps its way in saying: “Hey you can enjoy these moments, but you gotta keep yourself in check”. It’s a cry to say the least. This place is as enjoyable as it ever gets. It’s a vacation and a home. You come to find out that people here aren’t as unhealthy and/or overweight as much as back in the United States. That’s because everything here is portioned controlled and, well, good food comes in less numbers. America is a very fast paced, always on the go life. We are two extremes: either really busy and moving around, or just doing nothing and being lazy. There is never a proper mediation between the two. However, you notice that the people that live here, have mastered this mediation.

Exercise is a vital part of my routine, ever since the summer started, I have been on a schedule of running every other day back home, in NYC and while I am here. I have had a couple of days break here and there, but it seems that running has not been my top priority here in South Provence. As much as I want to run here, I find myself, not being lazy, but enjoying the moments here. I am hardly found in my room here, I am either writing, working on my photography, or exploring. So how do I keep myself in shape? Well that is because my exercise routine consist of hiking… a lot. I have been recently hiking at least once a day, and I can definitely feel it. I have been constantly exploring my surroundings, I don’t know who would!? This place is a calling for anyone to explore this region.

Today was a spontaneous hike day, what turned out to be a minor hike through the woods turned out to be a major feat up a mountain. Nearby is a mountain ridge that spans at least 50 miles long, alongside the valley and hill that we reside on. From the view from Lacoste it seems like a fairly good hike and it is. Surprisingly, though, it did not really take that long to get up the mountain side. With a good pace, it only took a friend and I only 20-30 minutes to trek up this mountain side. The mountain, in comparison, is about the same height as a mountain nearby where I live, called White Oak Mountain, in Polk County, NC. This mountain however has an unexpected change of environment once you reach the top. When you start up the mountain, it’s more of a dry, California type of environment, low trees, lots of brush and rocks, everywhere. Halfway up the mountain, it starts to turn into more tree coverage where you mostly in shade on the second half of the hike, from that location, it instantly turns into a massive, vast, Cedar forest. It is one of the most beautiful transitions of environment I have seen.

When you get to the top, you get a sense of accomplishment out of the hike, when you turn around, you notice just how high up you are, and let me tell you, it’s completely and entirely gorgeous. You see miles and miles of the valley from the right to the left, all the way to the mountain range directly across from the mountain range we hiked, with a few hills here and there. The view was just incredible, you really get a sense of appreciation for the place after you reach the top, it’s one of the most beautiful views I have seen in a long time. After taking a moment to cherish the landscape that was beautifully presented below us, we continued on.

A further hike up lead us to what we would think would be a vast, vast forest. Although it seemed like a never ending forest, we quickly found the other side, where the view was tattered with mountains everywhere, and one valley to the east that had the most inviting looking river running right down the middle of it. However we quickly learned that we reached… Pavement?? A road, apparently civilization graced its presence on top of the mountain, with pavement, and a parking lot, it quickly became an eye sore, but only for a minute. The parking lot however wasn’t that packed, nor wasn’t it gigantic, like the parking lots in the US in these kind of similar locations. Truthfully it was at the perfect location to view the other side of the mountain, and where there are parking lots, there are picnic tables, which were much needed.

After a short rest we decided to continue into the forest, where we would find a most confusing route to get to a lookout point, which in turn, we decided to head back learning that we had to hike back up this giant hill. The way back was a nice stroll down the mountain, a constant view of the valley kept diverting our eyes away from the path. This was not really a good thing due to the fact that we kept slipping on the rocks on the trek down. You quickly realize that there is not just one pathway, but in fact there where two. One marked with yellow, the one we came up on and one marked with red, obviously a short version cutting through the yellow pathway. Well to save time we decided to take the red route down. To fully give you an understanding as to how the paths were, the yellow was a gradual zig-zag all the way up, while the red was a straight through cut. Now we didn’t realize that the red path stops cutting through, midway to the bottom, and as this happens, the grade changes from a nice gradual downward hill to an almost 75 degree decline… on rocks.

although the mountain was fun, needless to say our feet and calves were spent. As that was the most treacherous decent i have experience without rock climbing equipment.

(SEPT 17TH, 2010) Interesting day it has been; constant motivation to get out and photograph has been a haunting ache in my bones. An odd initiative, backed by tendencies to further explore, and put myself in danger for the sake of a photograph. As foolish as it may sound, it goes to show how a passion is derived from the soul and holds no bounds. I put myself into dangerous situations, yes, and as it may seem, I risk all for the rush of adrenaline and the excitement for a photograph that has captured my eye. I push myself to the limits and risk myself to manifest that vision into a physical object. A connection is formed spiritually, not just within me, but the photograph.

I’m spiritual, yes. I’m not ashamed of this. I’m built upon facts of “Everything happens for a reason”…. Spirits and connections to a universal power. You can call me crazy or weird, but are we not built around spiritual enlightenment? Facts of connections unexplained by man for which brings us together? A connection, it’s something that everyone feels, a gateway that connects one and two together. Romance, do we not have a connection with our significant other? a feeling only explained by a power; which is unlocked by another soul? This is not some shoddy representation of what love should be, no. It’s a connection that creates who we are and what we will become, a dire need to connect with another being.

This “unexplained” phenomenon is not an unexplainable entity at all. Again, with the representation of Romance; When we connect with someone, its almost as two souls become one, and with this connection, you acquire an ability, an ability to sense everything your significant other feels. It is an amazing connection, and you can feel it. I’ve learned how to hone this ability, to sense my surroundings around me. I can feel things that others cannot. I can sense things that are not from a physical being. It may be odd, I do realize this, but it’s rather hard to explain.

What I’m getting at however is that South Provence has this odd entity, an entity that surrounds everything here. It’s like that saying where Paris is one of the romantic places on earth… yadda yadda yadda…. Basically. But still, in regards to South Provence, it’s odd, because it’s true. You come here to South Provence and think “Oh I’m only going for a relaxing vacation”. But truthfully, it’s not such the case. This place, it is where romance can manifest in it’s fullest form. What I’m trying to say really is that you feel…. this connection, and you feel this connection with others here.

Of course, I feel that here, I believe everyone does, but when that connection hits you, its like a chase to find who the other end is connected to. I do believe that what ever happens, it happens for a certain reason, but it doesn’t always fall into your lap all the time. This may seem like, well, an emotional cry for a romantic connection. I would love to find that connection here, what can I say; I love the ideology of romance, passionate and fulfilling romance. But you know, if you can’t find it here, it shouldn’t be a let down, because this area does transform you, romantically, if not spiritually. You began to appreciate every little thing that happens, cherish every little moment. It shouldn’t be all about missing that chance with that certain person on this trip.

You learn… you learn how to appreciate the little moments you had with this person, cherish, and never forget. From all this comes a gift, a sequence of special moments intertwined with each other to preserve a memory that will forever help motivate and uplift your spirit whenever it is needed. South Provence will teach you this…. cherishing little romantic moments. So please, never let yourself feel down because of a missed moment, it’s the little romantic moments that you had between each other, the connection that combines both of your souls that mean the most. Because within this, you learn more about yourself and who you are as person, an appreciation is transformed into a manifestation.

But hey, if not, enjoy the ride, South Provence is an amazing spiritual place, romantically or not. It will change you, for better, not for worse. So cherish every moment, because this place will not be around forever. Live…Love…Learn. That is what it’s all about….

Exploration. I have come to terms that if one wanted to understand and educate themselves further about Lacoste and South Provence, the best places are hidden in the vast forests and beyond. Hidden relics, artwork, structures, and anything you can imagine are hidden, lost in time within the vast sea of the woodlands.

Adventure seems to follow everywhere you go. Even if you have never had an excitement or passion for adventuring, you will truely learn that that is untrue. This place calls everyone to come explore its uncharted forests. As of today a friend and I came across an extraordinary find from what we discovered in the forest behind Lacoste. It seems to be ancient moldings from an earlier time. This discovery could be huge! It all depends though on an analysis by a Jean-Pierre, a fantastic local Mosaic artists with a knack and passion for learning and discovering historical items in the area.

Treasures are everywhere, scattered throughout South Provence. All it takes is a little motivation to just get out and explore. if you do this, you can find extraordinary items, even a lot of items with Historical backgrounds. Its fun, however, to get lost within these woodlands. It’s almost like reliving within a historical time. Unlike in the states, running into anything with historical relevance now-a-days is almost slim to none, due to the fact that our country is still so young. Here, history is hidden all around us. Just diverting off of a trail or pathway will surely lead you to something with historical relevancy which has been lost in time. Multiple times have I found old stone houses, old quarries and artifacts and yet i’ve only been here for a week!

I feel as that a lot of history still has yet to be found in this area. The artifacts that i have recently found have been hidden, sitting and waiting to be discovered, and yet they are only at least a quarter mile away from Lacoste! It really, truly, surprises me how a lot of people do not divert away from the common pathway. It’s almost as if they are afraid of dangers and animals that dwell within these forests. Though for some strange reason, I feel a sense of security, I have no fear, No hesitation, I feel…. safe. I cannot fully explain this, but these forests are almost like it is welcoming me into its home. Almost as if this forest is a place for serenity, meditation, and rejuvenation. This forest, noticeably haunted by ghosts of past lives and ancient times, it is a very spiritual land. This is a place where people were obviously laid to rest as well.

However, it seems as if that if you treat the forest like a human being, care for and cherish this spiritual land. It will respect and watch over you, like a hidden spiritual guardian guiding you and keeping you protect from the dark presence that could haunt the forests. I know that i might be writing a lot about these forests, but i just cannot emphasize enough about how much it feels like these forests are calling me. I am finding myself now constantly heading into the forest behind Lacoste everyday, sometimes even twice in a day. As the ever expanding economic climate of France increases, I am worried that in a couple of years, the industry will disgrace this land with filth and smog, Killing this spiritual place along with it. Killing the warmth and care that presents itself within these forest walls.

Fall is approaching and you can feel it in the air. The Mistril Winds are picking up but are not as worse as of right now as we have been told. The cold in the air, its nostalgic presence presents itself through the mountains and valleys. Yesterday after-noon (September 13,2010) the cold weather seemed to creep up un-expectantly creating a burst of wind to follow. Though this bitter cold is not uninvited, I feel myself embracing its presence because something about this weather, this certain cold air that reminds me of my home. There is a time between mid-September to early November where the mountains of North Carolina has this quiet calm cold, its a presence where it gives the mountains a time to slow down from the fast paced life of summer. It helps the bustling life of the heat slow down and just admire the change of seasons.

Unlike Savannah, the sky is a cool blue which comments the bright tones of red, yellow, and Orange. It’s almost as if it’s a majestic sea of color that flows throughout the mountains and valleys within. South France, from what I have gathered from photographs of an earlier time and the lore throughout the town, that this majestic sea of color and blue also presents itself. For the past few years i have dealt with the subtle grey color of the sky, which creates a depressing melancholy atmosphere within the town of Savannah, GA. It seems that as if the town of Savannah does not like the gradual transition of seasons, It almost seems that the extremes of the year exist within Savannah, one which its either a hot, disgusting day or either a wet, cold atmosphere.

An embrace of color, that’s what South Provence has, a glorification of beauty, romance, and expression. South Provence is the epitome of beauty and romance, one cannot come to this place and leave with dissatisfaction, no one is alone, no one is disserting. Provence… It could just be the place i have been looking for, a spiritual freedom of sorts, not just for myself, but for my art as well. A romance is created; a personal connection is created within these walls of Lacoste, and South Provence. Romance, it doesn’t have to be such as a physical connection, but almost spiritual. This place, is the idolization of romance. The connection from where one was born. A special place that is created within the heart and soul of a person, a place that that person, no matter how long or old, they will never forget this place.

The romance is created with the Provence, it is almost like a calling to anybody with a passion to come and live within this place. Passions and physical romances manifest within Lacoste and Provence, its evident that love and care are carried throughout South Provence. Everything created here, the food, wine, and produce, everything is created with passion and love. It’s this combination that keeps the inviting atmosphere of South Provence alive.

The life of the small town is full of tourists who come to see life in its simplest form. A juncture between a simple and creative life.  Lacoste, France, a story, a history of its own, surrounded by fields of flourishing life and produce. By morning a hazy sea rolls through, creating a spectacular marvel of orange light that blankets the landscape. One can only stand in awe and feel a sense of fulfillment within them from the overwhelming warmth of the light and land.

The days are warm, yet the nights are cool and windy, from what seems to be from the ghosts of another time. The wind, not so much as a haunting whisper, but more of a calming content with the world. Past lives, as it seems, has had no need to worry within these lands. Stress seems to melt within these fields and mountains, for which there is no need to be stressed about anything here. A medieval land and village surrounded by others of the same, look old and weathered, but yet time seems to slow down, encapsulating and preserving the historical presentation of these towns and land.

You are transported to earlier times for which life was not so much as a complexion, but an easy escape towards a more simpler, basic idealistic life. However, can such places exist? It can, but it relies only on how you truly picture this life, for myself, i only see a creative retreat for which i can renew my creative spirit. Southern France, especially Lacoste, is a retreat for any artist. Even though i am receiving an education along with this retreat, its not like the feeling of stress and labor of my normal routines back in Savannah, GA. This place has created a warmth within my creative spirit and as a photographer. School can become overwhelming but how can you be overwhelmed in a place such as this?

A painting, from this i can only describe the sheer beauty of this place. I’ve only arrived but only 3 days ago and yet i feel like im in this surreal world. And yet this surreal place has manifested in front of my eyes. As being within the Fall season and Fall Quarter of my school year, I have yet to experience the transitional colors of Fall. Everything is still green with the occasional purple of the Grape Vineyards. I cannot even fathom how extraordinary the colors will be within the coming weeks. Beauty is transcribed here.

Unlike Savannah, sounds are eradicated from this place. Only the occasional animal, bug, tourist or the hammering of a minor patch-up on a building are heard here throughout the town. The Bell tower keeps everyone informed of the time of day, but just loud enough for the town of 500 Year-round residents to hear. It’s quiet, quiet enough to hear oneself think. It reminds me of the Subtle sounds of home, in the Mountains of North Carolina.

The town itself is pattered with stone, wood and plant life. A Dull yet elegant color of gray and tan encases the buildings. more common are the beautiful light blue colors of the doors and shutters that complement the Limestone and rock. The flowers and plants stand out as a symbolic image to the care of the tradition and beauty that surrounds this place and Southern France

So, I guess my expedition has started, kind of. Im currently sitting in the Charlotte-Douglas Airport waiting at my concourse so i can board the plane in about 30 minutes. So, i thought i would go ahead and post something on my Blog since it has been awhile since i have done so. I can tell you now, i have no idea what to expect on this trip, Two months in Europe… God i don’t even know what to do with myself. I consider this amazing trip an expedition, with an education involved, haha. I think it kinda fits.

My flight plans incase some are wondering, is that i am going to be on a plane for 8-9 hours heading to Munich, from there i will have  connecting flight to Marseille, where the expedition truly begins. I am excited yet nervous, this is due to the fact well, its been awhile since i’ve been outside of the country, im definitely excited about this. I am nervous because… well i have no idea really, not too bad though, i just am. I am hoping that i will be able to update this blog as much as i can, however i can not assure that this will happen, cause i wil be really busy having to much fun. Well i think i need to start settling down a little, and getting ready for my flight. Ill update when i arrive!

So i haven’t been able to create any posts lately because i’ve been way to entirely busy, and besides, i was in NYC so that could be a big reason for the delay of a post. However, now i am back home, i have actually been back home for 2 weeks now, and i gotta say, I love small town life. Even though i love the fast paced world of NYC, coming back to a Slow paced small town that is quite, its really really relaxing. Another fact that i love this place, my hometown of Saluda, is that there is a lake nearby, the perfect place to go and cool off, which was something that well, NYC, did not necessarily have. I am about to head down the Myrtle Beach for the weekend to visit the Pops. I haven’t seen him since June so it will be nice to hang out with him for a couple of days. After that it’s work, work, and more work because i will only have about 2-3 weeks before i head off to France for school for 2 months, which is really really exciting. Well hopefully ill be able to post more stuff in the future, depending on how busy i really am. In the meantime, enjoy the rest of your summers, and well it sucks for all of you that have to go back this week! hahaha.

Cheers!