This week five years ago, I stepped on a plane bound for London – little did I know how much that trip would change my life. It’s this sense of possibility that keeps me moving through the world, as well as through life.
My absolute favorite part of sketching around Southeast Asia and Japan was sharing the journey with you, so I’d like to invite you to join me on this next sketching adventure from Prague to Petra – I have a feeling it’s going to be good.
It’s been almost two months now since I first got the email, asking if I’d like to chat about my sketches for a story on travel blogging. I was not only ridiculously excited to head to New York for the interview, but also immensely honored.
With my camera stolen, I can’t share photos from my new favorite haunt in Seattle – but what I do have is a sketch from Shi Shi Beach in Olympic National Park, where I spent the weekend camping and falling in love with its misty, tree-lined shores.
She soon leaves us as we sketch the Bay Bridge, but Suzanne’s words remain with me throughout the rest of the day. Whether I’ve been in a place for thirty seconds or thirty years, I never want to stop sketching – and more importantly, stop seeing.
Through it all, I’m so grateful for the gift of these last two months – for not only have I been able to be present with my family, but I’ve also had the time to put together and publish my first book of travel sketches, Beneath the Lantern’s Glow.
I got to that point of failure on Saturday afternoon. The point where your faith feels as shriveled and dry as a fallen leaf in autumn; the point where a steady paycheck sounds as appealing as pizza and peanut butter to Survivor contestants.
As summer kicks off, I would love to put together a roundup of your sketches and publish them here – not only to celebrate all the travel-inspired art that has taken place, but to inspire even more people to get sketching.