Leaving for Ireland in two days, and in that delicious final departure phase, where my world is narrowing and focusing on just the essentials to bring. Nervousness and excitement, too. Of course, picking the ‘right’ Visual Journal to bring, and art supplies is the most stressful yet the best part of this process.

I’m going on tour with Phil Cousineau, author of a favorite book of mine, The Art of Pilgrimage, about making travel meaningful. One of my favorite quotes from the book: “Uncover what you long for and you’ll discover who you are.”. Lots to uncover; anxious and excited. The Grand Adventure awaits!

- with love for the journey.

Photo by Lou Ann Granger on flight to Santa Barbara July 2010, using iPhone, and with unexpected interference effects from rotating propellers.

An early morning image along the Nile River, accidentally turned sideways, suddenly reveals the boundary between the ‘real’ world and a hidden world.    If  you look closely, you can discern the banks of the river on the right and their reflection on the left.

Such a thin boundary.  From this sideways point of view, it is easy to imagine stepping back and forth between the two worlds.

But for now, the mirrored image completely obscures the river’s hidden world.  We see nothing below the surface to let us know the true world of the river, not its contours, nor its life forms, nor its currents.  Instead, we see our own world twice.  What are we missing?

– with love for the journey.

Photo and processing by Lou Ann Granger