Reflecting on the Road

I left the part of the world I knew to see what was new, to photograph its places, people and cultures, and to prove to myself that I could do it on my own. I was surprised to find so much more. The night I met Raul, he said to me: "You can't focus on what life hasn't given you. Hay que dar a la vida- You have to give to life, always give." That sums up my experience: When you open yourself up to it, there is beauty everywhere and human generosity that is astounding. Sure, there were difficult moments when I needed to pick myself up and keep going, but I didn't do it on my own: I was received with love when I needed it the most, I fell when I needed to wake up, and had helping hands along the way. Each moment is a possible miracle.

Being back in the States, the land of abundance, I ask myself if we've forgotten about generosity, about how interconnected we really are. Our meat is packaged in plastic, giving us the emotional space we prefer. And there's always a struggle for more-- power, prestige, individual ambition (especially in New York City). In Spanish, amibición has a negative connotation- it means wanting to succeed at the expense of others. Although I appreciated some of that Puritanical work ethic on the job in Peru, there were times that my need for success got the better of me.

Now here's the real challenge: keeping those lessons present even when immersed in the suburban American culture. And that's my next journey-- that of being present, appreciative and striving even when staying in one place.

Here are a few shots from New Jersey, New York and Shelter Island in the months following my arrival. Biggest perk so far? Family.

Room for Meditation

I had a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam between Madrid and NY. My family had left the day before, and I couldn't leave the airport, so much time was spent strolling through the glamorous airport that had such amenities as foot-cleaning-fish tanks, lounge chairs set up in front of videos of the rolling hills of Holland, and this meditation room.

Rastro

Exploring Madrid's Rastro, the sprawling outdoor market in the Lavapiés neighborhood.

Selling rubber.

Veggie art, but of course!

Maite tries on a jacket.

Dalí elephant on the arm.

"The damn sun!"

Erastro is a living, breathing Bitter Kas advertisement.

Maite and Ainhoa at her birthday celebration.

Little Yellow Dress

Color and form in Maite's kitchen.

Rosalía y Vicene, lookin sharp.

Jardín de Cerveza

Maite and Mamá at a German beer garden.

El Camino

"We want a dignified neighborhood!"-- Barcelona, a few blocks from las Ramblas.

The beautiful MACBA (Barcelona Contemporary Art Museum).

Another of Gaudí's houses, la Casa Milà (known as La Pedrera).

One hundred pesetas?

Driving by Gaudí's Parc Güell.

Stopping by Zaragoza for lunch on the way back to Madrid.

Huh?

Sweet rain does this dry land good.

Hope.