The other day, Fullgoldcrown expressed his surprise to me that I had cataloged and could easily call up specific galleries, such as the one of my travels in Ukraine. It’s an easy thing for me, because these photo galleries have become my diary. Since I was 15, I kept a written diary, which was a way for me for me to debrief and better understand my experiences, as well as to remember them better from that point of view in time.

It was in 2002 that I stopped taking slides and switched to a digital camera. I also switched from sharing prints of my slides with friends to sharing them digitally, by email. As soon as I started taking digital photos, I subscribed to SmugMug, so instead of sharing photos individually, I could share them simultaneously with friends scattered around the world. This is something I’ve continued to do to the present time. Writing in my diary fell off and eventually stopped altogether, as my interest transferred to the photos for keeping a diary.

Some of you might already have gone to the main page of my SmugMug site, but for those who haven’t, it’s linked below. From that page, all the galleries can be accessed. Clicking on any thumbnail opens that specific gallery. To keep the place on the main page, best is to right click on the thumbnail and open in a new tab.

Presently, there are 846 public galleries. The galleries are organized in diary fashion, starting from the beginning. I’ve been asked many times why I don’t flip the order, to have the most recent gallery at the beginning. My answer is that I leave that kind of thing to the facebook and instagram crowds. My purpose is not to entertain the masses, but simply to keep a personal record. I’m guessing that not many people who happen upon my SmugMug page make it all the way down to the latest galleries.

That said, IMO it might be of interest to some of you to do that very thing, to scroll through the entire main page. It amazes me when I do so, when searching for a particular gallery. I wouldn’t remember even half the stuff, if it weren’t for the photos.

Most of my life, including the travels, are spontaneous.  Foreign travels almost always begin with a one-way ticket and no limits.  I like to allow my life to unfold in its own time. Each trip ends whenever it’s obvious to me that it’s complete.

Incidentally, I don’t think of any of this as things that I did, rather everything is experiences I was somehow blessed with. My life is not contrived or controlled or even planned by me, but I am a very willing and fully engaged participant, an explorer and adventurer of life. I ask life to guide me and I listen as best I can, then go wherever I’m drawn. The photos show some of what has resulted. I hope they might provide enjoyment to others.

https://balloonbill.smugmug.com/