meet simon. 28. australia.
single origin roasters.
mocha.
Simon and I met in Varanasi, India while I was waiting to check in at my hostel and Simon and a group of friends were headed to watch the sunrise on the Ganges river. I couldn't say no to that. We got to talking about cameras, photography and traveling. Friendship was formed! Simon had been traveling for the past 8 months when I met up with him in Sydney, his hometown. It was so great to catch up with a friend from my travels and to chat with someone so like-minded. Simon shared a lot of wisdom on traveling and and life in general really. He is also an excellent photographer and is working on a similar project called Drifter Stories that he started on the road. You can check out his work here and you can find out more about Drifter Stories here.
"i think people think of traveling as this vacation but it's not like that, it's just living."
tell me a bit about you...why you started traveling, photography, etc...
After high school, I wasn't too sure what I wanted to do so I decided to go into law as it was quite a broad degree. I studied law for 5 years and traveled a bit. It didn't really click with me but for some reason kept at it. I think I was drawn to it because I have never been to sure as to what I want to do in life. After law school, I went traveling for a year and bought a DSLR which added a new dimension to the travels. I lived in Mexico for a while and traveled South America. While I didn't get really into photography then, I had began to take some photos and portraits. I came back from that and got an MBA and worked in Sydney. During this time, I became disillusioned with the corporate lifestyle, not really knowing what I wanted to do or if I wanted to live this lifestyle. I went and did a ski season in Japan and this is when I became more serious about photography. After Japan, I went back to Sydney and worked and saved up and a few months later headed off on this trip.
why do you travel?
Why I travel has changed over the years. At first I think it was just because that's what you did. You traveled with friends and you partied and you went to museums to feel cultured because thats what Lonely Planet told you to do. Now, travel for me is about the experience. It's about meeting people and learning about different cultures and different ways to do live. I think that is where Drifter Stories came in. I was sick of social media bombarding you with these photos of traveling that don't quite tell the real story. When you travel, its not all good times. There are times when you are lonely or you stay in your bungalow all day. And then there are the times when you get back out into nature with a group of 6 really interesting people and you realize why you are doing this in the first place.
so drifter stories?
I wanted to tell the bigger story of traveling. The story behind the people you meet and behind the facebook posts of the beach. The story of why people are traveling and the wisdom they can share. I also wanted to change the focus of my traveling from me and the pretty photos of beaches to the people that I was meeting and the ones who were changing my experiences and my mindsets. Drifter Photos has opened me up more to talking to people from all walks of life and all different backgrounds. I have become interested in things that I would have never been interested in a few years back. This project has allowed me to show that things aren't always what they seem.
what's next for the drifter?
Just keep drifting and see what happens.