Escaping from the frustration of flailing through WordPress, I have decided to move forward and worry about looking backward at another time!  I have so many trips I would like to catch up here and I’m torn over how to organize and present them.  In the meantime I have new travel plans looming and decisions to make.

The Giving Lens has some wonderful workshops coming up in 2013 and I am torn between Tanzania and Thailand.  Tanzania entails working with Art in Tanzania and includes time spent with the Masai documenting their elders and photographing a day in the life.  There is also a three and a half day safari.  There are two trips, back to back, to choose from – one in early July and the second one July to August.  I am very tempted by this.  I think the experience would be life altering.  There is the opportunity to learn a great deal about portrait photography from the team leaders which is something I would really like to polish up on.  The Thailand trip is in early November and entails working with an elephant rehabilitation centre and finishes in Chang Mai for the Lantern Festival.  I think the photo ops on this trip are great also.  It would be thrilling to spend time near elephants.  They are fascinating creatures.

Decisions, decisions.  I wasn’t planning on leaving my home in July and August since this is some of the best weather on the Coast.  This line of reasoning leads me to the Thailand trip as November is usually very rainy on the coast.  I could then defer Tanzania to 2014 as I am sure it they will offer it again.  However, since life has no guarantees, who knows if I will be healthy enough to travel to Tanzania a year and a half from now?  Perhaps it’s a case of carpe diem and since this opportunity has presented itself I should just grab it now.

It would be great if I could figure out a way to do both!  Logistically I would want to take the latter Tanzania trip and then just travel around for the three months before Thailand.  Hmmm.  Could I really do this?  I know that I really enjoyed my Jordan trip with The Giving Lens  in November.  It was a great experience travelling with a focus and doubly stimulating – travel and learning.  I also have this dream of travelling the world for a year which I am trying to balance against earning an income.  Decisions, decisions.

What should I choose?