Don't tell Mom till after

My Photo scholarship 2010 entry

Israel | Friday, October 15, 2010 | 5 photos

Traveling is the best way to spend money. Trying out new things is the best way to spend time. And taking risks is the best way to move forward in life.

My urge to explore has never ceased and the "photographer's curse (more of a blessing) of seeing light" escalates my desire for more of the unknown. This is why I am currently majoring in film production with an emphasis on cinematography as well as minoring in art. The one downfall of college is the lack of time to spontaneously travel to foreign cultures.

My photos are from the two different occasions I flew to Israel.

The first time was on an organized trip. The second, I flew alone and backpacked around. The first trip revealed the wonders as well as flaws of the country. Riding a camel is only a tourist thing. And we had a guard to protect our group but I never felt unsafe.

Right as I returned a couple years later, the conflict in Gaza broke out because of the missiles being shot into southern Israel. I was completely safe my entire trip till I managed to join a bus of young Israelis who drove south to Ashkelon to play with kids waiting in several bomb shelters while schools were shut down. At one point, we ran off the bus due the rocket alarm, only to hear the impact less than a mile away. I was the only American but the language barrier didn’t interfere at all with the kids in the bomb shelter.

I got to know all of my photos’ subjects. This trip was an eye opener to the realities of the world and I never want to stop exploring other peoples and lifestyles. I should be chosen for this scholarship because of my devotion to trekking across the world and my love for storytelling!

-Jason F.