Trip Recap

Initially I took this trip as a means of networking and an exploration of what jobs within my career path could be applicable in my future. We visited several different places (all of which were interesting), but the most memorable for me personally included NPR, National Geographic, AP, the Washington Post, and the White House. Basically, the more compelling and important the work, the more excited the employees were, and the more exciting the environment. As you can tell in any work environment, this trend tends to be linear.

I've been trying to focus on the precise career path I wish to pursue; music or shooting or editing. From this trip, I realized I really can't pick between the three, I love them all equally in my life. Several people we met up with, however, talked great volumes about the importance of having other things in your life you value and enjoy, whether it be reading or music or biking (I don't think anyone mentioned that, but I love biking so it should apply). In the line of editing and shooting, you need a break to be refreshed so as to not loose sight of your story.

Storytelling. That's what we do. Through images and interviews and video we can communicate events and stories people would otherwise not hear of. Pessimistically, most of the nation doesn't keep up on current events, but does that make what we do less important? I would say that someone out there will learn something from our work and make a change, and that makes it valuable.

Another theme with career paths included the sacrifices involved. With photojournalism, you typically don't work a 9-5, instead the hours and locations are unpredictable, there are intense demands on your time and energy. However, this might sound like a nightmare for some people, I think it's worth it. Personally, I don't like to sit still too long, and travel and crossing paths with others is what makes life so interesting. Many of the people we met with managed a balanced home life, while others chose to marry their stories instead. Both types of personal lives have pros and cons, and it clearly depends on your priorities and drive.

Overall, I learned more about the news wire, news rooms, and periodicals. All were helpful and informative, but I would ideally want to work with a publication with more freedom to explore long-term stories that facilitate genuine caring and learning. I was very impressed by the stories National Geographic sponsors, what beautiful, poignant imagery!

Now, I need to work on telling more stories and listening to more music!

If anyone from the trips reads this post - thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy lives to share your perspectives with us. It was a great trip filled with incredible people :)