It's About Our Journey

I remember hearing Anna Wintour saying she hates the term journey a while back.

Sep 10, 2014 — Other notable things Wintour revealed about herself: She hates the term “journey,” she refuses to wear head-to-toe black and she's afraid of...

I never really gave this quote much thought until recently when someone said to me “You’re overly goal-oriented Steve, and that means you are missing out on life’s journey.” What the heck is she talking about? Aren't we supposed to be productive and goal-oriented and Type A over-achievers? I didn’t want to admit it at first, but over the course of several months, I started to understand the meaning in the person’s message.

I had planned my sabbatical for last year, but we all know how plans have been impacted, with the pandemic and all. I canceled August 2020 and rescheduled my sabbatical for May 2021, with my manager encouraging me not to forfeit the time. I mean, there is never a good time to take a sabbatical four weeks long, you must realize your worth and put the stake in the ground, as life never takes a pause for things like this on its own. There will always be something that needs doing of that, you can be sure.

That’s when I got the idea to go on an astrophotography trip where I could really lean into my passion. I did some research and made plans to travel to the San Pedro de Atacama, a desert in northern Chile, as it is a mecca for AP (astrophotography / night-time photography). It’s also the southern hemisphere, which got me excited about the possibilities of that night sky view. I planned on traveling to the Atacama Lodge, where comet and asteroid hunter Alain Maury and his wife, Alejandra, stay up all night and sleep in the morning. Yes, they are great examples of following one’s passion. I was all set to go with flight booked, arrival confirmed and then the Chilean government shut down the borders (no entry and no exit) due to a sharp rise in Covid 19 infections. That felt like a real kick in the teeth, I struggled to understand why I could not reach my destination.

As the weeks passed, I was continually confronted by the idea that it isn’t the destination that’s important, it’s the journey. I will also tell you that I wasn’t having it… did you know we can still have tantrums as adults? Two weeks before my planned travel, on May 1st, I decided to put a line in the sand and come up with an alternate plan, and it’s a good thing I did as the borders in Chile remain closed. After some additional research, I booked a flight to Las Vegas—rented an RV—and mapped a path through Death Valley, California. Seems like a lot of effort to get to a desert, but there is science behind it. You see, the lower the humidity and the clearer the skies, the better for AP. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place on earth and an International Dark Sky site. I realized it wasn’t necessary for me to be in Chile to pursue my passion… while Chile had been my planned destination, Death Valley is my journey!

So I'm here and It’s hot, I have equipment troubles... did I say it’s hot? I'm embracing my journey and hope you're embracing your journey too.