I’m dealing with the huge contrast of photo taking during my trip to California. At camp I felt I didn’t pick up my camera enough, which is the total opposite to my time in San Francisco with Leslie. There was so much to see, capture and soak up, that I’m finding it hard to work through the photos and know how to share them…. (because other people holiday photos aren’t really that interesting, are they?) so I’ve decided I can’t share everything I photographed in one go and perhaps I’ll never show all I saw, but I’m thinking I might start at the beginning and work my way through the epic stay in installments.

The beginning is pretty special. I clear US customs, which scared me SO much. Leslie is waiting for me… sunglasses, kaftan and sandles, all I imagine her to be. We hit the roof of the car park and I’m struck by the early evening light….. that golden light I’ve seen in photos… the huge blue sky… everything I dreamed of.

I had arrived.