Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” —Mark Twain

I have been invited to talk about study abroad at the Cultural Journeys undergraduate conference. I’ll be speaking after three students who have actually participated in study abroad programs, so I wonder just how much I’ll add to the conversation. Students tend to be more convincing than faculty in these matters.

I truly believe that study abroad — and travel in general — makes us better people. I know that for me, the two times I have taught in London have been two of the best experiences of my professional and personal life. They have made me a better teacher and a better person. I’m pretty sure that most people would benefit from getting the heck out of Georgia for a summer. But how to convince them?

I decided to use music and images to convey my enthusiasm. So, I put together a video of my photography from my 2009 and 2011 travels, along with some words of wisdom about travel from others more eloquent than I. Check out my video above.

Also, in thinking about this a bit more, I found two useful resources: “Why Study Abroad?” and “Study Abroad Myths and Misconceptions.”

We Americans spend so much of our lives constructing ever-shrinking bubbles that define us and isolate us. With money as the ultimate pursuit, all of our decisions are in many ways determined: how to make the most; how to protect it; how to pass it on and to whom. It often seems that chasing the American Dream closes us off to opportunities we would otherwise engage, like foreign travel. Most of my students here in central Georgia were born here and they will die here, without ever traveling far from the lives they have built. This is not necessarily a criticism — we all need our comfort zones — but without getting outside the bubble, it becomes smaller and it in turn makes us smaller. New experiences takes risk, and that’s the very opposite of comfort and security.

Interestingly, more American women take advantage of study abroad programs than men do. Some of the conclusions are interesting.

Yes, travel is a risk. Yes, it can be expensive. However, this is what we pursue money for. If money can’t help us expand our lives in meaningful ways, what good is it? Of all the things to invest in, travel and self-discovery should be among the most important.

Again, I want to be clear: I’m proud of all my students’ work this summer, and the selection below is just a taste of some overall good work. To see them all, check out the links to their photo blogs for the course. The featured portfolios are in no particular order.

Amy Anderson’s final portfolio was a surprise. Amy’s got such an easy-going personality, often I thought she was bored with the class, or just asleep. Yet, I think the whole class was quite impressed with her portfolio. It had the most cohesive theme of them all, based on a street photography approach. She calls it “Creeping through the Lens,” and while I’m not sure how the word “creeping” became associated in both of my classes with street photography, her work exceeds the expectations of her title. My favorite of the selections is her “Here’s Waldo,” featured in my selections below. Not only is it a great portrait, it captures some of the quirkiness of life in England.

Kassie Bettis’ work was also featured by me early on — and her sister looks a lot like her. Her work is thoughtful and understated, like Kassie herself. There’s a sense of the hidden there; her subjects often frame her images, and offer a tentative view into her world caught on film. Kassie also seemed to be everyone’s favorite subject for course portraits. Below, I use her image “A Nonchalant Attitude” as a strong representation of her work. The contrast between her flowery shoes and the stolid stonehenge speaks of the contrast between a harder past and a brighter present.

Many of the students played with perspective and camera placement to great effect — e.g. Sarah Gunnels’ work — and this might be Emily Moss‘ trademark. Her portrait “Movement” is not only excellently lit, but provides a great view of a common place for Londoners. Emily has a nice grasp of space and place in her portfolio, and each of her photos shows a unique perspective coupled with a similarly unique atmosphere.

One of my most consistent photographers this summer has been Brandi Gaines, but this is not surprising since her undergraduate degree is in fine art. Brandi’s submission for the Portrait Gallery assignment is not included in her final portfolio, but I include it below as a very strong image inspired by Sarah Lucas’s self portraits. Brandi is a careful photographer, and she does not display just any image. Her eye is critical and deliberate, but she has no hint of arrogance. She is always ready to find a new inspiration, and I have enjoyed her work over the last few weeks.

As I said above, this is only a sample. To view all the students’ portfolios, see the list in LitMUSE.

I like the food. The nightlife. The pubs. Alright, I love the pubs. The public house is something that we Americans need to adopt. The sports bar just doesn’t cut it. In fact, why is it that any restaurant or bar seems to think that in order to be successful, they need to have a dozen televisions? In pubs, people actually talk over a pint or two. What a novel concept. Maybe this is why Americans like TV? Do we really have nothing to say to each other? Also, we don’t need live music every night. A pint and a snug is all that is needed. Maybe two pints. Or three.

I like the transportation. Or more to the point, I like being a pedestrian. I like public transportation. In general, Londoners seem to be in much better shape. Could it be from all the walking? I don’t think they eat much more healthily than Americans do; they just exercise.

I like the parks, speaking of exercise. They have massive, green, beflowered, and well used and maintained parks. Regents, Hyde, and Green parks and Hampstead Heath are gorgeous chunks of nature right in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the world. Londoners like to eat al fresco. One of the best lunches I had over the last couple of weeks was in the park surrounding St. Paul’s Cathedral. I like to see all strata of society sharing this beautiful space — even the businessmen in their suits sit on the grass to have their sandwiches. Could you see American suits doing this?

I like the diversity. Not only are there British, but people from around the world visit and live in London. Since most of them are doing their thing, I have not met many, but they bring with them their culture, food, and customs to make London a unique pastiche of difference. There are tensions, but they don’t seem to be those of the states. I see many racial and ethic mixes; all seem to have a place.

I like the culture. Every night has something great going on. The theatre is the best in the world; the music is ubiquitous; entertainment is actually hard to avoid. And often it’s affordable and convenient, yet just as often it’s not. We’ve heard blues bands in Camden Town, listened to student musicians at lunchtime in St. Martin’s in the Field, and seen Shakespeare at the Globe. There might be too much to do.

I like to drive. Even though I prefer trains in many ways, driving in the UK is invigorating not because I have to drive on the left, but because people seem to know how to drive and they do drive. They don’t eat. They don’t put on makeup. They don’t talk on their damn cellphones. When they drive, they drive. Refreshing. The roads are great, particularly in the country. The British seem to understand the importance of keeping one’s place clean and beautiful. There are no Wal-Marts; there is no city sprawl (maybe in a couple of cities); the highways end on the outskirts of the cities, they do not pass through them; there are no billboards obstructing your view on the motorways. The roads are beautiful and twisty. Great, too, for motorcycling.

I like the weather in the summer. Even in the winter, it’s not too cold. Because of the rain in the summer, there are great colors. The days and nights are cooler, even cold sometimes for this Florida boy. There are few bugs, evident by no screens on the windows. The summer breezes are cool and sweet.

It’s not all love for us Londoners. It’s damn expensive to live in the city (especially petrol!). It rains too much. There are a lot of smokers. It’s crowded. It’s often too impersonal and alienating. People can be rude. Sometimes it does move a bit too fast. I find myself getting impatient with people who are obviously tourists; I find that particularly amusing. In a big city, things are pretty small, like accommodations, bathrooms, and restaurants. Did I mention the smoking? Oh, and could someone bring some good pizza to London, please?

I think I would trade all I had in the states (except my wife) to be able to be a permanent Londoner; Autumn would just have to come with me. Maybe I, a former English Professor, could open a Pizza Pub, and bring a revolution to the UK’s capital. I could take up cycling again — even motorcycling. I could simplify. Cut back. Live in a smaller flat. Just me and A. I could see it.

After all, I’m already a Londoner.

Even though I hear Time’s wingèd chariot drawing near, I have had little to spare in the past three weeks. Not only have I revisited my favorite spots in London and seen some new ones, I have travelled to Wincester, Bath, Salisbury, Stonehenge, Cambridge, Tinturn, Glastonbury, and Wells. (See my other blog for photos. I’m struggling to keep up.) I have seen a great play in the West End, eaten awesome food, quaffed many a pint, and taken over two thousand photographs. I have made new friends, gotten reacquainted with old ones, and discovered new beers that I likely will become much friendlier with before I leave. I am actually teaching two photography courses — what an honor and a challenge. During graduate school, I remember Olson saying: “When you teach something, you become an expert in it.” I’m not sure about that, but I’m learning a lot, and I’m getting a lot of practice. I have seen great photography exhibits from all over the world, including South Africa, London, and Afganistan, I plan to see more in my little time left. Samuel Johnson was truly correct when he said “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

While I miss my wife and my cat, the former will be joining me very soon. I look forward to that day, while my literal dreams are haunted by the latter. I miss him very much and that despair will impale me like a dagger when I get home, but the joy he brought to my life will always remain with me. His death will likely mark the beginning of a new period for Autumn and me. Dad’s been emailing me often, and I need to call him. I’m glad he’s thinking of me, and I thought of him while I was driving through the hills of Wales. He’d really like that, as he would like standing with me at the base of the Tor in Glastonbury. Mom says she’d love to get to Ireland; I should take her. Travel really is integral to life — without it, we become ossified — creatures of little scope and imagination. Through the challenges of seeing the world, we become larger than ourselves, and we bring that breadth home with us. Odysseus knew this millennia ago.

Yes, the program is half over, but we still have so much more to go. Yes!

The flight on Thursday night went without a hitch. It was long and uncomfortable, but in my experience all international flights in coach are. I sat next to Hugo Broadshoulders, so that didn’t make my cramped seat next to the windowless wall any more spacious. He decided even before I sat down that the armrest we shared belonged to him. I don’t think his arm moved the whole trip, even through his snoring.

We arrived at Heathrow more or less on-time Friday morning. The customs official who welcomed me was training a new recruit, so I think he decided to be ultra-pedantic. He was dubious about my teaching in his country for five weeks without a signed note from the Queen, so he took my passport, very nicely apologized for the inconvenience (“I see all your students have already gone through.”), and had me wait while he “spoke to his manager about this unusual situation.” I was nice; what else could I do? He came back in about ten minutes, lectured me further about getting the proper permits next time, and sent me through. Welcome to the UK.

Despite those entertaining and now laughable snags, the rest of the weekend was a blast. I had a bit of trouble getting my (jailbroken) iPhone to work with Orange, but after switching to a T-Mobile SIM, I’m now uploading photos and checking in with the best of them.

A group of us saw Mark off on Friday night. It’s a shame he had to leave so early; now I only have Todd to make fun of. Seriously, Mark’s a great guy, and we all were sad to see him go. We had a couple of pints and an meal at a little Indian restaurant in Hampstead. Sorry, but I can never recall the name, even though I’ve been there three times.

On Saturday, and thanks to Greg, we saw Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, with Kristin Scott Thomas. The play was excellent, but I don’t see why every character named Jerry in western literature is always either oblivious or an oaf. And sometimes both. Anyway, the performances were stellar and the play was thought-provoking and visceral. If you can do it, do it. Thanks, again, Greg, for scoring us great tickets.

Sunday was the program’s trip to Hampton Court. It was warm, but an otherwise beautiful outing. Here are a couple of snaps.

For a further sampling, see my other web site. I think Todd and Jennifer are going to be my main models this year. I hope they don’t mind.

After a very busy weekend with little time to prepare, I was a bit worried about teaching today, but I think things went well. It was hot and noisy, but the students seemed prepared and as enthusiastic as I would expect on the first day. Tomorrow is the first field trip to the National Gallery and Westminster. Even though the forecast predicts rain, it should still be a great time.

At least it will be cooler.

One of my colleagues teaching on the program also has a blog. Go visit Brian Ray and tell him I sent you. More later.

As I’ve already mentioned, this summer I’m teaching a hybrid cultural studies and photography course. In preparation, I’ve been reading the textbook I assigned: London and Stone’s A Short Course in Digital Photography. It’s been a great review for me, and it’s given me some vocabulary and ways of talking about photography that are helpful. The best chapters have been the ones that discuss the art of photography rather than technical aspects. Most of the chapters are about using the equipment, but chapter nine gets into portraits, landscapes, perspective, etc. — bringing into practice the technical know-how of the first part of the book. It also offers exercises that I’ll likely make use of during class time.

My students have also been getting ready. Their first assignment was due last night, and I was so enthusiastic to see what they came up with, I graded them all this morning. Essentially, it asked them to take three portraits and four landscapes (one at night). The idea was to get them to see the familiar in new ways and try to capture that with the camera. It also asked them to use the camera’s manual settings, just to begin getting a feel for how the camera works. Here are some of my favorites from their submissions.

This is just a sampling of their work. Check out LitMUSE to see all of their portfolios. They will be adding significantly more through the end of July, so I’d invite you to check back often. If I have the time, I will highlight more of their work here.

This week, I’ll be packing and deciding on my final travel kit. I got a new shoulder bag from Think Tank, the Retrospective 30. The idea was to get a big enough bag to carry an assortment of lenses, my strobes, and other necessary equipment without being too big and bulky. I’ve very pleased with the bag so far: it’s rugged, compact, and fits all of my necessary equipment: the 5D, the 16-35mm, the 24-70mm, the 70-200mm, the Speedlite 580 EX, the Speedlite 430 EX II, batteries, lens clothes, and a few more pieces of stuff. With all that, the bag is heavy, but manageable. I’m considering taking the battery grip off the camera and ditching the 24-70mm lens (heavy glass). Instead, I’m considering the 50mm f/1.4; that small lens on the gripless 5D makes a compact but powerful combination. I might just end up doing that. I’ve even toyed with the idea of just trying to leave the 50mm on all the time. It would be a challenge, but it could be cool. It would definitely be lighter to carry around. Any thoughts on this from my photog friends? (As if anyone reads what I post here.)

Just a couple more days. Exciting. My next post will likely be from London.

Two weeks ago was the student orientation for the study abroad program. This year, the students going to London were so many, we had our own separate meeting place at GCSU. We had our usual morning orientation with Mark and Dan, then after a lunch with the rest of the faculty, I met my classes for the first time. As I mentioned in my last entry, not only is study abroad dominated by women, I have not a single male student.

During both sessions (one for my AM class and one for the PM), we ended up talking about equipment most of the time. I think I convinced them that a DSLR will be the best choice for our class, so I think that most — if not all — will have a DSLR. I introduced them briefly to the camera and explained why manual settings are important, emphasizing ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. I plan to go into these topics in more depth when we get to London. Schedules, field trips, and assignments are done; now I just have to prepare class sessions and lectures.

In fact, the photography professor teaching in Ireland, Emily Gomez, brought me copies of her introductory lectures! That was unexpected and very welcome. Talk about saving me some time. Thanks, again, Emily.

After the orientation, the real work began. Todd and I went to the Brick for a couple of beers and to discuss our post-program travels. We decided to go to Greece weeks before that day, but that’s about all we’d done until then. We finally narrowed down our plans and some of the logistics.

He and Jennifer will be going down before Autumn and I. They will get a car and travel outside of Athens for a couple of days. They will pick us up at the airport and we’ll spend two days in Delphi. I’ve been meaning to consult the oracle for some time. At least it will be great for some photography, if not prognostication. We’ll then travel back to Athens for a few days. Autumn found us a great apartment in the Plaka. Athens should rock. I’m trying to read up on it now, since my knowledge of the city is limited to the Parthenon. After Athens, it will be on to Santorini for a couple of days. Again, Autumn found us a great apartment in Oia, on the north-west tip of the island. Talk about beautiful. I’ll definitely have the camera, and I plan on bringing home some great shots. I’m psyched.

Todd, Jennifer, and I plan to do some traveling during the program, too. We’ll be taking a group of students to Cambridge on the second weekend and driving up to Edinburgh the weekend after. While I visited the latter nearly twenty years ago, I’ve never been to Cambridge, so I’m looking forward to both trips. We had considered going to Amsterdam for a weekend, but it looks like it would be just too expensive. Next time, and with Autumn.

What do I still have to do? A bit of course prep. I have to finish the article I’m writing for the next edition of The Mailer Review. I have some photography equipment to purchase, including batteries and a travel bag. I have to see the accountant about my side business. I have some advising to do, and fall prep. Yes, I have to get that done now, since there will be little time to get ready for the fall semester upon my return. I need to see Dad in Tennessee; we were supposed to do that last week, but we had to delay it because Autumn hurt her ankle. Hopefully we’ll be able to go next week.

What else? I need to try to find a bit of time to clear my mind. It’s going to be a great summer, but one with little down time. I’m not complaining, just sayin’.

Three-and-a-half weeks to go. Exciting.

Last Saturday, May 14, was the student orientation in Milledgeville. We have nearly 90 students going with us, so the theatre was packed with wide-eyed and slightly overwhelmed people: students, of course, and many of them with their friends and parents. I’m not sure what it is about study abroad, but it attracts more women than men. In fact, I do not have a single male student in either of my classes. I wonder why that is? This study suggests that men are more likely influenced by their social experiences and the comfort of their local environment, while women actually listen to parents’ and professors’ encouragement to expand their horizons by leaving their familiar surroundings. This Chronicle article agrees, adding their major might also contribute to it: women are more likely to study the liberal arts, while men concentrate on more technical fields. The former seems to be more conducive to travel. Type of college also seems to factor: those at community colleges are less likely to study abroad. The latter is definitely a challenge in recruiting for me at MSC.

I was able to get ten students to actually sign up this year — much better than I did in 2009. However, only three will be going to London. Several dropped out, and several are going elsewhere. Still, three is pretty good. Next time, I plan to double that, at least.

This year’s program marks another first for me: I’m teaching photography. OK, I’m not really qualified to teach a straight-up photography course, so I constructed a hybrid: I call it “Photo London,” and it’s a cultural studies course with a photography element. We’ll be interested in capturing narratives of London in our photography. In my introductory remarks on Saturday, I used composition as an analogy. Photographs are compositions much in the same way that essays are, or poems. There is the subject, supporting details, thematic elements, motifs — all within the frame, or scope, of the composition. While I do not enjoy teaching writing, this type of visual composition seems applicable to my professional qualifications and my current artistic endeavors.

So, I have about a month left before take-off. My classes are prepped, and all I have left to do is figure out what I want to do on my free time in the UK. My friend Todd is teaching on the program again, but his wife is traveling with him this year. I assume I’ll hang with them a bit, but it won’t be boys’ time like it was in 2009. I think I’ll try to get out of London more, maybe finally get to Stonehenge, Dover, Cambridge. Giles is still trying to get over for a few days, and he and I might check out Amsterdam, though that might be a bit too expensive this year for me.

I hope to take some photos, too. I think I’ve improved as a photographer since my last trip, and I aim to prove that. Here are some of my better shots from 2009.

You can see more photos from Europe and the UK in their galleries, if you haven’t already.

Perhaps the highlight of this summer’s trip will come at its end. Autumn arrives on July 30, and she and I will meet Todd and Jennifer in Athens (yes, Greece!) for our second European vacation. Autumn was able to come over in 2009, too, but we stayed in England. This year, we’re getting on a plane and heading to the Mediterranean for almost two weeks. Now, this will be an adventure. So far, we have Delphi, Athens, and Santorini on the agenda.

I can’t wait. Only about a month to go.

I celebrated my anniversary this month with my lovely wife. It’s been four years. We rented a condo on St. Armand’s Key in Sarasota; we ate, drank, lounged, and exercised. What a great time. Happy anniversary again, A.

I have been using my iPad. It goes with me everywhere except to run and to shower. I’m even reluctant to put it down when I sleep. My favorite applications are the reading ones: iBooks, Wired, GoodReader, and NewsRack. In fact, I think the iPad will mark a return to true reading, especially for me.

Nicholas Carr argues that the Internet is rewiring our brains and making us all multitaskers. This means that we lose concentration and focus more easily, that our attention is more fragmented, and that we exchange depth for breadth. We are, in many respects, teaching our brains to think less deeply and pay more attention to crap. Bruce Sterling made a similar case in his futurist study Tomorrow Now. He argues that our activities on the Internet accumulate fragments of information in blogs, tweets, and social networks, but there’s not real learning going on. Carr suggests that these new skills are not necessarily all bad, and Sterling emphasizes a return to canon building as a way to focus these disperate voices. I think the iPad can help.

Like I wrote above: my favorite apps are the reading apps. IBooks is Apple’s free book reader, and it is slick. Not only can change the fonts and their sizes, but I can double-tap on a word, and click “Dictionary” to look up its meaning. So simple, and so useful. I can insert bookmarks, but I wish I could annotate those. (Are you listening, Apple?) I have purchased a few books, namely Dan Simmons’ Ilium and Octavia Butler’s Kindred, and I have also downloaded many freebies. I’m also excited about making my own. Can you say “self-publishing”?

The coolest app I’ve purchased (so far) is Wired (pictured above right). Man, is this slick; it’s what a magazine on the iPad should be. The pages are gorgeous and the navigation is intuitive and spot-on. When they discuss music, there are samples to be played. When a movie makes sense, one’s provided. They even have a slick, three-page ad for HBO’s True Blood and other animated and interactive goodies. Now the app is $5, and it’s worth every penny. However, I think this will eventually go down. I’d gladly pay $30 a year for this awesome periodical. The rest of you magazine publishers out there should take note: you want to save your industry? Look to Wired‘s example. I could see The New Yorker, Asimov’s, National Geographic, etc. all on my iPad.

GoodReader is another great app. Essentially, it allows me to load up my PDFs and read them on the iPad’s gorgeous screen. I have many PDFs, and this is very slick. They look great, and the program is pretty responsive. But that’s not even the coolest part: it’s all the options I have for getting PDFs onto the iPad. GoodReader links to Box.net and my Dropbox. I can browse the contents of both, and then download whatever I need. Very nice. I’m loading up all my lecture notes; I plan to use the iPad in the classroom. Oh, the educational possibilities are so tantalizing, but I’ll save that for another entry.

NewsRack is my RSS reader. I like that it syncs my Google Reader account. It also looks good and functions well. ‘Nuff said.

Not only have I been spending time with my iPad, but I’ve been wasting time on the computer. Most of that is the fault of Tumblr. Well, tomorrow, my time on Tumblr is going to be limited by necessity.

I’m teaching two class this summer: a first-session World Literature 1, and a full-session World Literature 2, online. I like this schedule for summer, as it will give me some flexibility in July. Several of my friends and colleagues aren’t teaching this summer. I wish that was an option for me, but I need a paycheck. Maybe some day.

That’s really about it. May’s been great. It might be my favorite month of the year.

The wedding was great. I was the official photog, but I was also a guest. Autumn and I had a fabulous time in Vegas. I took over 1500 photographs, including our visit to Hoover Dam and plenty on the Vegas Strip, not to mention the hundreds of the wedding and events surrounding it. Thanks, again, to Heather and Chris for letting be a part of their nuptials.

The Norman Mailer Society Conference was held in D.C. this year, the first time (for me) our of Provincetown. While it was a good conference, attendance was down, and Mike Lennon stepped down as president in order to focus on his biography of Mailer. While I think our new prez, Mark Olshaker, will do a good job, I get the feeling the Society will change. I think we’re back in P-town next year. I’ll be publishing my paper here soon. It’s really just a thought piece, as my original idea for a part two to last year’s film was not possible. Still, I like the connections I make in the essay. Stay tuned for that.

Here is a slideshow of my photos from the conference and from around the capitol.

On a similar note: we published our third volume of The Mailer Review. While I’m listed still as the Deputy Editor, I really didn’t do much. All the work should be credited to Phil Sipiora and his awesome team of graduate students, including the indefatigable Constance Holmes. The issue is gorgeous and chock full of Mailer goodness. Get your copy today.

So, now I’m getting caught up. This includes grading. Lots of grading. Hopefully the semester will begin to quiet down in November.