I'm starting the next phase of the World Tour in
Venice, Louisiana. I've taken a few
Venetian trips - the first was a couple of months ago when I did some 'test runs' in
Venice and
Algiers. I drove down back when I was in the
what camera?? what film?? phase. I enjoyed the sights, got much inspiration, but I didn't like my photos. I resolved to come back and shoot again. This works out well, as I am in awe of the Road to End of The World, often stopping to photograph and take in the view.
It's a quirky little drive, which is another reason why I keep going back. I like the vastness of small towns, but going down to
Venice, the vastness isn't land, it's water, and its presence always felt. I'm always grateful to be on the little patch of land that holds the highway.
Naturally, this is the Nattie Concepts World Tour, so there
must be some life lesson or spiritual epiphany I unknowingly encounter. Well, I did have some sort of epiphany. And that is - I lie. A lot. hahaha. For all of my talk of carefree travels with no preconceptions, you would think that it was true - ha! - But its not. What was so 'wrong' about my first photos that I felt I had to keep returning to get it 'right'? I can only conclude that I must have been secretly hoping that I'd stumble across a pair of gondolas on the Mighty Mississippi or something....
When I went back for my second trip, I drove to the end of the highway.
I had the option of turning right or left, but the street was flooded due to recent heavy rains. My poor little car gets flooded enough on my block and I just wasn't feeling up to chancing it. So I concentrated on the highway, which is all I had ever known of
Venice.
But the third time, the street was dry. I turned right and this is what I saw: (insert dramatic ending here)
I didn't need the gondola after all.
Venice, Louisiana can hold its own. It's absolutely gorgeous. My first thought, though, was that I should, once again, go back. Thanks to all my lollygagging on the highway, I reached the End of the World in midday light, I can only imagine how beautiful it must look at sunset.
So it turns out, to get what I truly wanted, all I had to do was drive a little further down the road. As I left this little swampy marshy haven,
Venice offered some words of wisdom and caution for my new found
must-stop-lying-to-self truth:
Ah, the true and honest life, thankfully there are pretty sights along the way...
NEXT UP:
Cuba, maybe?
dunno, havent decided, been lollygaggin' in Venice too long...
All content (c) Natasha Sanchez
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