[23] roads

Maasai Men, Longido, Tanzania (2005)

I went for a walk on Friday down along the river. At one point, the sidewalk makes a long swoop out away from the water, and the path along the water is an ancient almost-brick, with bumps and gaps all over. It's hard to walk on, even in good shoes (which I was not wearing). At the beginning of the path, there was a pine tree losing needles all over the path, and the pine smell was just exactly like the spot, high up in the mountains, where we kept the big, imported goats that my organization brought to Rwanda.

Near Otis Spot, Buchanan, Liberia (2006) 

I thought about a picture I have of the road to that spot, of the way the light shone through the pine trees and the eucalyptus, and of the rich smell of the needles and leaves when the sun warms them.

The Road to the Goats, Itabire, Rwanda (2003)

I take pictures of roads and paths. I love the idea of remembering how I got somewhere, not just what I found at the end. Back when we spent hours in bookstores "studying" in college, T. and I discovered a book called The Journey is the Destination, by Dan Eldon, who grew up in Kenya and died in Somalia. I've never owned it, but I know that she has, and that she ends up giving it away over and over. I love the photos and art, but I think the title is still my favorite part.

Tiny Little Town, Southern Sudan (2007)