May 12th through 14th, 2012

Lounging and books and delicious food and good company and great weather. Just what I needed in my lame post-surgery stir-crazy state.

March 16th through April 6th, 2012
Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Salta, Chicoana, Cafayate, Mendoza, Santiago, Mendoza again, Buenos Aires again, Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento, and Buenos Aires yet again. You can find part 1 right here and part 2 right here.

Sunset over the Rio de la Plata in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay. Of all the cities I visited, Colonia has stuck with me the most and Uruguay remains at the top of my list of places I’d like to see again (second only to San Miguel de Allende).

Natalie looking for Evita’s tomb in the Recoleta Cemetery (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Tack at the Sayta Estancia in Chicoana, Argentina. I cannot stress just how wonderful this place was. If ever you’re in Argentina, get yourself there. It’s ohsoveryworth it.

A few of the beautiful horses at Sayta.

Enrique, the owner of the Estancia, and Natalie share yet another laugh. That guy was what they call a “character”, and I mean that in the best way possible. He’s also very generous with his wine.

They call this rock outcropping “Titanic”. Quebrada de las Conchas.

Some little cactus guys in the Quebrada

A brand new vineyard in the Quebrada

Art in the cellars at the Norton Winery. This heart, if I’m remembering correctly, was donated by local hospital in recognition of Norton’s help in purchasing heart surgery equipment.

The vibrant youngest son of our wonderful hosts in Santiago. I could go on and on about how fantastic that family is. We were so lucky to be able to spend time with them.

Another charmingly named structure in the Quebrada.

March 16th through April 6th, 2012
Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Salta, Chicoana, Cafayate, Mendoza, Santiago, Mendoza again, Buenos Aires again, Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento, and Buenos Aires yet again. You can find part 1 right here.

Sunrise over the Tigre Delta. What a gorgeous introduction to Argentina, eh?

I wish every meal could be as perfect as this one was. Meats and cheeses and veggies and all sorts of pickled items and olives and peppers and I don’t even remember what else. This was the platter for two. Which is insane because it, plus a bottle of wine (or three), could have fed at least 4. Yum! (at Territorio in San Telmo, Buenos Aires)

Taken from the teleférico in Salta. That rainy, chilly, fogginess was the perfect environment to be in after loud, hot, sweltering Buenos Aires.

These trees were everywhere. I love them and their dark, twisted limbs for the same reason that I love Oak trees. (Um, because of their dark, twisted limbs.)

The Quebrada de las Conchas, once home to the Quilmes and Inca tribes, runs along the Calchaquí River for miles and miles and, according to Wikipedia, it “is best known for its contrast of colours and its unique geography that ranges from the mountain desert to the subtropical forest.”

La Garganta del Diablo (the Devil’s Throat), Quebrada de las Conchas

La Garganta del Diablo (the Devil’s Throat), Quebrada de las Conchas

That’s a llama. And also a few more llamas.

Wine from an oak cask. This wine, however, had not yet been aged. It was interesting to get to try different wines that were in the middle of different stages. Norton Winery, Mendoza, Argentina.

An olive tree on the Bonfanti vineyard. Theirs is a small family-owned winery and my favorite of the three I visited.

And wine from the Bonfanti winery. Yum! Their chardonnay was delicious (and I usually haaate chardonnay.)

March 16th through April 6th, 2012
Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Salta, Chicoana, Cafayate, Mendoza, Santiago, Mendoza again, Buenos Aires again, Montevideo, Colonia del Sacramento, and Buenos Aires yet again. Lots of bus rides. Lots of hostel stays. Lots and lots and lots of eye-opening and awe-inducing sights and experiences. I posted a more in-depth write-up of my trip right here.

Complimentary sparkling wine at the Norton winery in Mendoza, Argentina. This fella was from Austria and gave us an incredibly informative (and wine-filled!) tour.

This lovely woman made earrings to Natalie’s exact specifications at the Feria de San Telmo in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I love the way she adorned herself.

Art on the walls of La Perla, a cafe notable in La Boca, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires. You can read more about Bares and Cafés Notables here.

La Poesia, a cafe notable in the neighborhood of San Telmo (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Tack on the walls of the Sayta Estancia in Chicoana, just outside of Salta, Argentina. One of my favorite parts of the trip was the day I spent here.

My travel companion for the first half of the trip, Natalie, deep in conversation with one of Sayta’s gauchos. Lovely fellas.

A building in La Boca (Buenos Aires, Argentina). I loved learning about the history of this neighborhood.

The meal that Enrique, the owner of the Sayta Estancia, fed to us. Delicious and never ending. Unforgettable.

A path along the Quebrada de las Conchas, which lies between Salta and Cafayate in Argentina. Our hilarious guide for the day, Esteban, took this photo.

Goats in the Quebrada

A dog guards his territory in the Quebrada de las Conchas

Guys! I helped out with this post over on Yes and Yes! Check it out!

Being in that lovely space was super inspirational and getting to shoot it was so much fun!

If you’re coming here from Sarah’s blog, HI! I’m in the middle of rearranging things around here so pardon my mess. I’m also in the middle of a few projects: my 30×30 list and my #yearoftrips pledge.

Check those out, feel free to peruse the concert shots (have I shot any of your favorite bands?), and, most of all, welcome!

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And look! Here’s a photo I snapped from the plane on the first day of my recent 3 week trip to South America. More coming soon!

Isn’t the Argentine Delta GORGEOUS? That sunrise! That fog! Those rivers! Manohman!

I posted this on my tumblr earlier today and I figured I’d post it over here, too.

I’m guessing that at least 5 of my first 10 items (and a few more, too!) will be completed in the next 2 months. Cool!

1. Race in the Head of the Charles

2. Take an archery class

3. Take a fencing class

4. Paddle board

5. Learn to play an instrument moderately well

-taiko drums, guitar, etc-

6. Learn how to drive stick

7. Read 50 new (to me) books

-average of one per month-

8. Go skeet shooting

9. Hike part of the Appalachian Trail

10. Photograph a beekeeper at work

11. Compost

12. Go fly fishing

13. Skydive

14. Volunteer on a regular basis

15. Go on a road trip

-Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Wine Country, etc.-

16. Do More Photo Stuff

-tour with a band as a nanny or photographer or…?, second shoot regularly, etc-

17. Swim with wild animals

-the pigs at Exuma Cay in the Bahamas, sea lions in Galapagos-

18. Exercise regularly and frequently

-biking, running, rowing, boxing, climbing, etc-

19. Take a salsa or tango or ballroom dance class

20. Sunbathe at a nude beach

21. Learn how to surf

22. Become proficient in conversational Spanish

23. Go camping

-Boundary Waters, Appalachian Trail?-

24. Run a 5K

25. Get ordained

-and maybe officiate a ceremony-

27. Go on a ridiculous cycling adventure

-Bike from Canada to Mexico along the west coast?-

27. (Re-)Learn at least ten constellations

28. (Re-)Learn all 50 states and their capitals + rivers and other significant geographic features of the United States

29. See 10 new states/US cities (Portland, Maine. Athens and Savannah, Georgia. New Orleans, Louisiana. Austin, Texas. Kenai Peninsula, Alaska….)

30. See 10 new countries/foreign cities (Cuba, Dubrovnik, Morocco, Amsterdam, Kuala Lumpur, Argentina, Uruguay, the Monarch nesting place in Mexico…)

Numbers 28, 27, 22, 18, 16, 14, 7, and 5 can’t possibly be crossed off until April 4th, 2016. I like that.

Shot for the Twin Cities Daily Planet. Review here.

The Japhies:

Fort Wilson Riot:

Pink Mink:

Xavier Marquis:

The Blind Shake:

Prissy Clerks:

Peter Wolf Crier:

Astronautalis:

February 25th and 26th, 2012
On Saturday morning, Leslie and Zoe and Ryan and I all piled into Leslie’s truck and headed to Milwaukee. Why did we schlep ourselves (and our cameras) 6 hours there and 6 hours back to spend only 15 hours actually in Milwaukee? To see those Doomtree kids perform the last show of the first leg of their tour, of course! I gotta say that I had just as much fun wandering the city looking at all the fantastic buildings, trying new drinks (Powers + amaretto + bitters + sour = amazing yumness), eating an incredible dinner at Honey Pie, and seeing the lake for the first time as an adult. Milwaukee, I’ll be back!

February 14th through February 20th, 2012
I flew from Minneapolis to Detroit to Mexico City. Then I bussed to Queretaro and again to San Miguel. Then 5 days of bliss. Then back again! Part 2 is here.

February 14th through February 20th, 2012
I flew from Minneapolis to Detroit to Mexico City. Then I bussed to Queretaro and again to San Miguel. Then 5 days of bliss. Then back again! Part 1 is here.

January 13th through January 16th, 2012
Skiing and cooking and singing and swimming and cuddling and driving and more!

January 4th through January 8th, 2012
Ft. Lauderdale, Boca Raton, the Everglades, Key Largo

Hey y’all,

I’m in the process of a little something I’m calling #yearoftrips (alternate title: #seetheworldbeforetheworldends). I’m posting from Florida, which is the location of the first of at least 12 trips I hope to take in 2012. What else is on the agenda, you ask? This:

• A weekend on the North Shore with a bunch of friends.
• A week in San Miguel de Allende.
• A weekend in Milwaukee.
• At least 10 days in Buenos Aires, Santiago, somewhere in between the two, or a combination of all of those places.
• A week in New Orleans.

And that’s only through April! I’d also like to visit Seattle, Vancouver, Portland Oregon, Portland Maine, Athens and Savannah Georgia, Cuba, Austin Texas, and Los Angeles. There are also a few places that are a bit farther away which would be less feasible (read: more expensive) to get to but incredibly exciting to see: Rome, London, Paris, Dubrovnik, Morocco, and Amsterdam. Oh! And Vienna, Berlin, Glasgow, Dublin, Brussels, and Zurich. And so many more places! Damn, Europe is enticing.

So, that’s the plan! Or at least the start of a plan. There’s been some exciting stuff going on in my personal life which makes all of this all the more possible. Long story short: both my roommates will be pursuing awesome out of state opportunities at the end of the month. Since my lease is up in April, finding a temporary roommate seems less-than-likely so I’ve instead decided to look for someone to take over my lease. If that happens, I’ll be putting all my stuff in storage and couch surfing/staying at my folks’/seeing more of the world. Fun!