Finding the Balance

Why does one travel?

To say I was at this monument, waterfall, building, temple? Or is it simply to sit and observe what is happening around you? Do you travel in the company of others or alone? It was the decision to go out and find something you’re not used to because the beauty of travel is getting out of routine and into the unknown. That’s why for many, to travel is finding the balance within.

Travel is constant consumption, spending on accommodation, food, and getting around. For many, you’re a crazy person who doesn’t think about the future, while for others, you’re the one who does everything right.

Everyone chooses their own journey

I am one of those who is constantly looking for stimulation, and most of it is visual. I get lost in maze-like streets and always walk in the opposite direction.

Trying to make eye contact is sometimes hard, but it’s the best performance I can think of when someone smiles back. The eyes say it all. Many can look into the eyes and smile shyly, and others can laugh out loud, look to the ground, or look to the side. But capturing that look in a photo is the gratifying part, at least for me.

It is the change from a city of bamboo houses with chickens and pigs playing in the jug to a metropolis surrounded by constant movement, sleeping in whatever is available at night, with the mystique of feeling adventurous and not knowing if you’ll wake up next to a frog, a lizard or being eaten by mosquitoes.

Appreciating a hot shower seems like a cheesy phrase, and in two months, no-one finds the panacea. You know that you are going to choose the hot shower, but even for a while, it makes you value something that seems basic in people’s lives.

How do you come back from a trip? This isn’t the first time that I decide to take a trip on my own to a new destination, but it is the first time that I don’t follow an itinerary.

Even though I still feel the tingle that makes me move every two to three days, exploring every corner and finding the best photo of the day is also exhausting, especially when you’re traveling with two backpacks that make up more than half your weight.

The Balance

Finding balance is, as in life, the most challenging part.

Traveling alone has this advantage: you can choose where you want to be, when you want to be, who you want to be, and how you want to be. The joy of being in your own world, where you can find the independence and happiness that no one can give you.

Listening to people’s stories and learning new things can be amazing, but do I have the patience to just listen when they’re talking and making noises when they’re eating? Or when they snore?

You share with these people for just a moment, and then everyone goes their own way.

And at the end of the day, life is like that; you share a moment. That one short or long moment, you share a lot, you share a little, you miss more, you miss less when they’re gone.

And I come back to the question, how do you return from a trip? Does one want to settle back into a place? Establish a routine? Surround yourself with the same people over and over? Or keep traveling to new places? Save up to start a new trip?

You don’t return from a trip. You choose where you return to.

When you return to your home, your family, your dog, your cat, and your routine, you stay with the nostalgia and joy that these photos gave you, only to look for a future destination.

If you decide to travel and stay somewhere else and to start over, you move on and look for new destinations. No one has the answer, and everyone chooses their own journey.

For me, traveling is an inner journey. I balance my life with photography, that’s what I do.

I go into the scene, no matter where it is. It is the contact with the people, their expressions, and their surrounding where I capture that unique magical moment.

It doesn’t matter if the light is perfect or if the person or the object is in an ideal position. If it’s the photo I want, that’s the photo that makes me happy.

What are your tips and tricks for taking pictures?

You don’t need the most expensive cameras and lenses to take good photos. Somebody wise once told me that when you get the picture you want, that’s the perfectly balanced photo.

The other important point is light. Without light, there is no photography.

And finally, practice. Start taking photos randomly, then focus more on what you like most and play. You never know what you are capable of until you start.

What are your future wishes?

Never stop being creative.

Have you ever been to Bali?

I was in Bali 12 years ago with my family for two weeks, and I always say when I have a one-way ticket to Southern Asia, Bali will be the place to explore.

Why did you come back to Bali?

I traveled around Southern Asia, and I wanted to spend my birthday in Bali. I spent two weeks, went to Europe, and came back because there is something about Bali that you cannot explain unless you give it a try.

What fascinates you in Bali?

Freedom & Balance. Bali is a place where many people come with the thought of a holiday, and it makes you stay. The quality of life, and I don’t mean living in a fancy villa with a beach view, but the simplicity of taking away most of your problems and going back to your roots.

Is Bali a dream destination?

You never get bored unless you want to get bored. Bali is huge with many places to visit, from beaches to waterfalls and volcanoes. But what I love most is the generosity and humble people who live on the island, giving a smile every day even though they are struggling—showing you what is essential in life without having expensive things.

Thank you, Josefina, for the interview.

Experience Josefina’s photography for yourself

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