WOw the beauty there is spectacular as are your shots of it, and thanks for so much information this was such a great read
I used to work those long hours and more for 20 odd years 12 to 16 hours a day 6 or 7 days a week was the norm for me in the field, I dont know how I managed ot do it for so long, eespecially now as I approach retirement and have slowed down to regular working hours, the thought of those long hours gives me the shivers i must admit. so it is great you can do it for a couple of month periods at a time
Thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you enjoyed the read and pictures!
Sounds like you may have been a tradesmen at one point, what field were you in? Yes it is long hours but I don't work year round and don't mind so much since a lot of the pay is overtime, it makes up for the troubles but it is a full commitment to giving up on a life for a while, it does get hard on the brain and body towards the end. Sometimes I end up working 24 days strait before a day off but I only do this for maybe half the year at best. Gives me plenty of time to work on my art (photography) and visit great places and still have a sustainable income cause my art don't pay!!! lol. I suppose that's the balance I like, I can't picture myself being locked to a 9-5 job for eternity.
I'm still secretly hoping to one day replace the hard trade work ( I started young almost 13 years in the trades now)for a more quiet photography/writing type gig...I guess steemit is like working towards my retirement goal.
I started if as a telecommunications technician many years well decades ago and migrated into IT area as well over the years, I say in the field forgetting most who I interact don’t know what I mean by that I worked in peacekeeping missions for many years and that’s what I am thinking of when I say in the field or on mission but I really should be more clear
Or maybe it’s subconsciously intentionally since people often have a wide range of opinions of the UN and peacekeeping
I to hoped that one day photography would become more than the hobby it is for me and would have allowed for early retirement but fir me that’s just nit going to be
But that said I hope it can be fir you 😎👍😎
We certainly have a different definition of "Field work". You have an interesting background ,I'm glad I asked. That must have been a series of unique experiences and seen places few of us get to see. I have a wide range of opinions about the UN in general...lol but I think the peace keeping missions are important. Great work!
It is what It is, I always have high expectations but flexible on the outcome....photography is like plan C. It may not have worked out for the way you intended but I'm sure you still enjoy every minute and got you exploring so in a sense it did work out.
I must admit I do not often say where I work because I know a lot of people may see it differently than I do, and I may have reservations about some of the decisions made at the higher levels and the Member States, but I have also seen what we do in the field and lost colleagues and friends working in the field over the years, I myself have had the misfortune of having some health issue directly related to working in missions, but in all honesty I would do it all over again. Working in Peacekeeping missions is hard, I know from experience, and many of us working in the technical side have worked long hours and at risk to try and do our little bit to help those struggling after war genocide etc
Thanks for your positive feedback on Peacekeeping and sorry if I went on a little tear in my reply
as for photography I think if I really think about it I am glad it has stayed mostly as a hobby for me, if I was relying on it for income, I think the joy I get out of photowalks and photography would diminish and photography is for me my way of relaxing and unwinding, I had not thought of it this way but when talking to someone about meditation and saying i am too hyper to meditate, they said when you do you photowalks that is you way of meditating and I now think that is so true
My late Grand-Father was a ww2 vet and I'm pretty sure he stayed behind to help the concentration camp surviving victims and clean up the not so fortunate one, I may not agree with war in general but it's real civilian lives taken and sometimes something has to be done to protect lives, either way it's a great sacrifice for your country.They still need help, I can certainly appreciate your efforts especially dealing with the aftermath. People judge things they don't understand or don't bother to learn about, I think that's just the reality we live in now, ppl fail to see the big picture. I'm honored you feel comfortable enough to speak from the heart on my blog. 💟💟
You are right about the walking meditation,that's the best part about photography and it's your story or whatever catches your eye in images. I'm the same I can't shut my mind being quiet and still but in nature with my camera, I forget everything on my mind.
Firstly your last sentence says so well how photography is for me as well, MY father was also a WW2 vet and was part of J Force and saw things he would never talk about, but I know it was in his mind at times, and now after some of my experiences, I can understand why he choose not to talk about it with family, some things you can only really discuss with people who have had similar experiences
I think these days even more than ever before your statement
My grampa either never wanted to talk about it, it really affected him especially seeing the camps, he was young too. He talked about it a little bit during a school assignment I had but I'm sure he kept the worst for himself. I don't blame them, you can't really un-know this stuff and it's hard for any human being to handle. Now that I have seen pictures, it must have been overwhelming.