A few months ago, while on one of my village walks with Byron, I found myself appreciating a mundane, but "very Czech", feature of the village; a thought that amused me and made me think about the way that familiarity affects comfort and peace in our lives. I've lived in a few places, and each had its unique things that made it stand out - things you notice that make you aware that you are there.

While I was thinking about this concept, I realized that I had always been quite affected by what I think of as "I'm really here" syndrome. My first year in Czech was filled with constant reminders, in the form of architecture, customs, even sounds and smells. I often found myself thinking "I'm really here".

So, I sat with this idea for a while, and then I thought I'd take some shots around my village to illustrate it. Maybe write a post about the feeling. But as I shot, I kept finding more meaning in the small details, and the idea developed into a short film, which I am now fleshing out. I've already done a fair amount of the core photography, and now I'm thinking about finding someone to discuss these ideas with.

As I see it, it would be great to talk to someone who has been in their home for a while and worked on it a fair bit, and to give a different viewpoint, someone who is living in a different way and is new at it - ideally someone just starting out on their van-life journey. I foresee a very beautiful contrast and I intend to work closely with my collaborators, using a sensitive and honest film-making style, to create something we will all be proud of and happy to share with others.

Be A Part Of It