I’ve ridden a bull Asian elephant bareback through the jungles of Thailand, waterskied on the Panama Canal, learned to surf on Maui’s coast, and witnessed the Kecak dance in Bali. Lest you think I’m some avid outdoor enthusiast, I’m really not. I just like to travel, and when I do, I want to live like a local. Or at least try my best.
As an Army brat, I started traveling when I was 6 months old, and I haven’t stopped since. Consequently, embracing other cultures has been a part of my world view for as long as I can remember. When living in Bangkok as a young child, pretend play involved dress-up as a Thai dancer, claiming the language as my own, and of course preferring mangoes and sticky rice over American fare.
Living like a local means finding those off-the-beaten-path gems, like Aunt Sandy’s banana bread on the road to Hana–served warm and perfectly sweet. Whenever I’m in a new destination, I always ask the locals where they eat, and of course, street food is a culinary staple. I want to be that goy, gringa or farang who knows she is out of place but very happy to be there nonetheless.
If I ever win the lottery–which I won’t because you gotta play to win–I will travel the four corners soaking up as much as I can of this amazing world. In the meantime, it’s time to plan my next trip.
From teaching English to real estate staging, I’ve always played with design. So the process of becoming a graphic designer seems a natural step. Instead of arranging home furnishings or writing words on a page, I now use design principles to communicate through images. Just as each word in a poem matters significantly and is chosen specifically, the same is true when crafting any graphic design.
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Leonardo da Vinci
I gravitate to clean, simple design. The kind where the least unencumbered image speaks the loudest and has the most to say. My mantra throughout the design process embraces less is more. Therefore, I treat my designs like I would copy: omit the unnecessary and stick to the main idea.
After all, good design should speak for itself.