@arielviera: One thing I’ve learned while traveling is that we often overlook the beauty of many places. We think that beauty is elsewhere. In some distant land in which you save up money for months in order to pay it a visit. Beauty is a flight and a hotel booking away. Beauty is in the Instagram posts of travel influencers, in the high-budget movies filmed with expensive cameras, or the heavily edited TV shows. But we often miss the beauty that we have at our home. We get so used to living in a specific place that we become blind to its wonders. Now, these photos are indeed in the Greek Peloponense and I’m indeed far away from home. But I’m in the small city of Kiparissia, which isn’t frequented heavily by tourists and the sunsets blew me away. However as the beams of golden light shined across the cobblestone streets and glistened along the sea, I cannot help but think of my two homes: New York City (where I live) and Puerto Rico (where my family is from). I had a realization at how spectacular the sunset are there too. Yes, they are different due to the difference in atmospheric conditions, but they are in their own right magical. And as I snapped these photos, I realized that beauty isn’t solely in landscape, but it’s in HOW you see the landscape. That’s the power of any visual art, thorough a variety of methods and tools I can convey the feeling of beauty I’ve felt in that moment. I came to Greece taking a risk, leaving behind a cushy work opportunity that came up in June, in order to make a documentary and series of vlogs about this country. I have a limited budget, little to no plans, and no idea whether anyone will watch. But what I do know is that I have two excellent collaborators on my side with @mariakeridu and @g.gatto__, friends like @explorabilia, and a culture that I deeply resonated with last time I visited in 2021. Most importantly, I know that I have heart, that I’m driven to show you the beauty that may not be immediately apparent. I’ve done it at my two homes, and by the will of the Gods, I will do it here too.

Ariel Viera

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Region: GR

Thursday 03 August 2023 11:24:34 GMT