Traveling for work and traveling for personal reasons were two very different experiences for me. Leading workshops is hard work, especially when you are working with teenagers who are also meeting each other for the first time in a foreign country. 2018 was the first year I started leading with Putney Student Travel and National Geographic High School Expeditions. Traveling to Japan alone only two years prior, I knew somewhat of the basics, but an entirely knew level of knowledge, wisdom and tenacity is required for teaching there. Before each expedition we spend time crafting the itinerary and weaving in our specific curriculum as well what we already knew of the place. Some of the expeditions require you to have previous experience with a location in order to be considered. This was one of them. My first year I was responsible for teaching a pre college program in photography and filmmaking. I had to teach the basics of each and also design a concept for a final project. The majority of my students were American from affluent backgrounds who attended private school and spent their summers in some type of youth program. They taught me a lot. During this time I was also conceptualizing I Belong Nowhere as I knew early on that I wanted to give back in the format of photo education, travel education and exploring environmental psychology. My first client was Las Fotos Project where I produced and hosted a workshop with them to Lake Isabella, CA. My time spent with Nato Geo in Japan gave me the wings and confidence I needed to support the construction of I Belong Nowhere. Not only is Japan one of my favorite places in the world, I also somewhat know it well, which I couldn’t have done without leading expeditions there.