Travel is often an experience of transformation, and becoming lost can be especially transformative. Director Guillermo Del Toro left his notebook behind in a London taxi and eventually used its contents as material for the movie Pan’s Labyrinth. This collection of stories explores how becoming lost can lead to finding yourself.
Getting Lost
Traveling can often leave us disoriented. Sleepiness on a train could mean missing several stops; your smartphone might die while searching for dinner; or, worse yet, there may be no cell signal whatsoever like in Venice or Southeast Asia – either way it can be disconcerting not knowing how to get back on the right path.
But getting lost needn’t be seen as something negative; rather, it is an opportunity to explore a city in a totally unique manner. Instead of blindly following in the footsteps of other tourists (stopping at landmarks, taking pictures at similar spots and eating at recommended restaurants) getting lost can allow us to discover it on our own terms and pace.
Deliberately getting lost can be one of the best ways to experience a new city, yet it’s essential that you remain safe when doing so. Bear in mind that not all cities were designed with navigation in mind – take along your phone with plenty of battery, consider carrying around a map, pen and paper or both with you, as well as try avoiding places which might be hazardous or remote if possible.
Getting Found
Joseph Smith chronicled a contemporary American subculture known as Travelers through striking black and white portraiture – young adults living off-grid for various reasons, such as wanderlust or escape from society. For some travelers, travel is about discovery – this can come about in various ways such as when an artist’s lost work reunites with its creator or when hitchhiking and freight train hopping young adults meet each other for whatever reasons. Joseph documented their culture through raw black-and-white portraiture that explored this realm – something Joseph documented himself when documenting their subculture through raw and striking black and white portraiture of Travelers that met up with each other en route from their destination for reasons including wanderlust and escapement from society for various reasons that may include curiosity or even just wanting escapism from society itself.
Guillermo del Toro left an elaborate notebook in the back of a London taxi that held four years worth of musings that later evolved into Pan’s Labyrinth.
Getting Through
Travel is often about finding strength from others; whether that means an old man pointing you towards some tasty street food or helping a fellow traveler up after falling, those small moments of connection, however fleeting, can be life-altering.
Dustin Joseph’s portraiture captures a subculture of young Travelers through raw, striking photography. Driven by wanderlust or searching for transient jobs, these Travelers navigate their way across America via hitchhiking or freight train hopping; their stories reveal both its joys and hardships of living on the road.
Guillermo Del Toro carried around a leather-bound notebook to record ideas for future films, and nearly lost it after exiting a taxi and the cabbie took possession of it.