I’ve finally made a decision.
Well, kind of…
Ever since my return from Mexico in July 2025, I’ve been wondering what my next destination and adventure would be.
Over the past 16 months, I’ve imagined myself in many different places and, honestly, it hasn’t been an easy decision. There are simply so many places I want to visit and experience.
One thing I knew for sure was that I wanted a complete change of scenery. Somewhere that would take me out of my comfort zone.
At first, I thought about going to a North African country. Morocco, Tunisia, or Egypt. The culture, the remnants of past civilizations, the pyramids, and especially the desert all felt very appealing to me. I believe the images I could create there would be amazing.
Then India crossed my mind. This country seems to have so much to offer! I pictured myself walking among the millions upon millions of people living there, visiting temples, cities, and natural reserves while experiencing their cultures, religions and beliefs, food, and music. India feels truly unique to me, and just thinking about it inspires me.
I also considered Southeast Asia, especially Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. When I was younger and working as a scuba diving instructor, I often thought about going there. I’ve heard that diving in these countries is incredible, offering some of the most beautiful underwater landscapes and marine life this world has to offer.
I know little about their cultures beyond the usual clichés and stories shared by people who have visited, but I’m intrigued. And from the many images I’ve seen of these places, everything looks amazing.
So many places… But I had to choose a destination!
I wasn’t in a rush to make a decision, but slowly, I was reaching a point where I needed to. And somehow, Life gave me the final push I needed.
I had set myself an imaginary deadline to finish my book, organize this website, and take care of everything that came with it. That deadline was November 2026, and my plan was to leave for my next adventure once everything was completed.
I knew that, without this self-imposed deadline, the project could have taken a long time to accomplish if I ever finished it at all. But slowly and surely, through hard work, time, and commitment, I was getting closer to the end of what I had set out to do.
Then, as fate would have it, I lost my job in mid-August.
At first, I was disappointed. Not because I loved what I was doing, but mostly because the job allowed me to save money for my next adventure while giving me plenty of free time to work on my book.
After a couple of days spent worrying about my situation, I decided to make the most of it and turn it into something positive.
I realized that if I limited my expenses and focused my time and energy on my Master Plan, I could accomplish both goals. I could finish my book and still have enough money to travel and work on Book 2 of Journey of a Wandering Photographer.
All of this before the end of October 2026.
So that’s what I did. Day after day, for the past two months, I poured my heart and soul into this project. Ultimately, I managed to finish everything before my deadline.
It might not be perfect, but I did the best I could with the knowledge and abilities I have.
With that done, I had to decide where to go next, and soon, before I went through all my savings.
After giving it some thought, I decided that Thailand would be my destination and the setting for my next book.
Ever since I first heard about this place, I’ve wanted to go there and see it for myself. After doing some research, I also realized that my money could go a long way there. That was good news, because I wanted to be away for at least six months.
And if I ever ran out of money, I could always work as a scuba-diving instructor, which was reassuring.
With that in mind, I started researching how to get there and how much the journey would cost.
While doing so, another synchronicity happened in my life.
Apparently, two years ago, after paying my debt to the CRA (the full story is in my book), I made a mistake on my tax return. As it turned out, they owed me money!
Surprisingly, the amount they owed me was almost double the budget I had set aside for this upcoming adventure.
Sometimes, Life can be funny that way!
Let me tell you, I wasn’t expecting that! I must say that I was, and still am, grateful for this unexpected turn of events. Once again, it felt as though Life was giving me a sign that I was heading in the right direction, and at just the right time.
This unexpected change means I can now leave for my next adventure without having to worry as much about my financial situation.
So, back to my next destination: Thailand.
It turns out that getting there from where I live is quite a journey. Around 50 hours of flying and airport transfers, and it’s quite expensive. So I started looking at alternatives.
I remembered someone once telling me that flying from Montreal to Japan wasn’t too expensive, and that from there, I could catch a direct flight to Bangkok at a reasonable price.
After looking into it, I discovered that it was true! Great news.
But then I realized something: I couldn’t go through Japan without visiting it.
I’ve always wanted to go there, but I had always considered it a place to visit later in life, when I had the budget for it, because I assumed it would be quite expensive.
Now, with this unexpected extra money, I think I can finally make it happen.
I’ve decided to invest this little extra in a short trip through Japan. I say “short,” but I’ve bought a one-way ticket to Tokyo and, honestly, I’ll wing-it from there.
I trust that I’ll be in the right place at the right time and that I can let my intuition guide me.
Let’s see where it takes me, and how long I’ll stay!
Upon arriving in Japan, I’ll be granted a stay of up to three months, and I plan to make the most of it. Once I reach the end of my permitted stay or the budget I’ve set for this part of my journey, I’ll simply move on to Thailand.
So here I am, just one week away from my flight to Tokyo, (I fly on October 20th) with a new adventure ahead of me, another book in the making, and a world of possibilities opening up before me.
“I can’t wait!”
That’s why I said at the beginning of this entry that I’ve kind of made a decision.
Japan was unexpected, but I can’t wait to see where it takes me. If I spend enough time there and gather enough images, Japan could even become its own book.
So I might have two more books on the way! Otherwise, Japan will simply become part of Book 2.
I’ll keep you posted on this upcoming adventure.
Until then, One love!
C. Swanson
The Wandering Photographer
My next article will be about my gear and what I’ll be bringing with me on this adventure!
Japanese Garden, Guadalajara, Jal. 03/25