Ventura, California was the place where I first stayed after spending close to four consecutive years living in Thailand. I travelled from Bangkok to LA, then to the comfort of my brother’s home (my brother may be found in the last photo of this series). Ventura was a weird place for me during this visit. I was experiencing an almost debilitating level of culture shock that I wasn’t expecting. I spent much of my time in Ventura watching Western television, bundled in blankets and wearing sunglasses indoors; the bright light and glare I found in Ventura was close to being unbearable. Perhaps I wasn’t used to being around that much glass and/or shiny objects. I have no idea.
Despite feeling and acting like a complete weirdo, I did manage to investigate the city with the help of my brother and his girlfriend (thank-you). On one of our day trips, we biked along the coastline. The majority of the photos in this series was taken on that day. Like other photos taken during my time in southern California, they reflect a lot of what was going on in my head – they’re hazy and focus on balance.
I didn’t write a lot during my stay in Ventura; it was incredibly difficult to do so. Rather, I shot a lot of photos and hoped they expressed visually what I couldn’t relay verbally.
Other posts in this series include: The Beaches of Santa Barbara, California, USA; Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, California, USA; Panoramic Ventura; and Ventura, California, USA.
Leave a Reply