New Tools, Old Questions, and an Idea That Wouldn’t Let Go
Good morning from Trento, Italy.
Today was the kind of day that starts with excitement and uncertainty in equal measure. My first rental car in Italy. A new piece of gear I didn’t fully understand yet. And a head full of ideas that hadn’t quite decided what they wanted to be.
What you’re about to read is less a travel story and more a day spent thinking out loud.
Learning a New Tool While Learning Something Else
I decided to vlog most of the day using a DJI Osmo Pocket. Small, discreet, and supposedly easy. In practice… not so much. Focus issues. Framing issues. Audio issues. And plenty of moments where I wasn’t even sure what the camera was pointed at.
But that struggle felt familiar.
Most of us don’t wait until we’re experts to start thinking differently. We learn while moving. While making mistakes. While trying to figure things out in real time.
And that’s exactly what this day became.
Why I Rented a Car
Trains are still my favorite way to travel. Always have been. But there are places — especially in northern Italy — that trains don’t quite reach. Small towns. Meadowed valleys. Mountain roads that don’t announce themselves.
So today was about switching modes. Leaving the city behind and heading toward the Dolomites… or at least the edge of them.
Before that, though, I wandered.
Up to the castle. Through alleyways. Past graffiti I hadn’t noticed until I watched the footage later. Through Trento at a pace slow enough to let ideas surface.
An Old Idea, Revisited
Somewhere between walking downhill and trying to figure out face tracking, an old idea resurfaced.
Years ago, I bought a domain called Photographer’s Notes. The idea came from frustration — arriving in a place with limited time and spending half of it just figuring out logistics. Where to stay. Where to eat. Where to be, and when.
I imagined simple guides. Not exhaustive. Not epic-location obsessed. Just thoughtful notes from someone who had already been there.
But I never followed through.
And now, years later, with overtourism becoming harder to ignore, that idea started to shift.
Beyond the Iconic Shot
We’ve all seen it.
The same lake. The same overlook. The same Instagram frame repeated endlessly. Places like Lake Louise or Moraine Lake are beautiful … but they’re also overwhelmed.
If creators keep pointing everyone to the same spot, we’re not helping. We’re amplifying the problem.
So what if the focus shifted?
- Acknowledize the iconic location… briefly
- Then guide people beyond it
- Highlight nearby, lesser-known places
- Offer context, not conquest
- Encourage experience over proof
Not as a viral strategy. As a responsibility.
A Direction, Not a Decision
I’m not sure what this idea becomes. A website. A PDF. A resource. Or maybe just a way of thinking that influences what I create next.
What I do know is this:
Being around other creators. Listening to conversations about responsible tourism. Allowing space for unfinished ideas… all of it pointed me toward something more intentional.
Not louder content.
Not faster growth.
But work that actually helps someone arrive better.
Wrapping This Part Up
I picked up my laundry.
Packed my bag.
Checked out of the hotel.
And pointed the car north.
This felt like a transition day — not just geographically, but mentally. The city giving way to smaller towns. Structure giving way to exploration. Questions replacing certainty.
I’m splitting this day into parts. What comes next includes mountains, light, and a completely different pace.
Consider this a pause… and a cliffhanger.
As always… more on all of this later.