This is possible because of them.

In 1958, Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter, both from the same town in Virginia, went to Washington, D.C. to get married as it was illegal for them to do so in their home state, thanks to miscegenation laws. Virginia authorities weren’t about to let the Lovings get away with tying the knot elsewhere but living as a married couple in their state; one night, acting on an anonymous tip, police dragged the couple out of their bed and charged the Lovings with threatening the Commonwealth’s “peace and dignity” with their mixed-race relationship.

Thus began a chain of legal events that would eventually culminate in the Supreme Court case, Loving v. Virginia (which you can read about in the excellent book, May It Please the Court). The justices ruled unanimously in favor of the Lovings, overturning all previous decisions made in Virginia circuit courts.

“The Loving Story,” an exhibit currently on display at the International Center of Photography in New York, presents the work of Grey Villet, a LIFE photographer who was covering the Lovings on a two week long assignment that resulted in a short photo essay in the magazine. There’s a lovely narrative of the backstory of that assignment, written by Villet’s wife, that was published by the New York Times’ Lens blog on January 18; that narrative is accompanied by many of the photos in the ICP exhibit.

What Barbara Villet writes, and what is evident to the point of being achingly palpable in the photos, is that the Lovings were deeply in love with one another and with their three children. There are stories in the photos that are suggested but not fully spoken and never will be (despite, I suspect, a forthcoming documentary), as both Richard and Mildred are now dead.* Knowing that those stories were trapped there forever broke the part of me that wants to preserve everything that feels important. I wanted to crawl into the photos and move the camera away, as if their lives could just keep going on.

The exhibit, comprised of such a small number of photos, left me wanting more, much more. I wanted to take in every image that existed of them, of their children, of their families (and what about their families, who seem, in the photos, to approve of and support their marriage?). I wanted to know more of their story before and after the landmark Supreme Court decision. I wanted to know about Grey Villet, too. How had the LIFE assignment that resulted in this collection of photos impacted him, maybe even changed him? This wanting, however, shouldn’t be read as a criticism. It did what the best exhibits do: compelled me to think and sent me back out into the world to learn more.

*Richard died in the 1970s when a drunk driver crashed into the car he and Mildred were traveling in. Mildred survived, though she lost an eye in the accident. She died in 2008.

**
Exhibit Information
Venue: International Center of Photography, 1133 Sixth Avenue (at 43rd St.), New York, New York
Dates: January 20-May 6, 2012
Cost: General admission is $12; student/senior admission is $8; entrance contribution is voluntary on Fridays from 5-8 PM.

If you were one of the people who shared one or more of these experiences with me–or who made one possible– thank you.

1. Took a hot air balloon ride… over the Pyrenees.
2. Saw charreria in Guadalajara.
3. Traveled to Spain.

Trying archery for the first time in the Pyrenees

Me with Kim Simplis-Barrow, the First Lady of Belize

Mariel at the Queens County Farm Museum.

*
And a sneak peek at plans and dreams for 2012:

-travel to the Dominican Republic.
-finally visit Africa. (This isn’t actually planned yet, but if you want to help out….)
-take a foraging class with the New York Mycological Society.
-publish a book.
-interview a royal.
-spend the night at a Maya site.
-take an introductory Catalan class.
-build up the strength and skills to kayak up the Hudson River by summer’s end.
-expand my publication credits beyond travel magazines.
-bike more.
-transfer my parents’ Super 8 films and then watch them all.
-cook more.
-fly a kite with Mariel.

How about you? What are some of your best experiences of 2011 and what do you hope to experience in 2012?

Street art in Mexico City

For now, here’s a quick sampling of some recently published work and other professional updates:

Francisco was one of 50 semi-finalists in Smithsonian’s Aerial America Contest. The photo was taken this summer at Migis Lodge, a resort that’s well-loved by its many repeat visitors, whose families have “summered” at Migis for several generations.

My feature article about Mexico City and writer Daniel Hernandez appears in the December-January issue of the magazine Centro y Sur. Several of my photos also appeared in the article.

My part of the Fodor’s Puerto Rico 2012 guide has been submitted; I’m looking forward to seeing the printed book next year. Though doing the research for the guide always takes a few months off my lifespan, working with my editor there is always a positive experience.

Matador released its first book, an anthology of travel quotes and exceptional travel photographs. It’s called No Foreign Lands and I’m the associate editor. (Hint: It makes a lovely holiday gift. No, I don’t make any money off it, but the photographers do, so show them some love.)

Lots of projects and publications on the horizon- a feature on the First Lady of Belize for MS. Magazine, a couple of book projects, and some collaborations I’m excited about.

Since the death of Steve Jobs was announced, New Yorkers have been streaming to the Apple Store on 59th Street and 5th Avenue to leave flowers, notes, and other items–including apples– to memorialize Jobs.

Apples left in memory of Steve Jobs

Apples carved with messages of gratitude and remembrance

Flowers... and apple juice

A woman arrives by private car to leave flowers

The woman walks toward the impromptu memorial

Mayor of the town of Setcases, where we learned about the traditional dance, the sardana, during the town’s annual patron saint festival.

I’ve been interviewed several times by local and national media this week about the #inPyrenees blog trip and the use of social media in destination marketing, and the question I’ve been asked every time is: “What do you think about the Pyrenees?”

There are lots of things that have struck me about the Pyrenees– the fact that every town is tidy, the simplicity and beauty and consistency of the architecture, and, of course, the landscape itself.

But one of the things I think I’ll remember most about the Pyrenees is its people. Every single person I’ve met here, whether in a formal meeting or a casual encounter on the street seems to channel the spirit of the place itself. Self-assured, welcoming, passionate, and energetic, the people we have met will inspire me for a long time.

**
As a kid, I was always the last to be picked for the team.

Kickball, tee-ball, volleyball… hell, Red Rover. It didn’t matter; no one wanted me on their team. I was clumsy, slow, and uncoordinated. I was a liability.

Gym teachers did nothing to alleviate or correct my deepening sense that I was incapable and unworthy when it came to anything physical. I started to avoid anything that would require physical exertion and focused on developing my mind instead. I was smart, so if I couldn’t feel good about myself on the field or on the court, at least I could feel good about myself in the classroom.

My acute anxiety about my body and its abilities was only exacerbated when I was diagnosed with severe scoliosis during junior high school. I had corrective surgery that left me with two metal rods and lots of other internal metallic work that will be with me for life. The surgery also left me with even more fear about physical exertion. No activity seemed completely safe– I had to be careful, the surgeon said. I distanced myself even more from my body and went even deeper into my own mind.

Now, at 34, I still carry all of that with me– the constant thought that I’m not good enough, physically speaking, the desire to avoid anything that will make me confront my body’s limitations. Friends and colleagues all seem to be proficient and passionate athletes–surfers, rock climbers, kayakers, stand-up paddleboarders, runners. I’m in quiet awe of them, simultaneously mourning my own stillness. The moments when I have felt comfortable in my body, when I have felt powerful and capable, have been very few and never have occurred in sports. In fact, I don’t even need all the fingers of one hand to count them.

*

Riu Freser

To do that, though, would be to give up, just as I have almost always done when it comes to my body. I push on and am relieved when we reach the river, making our way downstream.

Soon, I am almost entirely in the moment. I am using my feet and my legs, hands, arms, and even my ass to negotiate the slips and chutes and rocks on the Rio Freser. As I use both arms to steady my entire body, lowering myself into a freezing pool of water- I feel powerful, strong, capable. It’s such an utterly unfamiliar sensation that I suddenly understand–for the first time ever, I think–what people talk about when they use terms like “runner’s high.” My legs stretch wide as I climb over a boulder and I feel like there’s nothing I’d rather do right now than pick my way down a river and feel my body move in ways I didn’t know it was capable of moving.

I feel confident–maybe even competent?–and then we come to a narrows. Two boulders rest against one another, leaving a body-sized crack between them. We’ll each lower ourselves down into a torrent of whitewater, get our bodies horizontal and then almost sideways, and shimmy through the crack. Rich, who goes before me, gets hung up when a strap on his wetsuit catches a knob on the log that complicates this passage even further. Seeing him struggle freaks me out and the familiar surge of fear rises up, the one where I feel trapped. Everyone who has gone before me has made it through, but I’m convinced I won’t… that I can’t.

I look to my right and to my left, scoping another possible escape route. Victor, our guide, says there isn’t one, that I have to go through the narrows; it’s the only option. Even though I accept that this is true, I see myself getting caught, being pounded by the whitewater, hitting my face on the rock, or just getting stuck and not being able to free myself, which would induce panic.

Albert, one of our team, coaches me through patiently. He doesn’t give me a pep talk, doesn’t state the obvious (namely, that I have to do this). He just looks at me, holds out his hand, and tells me he’ll be there.

It’s go time. I do have to do this. I have to step into that crack and make my way to the other side.

And so I do.

Then, we jump off cliffs and slide down chutes and I am not fearless or sure, but I am confident.

And I am absolutely sure that I want to do it all again, that I want to feel that power, that sense of control, that ability to look at my fear and then to walk through it… I want it over and over again.

**
Thanks to our incredible #inPyrenees team, who made the experience of canyoning safe and fun and, yes, I think life-changing for me: Lea Hajner, Nellie Huang, Yvonne of JustTravelous , Abigail King, Iain Mallory, Arantxa Ros, Rich Whitaker,
Leah, and especially Albert Duch.

We’ve never announced any deals on Collazo Projects, but we wanted to share this one. We’ve visited several of these properties (St. Kitts, St. Thomas, and San Juan) and can vouch that they’re good places to stay (St. Kitts, in particular; the restaurants at that Marriott are exceptional).

The reason we decided to post this deal on Collazo Projects is because we want travelers to explore the Caribbean, and these prices might actually make it possible for you to have an affordable stay.

Read on for the terms of deals at each property:

St. Kitts Marriott’s pool.

MARRIOTT & RENAISSANCE CARIBBEAN AND MEXICO RESORTS
www.paradisebymarriott.com
Offer: “The Power of 10″ – Buy one room at rack rate and get additional nights for just $10 each. (Up to three additional nights for a maximum four night stay.)

Participating hotels: Aruba Marriott / Aruba Renaissance / JW Marriott Cancun / Casa Magna Cancun Marriott / Curacao Marriott / Grand Cayman Marriott / Puerto Vallarta Casa Magna Marriott / St Kitts Marriott / Frenchman’s Reef Marriott [St. Thomas]

Valid for Travel: October 11-December 20, 2010

Reservations: Visit www.paradisebymarriott.com; use promo code X77

ST. KITTS MARRIOTT RESORT & ROYAL BEACH CASINO
www.stkittsmarriott.com
In addition to offering “The Power of 10″ promotion (see above, buy one room at rack rate and book up to three nights for just $10 each), St. Kitts Marriott Resort sweetens the deal with an additional offer…
Offer: On 10.10.10 St. Kitts Marriott Resort will offer the chance to book up to 10 room nights for $10 each. The booking time slot will be announced at random via the resort’s Twitter handle, @StKittsMarriott on 10.10.10. The first 10 people to tweet @StKittsMarriott with the hashtag #SKM10 will be able to book up to 10 nights for $10 each.

Valid for Travel: October 11-December 20, 2010

Reservations: If you are among the first 10 to respond with a tweet you will be contacted by the resort with booking information

KURA HULANDA RESORTS, CURACAO
www.kurahulanda.com
Offer: Make any room reservation and add a bottle of wine, breakfast or room upgrade for just $10 each.

Valid for Travel: Oct 15 – Dec 23, 2010 and Jan 03 – April 16, 2011

Reservations: Call 1-877-254-3106 or email reservations@kuarhulanda.com

KA’ANA BOUTIQUE RESORT, BELIZE
www.kaanabelize.com
Offer: Get Balam Rooms for US $110.00 + 19% tax and service charge -OR- 3 nights in a Balam room / Daily Breakfast / Xunantunich Tour / Transfers to and from Belize City /Free upgrade, upon availability, to a casita for $1,010.10 inclusive of tax and service charge (package valid for two people)

Valid for Travel: Now through March 31, 2011 (excluding December 18, 2010 – January 3, 2011)

Reservations: Email reservations@kaanabelize.com and mention promo code: K10.10.10

Room at the San Juan Marriott

SAN JUAN MARRIOTT RESORT, PUERTO RICO
www.marriottsanjuan.com
Offer: Spend the holidays in Puerto Rico. Stay 4 nights/5 days in a City View room during the week of Christmas (between December 23-29) with breakfast daily for two in the newly renovated La Vista Latin Grill for just $1010.10.

Valid for Travel: December 23-29, 2010

Reservations: Visit www.marriottsanjuan.com or call 1-800-228-9290 and request Promo Code HO9

**All of the above offers are valid for reservations booked between 12:00am and 11:59pm on October 10, 2010 ONLY.

“When will we start learning and caring about places before disasters?” someone wrote on Twitter this weekend in response to the news about the earthquake in Chile.

I understand the impetus of the question, but there’s something naive about it as well.

There are so many places to learn and care about, so many people to know.

That’s one of the reasons why I travel. Though I know plenty about lots of places, I find that I only really begin to understand them when I’m there. And once I’ve visited, I become invested in these places in a way that doesn’t happen to me with those places I still don’t know with my feet or my eyes or my ears or nose… yet.
*
That’s what I thought about after news of the quake.

I visited Chile in late 2008, and was moved by this sliver of a country. For one thing, it’s beauty exemplified: flawless blue sky stretching out over glacier-fed water in Torres del Paine, the view around each switchback of trail more beautiful than the one before it.

It’s a true beauty, but not an easy one. Standing here, almost as far south as one can be, the wind blows straight through you with an impersonal, punishing persistence. You learn to accept that what is beautiful must often be appreciated not unadulterated, but in its natural, wild, often messy state.

There were other reasons I was moved by Chile. Its recent history was palpable without being oppressive, its past real and present without having a stranglehold on its sense of now or possibilities for the future. The people I met were ambitious and creative; they were also honest about themselves and their country. “We don’t know how to market ourselves,” one tourism industry professional told me. “We have everything, but you can’t say that in an advertisement.”

Indeed.

*
For more on Chile:

*My article about Google’s Person Finder app and its use in the Chile quake on MatadorChange.

*Matt Scott, one of Matador’s extraordinary and efficient interns, put together our Chile Focus Page today, which is an archive of all the articles we’ve published about Chile since we launched in 2006.

*For more Chile before the quake photos, check out my Chile set on Flickr.

Francisco filmed this video at the Haitian Consulate in NYC today:

For an island that’s 31 square miles, St. Thomas sure does have a lot of churches. There’s the Dutch Reformed Church, the Lutheran Church, two Catholic churches, and a synagogue… and those are just the ones we saw.

The diversity of churches and faith traditions can be attributed to St. Thomas’ colonial history; the Dutch established their Reformed Church here in 1660, and a string of missionaries–Moravians among them– influenced religious beliefs and institutions here, too.

The story of the Jews, though, and their synagogue, Beracha Veshalom Vegmiluth Hasidim, is the most fascinating of the religious histories. The congregation was established in 1796 by Sephardic Jews who came to the Caribbean as financiers of the trade boom.

The present synagogue, a modest structure, was built in 1883 and was the third structure built; the first two were destroyed by fires. Though the congregation is perhaps smaller than it has ever been in its history, it remains vital within the island community and is historically important: it has been offering services since 1833 and as such, is the oldest synagogue in continuous use under the American flag.

The synagogue is small and simple. Apart from the 11th century menorah on the wall and some French lighting fixtures, decorations are minimal. The benches are handmade mahogany (currently being restored by craftsmen). The floor has a fine layer of sand covering it; according to the rabbi, the sand is “most likely derived from a practice… during the Spanish Inquisition….During that time, many Jews were forced to convert to Christianity but secretly continued to practice Judaism.” The Jews would gather in cellars with sand floors; the sand muffled the sounds of their religious rituals.

If you’re in St. Thomas, make it a point to visit the St. Thomas Synagogue. Services are held each Friday at 6:30 PM and Saturday at 10 AM, and the public is invited. Visitors who just want to see the synagogue can visit Monday through Friday from 9:30 AM until 4 PM.