Card.

These are going to be my card...
I'll write my information on the back of the images to give out to people.

It's tomorrow...

WOW...
Just realized it's 2.28...
so it's tomorrow we take off!

I met Keith Carter today... no Yesterday.. haha
Told him about my project and recieved a very positive feedback...

Learned so much from his speech... how to approach the portrait or any kind of photographs in a new way.

I will keep everything simple yet beautiful...
with touch of human.. just like I like it.

I'll miss everyone... very much...


JUSTIN's Blog

Learning.

Matos started to learn how to drive manual today...
I dont want to be the one driving for the entire trip.. haha
It might take couple of days for him to get used to it, but I'm sure he'll pick up quick.

I'm learning to get my feelings straight...
it's getting closer and closer everyday.
2 more full days... and we are off to go.
To Austin -> Houston -> Galveston -> Lousiana... yes!

I'll be walking around with my huge camera bag...
Matos will be walking around with his portable Keyboard...

start fundrasing... make enough money to sleep in a motel if we need to.
find a decent place where we can take a shower...

for me... I need shower everyday...
maybe I would get my hair cut so it's easier to keep 'em...

eh.. we'll see... I want my dread locks tho... haha

Start Packing.

Started packing...

Checking my camera gears.
Recharge all the batteries, clean the glasses
Making all the lists of places I need to go, and I want to go...
clothes
shoes
books
pictures

Justin's coming to Dallas tomorrow.
3more days to complete our route...

Yay yah!!

7Days...

7Days. and I'll start on my trip.
I don't know. I'm not sure if I'm 100% ready. Or I say I'm because I've been telling everyone I am...

My brother told me last night, I should stay home for 100days and tell people I was gone for 100days... haha...

But it's official now, I told everyone I am going... and I AM GOING ~ YES!!!!

So this week, I'll be making all the maps, start packing, gettting my car checked and all the good stuff..
by the end of this week, I'll post a map and route of my trip, but they can be changed once I start...

I'll be ordering my photos soon to use them to fundraise.. and give as present maybe...

I have to get a new lens... one I have is not good anymore... but I ordered a filter for it... dang...
maybe I can get a same lens...

My first destination is now changed to Austin TX... maybe I'll try some good Texas BBQ.. haha

One More Day At Work...

I have one more day left at my work...


I feel very relieved yet sad to have one more day at work.
I've been working at this place since 07.2005 it has been awhile...
Started without having any experience serving... Without having an experience of going to a sushi restaurant... all started with one phone call from an older brother of mine who was a sushi chef at the moment.

I don't know how others at work would think, but to me everyone at work were my family. My brothers and sisters... I've had bad times and good times with everyone. Some I've worked with for years, some I've worked with maybe a week... regardless of the time I've spent with them... I tried to do my best do only good to them, to trust everyone, and be a trust worthy... Had really good laughs, talks, and some times stupid arguments... But they taught me alot, that's for sure...

Working at the restaurant taught me so much that I wouldn't have learned from other places. I've learned how to be humble, how to be a better person, how to read people, how to approach to a strangers... and on and on.... also how the servers see me when I go to a restaurant... how to get on a bad side... haha

Before I started working at the restaurnat, I was very shy, introverted, scared to talk to people... but at work, I had to push my self... get out of my shell and be someone else... I had to lead.

In beginning, I had my customers complain about my service to manager...
One time, I had a long note written on a credit card slip saying
"I was a server for 5 years and by far this was the worst service I have ever got. The bussboys were more helpful than the server. He had only came by our table 3 times, to greet, to get orders, to drop the check. I am very disapointed at his service. The restaurant didn't look busy, but his service was just horrible."
and left me $1...
they were sitting at patio on a very cold night... the restaurant was packed inside... didn't have time to goto everytable... oh well anyhow.... when she came into the restaurant from patio, she realized how busy everyone was and wanted to say sorry to me but I ignored her... which was a very wrong thing to do...
Since then, I tried my best to give my best service to everyone...

One little note saying "Thank You" meant so much to me...
to know that I've gave my service to make their experience at the restaurant worthy... Just to know that they had a good time... and I was able to give them a smile...

Working at this restaurant helped me change my major from engineering to photography.
I don't know if she knows, but Lat, manager used to work with us, encouraged me alot and introduced me to her friend who were in photography and told me she will be the "best" photographer I'll ever meet in my life... obviously she wasn't but at the time, I did not meet any other photographer and was just too nervous to even talk to other people...

Seeing so many different types of people helped me realize that how much material each person has does not matter how good the person is. Some can be very rich and tip good, but they might have a very bad way of treating their servers. Some can be average and tip okay, but they can be the nicest people I would ever meet...

I have learned alot.
I can not buy this experience I had with money from anywhere.
I won't be able to learn or understand all of these from a book.

All of people I have met... all the stories I've heard.... priceless...

I'll miss everyone. but I'll be back to see again...

Thank you very much everyone....

Introduction.

I guess I should write an introductory entry so ya'll know what this blog is about.
This should've been the very first entry of this blog, but oh well.

My name is SungJoon Koo.
This blog is to keep updates on my trip.
Where Joon had been, Who Joon was with, What Joon had done, What Joon had ate, and on and on.
There will be times when I just write stories. upload photos (probably unedited). or both.

I have always wanted to travel ever since I started taking photos. no... even when I was in elementary school, I loved going to different places see different things.
I think it was last summer, I really wanted to just take off and be with the world and get out of my lil comfort zone.
I'm 22 years old.
Still in college.
Living with parents.
Been working at same job since I graduated highschool.
Everything I do is almost a routine... nothing exciting, nothing extraordinary, no adventure...
it's just me doing what almost everyone in the world is doing... living "easy" life.

But my dream is to change the world.... be an influence to others... experience different culture...
Use my photographs to express to the world who I really am...

I wanted to challenge my self... how far am I willing to go to do the works I say I want todo...
To see how others react to my works... To find out and show everyone this world is not corrupted yet... there are hopes and dreams and Love still exist...
and WORLD PEACE IS POSSIBLE.

So I decided to go...
for right now, I can't go out side of U.S.A. So I decided to just stay in the states and see.
Also, U.S.A. have everything. everyone from different part of the world, everyone with different life style, everyone with different goals, and on and on...

I'll be going for 100days.... who knows it may be longer... or shorter...
03.01.2009 ~ 06.09.2009 (100days)

Current Project (check out the project I am working on.)

The Book (you can support my trip by purchasing a book)

Project During the trip.

1. Photos of every meal.
2. Photos of my self everyday.
3. Photos by the state welcome sign.
4. Photos of the people I talked to.
5. Photos of sky.
6. Photos of hostels, motels, couch surfing, or anywhere I stayed a night.
7. Continue on my project "YOU + I = ONE"
8. I'll come up with a theme every 10days. so I'll have 10 different themes.

Please send me more ideas for the trip!

17 more days to go!

wow...
I only have 17 more days till I take off...
3.1.2009 - 6.9.2009

100Days....

100Stories

100Photos...

My first book!

I have ordered my first book.
It's not a 'real' book from a big publication, but stil I get to have a hard copy on my hand.

Ofcourse, there was a big mistake and I wasted some money and Time. But, I think this time it will work...
fingers crossed.

Getting Ready!

Wow...
I have 20 more days till I go on my Journey...
Have so much mixed feelings.. don't know what to expect from it, but all I know is that I'll enjoy and come back with so many photos... YAY!