I started in January 1981 with a trip to Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia.  I once mentioned to my friend Yoram, a world traveler, that I’d always wanted to go to South America, and was inspired by his reply, “Who’s stopping you?”  And who would agree to go as my companion?  His wife Peggy.

      Later in the year, in November 1981, I joined a group of photographers for an organized trip to China, discovered through ASMP, the American Society of Magazine Photographers.

      In 1982 I accepted an invitation from my friend Armando to join him on a trip to Jamaica sponsored by the local tourist board.  We both independently photographed the country and stayed at the best resorts.

      In 1983 I organized the second part of my South America odyssey, a trip to Brazil during the Rio Carnival, renting an apartment with my friend Jivago, then traveling to Salvador da Bahia and Olinda.

      In 1984 we dreamed up an Indian saga with my friend Judy.  Our schedules did not coincide, so she went ahead of me; we met in Delhi in January, traveled together for 3 weeks to Kajuraho, Benares, Agra and Rajasthan, then I continued on my own for 4 more weeks, to Bombay, Goa and the South: Cochin, Madras, Madurai, Bangalore, and finally to Katmandu, Nepal.

      I have taken many other trips and I continued traveling even after I stopped photographing professionally in 1990.  Sometimes I would only bring a little plastic camera for personal snapshots; but now I just use my mind to capture images and etch them in my memory.

      @ Elisa Leonelli 2009.  Contact: leonelli@mac.com