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In May of 2015 I spent a few days each week camped out in the corner of a cafe called “Space Out” in the village of Dharamkot, India, photographing travelers who walked by on the footpath.
Using my makeshift studio (a piece of black cloth hung between two planks of wood), and with a side window as my only light source, I spent a month photographing whomever I managed to summon through the window. After agreeing to the portrait, I had them remain as they were, in the exact clothes they were wearing when I interrupted them. I wanted them frozen exactly as they were, on that day, so far away from home, full of new ideas and experiences, each a hero on his or her own unique journey. They were all different, yet similar, as travelers tend to be.
Dharamkot, I should note, is a small village in the northern Himalayan region of India, consisting mostly of footpaths, homestays, yoga studios, cafes and wheat terraces farmed by the few dozen villagers who call the area home. It is mostly dormant during the winter, but springs alive during the summer months with wanderers from around the world.
After summoning the travelers inside, before I took their portrait, I asked them the questions included below, hoping their short responses might serve as keys to unlock their enigmatic stares. More often than not, their responses deepened rather than dispelled the mystery.
Omer, from Israel
1) Briefly explain who you are: Just a guy looking for his freedom
and happiness, and trying to get rid of all his fears. Seeking to use my full potential
to that myself and others can benefit.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 4 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? I never know.
4) What brought you to India? Answer #3.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Happiness.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? It depends who you ask. Everyone
has their own world. Mine is getting better.
7) What’s next for you? The next moment.
Kabir, from Richmond, London, England
1) Briefly explain who you are: Recently graduated university in the UK.
Undergraduate in the school of life, currently exploring planet earth.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 1 month this trip, but I’ve been here
many times.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 3 days.
4) What brought you to India? This time I came for a friends wedding in Jaipur and ended up in Dharamkot.
5) In one word, why do you travel? To learn.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? I can’t say. However, our human
world is fast consuming itself.
7) What’s next for you? A cup of tea.
Olivia, from Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1) Briefly explain who you are: Still working that out.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 4 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 7 weeks.
4) What brought you to India? Exploration, external & internal. Adventure of the body & soul.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Education.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? My world is getting better — that’s
all I can say.
7) What’s next for you? Who knows!
Michelle, from Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
1) Briefly explain who you are: Full time yogi, part-time optometrist.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 9 months, over 3 years.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 18 days.
4) What brought you to India? Yoga.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Experience.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? In a lot of cases, worse, especially in the West,
but I see many ways it is getting better on a personal level and people’s awareness.
7) What’s next for you? Go back to the UK and plan my return.
Lida, from St. Petersburg, Russia
1) Age: 18 always.
2) Briefly explain who you are: Space dust.
3) How long how you been traveling India? 1 month.
4) How long before your trip is finished? 2 months.
5) What brought you to India? My past lives.
6) In one word, why do you travel? To grow up.
7) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better. With love.
7) What’s next for you? Cookies.
Mishe, from St. Petersburg, Russia
1) Briefly explain who you are: Traveler / [illegible] / rider / dreamer
2) How long how you been traveling India? 3 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? Never.
4) What brought you to India? Road.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Lifestyle.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better, because I’m still here.
7) What’s next for you? A mango.
Jesh, from Tamil Nadu, India
1) Briefly explain who you are: Writer, filmmaker, nomad.
2) How long how you been traveling India? A very long time.
3) How long before your trip is finished? No idea.
4) What brought you to India? I’m a son of the soil.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Opening.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Both. In some ways we have come far, like gender rights, race issues,
healthcare, etc. But in other ways we are worse, such as with the environment, living in shrinking bubbles, healthcare, etc. So…
7) What’s next for you? Write more. Drink more tea.
Do more yoga. Make a film. Fall hopelessly in love. Or find glorious solitude.
Stay open to whatever the universe offers me and always strive to be the best version of myself
J, from Oklahoma, USA
1) Briefly explain who you are: Lotus eater, explorer of shadows.
2) How long how you been traveling India? Years.
3) How long before your trip is finished? The trip never ends.
4) What brought you to India? Everything.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Illumination.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? There is no better or worse, only changes atop the changeless.
6) What’s next for you? I take my picture
Q, from Munich, Bavaria, Germany
1) Briefly explain who you are: Passionate traveler who also has a passion for sports, cooking, music and meeting people.
I like to produce things by hand, especially in wood.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 6 weeks until now. 3 months total.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 7 weeks.
4) What brought you to India? Fascination from stories, pictures and movies. I wanted to explore it.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Culture.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Due to globalism, I think many important things in the world, such as what makes a place particular, are getting lost.
That makes the world worse. But the world grows together, which is also good.
7) What’s next for you? Focus on the people in my area, and try to do good there. Give help to people who need it.
Laura, from Thiene, Vicenza, Italy
1) Briefly explain who you are: A girl, born in Italy, who is still seeking who she is.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 6 weeks.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 7 weeks.
4) What brought you to India? I was lacking inspiration from our Western countries. I was losing the possibility of living my life as I feel to do.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Curiousity.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Regression is going on in the world now, unfortunately.
Everyone thinks we are progressing. I see that we are instead losing focus on what is really important for us.
7) What’s next for you? Good question! I ask myself every day. I still don’t know it… I will follow the flow and my intuition.
Ashley, from Buffalo, New York
1) Briefly explain who you are: I’m a student, a teacher, a dancer, a dreamer, a healer, a friend,
and a soul searching for the truth.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 7 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? However long India keeps giving me new visas.
4) What brought you to India? Ayurveda.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Learning.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better, because I see people,
young people, growing in knowledge and interest in themselves, studying themselves, introverting, questioning, connecting and becoming more aware.
7) What’s next for you? Studying with my teachers and growing in my teaching practice.
Yanir, from Kfar-Saba, Israel
1) Briefly explain who you are: Just finished the army. I work as a waiter. I play the drums and guitar.
Currently I’m traveling for one year before I become a student.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 4 weeks.
3) How long before your trip is finished? A few months.
4) What brought you to India? Its cheap and my friends are here.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Curiousity.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Neither.
7) What’s next for you? Good question. It changes every day.
Marta, from Madrid, Spain
1) Briefly explain who you are: Yoga and meditation teacher, and ayurvedic consultant,
living between Australia and Sri Lanka.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 2 months,
but six years ago I left Spain and since then I haven’t stopped traveling.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 2 weeks, for India.
4) What brought you to India? A yoga teacher training course.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better, in the sense of connection, worse, in the sense of similarity.
6) What’s next for you? Australia, then Sri Lanka, then move back to India. Next year I move to Bali.
Hanna, from Sweden
1) Briefly explain who you are: I’m having a hard time identifying myself, every day has looked so different over the last four years.
I’m always on the move, just a person exploring the world.
2) How long how you been traveling India? India? Just three months…
3) How long before your trip is finished? This trip has been going for years and I see no end to it.
4) What brought you to India? A wish for more color and action.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Curiousity.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better. There is so much creativity and independent
thought making the world change.
7) What’s next for you? I go buy a flight to see my family.
Nadia, from Napoli, Italy
1) Briefly explain who you are: A traveler looking to solve some issues and spread smiles.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 6 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? Don’t know.
4) What brought you to India? Same as above.
5) In one word, why do you travel? To breath.
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? From my point of view, better, just because I am becoming more aware.
But I believe in the law of nature -> everything changes.
Everything arises and passes away, so it might become worse again.
7) What’s next for you? Who knows?
Khyati, from Dehra Dun, Uttarakhand, India
1) Briefly explain who you are: A graphic designer working in Bombay.
2) How long how you been traveling India? All my life.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 20 days.
4) What brought you to India? ?
5) In one word, why do you travel? New experiences.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better. It is becoming smaller every
6) What’s next for you? National Trek.
Jonathan, from Firenze, Italy
1) Briefly explain who you are: A true, simple human being that is living life with love, as the amazing gift it is, trying to be a better man day by day,
seeking world understanding, respect, love, peace, living for human values, not for fame or money.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 2 months, part of a 2-year journey.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 6-7 months.
4) What brought you to India? My love for discovering different ways of life.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Cause I feel good.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Worse. People are more focused on money
6) What’s next for you? From Patagonia to Canada on a bike.
Kirsty, from Newcastle, Australia
1) Briefly explain who you are: Traveller. Open.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 4 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? Who knows? Maybe a few years.
4) What brought you to India? The culture, the people, the landscape.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Love
6) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Mostly worse, because we don’t take care of the planet nor each other.
7) What’s next for you? More traveling.
Shachar, from Jerusalem, Israel
1) Briefly explain who you are: Vegan. Political activist.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 6 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 3 months.
4) What brought you to India? The freedom, the culture, the landscape.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Meet.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better. I think we are all learning all the time about wrong and right and
sharing the knowledge with one another.
6) What’s next for you? Trekking in Kyrgyzstan, then retuning home for university.
Ashish, from Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan, India
1) Briefly explain who you are: A wanderer in the process of leaving all the things I don’t want behind me.
2) How long how you been traveling India? Since birth.
3) How long before your trip is finished? I’ll be traveling for at least another year.
4) What brought you to India? Birth.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Stories.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? It just changes, which is a good thing.
6) What’s next for you? More traveling.
Krishna, from France
1) Briefly explain who you are: God.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 2 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? 3 months.
4) What brought you to India? A calling from mother earth.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Enjoyment.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Karma – all is good.
6) What’s next for you? Don’t know.
Veronika, from Moscow, Russia (countryside)
1) Briefly explain who you are: Happy child of this universe.
2) How long how you been traveling India? 17 months.
3) How long before your trip is finished? Never.
4) What brought you to India? Inspiration – people, nature, connection, learning, freedom.
5) In one word, why do you travel? Shareness.
5) Is the world becoming better or worse? Why? Better – inside and around; outside
– both. Everything is going faster – good as well as bad.
6) What’s next for you? Thai-chi course.
David Jennings is a writer and photographer from Oklahoma, though his peripatetic lifestyle has driven him away to 50+ countries over the past ten years. You can follow his travels on Instagram.