Dream Trip Winner!
Big congratulations to our Dream Trip winner, R. Tobias!
Her highlight, "Siwa at Sunset," got 112 votes, and of the highlights that got the most votes, we loved this one in particular for the wide expanse of space she captured and for the adventurous tone she struck in her description.
We were lucky to catch her just two days before she took off for a job at the Green School in Bali, where she'll be doing fundraising and development work. She graduated from USC in December with a degree in international relations.
The winning photo was taken while she was studying abroad in Egypt. She went on a weekend trip to the Siwa Oasis, near the border with Libya. She says it's "somewhere I would never have gone had I not had a group of Egyptian friends."
And what will she do with her $5000 windfall? She says she's been thinking about Africa, Tibet, or Nepal because she imagines the good stories she'll find there: "I want to go where I can write."
Congratulations!
Congratulations, Rachel! Your photos were stunning. I wish you bon voyage and if you decide to go to Tibet, I have some great resources for you.
Tom
Congrats to Rachel!
I must wonder, however, if anyone else had problems posting Highlights? (Not to distract for the great entry Rachel made.)
I noticed there was something seriously wrong with the Highlights website... It would not allow me to make any posts after the first two I made. I would get into some kind of a strange loop in which my posts would be lost when I hit the button to submit my entry.
I reported this problem in detail to a couple of the Afar staff members... but never heard anything back.
Did anyone else have technial problems with the website when submitting entires? Or am I just "special"? Ha!
Afar really does need to add a "technical support" link to their site.
I initially had problems using Safari, but Firefox seemed to allow me to upload without any issues. I too brought up the issue with Afar and received a reply but perhaps that's because I was communicating directly with Derk, the senior editor.
Hi Tom. Did Derk offer any suggestions for fixing the problem? I've tried Firefox, Google Chrome, and IE Explorer and still hit a brick wall. Perhaps I'll try borrowing another computer entirely, just to see which end of the upload is causing the problem.
Please excuse us Rachel... This thread is about your well deserved accomplishment... not technical issues.
Tom... If you reply, how about sending me a private message so we don't intrude further into Rachel's sunshine.
Congrats great photo.
Rachel, I love the powerful serenity of this beautiful photo. Watching the darkness come over this sunset had to be a photographer's dream. Best wishes on your next adventure...we all look forward to seeing what you saw through the lens.
David Montieth,
Ridgefield, CT
Rachel: Look out for my old colleague at Absolute Travel, Ben Macroroy. He's an amazing guy and has been with the Green School for a few years now. Watch out for his karaoke skills...!
Awesome picture takes my breath away!
Awesome picture takes my breath away!
Congratulations! That was a beautiful image and good luck wherever you go!