When people ask me why I decided to uproot my entire life to go travel end explore the world, I tell them it’s pretty simple. I was sick and tired, and quite frankly fed up, with the status quo. It was the utmost culmination of severe cabin fever, a lot of political BS, and never-ending pandemic burnout. The ultimate fuck-it moment, if you will.
If you haven’t heard the news yet, I sold my house in Arizona about a month ago to set off to travel and explore the world. Today, I want to formally invite you to follow along and experience this adventure of a lifetime with me.
A History of Why We Travel
I first caught the travel and adventure bug chasing tornadoes as a meteorology student at the University of Oklahoma in 2011. Being able to get up close to something that is so beautiful and majestic, yet at the same time so powerful and destructive is a truly awe-inspiring experience. And paradoxically, when you get home, you can’t wait to get back out on the prairie and do it all over again. To this day, weather remains the heart and soul of my landscape and travel photography. It’s one of the main things that sets me apart from all the other travel bloggers, vloggers, and photographers out there.
Storm Chasing and Reality Collide in Heartbreak: The 2013 Moore, Oklahoma Tornado
Shortly after 3:00 PM on 20 May, 2013, an EF-5 tornado carved a 17-mile long gash through the heart of the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore. It razed one of the most densely populated areas in Oklahoma, packing 210 mph winds. Tragically, it struck 2 elementary schools and a hospital, killing 24 people on its 39-minute reign of terror. To give you an idea of just how powerful that storm was, mail with Moore addresses fell from the sky as far away as Branson, Missouri.
Destroyed Neighborhoods in Moore, Oklahoma 9 Days After the May, 2013 Tornado.
Watching the tornado tear through the heart of Moore is hard to put into words. It was a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, and helpless feeling watching so many people’s lives get turned upside down in a matter of minutes. Yet at the same time, being so close to something that powerful was easily one of the most awe-inspiring, memorable, and incredible experiences of my life. More importantly, it really made me rethink how I viewed not just storm chasing, but also travel and photography.
Interestingly, photography really helped capture and process all of the different emotions you felt during both the tornado and the recovery. It let me tell the story in a way that’s so much more powerful than words. The outpouring of support for Moore from all over the world was truly amazing, and I take an enormous amount of pride in being able to participate in both the support and the recovery. Ever since that day, I try to tell a story with every photo series and video I produce.
Routinely Visiting Mexico During the Trump Era: The Path to Becoming a Global Citizen
After moving to Arizona in 2015, I wanted to expand my horizons even further. To immerse myself in a new culture, and my third language, I started taking routine trips to Mexico. Stepping across the border and looking at your home country from the outside is a truly eye-opening experience. You’ll gain a new appreciation for the good things you have, and expose societal and cultural flaws you thought were completely normal. That’s actually the first step to becoming a global citizen.
A global citizen is someone who is aware of the world and has a sense of their role in it. They are involved as members of the international community and are committed to building on this community in a meaningful and positive way. Becoming a global citizen will broaden your global perspective and allow you to bring fresh, new views back to your own community. Photography and video storytelling are incredibly powerful means to engage communities and raise awareness both at home and abroad.
Into Lockdown: A Deadbeat Employer and the COVID-19 Pandemic Changes Everything
You don’t know how good something is until it’s gone. That saying could not be more true after losing my traveling and photography adventures for a period that’s measured in years. First, in late 2017, a company I had been working with decided to stop paying me and not tell me. I discovered this the day after signing the purchase contracts to buy my house.
When the dust settled, they had stolen nearly $50,000 in wages from me. By that time, the company had gone into bankruptcy and the CEO had fled the country. I didn’t see a dime from them. The ensuing financial struggle forced me into a de-facto lockdown as I started to dig myself out of the hole. Because I used photography as an escape during hard times, it just felt like a part of your identity was gone.
Thankfully, my fortunes turned around quickly. I landed a new contract with a new company that gave me basically full-time hours. When that project wrapped up in late 2019, I had finally dug myself out of that awful financial hole. The future was once again bright. Then the pandemic hit, and it was back into lockdown as the world slammed shut.
Severe Burnout was the Final Straw
Being locked down for 4 out of the last 5 years makes you question everything that’s brought you to this point. Then throw severe burnout from the stresses of the pandemic and the fallout from the 2020 election in Arizona (read: death threats and people waving guns at you from both sides of the political aisle pretty much anywhere you went in public) on top of that. It became clear that the only path forward was a major life overhaul. So I threw all my stuff in a storage unit in Las Vegas, put the house on the market, and set my eyes on traveling the world. For the first time since 2019, it actually felt like I had control over my future again.
A New Mission and Vision
When you go through such a major overhaul, it never hurts to redefine exactly what you want to get out of your next chapter. For me, it’s a chance to spread good in the world and pay it forward for everyone that helped me get through all those dark days.
Matt Gove Photo Mission
Using photography to take you on an adventure around the world, inspiring you to get out in nature, expand your own horizons, and become a better global citizen.
Matt Gove Photo Vision
To become the leader in ethical and responsible travel content that inspires you to get out, travel the world, and find your next adventure.
Matthew Gove Web Development Mission
Using data and maps to tell your story, raising awareness so you can build an inclusive community around your mission and values. We put it all on the web to make you accessible to everyone both at home and abroad.
Matthew Gove Web Development Vision
To inspire the world through immersive storytelling that raises awareness to our customers’ missions and passions.
Matthew Gove Web Development will Shift to Focus Exclusively on Telling Your Story Through Web-Based Data Science, GIS Maps, and Visual Media
As we step into this next chapter, there are some major changes coming to Matthew Gove Web Development. Most notably, we will no longer be building websites or doing straight web development (existing clients will be grandfathered in). After severely burning out last fall, it became clear that pure web development was one of the primary causes of the burnout. I’m not sure what triggered it, but I just don’t enjoy doing it anymore. It’s simply time to move on.
Instead, our mission has shifted to telling your story using web-based data science, GIS, and visual media – photography, videos, and graphic design. And just as it always has been, Python, mathematics, and logic will power nearly all of that content. We want to inspire the world through immersive storytelling that raises awareness to your missions and passions.
Video Will Play a Major Role in Our Next Chapter
It’s no secret that video has exploded in popularity over the past several years. Indeed, video consumption is expected to make up between 70 and 80 percent of all internet traffic by 2025. Which is precisely why we’re adding it to our repertoire.
After learning the art of video storytelling during the lockdowns, we will be posting videos of this adenture-of-a-lifetime on YouTube. Having done still photography for over 15 years, I’ve found the transition from still photography to videos has been largely seamless. However, I’d be lying to you if I said there was no learning curve. And best of all, telling stories with video has allowed me to really fine-tune my still photography, making it even better than it was before.
Video is the Perfect Complement to Still Photography
With still photography, my goal has always been to immerse you in the journey. However, with video, you won’t just be able to listen to our stories. You’ll be able to experience them with us. Photography is a visual-only medium of a single moment frozen in time. Video, on the other hand, immerses you in both visuals and sound, allowing you experience the adventure in a much more in-depth and complete manner. Here’s a sneak peek.
Now is this video my best work? Probably not. But considering all I had at my dispense was a GoPro and a cell phone, I’d say it came out pretty darn well.
As we pivot into this next exciting chapter, I will be investing close to $100,000 of proceeds from the house sale directly into the business. Most importantly, all of our equipment will be getting a much-needed upgrade. We’ll be getting new state-of-the-art cameras, computers, drones, software, and much more. But we’re far from stopping just here.
The Matt Gove Photo Store: Your Go-To Resource for All Things Travel, Photography, and Videography
Back in 2008, someone approached me and told me I should put my photos up for sale online. At the time, I was heading into my senior year of college, so all of my time was put towards completing my degree. But I put that comment about selling my photos in my back pocket and held onto it tight. I knew I wanted to sell my photos online. I just didn’t know when I would have the opportunity to. Over the next decade, it seemed like I either had the time or the money to launch the store, but never both at the same time. And then, the pandemic gave me the opportunity I had been waiting 13 years for.
In June 2021, the Matt Gove Photo Store formally opened its doors. While the initial product line was (and still is) quite limited, we will be massively expanding the store’s offerings over the next two to three years. In addition to photo prints, you’ll be able to purchase travel guides for your next adventure, Adobe Lightroom presets to improve your photography, online courses to learn the art of photography and video storytelling, and much, much more.
New Products Coming in 2022 and 2023
| Product | Availability |
|---|---|
| Photo Prints and Wall Art | Available Now. More coming Spring 2022 |
| Travel Guides | Starting in 2023 |
| Online Courses | Starting Summer/Fall 2022 |
| Books | Starting Late 2022 or Early 2023 |
| Adobe Lightroom Presets | Starting Spring/Summer 2022 |
| Home and Office | Available Now. More coming this spring |
| Merchandise | Starting Spring/Summer 2022 |
| Drinkware | Starting Summer/Fall 2022 |
| Books | Starting in Late 2022/Early 2023 |
We are also working a brand new design for the store that will greatly enhance your shopping experience. If it hasn’t already launched when this is published, the new store design will be rolled out within a week or two of this post. Sales from our store help fund the rich, immersive, and interactive content we produce every single week. Your support only helps us add even more quality and value to our photos, videos, maps, courses, and much more. Shop Now.
You Are Formally Invited to Join Us (Virtually) and Experience the Adventure of a Lifetime
I want to formally invite you to join us virtually, follow along, and experience this once-in-a-lifetime adventure with us. Here is the full list of our websites, channels, and everything else you need to tag along.
| Link | Description |
|---|---|
| Matthew Gove Web Development Website | Business Home Page |
| Matt Gove Photo Website | Photos, Videos, and Maps of our Travels and Adventures |
| Matt Gove Photo Store | Travel, Photography, and Video Store |
| Our Blog | This Blog |
| Our YouTube Channel | View Travel Videos, Tutorials, and More |
| Email Newsletter | Get our latest photography tutorials, insider travel guides, news, and exclusive deals. Sent directly to your inbox twice per month. All for free. |
| A collection of resources about travel, adventure, photography, and videography. | |
| Connect and collaborate for business. |
If you’re subscribed to either the Matt Gove Photo or Matthew Gove Web Development Facebook pages, please note that they will no longer be maintained or updated. In fact, I plan to close them down later this year. I strongly disagree with the way Facebook conducts itself, and can get my message out much better on other platforms. Please bookmark, subscribe, and/or sign up for any of the platforms listed above to stay up-to-date with the latest news.
A Sneak Peek at Our First Destinations
Okay, I know you’re itching to know where we’re going first. What are you going to experience when you tune into our YouTube channel for the latest video? As we wait for the world to fully reopen coming out of the pandemic, we expect to be confined to North America and the Caribbean for at least the rest of this year.
Before setting off to explore the world, one of the most important things you can do is to travel and experience as much of your home country as you can. As a result, my top short-term travel goal is to visit all 50 U.S. States. With the count of visited states currently sitting at 43, I hope to be able to tick off the remainder of the Lower 48 this summer. The remaining two – Alaska and Hawaii – will require a bit more planning. Additionally, I would like to visit all 13 Canadian provinces and territories, and also as many Mexican States as possible.
A Summer Road Trip Across Canada
This summer, I’ll be doing a road trip across Canada on my way to one of my best friends’ wedding in California. After getting stuffed by bad weather in 2015 and 2019, I hope this will finally be the year that the weather cooperates at the Quebec National Parks. And seeing Jasper, Banff, and Yoho National Parks has long been on my bucket list. As for the rest of the trip, well, those plans are still in the works.
Heading to the Tropics for Some Warm Weather Next Winter
Furthermore, between the 2021 polar vortex and my adventures driving across the northern Rockies this past February, I am some ready for some warm weather. To that end, I’ll be heading south of the border to spend next winter in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula. From our base in Mérida, the capital of Yucatán state, immerse yourself in rich Mayan and Mexican culture.
Explore Mayan ruins, including Chichén Itzá, that are scattered throughout not just the Yucatán, but also parts of Guatemala. Cool off in the cenotes and relax on the palm-tree lined beaches. And if that’s not enough, the Yucatán is a great jumping off point to explore both Central America and the Caribbean.
Barring any resurgence of COVID, we’ll finally expand beyond North America once we get into 2023 – most likely to Southeast Asia and/or South America. And are you curious as to what videos are coming down the pipe in the mean time? Have a look at the photo albums (2021 and 2022) from our recent 3-month trip across the western United States. We’ll have travel videos from every single one of those adventures coming in the following weeks.
Conclusion
There’s no better feeling in life than a fresh start or a new beginning. And I can’t think of a better way to do it than set out on a true adventure-of-a-lifetime. If you want to join us, our website, YouTube channel, and email newsletter are the best ways to follow along, as well as this blog. And if you have any questions, recommendations, or even just want to get together and collaborate on a project, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me any time. Thank you for your support. Let’s hit the road.
Top Photo: A Tranquil Turquoise Lagoon Surrounded by Majestic Snow-Capped Mountains Cleanses the Soul at Lake Tahoe
Incline Village, Nevada – February, 2020