CURRENT MISSION

Traveling far, far away

ABOUT ME

Hi! I'm Jocelyn, a photographer (www.jocelynvoo.com) living in NYC but constantly on the move.

I recently made a batch of strawberry black pepper bacon jam, but that says more about my affinity for weird projects than having any sort of culinary skill. I like to tell stories and joke around as much as possible. I've lived in NYC for close to 10 years (!), but will always be a California free spirit at heart.

In general, I value silliness and simpler pleasures: bad jokes, good sandwiches, killer music, lots of laughter. I like kitchen experiments with friends, the occasional music festival or dirty warehouse party, lazing in parks with a picnic and friends, making full-body pinata costumes for Halloween (true story).

Things I get excited about: Travel -- most recently, I spent two months this winter living out of a van and driving every corner of New Zealand, and two years ago I spent six months backpacking solo around eastern and southern Asia, which has cemented my quest for simple, sincere living. Food -- I love adventurous dining and interesting food projects (hence the aforementioned jam). Music -- love, love, love electronic and indie rock. Photography -- a hobby that got out of control and is now a personal and professional passion.

I try to get as much of the "local" experience as possible when I travel -- this, by far, is the most interesting/meaningful part of traveling to different places. And hopefully that includes meeting you!

Interests

In addition to what I wrote above...

Yoga. Roadtrips. Food adventures. Wide open nature. Hot gluing costumes together. Excessive slang and perfect spelling. Street art and modern design. Doing anything for a laugh. Complimenting others without reserve. Dancing till the sun comes up. In-depth conversations about unusual hobbies and/or past/present/future adventures. Curiosity about everything.

• arts
• design
• street art
• photography
• coloring
• festivals
• dancing
• dining
• picnic
• yoga
• partying
• traveling
• music
• cycling
• backpacking
• camping
• parks

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Amazing is pretty subjective, but some of the things I have the fondest memories for include:

- Meeting an old Tibetan woman in Sichuan, China, and having her invite me back to her home for food. I only knew three words in Tibetan, and she didn't speak any English or Mandarin, and yet we spent the next few hours pleasantly, her busying herself to make food, showing me her one-room dirt dwelling, and playing traditional music on a small, palm-sized speaker while spinning her prayer wheel. It was one of the most memorable afternoons of my life.

- Taking the ferry across the river in Yangon, Myanmar, and telling the rickshaw driver to take me to the poorest nearby village. I spent the day visiting families, playing with children, speaking to schoolteachers and people who ran orphanages. The people were so warm, and the children were beyond curious about my bright orange hair (my hair color at the time). Totally moving experience.

- Burning Man 2013, in Black Rock City, Nevada. This was my second time going, and it was completely different from the first, but every bit as enriching. I spent every morning in deep playa watching the sun rise in silence, and spent every day biking from camp to camp, meeting new people. These are some of the most creative folks I've ever met, and I'm blessed to be able to call them my friends now.

Teach, Learn, Share

I love hearing your recommendations. Most likely I've done a little bit of research and have a few ideas of what I'd like to see or do, but I'm more interested in hearing your ideas.

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Denmark, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

United States