Shelby and Sylivia's Book: The Final Project

So this blog will probably be similar to what I present on Monday when I talk about Shelby and Sylvia's book, but I think it's important to include their version of this project in my blog. Shelby and Sylvia from the beginning wanted to do their project together because they thought that since their lives were so intertwined that they simply couldn't come up with two different ideas. Why should they? They thought. This always struck me as rather weird; Sylvia's hesitation to separate her life from her husband's. She was loathe to do anything without him, and at one point told me that her life began when she married him. She often deferred to him during our project too. What a different age we live in. I'd like to think my life will begin before I marry. Regardless. The final version of Shelby and Sylvias's project is called, Stops Along the Way: A Photobiography. Their project centered on the many travels they have embarked upon in their lives. They spent ten years living in Hong Kong; two of their children even graduated high school there. This time spent abroad both facilitated and encouraged them to travel, and increased their love for it. They have visited over 70 countries, and told wondrous stories about many of them. Their apartment is evidence of their love of other cultures: nearly everything in their apartment is from Hong Kong, when I entered it there was barely any evidence of America at all.
The majority of their book centered on this traveling, and is divided into sections based on the many places they have visited. They have traveled everywhere; I am really very jealous of their existence and ability to travel all over the world the way that they have. My favorite pictures, of course, are those taken of the ducks in Boston Garden, and of the sailor in Gloucester, MA, both so close to where I live! I love Massachussetts. Even as their years increase, they continute to travel. Just two weeks ago they took a ride in an air balloon over the area, something I've always wanted to do.
In addition to traveling, the Reaves devoted the whole first section of their book to friends and family, despite the fact that they wanted to make the photo book mostly about travel. Their friends and family were just so important to them that the first few pages are entirely devoted to those people they know and love.
I really loved getting to know Shelby and Sylvia Reaves. Their perspective on life was very educational and I really loved the experience. They were very kind to us and I think Alexis and I both had a very good and educational time with them. I haven't been able to spend much time with my grandparents over the years for several reasons, and this was a nice way to spend time with people in a similar generation.
I really like this aspect of our honors class.