Zermatt

Snow capped village
Beautiful Ski Resort in Zermatt Switzerland
Mysterious and snowy, the Matterhorn almost disappears in a storm.
The Matterhorn on a clear day
A river will snow covered rocks runs through the village.

During the winter of 2012, I was able to learn to ski. So the first on my list of the top three things I learned while in Zermatt was (1) to ski, and that when you’re skiing you should look forward to where you are going. This was helped by me being able to look at the giant moutons around me. (2) I also learned that some ski villages don’t allow cars! We had to park our van and then get on a little elctric trolly to go up to the ski resort. This made the snow super beautiful and stay white! (3) The villagers who were there skied EVERYWHERE. Outside of every restaurant I saw little places for people to stick their skis or ski boots. So cool!

Annecy

I have been to Annecy plenty of times, but I am never quite over the quaint beauty of this town. It was the first town in France I had visited actually, all my time previous to my first visit was spent in Geneva. So to me Annecy was like WOW. Everything I turned to look at I was like wow, there are canals and colors and bikes! Now, of course I am a little more seasoned so even though Annecy had still stood out to me, I’m not as easily pleased.

Something that has stayed true of my thoughts about Annecy is that is really is beautiful and quaint. I usually stay in the la vieille ville, there is something about being around really old buildings that makes me excited. Like, I can’t get super old building in Ohio. I need to appreciate them here and now.

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A lively band plays in Annecy and the local residents come out to watch.
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A serene bridge over a canal shows why this town is called “The Venice of France”
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Boats float on the canal

When I was visiting one time, there was a giant market going on. I love being able to buy jams, meat and fruit straight from the person who produced it. It also gave me a chance to practice my french. The people there would be pretty patient with me as I struggled to pronounce some names, but I came away knowing more and with armfuls of goodies.

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Fresh jams for sale at a farmers market
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Beautiful buildings in Annecy

Of course there is the lake. In the summer, and I’m assuming a little into the fall as well, you can rent paddle boats, canoes, and boats. It was incredibly relaxing to be able be in the middle of the lake surrounded by laughing locals and tourists. You get out there and then when you look around it’s an incredible view. Both the huge mountains and the city around, very picturesque.

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A relaxing place to sit and view the French Alps.

Meeting People- Let Them Inspire You.

Meeting people is an important part of work in media. I have been blessed to know some incredibly creative people, including one of my best friends. Recently, she launched her own photography company, while she already co-owns a production company. She inspired me to a think about life as a college student. As a student, we juggle midterms, one or two jobs, career experience and that extra credit project our professors ‘highly insists’ on is about as easy as turning down the music when Taylor Swift is playing.

Where is the time set aside to breathe and actually do what we love to do?  It’s difficult when we have so many obligations pulling on our social calendars to think about setting time aside for what we really love.

However, that is exactly what Corynne Hogan does! All while in her sophomore year at college. Her photos bring us incredible moments that are so relatable. Need proof? That moment during the guitar solo of our favorite band’s concert when we pushed our way to the front row. Her photos have been used by concert venues and high profile bands before. Our best friend laughing in a field of sunflowers or drinking out of their favorite coffee mug? Her photos capture genuine smiles that make us envious of the joke she probably cracked before hitting the shutter. The relaxed behind the scenes music video photos? She’s got those because she was also there filming the music video. The indie photos with intricate lighting from sparklers and colors from smoke bombs? She’s got those down on lock.

So with that inspiration form Corynne, I will strive to do more than just what is expected of me.

 

You can read my original blog post here.

London

Cathedral in London
View from the Eye of the City
Cathedral in London
Tower of London Interior
Tower of London Guard
Street that inspired J K Rowling
Pillars and architecture of London
Beautiful windows and curtains
Sky Reflected in dome

London, such a great city. It’s super amazing how it can be filled with such amazing history and also be so modern. When I was here, I was with my family. First lesson learned, when you’re traveling with a group of people, don’t be selfish. Maybe you don’t want to go to the London Tower but your group does, just be selfless and go with them. Then try and see if you can do something you really want to do afterwards. The second lesson is that you should do your research about where you are going. Look up the old antique bookstores, the statues that you want to see, the bus routes. If you do your research, it’ll be a much smoother trip. Lastly, and possibly most important, your plans will most likely go wrong. Something will go wrong. You have a group of six but you can only find taxis for five people. There is a event happening in the garden you wanted to take pictures in. You have to be flexible. I cannot stress that enough.

Belgium

Beautiful light shining into a Catherdral
Silvius Brabo is said to have killed a giant and threw his hand into the river, which is where we get the name ‘Antwerp’ May//2013
Belfry of Bruges in May 2013
Buildings in Antwerp, Belgium
The golden light shining on the Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp
Classic picture of a bike leaning against the door of the Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp.

Belgium was another amazing country. It is one of my favorite countries I’ve ever been to, and by that time I had been to a few. There were so many huge buildings there that looking nothing like buildings I had seen before! You can sit there pinning the pictures on Pinterest of places and think they are beautiful, but thats very different then being right underneath them. I found myself overwhelmed to take super gorgeous pictures, but (1) don’t pressure yourself to take the kinds of pictures you see everywhere else. Try taking things from a different angle or of everyday objects that are slightly quirky. The photo of the yellow bike against the door I almost didn’t take. Now, it’s my favorite photo I’ve ever taken. (2) Try to learn about the history of where you’re going. I didn’t know anything about Belgium and it’s history so when I was there I asked as many questions as possible. You should also always (3) look for unique things in each city you go to, find out what makes each city special.

Welcome

I, Alyssa Driscoll, love lavender ice cream and cats. I take pictures of Starbucks drinks, leaves, and mountains. My little sister is my best friend and the most creative ten year old that I know. Finally, I love to tell stories. I think that’s what drives people to keep creating- the love of telling stories. That’s what makes a good film, a compelling photograph, or an Anthropologie store front come alive. Hopefully on my website you’ll find stories you love. Look in my travel photography to find stories about the world. Look at the production design to find stories about relationships and creative space explorers. Look at my writing to see the stories that inspire me every day.

Paris

Photo taken of a festival in Paris during the summer // Summer 2013
Details of the monuments in Paris
Grace posing in Paris
Busy macaron shop in Paris on Avenue des Champs-Élysées //August 2013
Photo Taken of the Eiffel Tower in Paris at Sunset // August 2013
Statues in a garden by a festival in Paris
Taken in Paris, France // August 2012

Ah! Paris! The city of lights! I am so excited to return here. The first time I visited the city it was after a week of being in Italy, which was after a couple months of being in Switzerland. I was tired and I let that affect my trip. I’m so happy I was able to go back a second time, where I did not let a second go to waste. The first travel lesson I learned here is to take advantage of every moment you have in the city, even if that means waking up early to go to Louvre. Go see the art. It’s worth it the sleep loss. The second is to be adventurous! You don’t have to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, you can instead go to the grocery store and buy supplies for a picnic in the gardens outside the Louvre. You’ll have your own unique memory that you can’t just google pictures of. Third lesson: If you only have a few days in a city and they offer a bus tour, DO IT. My step mom gave me this advice before a friend of mine when on the city on our own and it was great. The bus takes you to all the monuments, you can get on an off as you choose, and if there is a bus stop by your hotel then you can take the scenic route home instead of the metro. Be careful though, the buses usually stop running around 7 pm so have a plan to get back if you are going to be out later than that.

Rome

Photo of the Vatican City from the Cupola of the Cathedral // August 2012
Map of Rome
Birds eye view of Rome
Architecture in the Vatican City
A local man waits to walk across the street in Rome
In Venice, the main point of transportation is either walking or boats

Rome, the eternal city. This city was the first time I felt overwhelmed by the history. I remember being astonished when the tour guide told me that the stones we walked on were so old the apostles had walked on them. I just took a moment and thought. Having tour guides were really great for when we went to the museums. I didn’t know much about art history then, so it was really great having someone to explain to me why Michelangelo used so much blue paint. My dad and I were on this trip together, and before we ordered food he would look up how to order in Italian. We usually butchered the words or forgot them, but the local waiters seemed to appreciate our effort.