The title of the entry starts to describe my coming two months quite well - join me for the 'adventure' !!

There are numerous reasons why I love my job as a Sports Photographer, you get the best seats in the house for some great games, you meet different people, explore new countries, experience different cultures... all this while getting paid.

Then there are other things, which I still personally feel like I do enjoy - but others shake their heads when they hear about them. The getting up at 3am to catch an early flight, staying up until 3am to edit that set of photos or exclusive interview, sitting at airports waiting for connecting flights, doing a big tournament and not having anything to eat for twelve hours and then eating a pizza at 1am...

Every summer my clients fill my schedule with single games and larger tournaments around Europe - so I thought that perhaps it would be an idea to shed some light to what my summer looks like from behind the lens.

As I write this, it is the last day before the start of the long two month stint of living on the road. Somehow it makes you feel slightly emotional sitting in your own home office and being surrounded my your 'mess'. For the next two months, I will be staring at hotel room walls and having uncomfortable work stations (which my back will surely reward me at the end of it all!).

A quick look at my calendar showed that the following months will have approximately the schedule detailed below :

- 52 days abroad (out of 68)

- 14 hotels

- 37 flights

- 14 countries

- 100 games (on top of this, training sessions, press conferences..)

and

- 5 days spent at home (mainly doing laundry)

So why do I do this? Simple answer, if there is such a thing, would be that I love my work and all this makes me happy. Yes, all these games/events will be work, so you do need to approach them professionally and there is some pressure to get the images/interviews/videos that your clients need. But when you love holding the camera and strive to capture the special images for your clients.. it gives you a buzz like nothing else.

Having established a working relationship with many of these clients for many years, it also helps to make things run smoothly. And it means that the teams/organisations have many people whom I have grown to know over the years... so one could almost use the quote that many Finnish basketball players say to me (one of the teams/players I cover the most!).. 'It is time to spend some time with the "Summer Family"...'

Hopefully over the coming weeks I will be able to regularly update the Blog with various entries from the road.. and spice them up with few photos, so you don't have to just read the dry words.

But now - I will head to my garden for a while... just lay back and enjoy a good book for a while.

LIFE ON THE ROAD STARTS TOMORROW AT 8AM !!!