Kelly and I went to high school together and were friends. We didn’t hang too out much outside of class but I was always struck by the confidence and ease she had about her. She made an impression on me because as a high school boy… those traits were always heavily desired but impossible to come by. Kelly’s photos continue to impact me and I love her use of space and framing with her shots. She always finds new ways to creatively shoot places and people. It was great getting to reconnect with her through the photo gallery of Tijuana and this questionnaire. Enjoy! – Lane
FEATURED TRAVELER
KELLY WOOD
Where do you live?
Los Angeles, California
Where did you grow up?
Georgia from 5-15 and then Colorado for high school
What was the first out of country experience you had?
I went to Germany a lot when I was a kid, but the first time I really remember a big trip was when I went to Japan with my uncle for two weeks.
How old were you?
Just a couple months when I went to Germany but about 13 for Japan
Would you say you’re an introvert or an extrovert?
Mostly always an extrovert, but there is beauty in being an observer 🙂
How did you get the travel bug?
Growing up my mom pushed my sister and I to always go places. We used to go on planes by ourselves and visit my uncle in New York City. My grandparents were big travelers and always went to unexpected places that were far off any tourist grids. It caught on.
Who inspired you to travel?
My grandparents and my mom. Travel was never something that was to be put off for later in life. My mom always said that if I had the money and time to go on a trip, even if I had to work extra when I got back, that I should just do it because life happens and you need to be experiencing the most of it when you can.
What is your favorite building or man-made structure? Why?
The Sagrada Familia! If you haven’t heard about it, it’s a beautiful church in Barcelona. Gaudí started designing it almost 100 years ago and it’s still not finished to this day. I think it’ll be done in 2026. I went to Barcelona by myself and spent a good four or five hours in that church alone.
What is your favorite cuisine from the places you’ve been? Why?
Thailand or Japan! Every single thing I ate in these two countries was freaking delicious. They know how to do a variety of food. My favorite food in the entire world is Ethiopian though, so I know that when I go there one day, I’m going to cry at my first meal.
What was the most dangerous situation you’ve been in traveling? Where?
I went to Cali, Colombia for three weeks and although nothing dangerous happened when I was there, I was always told by the family that I was staying with to be careful. They constantly walked with me in the middle of them and watched out for groups of people around us in the neighborhood. Colombia has a huge mix of people, but I definitely felt like I stood out there more than other places I’ve been to.
What was the most uncomfortable you’ve felt while traveling in regards to income disparity?
The biggest income disparity I’ve ever seen was in Mumbai, India. I had seen in Nepal how poverty stricken the country was, but the poverty was dispersed heavily between everyone. In Mumbai, the disparity was intense. On one side of the street, you could see Dharavi, the third largest slum in the entire world, and scattered in between the streets would be the most affluent businesses. There was a woman I remember who was living in a tarp on the side of the street. The ground was muddy and wet and she had no shoes. She was setting up pieces of items that she found to try and collect money. In front of her was a Mercedes, a Range Rover, and a Lexus and the storefront just a few feet away was selling expensive jewelry and had a security guard. This happened throughout the city many times and it was uncomfortable to see how wealthy portions of the neighborhood could exist side by side amongst so many people in need.
What is your favorite activity to do while in another country?
I like to walk. I do this is my own neighborhood where I live and doing this somewhere new is equally as enjoyable. The day comes at you differently when you take the time to look at it. Sometimes you get busy in your daily life and just don’t allow yourself to notice things so when I travel I like to make sure I give myself time to notice what’s naturally happening around me.
Give an example of when traveling made you feel alive.
Greece made me feel so alive. I went for ten days with twelve of my family members. We went to scatter my grandfather’s ashes and ended up following one of his trips he had mapped out from when he used to travel there since the 50s. It was his favorite country and none of us has ever been. It was the most surreal experience because since my grandparents talked about Greece their whole lives and had things from Greece in there house, we all felt like we had been there by the time we got there. We all kept looking at each other in awe when we would find something that so clearly explained our grandparents.
Give an example of while traveling you felt like you were in a movie.
My uncle and his family took a road trip from Italy to India for three months during the summer two years ago. I joined them for the last three weeks of their trip and we traveled in their van all the way from Northern India to Rajasthan to Mumbai. The whole trip felt like one big movie. Every other day we drove to a new city. We got to see the incredibly diverse landscape of India, we got to watch the world go by because we had our own van, and we met some of the most interesting communities. I’ll never forget this experience.
Where would you like to go next if I paid for a plane ticket – 3 day trip?
Tokyo. I’ve been there before but not since I was young. I would walk around all night, forgo sleep, and bring my film camera. I’d let myself join different groups of people and see where the night would go. Quick trips like that are best spent doing the most unexpected things with people from my experience.
Where would you like to go next if I paid for a plane ticket – 2 week trip?
Ethiopia. I would eat the most food I’ve ever eaten in my life and be surrounded by the most warm, beautiful, and welcoming people. There’s a special place in my heart for that trip.
What is your best advice for someone who is traveling internationally for their first time?
Try and put away your own notions of a place. Sometimes when people are uncomfortable, its because something is new to them. Embrace discomfort, get it over with, and allow yourself to experience the new place as it is.
What is your biggest takeaway from traveling?
It should be done! I’ve never come back from anywhere as the same person. Experiencing things opens you up differently and should be a continuous effort.
What would you change about the travel world if you could?
It’s not free. That part is a real limiting.
What are you working on? Where can we follow?
I am constantly taking photographs on my trips. I put my work up on my website and post when I feel the desire. Here are the links so both my site and my Instagram. I also put a link for the home in Nepal that I help do content for.
IG: @kellywoood
https://ama-foundation.org (I help make the content for this home)
