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- A VISUAL EXPLORATION INTO THE DEFINITION OF HOME AROUND THE GLOBE -
By Sam Lenkins
Photos by Ayden Stoefen
"THOUGH THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND IS MEReLY A HOUSE, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THERES A LOT MORE TO IT."
Ayden answered when we asked him where he enjoyed living the most.
Once graduating high school Ayden took the past few years living, working and documenting the communities he surrounds himself with abroad. As anticipated this comes with a wide spread of experiences and a lack of comforts we may take for granted when living in a place long term.
"I've lived everywhere from the amazon jungle to the Himalayas and the one key factor that brings a place together is community"
Over the past few years I've traveled the globe living and working with underdeveloped communities, to then return to a first-world country for the ease and comforts that they are known for; only to find a much more stressed and rancor environment within them. This had me thinking did these so called "underdeveloped" communities know something we didn't?
communication:
The one key factor that can make or break a community's overall ambience. Communication creates a stronger atmosphere both socially and economically within a society. Just like a business if it lacks organization and the ability to work strategically as a team a lot less will be accomplished. Everywhere around the globe you can see patterns, from the way street markets are organized, how food is sold, and the transportation of both products and people throughout different cities. Without communication things would become much less organized and long-term progress and development would never be accomplished.
What drew you away from staying in the community you grew up in?
I would say I was never drawn away from the lifestyle I had ahead of me if I stayed in Florida but more drawn to the oppurtunities that were waiting for me abroad. I've always been someone to revere experience over anything else and I felt going international would teach me a lot. Putting myself in these scenarios, living locally everywhere I go and interacting with the different individuals that cross my path has taught me more then a proper college degree could ever do. I will continue to self educate on my travels and plan to keep telling the stories of these individuals I meet along the way.
