“At 18, starting university, when asked about your dreams, you say you want to travel the world; at 22, after graduating, you say you’ll do it after getting a job; at 26, with a stable job, you say you’ll go after buying a house; at 30, with a car and a home, you say you’ll wait until you’re married to take your wife along; at 35, with kids, you say you’ll wait until they’re older; at 40, when the kids are grown, you say you’ll wait until the elders are well cared for. In the end, you go nowhere.” This is a widely circulated post on Weibo. Just like how most people openly admire and yearn for a life of travel, wandering, heading to distant places, and being on the road. And yet, most of them also say they can’t go now—no money, poor English, no income if not working... Too many excuses, and youth slips away amid all these reasons.
Scenes captured at the same spot near Xinduqiao within 15 minutes, showing a transition from morning to dusk
The photography team has now returned victorious, though their trip was far from smooth. It seemed as if nature was testing this young team leader—six out of the seven days were rainy, and the journey was plagued by road repairs, landslides, and a team member falling ill, among other unexpected issues. But it was precisely because of this that Chen Keyu experienced a unique journey and captured many precious photos. The misty Dadu River, the rapidly changing skies over Xinduqiao, the undulating Milk Sea... these rarely seen sights were all caught through the lens. These moments were not only the highlights of the outdoor photography team’s journey for the Gore Outdoor Dream Realization event, but also the greatest gifts this 17-year-old received on his dream-filled trip.
Seventeen, the final year before adulthood, marks the approach to a new stage in life’s journey. Zhao Jia’s solo trip at 17 ignited his outdoor dream, and now 17-year-old Chen Keyu is using his lens to document and his footsteps to measure, completing his youthful dream with the beauty of the great outdoors.