An bóthar a shiúl

An bóthara shiúl - (an boh-hahr a hi-ool) To travel the road As you drive, do you ever glance down familiar crossroads wondering what lies just beyond the streets you've never ventured down? Do you feel a sense of curiosity so strong you promise yourself one day you’ll take that detour and find out what lies just beyond that curve in the road? “An bóthar a shiúl” is a reflection of emotions felt when we see those roads that are familiar, yet unknown. While we yearn to discover the mysteries of what lies just beyond the horizon, we feel both fear that what we’ll find isn’t what we hoped and excitement that it will be better than imagined. In this particular series, the subject wears a white dress. This is not so much to depict the typical symbolism of innocence, but rather the naivety of not knowing what is beyond the horizon, remaining untainted by the pull of one direction or the other. The white also serves to separate her from the monochromatic background, indicating she is no longer part of where she came from (she’s not looking that way), nor from where she’s going (she hasn’t arrived yet). The monochromatic nature of each photograph itself helps to define the moment she is in as she contemplates following the next curve in the road. Ultimately, “An bóthar a shiúl” stands as a reflection of my own life right now, as I stand at a point of transition in my own search for my purpose in life. Still in my youth, my mind is ever wondering about what I should try next or where I should go. Will it be better than I imagined, or will it be a mistake to take that path?