Torrie Hazelwood

This website is a chance for me to share my photography and travels with friends, family, and interested parties alike. From wandering around my house, camp, and early travels with disposable cameras to my current habit of lugging heavy lenses wherever I go, photography has served as a (sometimes more reliable) memory bank. Capturing my experiences has been a compelling way for me to recall what I have been drawn to (especially looking back at my early years) and compare my perspective with others'. Since my first international experience, I have been privileged to travel around the world and throughout the U.S. for school, work, and pleasure. This has served to feed my desire to learn more about people and places around the globe and in my own neighborhood. It has also laid the foundation for me to reflect on my own positionality as I become a more reflexive traveler.

Mount Doom: The Time I Simply Walked into Mordor

January 13, 2016 by Torrie Hazelwood in Travel, New Zealand

Since arriving in New Zealand I have been blown away by how consistently beautiful this country is. In an effort to live out my many Lord of the Rings fantasies, I have hiked mountains, sought out waterfalls, and traversed the North Island - I've even found the perfect Gandalf-style walking stick. Here to help me realize my LOTR dreams are my Kiwi camp friends I made while at Becket Chimney Corners YMCA in the States (I expect they will be thrilled at the prospect of dressing up as elves, dwarfs, hobbits, etc. to go hiking). As the great Galdalf the Grey once said "all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" and with that I will spend my days here exploring, petting Kiwi birds, and shouting "you shall not pass!" whenever the mood catches me.

*Mount Doom (aka Mt. Ngauruhoe) Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand*

*Ngarotopounamu Lake, Tongariro National Park, New Zealand*