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All right, guys, this is episode five on the Nick amp podcast.

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I'm here with Matt couch, the Michigan vagabond Instagram.

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He's also on Tick Tock.

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This guy is one of the most awesome photographers I know.

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He posts some of the most low key spots in Michigan.

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Most people don't know about Michigan.

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That is awesome.

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If you're in the area, I like when visiting Matt couch.

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It also does with the Scots, and we'll be talking about that today.

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So, Matt, it's good to have you on, man.

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Hey, thanks for having me on Nick.

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I appreciate you.

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So generally when I have people on, I just ask them

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some basic questions to get the conversation going.

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So who was Matt couch?

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How did you get here?

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I don't know.

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I don't know where here is.

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I don't I don't I don't think I'm necessarily anywhere.

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Oh, but I mean from, I guess from the start of it,

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if I have to say anything, I just.

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My wife and I love the outdoors.

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We used to hike a lot when we would still do.

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But I think that's what brought me

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to photography, you know, at its core, basically, because,

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you know, we started visiting all these amazing places.

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And I was like, well, I kind of want some memories, you know, like,

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I mean, other than, you know, like your iPhone photos or anything like that.

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Like I want, you know, something that I could hang on the wall.

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So I picked up a camera and I guess now we're here.

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So are you born and raised in Michigan or are you from somewhere else?

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No born and raised in Michigan.

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Actually, I was born in some place that most people know about.

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I was born in Flint, Michigan.

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Flint, Michigan. OK.

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Yeah. So most people know about it because of because of the water.

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But yeah, that's where I was born and I was I was born in a hospital

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that doesn't exist anymore. So yeah.

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So you started from old.

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You started photography in Michigan.

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Did you only just pick up a camera when you met your wife

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or were you taking photos before that?

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I mean, I picked up.

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I picked up a camera, I think, well into well into our relationship,

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because, I mean, we had been a couple of different places and, you know,

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and seen, you know, a lot of stuff all over Michigan.

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And it was just a kind of just it snapped in my head, you know,

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we were sitting on a beach on the West Coast and the West Coast of Michigan,

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might I add.

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And the sun was going down and people started to clap.

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Now, my wife hadn't been used to this before, and she was like,

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what are they clapping for?

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I was like, they're clapping for the sunset.

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Like, these are sun towns. These are summer towns, you know.

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So people come alive, basically, in the sun.

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And the summer months.

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And it's just, you know, it's fantastic.

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So I think it was like that moment that I just kind of I was like,

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man, I really want to start remembering all these trips.

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You know, even if it doesn't, you know, go anywhere further than, you know,

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my documentation of our trips and our life together, I'm OK with that.

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That's awesome, Matt.

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So you're probably more of a late bloomer than I feel like a lot of people who

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start photography.

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Some people started when they were a kid.

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Some people started that right when they started college for you.

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You started that more into your adult life.

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And that must be interesting taking on a new hobby at that point,

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because you're already doing other things.

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And I'm sure you've already experienced the outdoors in Michigan before you

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were doing photography.

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So adding that camera to your arsenal of being out there,

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enjoying Michigan, was just probably another fun element for you, right?

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Yeah, it definitely it definitely gave I would say gave me a new purpose

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as far as like, you know, going out there and like at first it started with,

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you know, showing my wife things that I grew up doing and

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just basically, you know, sharing things with each other.

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And then that definitely spurred something in me.

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But like, I'm not a stranger to taking on like new things that I I don't know

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necessarily.

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I mean, I love I love taking on new hobbies because I feel, you know,

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if you fill your time, life kind of seems fulfilled, if that makes sense.

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Yeah, that's a good point.

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So Michigan has some of the best outdoors.

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Nobody knows about it.

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And you said that you showed your wife some of the things that you were

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growing up.

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So does that mean that you grew up going to the outdoors?

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Oh, yeah, definitely.

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We spent a lot of time in Patwater, Michigan, when I was a kid,

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which is on the West Coast.

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Some it's if you're going to use my hand, I don't know if it's this way or not.

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So I spent a lot of time in Patwater, Michigan,

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which is on the West Coast, which is on the West Coast,

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which is on the West Coast, which is on the West Coast,

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which is on the West Coast, which is on the West Coast,

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which is on the West Coast.

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If you're going to use my hand, I don't know if it's this way or not.

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So it's basically right around here.

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So there's like Luddington,

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uh, mirror State Park,

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uh, Patwater, Michigan, that's all in there.

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And there's a whole bunch of campgrounds there.

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Mirror State Park is, uh,

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one of my favorite campgrounds actually is tiny, but it's, it's beautiful.

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But it's a very small campground.

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And I was introduced to photography about 19, 20 years old.

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And I wasn't introduced to photography first. Okay.

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So I always brought my camera with me,

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always knowing that I wanted the document being out there.

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So I think that you kind of had a leg up on a lot of people who are in

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photography and outdoors because you were able to experience the outdoors

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first before the camera.

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I'm telling you, man, the first time I went to the mountains,

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I didn't have my camera.

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And I, I like to say something like amongst like our group of photographers

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within Michigan.

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I literally tell people if Michigan had like a high mountain range,

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we have, we have the Porky's, um, but like a high mountain range,

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like you'd see in Montana, we'd have, we have everything.

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There'd be no reason to leave the state.

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I agree.

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I don't know if you've been to Lake Tahoe.

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I have not.

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So Lake Tahoe.

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I've not been to any Northern Cali actually.

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You got to go.

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Lake Tahoe.

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I know.

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As Tennessee or Nevada, right?

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So it's surrounded by big mountains.

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So I just imagine Lake Michigan being in the same kind of environment.

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If it had those types of mountains that Lake Tahoe has,

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it would be the same type of tourist crowds.

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It would be, it would be absolutely wild.

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Don't, I mean, don't get me wrong.

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I think the lakes have their share of tourists.

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They definitely do.

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There's no ancestor butts about that.

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I mean, most people don't realize, like when you say lake, you know,

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I feel like I really feel like most people don't realize like it's not a lake.

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Like it's just what we call them.

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If anything, they're small seas.

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You can see them from outer space.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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They're huge.

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Like, and it's, it's baffling to me that like, cause like, you know,

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I've seen stuff,

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I've seen stuff from the West coast and stuff from like, you know,

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like far East coast and stuff.

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And it's, it's weird that nobody talks about Michigan and nobody talks

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about, you know, certain States in the Midwest, but man, like, I mean,

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we, we are, I would say we're the lower half of Michigan is only landlocked

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by Ohio, Illinois, Indiana.

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But I mean, if you look to the left or look to the right, you got water.

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Yeah.

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Hours either way.

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I was looking at the major water too.

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I was looking at the map and I was like, okay,

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where's Michigan exactly at?

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I didn't realize you were literally encapsulated enclosed by both lakes on

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both sides.

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Yeah. Yep.

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And then they meet, they meet up at the top.

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And then obviously we cross the bridge into the UP and then the UP has

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superior above it.

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And that is a whole different beast right there.

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So I have a question.

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You're the lakes are in technically both the United States and the

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United States and Canada.

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So technically if you're on a boat, you can cross over to Canada in the

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lakes, right?

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Or is there border patrol?

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Yeah, you could.

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Yeah. You could technically, yeah, you could definitely do that.

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I mean, if you, if you look at it close enough, if you wanted to,

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because Canada comes between superior here on,

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you can cross over to the other side of the ocean.

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And then you can cross over to the other side of the ocean.

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And then you can cross over to the other side of the ocean.

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So that's pretty cool.

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I mean,

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I don't know how we kept Ontario because that lake is so far away from

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Michigan, but I guess it's ours. So then we claim it.

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But if you go down through here on through.

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See Claire and up through the other great lakes, you can technically.

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Make it all the way out to the ocean. If you wanted to.

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So that's pretty cool.

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Being on the.

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My question is, so like,

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since you can just have the access to Canada,

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is there people like monitoring, like people going over both sides?

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Well, I've never, I've never been that far out on here on or superior.

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So I don't know if they monitor it heavily.

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I mean, I would assume so. I would assume they have, you know,

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their own coast guard.

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Yeah.

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But I know, you know, the ports are heavily monitored.

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And I mean, I would imagine the waters are, I know.

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On our side, they are so.

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That's interesting. Cause I mean,

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Like you said, nobody talks about it.

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So as I was just doing research today on the lakes,

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I was like, those are the things that come to mind.

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It really is surprising to me that most people.

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I don't know.

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And that's like, I mean, obviously that's.

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Not just that's not just local to the United States, either.

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That's overseas.

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So that's like, I mean,

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I don't know if they're going to be able to do that in the future.

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But I mean, I think that's, that's not just local to the United States.

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That's overseas as well too. Like most people just don't know.

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So your lakes.

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Legit have waves.

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And when you watch the sunset.

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At least what I've seen from your stories.

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It seems like you're literally at the beach of a California beach

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because the lake's that big.

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It's fantastic.

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I mean, it's a really good place to be.

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And I think that's really interesting,

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because I don't think it's a bad thing to be at a travel ed

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store though. You know, I mean,

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They're absolutely beautiful.

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But because we're not used to that West, like I feel like.

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I feel like people like on the West coast of the States.

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Are very used to like, you know, like.

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Riptides and different forms of currents that are kind of dangerous.

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Yeah. I mean, you can get, it can get pretty dangerous. And I mean,

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it's just, man, when a storm kicks up.

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You can have 12 foot swells.

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What?

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Yeah. On a lake.

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I mean, because people, people think about it's not,

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it's not technically a lake. It's, it's a sea, you know, I mean.

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Yeah.

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They're huge.

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Yeah. Do people serve on it?

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Oh yeah.

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Yeah. People do serve on it.

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I would have more pictures of that.

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If I have, if I had a longer lens.

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Which is on its way, might I add.

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So yeah. So look forward to that in the future.

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But a lot of people, a lot of people, believe it or not.

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Surf in the winter.

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Because the storms make bigger waves.

250
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Yeah. And it is just a thing.

251
00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:38,400
Like you'll get guys with beards out there that are just covered nice.

252
00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:42,400
And they'll be in wetsuits and it's fantastic to watch. And they.

253
00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:43,400
They jam out.

254
00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:46,400
And they're just like, dude, and you live in the North.

255
00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,400
So surfing in the North in the winter.

256
00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:50,400
Yeah.

257
00:12:50,400 --> 00:12:52,400
That is pretty, it can get pretty cold.

258
00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:53,400
That's gnarly.

259
00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:54,400
Yeah.

260
00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,400
They can get pretty cold.

261
00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:57,400
So what about you?

262
00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:00,400
Are you going to end up surfing out there? One of these days?

263
00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:02,400
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

264
00:13:02,400 --> 00:13:09,400
No, that's a, that's definitely way out of my skillset.

265
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:13,400
I'm more of a blue floating down the river kind of skillset.

266
00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:16,400
Like on my back, jungle booking it.

267
00:13:16,400 --> 00:13:20,400
So yeah, no, that's the surfing is definitely not for me.

268
00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:24,400
Well, anyways, if you ever like, if you would ever like to surf,

269
00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:28,400
I would like to be able to be one of the ones who watched this happen.

270
00:13:28,400 --> 00:13:30,400
Oh, fantastic. Fantastic.

271
00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:36,400
So you just, you want to, you want to encapsulate my horrible fails over and over and over.

272
00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:37,400
I got you.

273
00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:39,400
I want to photograph it.

274
00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,400
Well, I guess, yeah, no.

275
00:13:41,400 --> 00:13:45,400
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You won't photograph my fails. That's what you want.

276
00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,400
Oh man.

277
00:13:47,400 --> 00:13:50,400
A lot of pictures like, oh no.

278
00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:57,400
So tell me about, it says that, I think it's called, is it called Huron National Forest?

279
00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:01,400
Is that the one where the portfolio is at over in Michigan?

280
00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:08,400
Oh, Huron, Manistee, Ka-ha-na-k-ha-um.

281
00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,400
Cheese O' Peets, I'm blanking now.

282
00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:14,400
Uh.

283
00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:17,400
Oh, I'm pulling it up now because I'm blanking.

284
00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:21,400
Um, because we have three major national forests.

285
00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,400
It looked huge.

286
00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:24,400
Yeah.

287
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:29,400
Oh, let's see.

288
00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,400
Man.

289
00:14:32,400 --> 00:14:36,400
I frequent Huron Manistee a lot.

290
00:14:36,400 --> 00:14:40,400
Um.

291
00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:41,400
Uh.

292
00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:47,400
The reason I'm asking is because I know Michigan is a lesser known area for fall foliage.

293
00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,400
Which is surprising.

294
00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:54,400
Uh, yeah, Huron Manistee National Forest, uh, and then Hiawatha, excuse me.

295
00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:59,400
So there's Huron Manistee, Huron Manistee is split between both East and West.

296
00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:02,400
So you have it on the East side of the state and then you have it on the West side of the state.

297
00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,400
And then up in the UP is Hiawatha National Forest.

298
00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:11,400
Um, and then you obviously have, you know, picture rocks and all that up in the UP.

299
00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:20,400
And then you have a national park, Sleeping Bear Dunes, on the northwest side of the lower peninsula.

300
00:15:20,400 --> 00:15:27,400
Uh, yeah, but I don't understand why, like, I mean, don't get me wrong.

301
00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:34,400
Like I've been to Maine in the fall and it's absolutely beautiful, but it's, it just reminds me of home.

302
00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:38,400
Colors wise, colors wise, you guys get the same colors of the East coast.

303
00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:40,400
All day. All day.

304
00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:46,400
That's the difference between over here on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

305
00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,400
That's where you get the most fall foliage and you get Aspen trees, which turn yellow.

306
00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:56,400
Occasionally they do turn an orangish color, but not very often.

307
00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:03,400
So I've never truly experienced the true fall foliage, which I'm hoping to experience one of these years.

308
00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,400
Maybe go out to Michigan, maybe go out to the North.

309
00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:07,400
It's only a plane ticket away, man.

310
00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:08,400
You're right.

311
00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,400
And I know Colorado also was an Aspen town.

312
00:16:11,400 --> 00:16:14,400
So you truly don't get a fall until you're in the East coast.

313
00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:17,400
But I don't know if you heard about Utah's fall.

314
00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:18,400
I haven't.

315
00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:21,400
Dude, they get reds. They get reds.

316
00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:23,400
I didn't know that.

317
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:24,400
Oh, really?

318
00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:26,400
So do Salt Lake City.

319
00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:31,400
They have a lot of mountains over there and apparently they have some trees that turn red over there.

320
00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:36,400
And it's one of the most low key spots I've ever known that have good fall foliage.

321
00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,400
I'm going to have to look into that.

322
00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:42,400
Salt Lake City is in like a big and upcoming city.

323
00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:47,400
And a lot of photographers are there right now and they've been showing off those beautiful locations.

324
00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:54,400
So if you're looking for a fall foliage place to go to with huge mountains with red trees, Utah.

325
00:16:54,400 --> 00:17:03,400
I think I'm going to be there a little too early this year because I'm actually going to Salt Lake City in May.

326
00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:05,400
Dude, Salt Lake is beautiful.

327
00:17:05,400 --> 00:17:07,400
Yeah, I've never been.

328
00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:11,400
I've flown in and then flown to Southern Cali.

329
00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,400
But I've never stayed.

330
00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:21,400
So I think it was time to stay and kind of figure out my path in northern Utah.

331
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:26,400
Because I've been in southern Utah with all the red rocks and everything.

332
00:17:26,400 --> 00:17:29,400
But I haven't really traversed northern.

333
00:17:29,400 --> 00:17:31,400
So I think it's time to see that.

334
00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:33,400
You will enjoy that a lot, man.

335
00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,400
I'm looking forward to it a lot.

336
00:17:36,400 --> 00:17:44,400
We will, however, we will, however, be maybe I'm hoping I'm hoping we'll be on point.

337
00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:53,400
But we are headed to Maine September 28th through like the beginning of October.

338
00:17:53,400 --> 00:18:00,400
Yeah. So I'm I'm hoping for some color out there, too.

339
00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:01,400
You might be able to do some.

340
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:02,400
Yeah.

341
00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:06,400
So tell me about this, Matt.

342
00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:09,400
Are you more into video or photo?

343
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:15,400
I know you shoot a lot of video for a Tiktok and for YouTube.

344
00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:20,400
Is that your main thing or would you say photography is?

345
00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:30,400
Honestly, I if I had to say anything, I'd say like I'm pretty much right in the middle.

346
00:18:30,400 --> 00:18:36,400
I think it's easier to tell a story with, you know, video.

347
00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:50,400
But like, man, like if you look at a photo and it makes you feel something like, I mean, green, it's it's it's easy to pull emotions out of people with music behind the video.

348
00:18:50,400 --> 00:19:00,400
It's easy because, you know, I feel like if you were to watch like, let's say like Interstellar without that score behind it, it doesn't you know, it doesn't hit as hard.

349
00:19:00,400 --> 00:19:02,400
Exactly. You know what I'm saying? It doesn't hit us hard.

350
00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:14,400
But, you know, if you don't do that with a photo and that photo is still able to like pull emotions out of somebody, then I mean, man, that's that's a killer photo.

351
00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:25,400
You know, like I've seen a few from like just people that I follow on Instagram, like, you know, Michigan photographers who take, you know, just amazing photos.

352
00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:31,400
And I'm just like, I mean, do you like that? So you just stop for a second.

353
00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:48,400
And I'm just like, it's it's amazing. And to think, you know, like, especially like I live in the state, you know, so especially to me, like being kind of taken back over something that I've seen probably, you know, a thousand times.

354
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:49,400
Right.

355
00:19:49,400 --> 00:20:01,400
But, you know, there is what it is, man. So I think I think I sit like firmly in the middle. But I believe I believe it's easier for video.

356
00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:11,400
But I think it I think it's more. It's it's more. But it means more to me if I can affect somebody with a photo.

357
00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:24,400
For me, I feel like I have to tell a story through multiple photos, like a little storybook. People who post on Instagram, they post like a set of three to five photos and like, yeah, through that whole three to five photos.

358
00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,400
It's a whole story. But if you can do it through one, man, you're you're on a different level.

359
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:35,400
Yeah. And I and I try to stretch it out like that. I don't I don't I don't usually post more than one photo.

360
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:44,400
Unless it's like a split landscape rather than portrait. Right. And that's so you can get, you know, you can get the whole feel of it.

361
00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:50,400
But other than that, I usually just try to post one photo and just let it go from there.

362
00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:57,400
I mean, Instagram these days kind of really knocks down photos, but I'm not concerned with that. I don't I don't mind that stuff.

363
00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:06,400
I that's not and that's definitely not what I'm in it for. No, if that makes sense. So good. You shouldn't be those numbers that determine your value.

364
00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:13,400
Exactly. But a lot of people do a lot of people let it determine their wealth or value or, you know, however you want to put it.

365
00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:19,400
But I I look at it as more as like, hey, I'm sharing my experience with you, you know. Exactly.

366
00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:31,400
So now you recently just went to Scotland and I know you've talked to me about it before, but you didn't really tell me like what happened, where you went, how it was.

367
00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:39,400
I want I want I want to know. Wait, is Scotland in the UK? Right. Scotland is. Yeah. So they speak English.

368
00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:48,400
Yeah, I've never been out of the country. So is it crazy going to some it's not really different. It's not. No, no.

369
00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:59,400
No, it is not. Honestly, to tell you the truth, like, and this is how I explained it, because the first thing that comes to anybody's mind is driving on the left side of the road.

370
00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:10,400
Oh, no, we're going to drive on the left side of the road. And I like I said, like I said to my wife, I said, I said, well, how do you drive in the States?

371
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:20,400
And she was like, well, what do you mean? I was like, well, your steering wheel is on what side of the car? She was like on the left side of the car. So you're driving on the right side of the road, right?

372
00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:29,400
I said, how do you make sure that you don't go into the other lane? She was like, well, I don't I just don't go in the other lane. I was like the middle line, just the middle line.

373
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:37,400
So just think of it the opposite way. You're on the right side of the car and then you just lining up on that line and you're just fine.

374
00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:46,400
It's just it's normal. It does get a little bit tricky with light turning that that might that kind of threw me for a loop a couple of times.

375
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:55,400
And my wife did drive instead of right turns, left turns. Yeah, my wife did drive in in Edinburgh.

376
00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:13,400
Oh, nice. And and she did absolutely fantastic. I will say that. And then I drove for most of like the country stuff, most of that, like, you know, most of the small roads. So the one track roads, which are, you know, they're pretty simple because we've got them in Michigan, too.

377
00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:26,400
So it's basically, you know, whoever gets the right away in this, it's it's basically kind of kindness based on kindness. So like, hey, I saw you coming. So I'm going to turn off.

378
00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:33,400
You can go around and then I continue on my journey. And then likewise, you know, if someone sees me coming, they do the same thing.

379
00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:47,400
So it's pretty simple. But, uh, yeah, I I honestly, if I had the time, I would go back right now. Really? Yes, I would go back right now.

380
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:58,400
It is. It's so beautiful. And and the people, the people are really the people are really, really, really, really, really kind.

381
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:05,400
I asked I asked a waitress, oh, I were there because I'm I'm a fan of honesty.

382
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:10,400
And I I wanted to know, I was like, how do we sound to you?

383
00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:16,400
And she she kind of like dodged the question. I was like, you tell me the truth. I was like, I just want to know.

384
00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:24,400
And she said, we sound nasally. And I mean, most Midwesterns. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes.

385
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:33,400
So I just I just laugh. But we flew into Edinburgh and we stayed.

386
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:37,400
I want to say two nights, three nights in Edinburgh.

387
00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:46,400
And then from there, we went up to Inverness and Inverness is.

388
00:24:46,400 --> 00:24:55,400
Like that's that's the equivalent of Michigan's Traverse City. So like it's just it's a northern town.

389
00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:59,400
It's not in that northern, but, you know, it's just north of Edinburgh.

390
00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:08,400
So it's a northern town and it's just it's beautiful. It's kind of it's kind of small for what it is, but it's it's quaint.

391
00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:16,400
So like I enjoyed I enjoyed my time there. And that's where we're right around the area where like lot and that says.

392
00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:21,400
So you do get a lot of a lot of tourists and stuff like that.

393
00:25:21,400 --> 00:25:31,400
And, you know, but we were I don't know if we were slightly out of season because we went.

394
00:25:31,400 --> 00:25:36,400
I want to say it was. I want to say it was mid September.

395
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,400
I can't remember the dates. They're kind of fuzzy in my head.

396
00:25:39,400 --> 00:25:45,400
But, um, there wasn't that much tourism going on.

397
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:49,400
So we got to enjoy a lot of stuff, which was cool.

398
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:55,400
And then from there, we drove a lot. We drove around a little bit.

399
00:25:55,400 --> 00:26:02,400
We went to St. Andrew's Cathedral and Castle, and it was absolutely beautiful.

400
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:05,400
Oh, yeah, there's castles over there. Yeah.

401
00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:14,400
Oh, yeah. I didn't get to see a lot of that, which, you know, if I'm telling the honest truth,

402
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,400
that kind of gives me a reason to go back.

403
00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:19,400
Oh, we didn't have a lot of time over there.

404
00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,400
We want to go back.

405
00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:27,400
So from there, we went up to Isle Sky and we stayed in Uwik.

406
00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:29,400
And I hope I'm pronouncing that right.

407
00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,400
I'm pretty sure I'm pronouncing it right.

408
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:39,400
But it was a tiny little town. And if you look from where we were staying in a B&B,

409
00:26:39,400 --> 00:26:44,400
if you look down, there was a tiny little drive and it was kind of s-curved up.

410
00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:48,400
And then you were out and then you were basically on the coast.

411
00:26:48,400 --> 00:27:00,400
And if you've seen some of my pictures as of lately, that's most of most of that is where that is from, the Isle Sky, which is

412
00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:11,400
the only thing I can suggest is if you're driving up that way, don't be the driver because you really it's hard not to be

413
00:27:11,400 --> 00:27:18,400
distracted by the environment that you're in because it's absolutely beautiful everywhere you look, no matter where or what you're looking at.

414
00:27:18,400 --> 00:27:22,400
That's just, you know, it's just baffling.

415
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:30,400
And I've been to, you know, like I've been to some beautiful places, but man, Scotland is definitely rating pretty high on my list right now.

416
00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:34,400
So why does that sounds amazing, dude. I'm glad you had a great trip.

417
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:41,400
Why does Isle Sky sound familiar? Is that like a pop? Is that like the scenic area?

418
00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:43,400
Isle Sky is super popular. Yeah.

419
00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,400
OK.

420
00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:52,400
But it's it's I would probably say it's one of the most popular destinations in Scotland.

421
00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:54,400
It's and it's the one that most people know.

422
00:27:54,400 --> 00:27:58,400
So, you know, that's why we went there the first time.

423
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:04,400
I will. However, when we go back, I will be taking more time on the eastern side.

424
00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:15,400
It's of Scotland because it is it's just as beautiful and it has beautiful, small, little like fishing towns.

425
00:28:15,400 --> 00:28:21,400
And they almost kind of remind me of the coast of Maine as well, too, like beautiful, small little fishing towns.

426
00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,400
And it's just everybody knows one another.

427
00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:30,400
We got to sit down and, oh, I can't remember the city that we were in.

428
00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:37,400
And someone pointed out I had my Death Valley. Sure not. And someone pointed out this is there like California.

429
00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:45,400
I was like, yeah, I'm not from there. I was like, I'm from I'm from here because like every Michiganer does that.

430
00:28:45,400 --> 00:28:54,400
And so we have a good talk and we talked for about, I'm saying, hour and a half before we parted ways with them.

431
00:28:54,400 --> 00:29:09,400
So, you know, it was cool. I would say it was cool to pick up local history and and just, you know, actually have a conversation and kind of, I think, squash the stereotype that most countries have of Americans.

432
00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:13,400
Right. Now, it's interesting, like a lot of things that you've said.

433
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:16,400
The one thing that they know is you guys sound nasally.

434
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:25,400
I had a teacher in high school who was from Chicago and she always made jokes about how she talked like I talk like this.

435
00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,400
She has that nasally sound.

436
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:33,400
It's like, yeah, I think it's because most of us are just plundered.

437
00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:35,400
Like most of us just have sinus issues.

438
00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:39,400
So here in California, I probably I talk way different.

439
00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:47,400
I know east to west coast, west coast is all improper. East Coast talks more like proper language.

440
00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:53,400
No, I don't. I don't even I can't even differentiate between like that.

441
00:29:53,400 --> 00:29:57,400
To me, you sound normal. I don't notice anything about.

442
00:29:57,400 --> 00:30:03,400
Exactly. You know, I just I guess I I guess I'm a good middle ground for most.

443
00:30:03,400 --> 00:30:12,400
Like I just I really don't I can't I mean, don't get me wrong when you get far east coast, I can I can hear the accent.

444
00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:20,400
But like as far as like Cali goons, I don't I don't really hear you sound like me as far as I'm concerned.

445
00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:24,400
But part of it is all people move to California from all those states.

446
00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:27,400
Yeah. So it's kind of mixed. Right. Yeah.

447
00:30:27,400 --> 00:30:32,400
It's good mixture. So I'm looking at one of your photos and I pulled up your Instagram because I remembered photos of you.

448
00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,400
Posted this photo of the Red Barn.

449
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:42,400
I don't know if it's a red barn. It's it's red with a pier with snow and water.

450
00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:51,400
That is an epic photo, the conditions of the stormy conditions in the back, man.

451
00:30:51,400 --> 00:30:55,400
Well, it's Michigan. That's a Michigan post.

452
00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:58,400
That's not even a Scotland. But is there a mystery?

453
00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:02,400
There's a Michigan post. What's going on here? Where you at?

454
00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:10,400
December 29th, 2022. Oh, oh, that's Grand Haven. Dude, that's yeah, that's Grand Haven's lighthouse.

455
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:14,400
I thought of a movie. Yeah, it's it gets wild.

456
00:31:14,400 --> 00:31:19,400
A lot of people I flown my drone out there. Yeah.

457
00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:24,400
Well, because because of the waves, you know, in the wintertime, it hits the back of the building.

458
00:31:24,400 --> 00:31:29,400
Yeah. And that whole that whole building can be encapsulated in ice.

459
00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:33,400
It's absolutely gorgeous. But yeah, it's super cold.

460
00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:36,400
Actually, I have a photo.

461
00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:40,400
I think it's from the very same day, actually.

462
00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:46,400
And I'll share it with you on I'll share with you on TikTok of me walking out to the lighthouse.

463
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:53,400
And you don't think like you would think, you know, Michigan winters and how cold it was that people wouldn't be at the beach.

464
00:31:53,400 --> 00:31:56,400
But it's actually quite the opposite. People are at the beach.

465
00:31:56,400 --> 00:32:00,400
It's weird, man. We're a weird breed up here in Michigan. That's OK.

466
00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:07,400
I like the cold. I like the cold, too. I know. I love it is a little bit more moderate compared to the northern cold.

467
00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:13,400
Like we on average get to like 13 degrees on the low.

468
00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:19,400
You guys probably get lower than 13. If you scroll down right past Death Valley.

469
00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:26,400
Yeah. You see a little lighthouse. Yeah, that was negative.

470
00:32:26,400 --> 00:32:31,400
Eight or negative 16 at that moment when we were out visiting Harbor Beach Lighthouse.

471
00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:36,400
Geez. Yeah. Yeah. And it's I mean, it's something else, dude, like in my beard.

472
00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:43,400
My beard was frozen. And of course, you know, I had I had icicles all in my beard.

473
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:50,400
But I love it. I I would take the cold over the heat any any day of the year.

474
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:54,400
Do you got some bucketless shots on your profile?

475
00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:59,400
I appreciate that. I really do appreciate these are all getting put up on on this video.

476
00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:03,400
So they'll be shown there. So moving on to this,

477
00:33:03,400 --> 00:33:12,400
would you say you've been to Cayuga National Park and or Indiana Dunes because you're kind of close to both of them?

478
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:19,400
I have been to Indiana Dunes not to take pictures.

479
00:33:19,400 --> 00:33:25,400
I have not been down to Ohio yet. I do.

480
00:33:25,400 --> 00:33:28,400
It's on my list, I would say.

481
00:33:28,400 --> 00:33:33,400
And that was Hocking Hills to Hocking Hills is just is.

482
00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:37,400
Wow, that's a gorgeous, gorgeous park.

483
00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:44,400
But like, I mean, it's it's hard because like I love I love stuff like that.

484
00:33:44,400 --> 00:33:54,400
But I'm such a water guy, like I'm such I'm such a like a sea going person that like I love the coasts of Michigan.

485
00:33:54,400 --> 00:33:58,400
So like I'm extremely I think biased.

486
00:33:58,400 --> 00:34:04,400
And it's I think for any photographer or videographer, for that matter,

487
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:14,400
who, you know, does things in like landlocked states like I think they're way better than I am because it's I mean, don't get me wrong.

488
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:26,400
I appreciate all the praise, but it is definitely way easier to take a picture of a beautiful sunset over a big body of water, you know, and make it look gorgeous.

489
00:34:26,400 --> 00:34:35,400
When like, you know, if you were doing stuff from landlocked, you really got to keep an eye on like light and stuff like that.

490
00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:40,400
And if you could play with light in those situations, I've seen some beautiful photos that just blow me away.

491
00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:43,400
And I'm just like, man, I could never do something like that.

492
00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,400
I tried and I just I don't know. I can't.

493
00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:54,400
That's a good point. You know, I live in California where I have the option to go to the beach, to the mountains.

494
00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:59,400
I don't ever go to the beach. I used to go a lot, but I just like the mountains more.

495
00:34:59,400 --> 00:35:11,400
And even being there, like shooting sunset can be a lot harder unless, unless you know which exact mountains are going to light up.

496
00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:17,400
Or if you're on a peak, being at a peak just trumps everything because you're going to see the sunset sunrise no matter where you're at.

497
00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:23,400
I always say sunrise is better in the mountains and sunset for the most part, because when the sun rises over the mountains,

498
00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:28,400
you can kind of look around, OK, see this peak glowing up, this peak's glowing up.

499
00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:34,400
At sunset, it's a little more unpredictable because the sun goes down and it gets dark after that.

500
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:38,400
So you definitely you definitely have to be paying attention. I would agree. Right.

501
00:35:38,400 --> 00:35:42,400
Obviously, when you go to a place like you said, we spent the last sunset.

502
00:35:42,400 --> 00:35:49,400
The last sunset I did in the mountains was that bad water in Death Valley.

503
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:55,400
It got dark fast. Yep. And that was yeah. Oh, like real dark in light.

504
00:35:55,400 --> 00:36:01,400
Yeah. Like dark. I wasn't used to like it is.

505
00:36:01,400 --> 00:36:05,400
Beyond it's beyond dark. And it's because it's because you're so close to that mountain.

506
00:36:05,400 --> 00:36:10,400
So that sun goes behind the mountain and honestly, the sun doesn't even set.

507
00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:15,400
You just can't see it. Yeah, exactly. So being out there is a lot harder.

508
00:36:15,400 --> 00:36:23,400
That's why I say sunrise in landlocked states is a lot better because you have more availability to take those photos.

509
00:36:23,400 --> 00:36:27,400
And even if the sun rises, you have like that little 30 minute window after the sun rises for good light,

510
00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,400
before everything starts getting super harsh. Yeah.

511
00:36:30,400 --> 00:36:36,400
Instead of running around, you know, trying to find that great light at the end, the failing light. Yeah. Yeah.

512
00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:43,400
It's tough. But I've seen some people who photograph at the beach in California,

513
00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:47,400
they're like fine, fine art photographers. I don't even know how they do their photos.

514
00:36:47,400 --> 00:36:51,400
It looks like a straight painting the way they take them.

515
00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:59,400
I where was we were at home. We were in SoCal.

516
00:36:59,400 --> 00:37:08,400
Oh, and I took a full I took a phone photo and it's honestly it's it's got to be the ocean.

517
00:37:08,400 --> 00:37:12,400
That's the only thing I can think of. It's got to be the sea spray rolling off the ocean

518
00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:18,400
and it gives it this beautiful, magnificent, like faded look.

519
00:37:18,400 --> 00:37:23,400
And it's just like I took it with my I took it with my phone and it was like instantly good.

520
00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:26,400
And I was like, yeah, that's unfair.

521
00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:30,400
That's on because we definitely don't have that even though we have big water.

522
00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:34,400
We don't have that, you know, that faded look.

523
00:37:34,400 --> 00:37:38,400
And man, it's just gorgeous. We were out there for a wedding, actually.

524
00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:43,400
That does make a lot more sense. So I know I'm telling you.

525
00:37:43,400 --> 00:37:48,400
Yeah, I know. Sorry. I know, Matt, you had a YouTube.

526
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:53,400
Are you planning on revamping that this year? Twenty twenty three.

527
00:37:53,400 --> 00:38:00,400
I am. But it's I think it's it's a little bit difficult for, I think,

528
00:38:00,400 --> 00:38:05,400
long form content that isn't necessarily this.

529
00:38:05,400 --> 00:38:09,400
I think podcasts are doing really well right now.

530
00:38:09,400 --> 00:38:12,400
Video podcasts in general, too.

531
00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,400
But I don't know, like a long form content.

532
00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:19,400
I guess maybe it's just me kind of like psyching myself out,

533
00:38:19,400 --> 00:38:26,400
like looking at all of the people that like I look up to and seeing how far, you know, they are away from me.

534
00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:30,400
I really didn't do anything with it when I started.

535
00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:35,400
And I'm not really sure where I want to go with it,

536
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:37,400
but it's definitely in the back of my head.

537
00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:45,400
Like, it's definitely, you know, a thought that I want to do a little bit more with it.

538
00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:52,400
But I mean, as any kind of social media, it has to be a frequent thing.

539
00:38:52,400 --> 00:39:00,400
I'm trying to, I guess, tie in, you know, small videos with, you know,

540
00:39:00,400 --> 00:39:04,400
my larger like travel videos that I want to share with people.

541
00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:10,400
But I really haven't found my my niche on YouTube yet.

542
00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:16,400
And I really want to. But, you know, there's always this year.

543
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:22,400
What is your I'm just curious, what is your idea of long form content?

544
00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:27,400
What is that? How long? What what does that start at to you?

545
00:39:27,400 --> 00:39:30,400
As far as like YouTube long form should be?

546
00:39:30,400 --> 00:39:34,400
No, no, no. How long is long form content to you? Is it longer than 30 seconds?

547
00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:37,400
Is that what you're considering long form content?

548
00:39:37,400 --> 00:39:40,400
I would consider long form contact anything over three.

549
00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:42,400
OK. Right.

550
00:39:42,400 --> 00:39:46,400
Anything over three minutes and you're starting to get into long form contact.

551
00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:49,400
OK, I agree. Because I mean, if I mean, if you think about it, look at, you know,

552
00:39:49,400 --> 00:39:54,400
look at Tiktok seven second videos blow up one point three million views.

553
00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:58,400
And I'm like seven seconds. Right.

554
00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:04,400
I mean, personally, I think that you would thrive in the long form content space

555
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:09,400
because you have that casualness about you, a conversationalist.

556
00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:14,400
I appreciate it. So I think on YouTube, I have been told that on YouTube,

557
00:40:14,400 --> 00:40:16,400
I think that would be your best route to go.

558
00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:20,400
But you're also good at that while on the short form media.

559
00:40:20,400 --> 00:40:27,400
So I think that if you just funneled it right on social media to funnel all that to your YouTube,

560
00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:34,400
to all your conversational stuff and look, you don't have to be out traveling for all your videos.

561
00:40:34,400 --> 00:40:39,400
Like you you voice in your story can carry a lot of it.

562
00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:44,400
Like I know you were telling me that you were want to take photography more serious this year.

563
00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:49,400
Yeah, definitely. I think that would be a great thing to document.

564
00:40:49,400 --> 00:40:54,400
And even the boring stuff is interesting to people because people are nosy.

565
00:40:54,400 --> 00:41:02,400
Yeah, fair enough. Hey, I'm I'm completely open to any ideas that you even want to give me,

566
00:41:02,400 --> 00:41:07,400
because I mean, I mean, let's face it, you know, if you're not open to constructive criticism

567
00:41:07,400 --> 00:41:14,400
or someone willing to guide you, you know, like, and that's and that's definitely that's definitely me.

568
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:21,400
Like, tell me like that's that's me. So yeah, I would love to.

569
00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:26,400
Matt, I'm just waiting for you to start going off because I know what to start being consistent with your stuff, man.

570
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,400
You're going to you're going to get bigger.

571
00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:32,400
And that's definitely the key. And I'm not looking for that. Yeah.

572
00:41:32,400 --> 00:41:36,400
But that's definitely that's definitely the key is consistency for everything.

573
00:41:36,400 --> 00:41:40,400
But, you know, nothing expensive getting burnt out either, because for sure.

574
00:41:40,400 --> 00:41:45,400
I think if you start to I think if you start to, you know, I guess I don't want to say stay consistent.

575
00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:51,400
But like, I think if you start to do that after a while, it kind of takes away from that, you know,

576
00:41:51,400 --> 00:41:56,400
that part of you that was inspired to begin with to do it.

577
00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:05,400
And and I'm worried that sometimes, you know, if if I were to, you know, dive off the deep end

578
00:42:05,400 --> 00:42:09,400
and if I would lose that spark and I don't know, I don't know that I would.

579
00:42:09,400 --> 00:42:14,400
But I think I like I love to teach people as well, too.

580
00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:17,400
It's fulfilling. So that's that's a big thing for me.

581
00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:25,400
And I love to I would love I think a great niche for me would be connecting people with that,

582
00:42:25,400 --> 00:42:30,400
connecting people with that feeling of, you know, getting back to nature and enjoying it, loving it.

583
00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:36,400
And and just because you know, and you know this, too, when you get up really early,

584
00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:42,400
you hike into the mountains and you get out there and then that sun rises over.

585
00:42:42,400 --> 00:42:49,400
Before you even snap that first picture, I guarantee you, you take a deep breath and go, wow,

586
00:42:49,400 --> 00:42:52,400
because it's just it's that part.

587
00:42:52,400 --> 00:42:55,400
You know, it's that part of us that that drives us to do that.

588
00:42:55,400 --> 00:43:00,400
Like and then we're not, you know, we're not the only ones there are there are hundreds of thousands of people who do it.

589
00:43:00,400 --> 00:43:02,400
And yeah, and they know that feeling.

590
00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:06,400
But then there are so many other people that don't understand.

591
00:43:06,400 --> 00:43:09,400
And I've had friends who who said to me, like, why do you do it?

592
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:10,400
You know, why do you do that?

593
00:43:10,400 --> 00:43:17,400
Like, why are you waking up at, you know, four thirty in the morning to drive two and a half hours to a lake in the freezing cold?

594
00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:20,400
And I'm like, because it's gorgeous. Why not?

595
00:43:20,400 --> 00:43:23,400
You know, it's normal to us.

596
00:43:23,400 --> 00:43:25,400
Yeah, exactly.

597
00:43:25,400 --> 00:43:30,400
And I think it's I think it's weird opposite why I'm like, why wouldn't you do that?

598
00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:31,400
Yeah.

599
00:43:31,400 --> 00:43:33,400
And they always say the same thing, because I like sleep.

600
00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:35,400
I'm like, I like sleep, too.

601
00:43:35,400 --> 00:43:43,400
But a chance to take a deep breath from all of the distractions that the world brings these days.

602
00:43:43,400 --> 00:43:46,400
It's it's it's nice.

603
00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:51,400
So you brought up being afraid of being burned out in.

604
00:43:51,400 --> 00:43:53,400
I've been burned out before.

605
00:43:53,400 --> 00:43:57,400
And so you're conscious of that.

606
00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:00,400
I wasn't. I think part of that.

607
00:44:00,400 --> 00:44:04,400
Yes. My my journey right now, I'm a younger person.

608
00:44:04,400 --> 00:44:08,400
So those are things I wasn't aware of that you can't do everything for a long period of time.

609
00:44:08,400 --> 00:44:19,400
Always. So after being burned out multiple times, now I'm conscious of that and I'm not working 24 seven like I used to.

610
00:44:19,400 --> 00:44:27,400
And therefore, I'm able to I've been able to gain back my inspiration consistently, like the last four months.

611
00:44:27,400 --> 00:44:30,400
So sort of my business, sort of my business, I've been able to gain inspiration back.

612
00:44:30,400 --> 00:44:37,400
I need to write. But yeah, yeah, I gained it back because

613
00:44:37,400 --> 00:44:40,400
I've allowed myself to just enjoy it.

614
00:44:40,400 --> 00:44:44,400
And I've been able to turn off that work switch sometimes.

615
00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:49,400
So I try to tell myself that you can't work past eight thirty.

616
00:44:49,400 --> 00:44:53,400
And that sounds crazy. I know. But like I'm working all day.

617
00:44:53,400 --> 00:44:56,400
But I take breaks in between, like throughout the day.

618
00:44:56,400 --> 00:44:59,400
But like I set a hard, a hard deadline. All right.

619
00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:03,400
You have to stop working at eight o'clock at night. And that's smart.

620
00:45:03,400 --> 00:45:06,400
Right. Because if I was at what you need to do,

621
00:45:06,400 --> 00:45:09,400
if I didn't do that, I would go to my night.

622
00:45:09,400 --> 00:45:11,400
Yeah. I'm in that every day.

623
00:45:11,400 --> 00:45:17,400
And where that's where that's terrible is because I wake up at four a.m. every day to go to the gym as well.

624
00:45:17,400 --> 00:45:23,400
So imagine me going looking at three a.m. to the mountains and then going four a.m. to the gym.

625
00:45:23,400 --> 00:45:28,400
I wasn't understanding or being conscious like you were mentioning the burnout part,

626
00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:34,400
because not only are you trying to go hard in this photography stuff, you also have a life you have for you.

627
00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:38,400
You have a wife, you have a house, you're managing things. Right.

628
00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:42,400
And you're like, those are the number one priority.

629
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:46,400
This right now is coming secondary. And so, yeah, you've already understood that.

630
00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:51,400
And in my part of my journey, I finally come to that realization after a couple of years.

631
00:45:51,400 --> 00:45:57,400
So hearing you say that, I think, though, with all the excitement you have,

632
00:45:57,400 --> 00:46:01,400
I think that you're it's really conscious of I don't think you would.

633
00:46:01,400 --> 00:46:10,400
I mean, I mean, don't get me wrong. It's my personality is such that, you know, like

634
00:46:10,400 --> 00:46:15,400
I can get burnout because like you, I would do that, too.

635
00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:20,400
Not only are you physically burning yourself out, but you're also mentally burning yourself out.

636
00:46:20,400 --> 00:46:28,400
And it's rough, man. Like and I think people focus on the wrong things when it comes to social media

637
00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:33,400
and sharing your photos or sharing your videos or sharing your creative side at all.

638
00:46:33,400 --> 00:46:40,400
Yes. They focus on being like being like being like it doesn't.

639
00:46:40,400 --> 00:46:43,400
It doesn't matter how many people like your stuff.

640
00:46:43,400 --> 00:46:50,400
It's a creative outlet for you. So whether you know it or not, you're nurturing your soul.

641
00:46:50,400 --> 00:46:57,400
But on the other hand, the social media side of it can also very much hinder that.

642
00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:03,400
It can crush people. And it's just like, you know, it's not it's not your it's not your worth.

643
00:47:03,400 --> 00:47:10,400
And it drives me insane because like I will get frustrated with that point of it, like not so much for myself.

644
00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:13,400
I like I said, it's not about that for me.

645
00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:18,400
It's more about like sharing my journey with people and like answering questions.

646
00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:24,400
When somebody asks me a question like I'm I've had hundreds of people, you know, message me,

647
00:47:24,400 --> 00:47:30,400
ask me what camera I use or what camera would I recommend or this and that.

648
00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:37,400
And I mean, realistically, if you're just starting off any camera, any camera, it doesn't matter.

649
00:47:37,400 --> 00:47:42,400
The camera definitely doesn't make the photographer. That's for sure.

650
00:47:42,400 --> 00:47:45,400
So and I think we've talked about this before, too.

651
00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:51,400
I think what drew me to you, like your account, is the authenticity.

652
00:47:51,400 --> 00:47:54,400
And that's something that I've always tried to be myself.

653
00:47:54,400 --> 00:47:59,400
But this year, 2023 is my year of being intentional even more.

654
00:47:59,400 --> 00:48:04,400
I'm posting I'm not I'm refusing to post trending stands for the most part.

655
00:48:04,400 --> 00:48:06,400
If it's if I like it, if I want to partake in it. Yeah, sure.

656
00:48:06,400 --> 00:48:12,400
But I'm trying to be more creative versus just following along with everyone else is doing.

657
00:48:12,400 --> 00:48:17,400
Yeah. Whether that gets four likes or a hundred likes, you know, like it don't matter

658
00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:25,400
because that one comment is gold. That one person, that one person that you affected is gold.

659
00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:33,400
And ideally or realistically, as someone who's doing this now full time, I'm not going to have a million clients.

660
00:48:33,400 --> 00:48:37,400
No. And also, let's stop right there.

661
00:48:37,400 --> 00:48:44,400
I will wholeheartedly applaud you because that's absolutely fantastic

662
00:48:44,400 --> 00:48:48,400
that you've been able to do this now full time. It's it's a dream of mine.

663
00:48:48,400 --> 00:48:53,400
So your hero to me and that's the himmels.

664
00:48:53,400 --> 00:49:00,400
No, and that's what I've realized, man, that I have the power to lead by example.

665
00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:06,400
So in high school, I was a really outgoing person after high school, college time.

666
00:49:06,400 --> 00:49:11,400
I got really introverted. Wasn't talking to nobody. I think part of it was 2020.

667
00:49:11,400 --> 00:49:14,400
And I kind of just I forgot like the power of connection.

668
00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:19,400
So starting this business, you have to be talking to people all the time.

669
00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:26,400
So being able to be with this full time has been a blessing in my life because now I'm connecting people a lot more

670
00:49:26,400 --> 00:49:32,400
because if you truly look at the businesses that are succeeding, they're connecting with their audience.

671
00:49:32,400 --> 00:49:37,400
Yeah, definitely. Definitely. People want to connect with people.

672
00:49:37,400 --> 00:49:46,400
Yeah, it's I think, you know, I think when you reach a certain point, it does get a little bit harder.

673
00:49:46,400 --> 00:49:54,400
You know, I mean, I mean, nobody I don't feel like anybody's reaching out to Peter McKinnon and saying, hey, you know, right.

674
00:49:54,400 --> 00:50:02,400
But I, you know, I just I do. I thrive on that connection.

675
00:50:02,400 --> 00:50:12,400
That is definitely one of the connections that, you know, keeps me kind of moving forward or kind of continuously wanting to share photos.

676
00:50:12,400 --> 00:50:16,400
I don't I'm not a really I'm not a real fan of negative vibes, man.

677
00:50:16,400 --> 00:50:29,400
Like I'm just like, you know, I it doesn't matter what kind of photos you like, whether it's moody photos or sunset photos or feed photos or, you know, old school photos or you're taking Polaroids.

678
00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:39,400
You know, it doesn't really matter. I mean, for that matter, I'll branch off into any subject of creative idealism that people just love.

679
00:50:39,400 --> 00:50:45,400
I wouldn't I would never squash somebody's dream just because it didn't align with like mine.

680
00:50:45,400 --> 00:50:51,400
So like I'm very positive, vibe oriented, like, hey, you do you.

681
00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:54,400
And that's awesome because it's fantastic. Right.

682
00:50:54,400 --> 00:51:02,400
I believe I believe everybody should be. I never saw when you climb the ladder.

683
00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:13,400
OK. I I never saw the ladder as something that you would look down and not pull people back up.

684
00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:20,400
You know what I'm saying? I'm always I've always got to a point and I'm like, OK, now it's time for you to get to this point and kind of like, get people up to it.

685
00:51:20,400 --> 00:51:27,400
You know, like, hey, this is what we need to do is keep pushing each other forward, you know, for success.

686
00:51:27,400 --> 00:51:30,400
I mean, I was taught that at a very young age to do that.

687
00:51:30,400 --> 00:51:43,400
So in high school, I was more known at that time, but I made it a point to make sure I said hi to every single person whenever I saw them,

688
00:51:43,400 --> 00:51:50,400
no matter who they were, because my mom taught me that they're important to when you need to make sure that you're friends with them

689
00:51:50,400 --> 00:51:55,400
because they might not be having a good day and people put them on all day.

690
00:51:55,400 --> 00:52:00,400
Right. And after that school, I grew up a little bit.

691
00:52:00,400 --> 00:52:03,400
I lost that part of me because of the shutdown.

692
00:52:03,400 --> 00:52:12,400
So now I'm coming back to my roots and like being intentional again, creating videos, affecting people, getting them to all get excited and go outdoors.

693
00:52:12,400 --> 00:52:15,400
That's my thing. Right. So getting excited, go outdoors, all their dreams.

694
00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:20,400
That's getting me stoked. So hearing you sing, you've been able to branch out, talk to people about any type of art.

695
00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:23,400
I've talked to people about music. I love music. I don't know.

696
00:52:23,400 --> 00:52:27,400
I don't know it that well. I don't know if you can see that. Yeah, I can.

697
00:52:27,400 --> 00:52:33,400
Yeah, like every inch of it right there. I played music. I played music all my life, actually.

698
00:52:33,400 --> 00:52:36,400
Yeah. So we're on the same boat here, man. I 100% agree with you.

699
00:52:36,400 --> 00:52:41,400
You've got to bring everyone back up because they helped you get to a certain part, too, if they were in your life.

700
00:52:41,400 --> 00:52:44,400
They helped you get there, too. Yeah. And you know, and that's it.

701
00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:47,400
And I've said it. I've said it on multiple platforms, too.

702
00:52:47,400 --> 00:52:53,400
Like I'm. You never know what they think.

703
00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:57,400
I mean, it doesn't it doesn't excuse a bad day like Nick, you found a bad day.

704
00:52:57,400 --> 00:53:01,400
I know I've had a bad day. So those are one offs.

705
00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:07,400
But like, I feel like I feel like, you know, where I take it out there is I just I kind of just.

706
00:53:07,400 --> 00:53:23,400
You just never know who who is going through water, what is, you know, going through someone's mind, especially of a stranger, you know, and it's just why be why be a negative force in a stranger's life when you could just be a positive force or random positive force.

707
00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:27,400
That's fantastic, Matt. Let me read you this script I have.

708
00:53:27,400 --> 00:53:32,400
I'm making a video. It's going to be a short film video. I'm going to post it soon.

709
00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:39,400
It's a part of my series that says things I've learned about my life since chasing my dreams. So this is part three.

710
00:53:39,400 --> 00:53:45,400
And this goes along with people having empathy for others goes a long way.

711
00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:50,400
We're all human. We all make mistakes because we all face temptations in life and have bad days.

712
00:53:50,400 --> 00:53:56,400
Once you understand that people fight their own demons every single day becomes a lot easier to become more compassionate for them.

713
00:53:56,400 --> 00:54:02,400
Be nice to your neighbors. Yes, sir. All day, all day.

714
00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:10,400
I believe it 100 percent wholeheartedly. There's nothing to convince me otherwise.

715
00:54:10,400 --> 00:54:15,400
I and like I said, it doesn't even saying that.

716
00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:21,400
So like someone would hear it and think that's what I have to be 100 percent. No, you don't.

717
00:54:21,400 --> 00:54:27,400
Everybody is excusable. Like people have bad days, bad weeks, bad months.

718
00:54:27,400 --> 00:54:30,400
Like it's bad years. What it is. Exactly.

719
00:54:30,400 --> 00:54:35,400
Exactly. That's life. You know, where options all day long.

720
00:54:35,400 --> 00:54:42,400
But if like if you think about it like, OK, if you're walking past me ahead,

721
00:54:42,400 --> 00:54:49,400
you're having a bad day and like that random Midwestern charm comes in and it's just, hey, how you doing?

722
00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:52,400
It's a soft smile. Doesn't have to be anything here again.

723
00:54:52,400 --> 00:55:00,400
Doesn't have to be anything like that. And it almost I feel like it might change somebody's mind for a second.

724
00:55:00,400 --> 00:55:10,400
Like stop for a second. And wait, matter of fact, we when we got back from Scotland, we got off the plane, onto the bus.

725
00:55:10,400 --> 00:55:17,400
We were the only two on the bus with the driver and headed back to a car park.

726
00:55:17,400 --> 00:55:22,400
And and I was just like I was I was gabbing.

727
00:55:22,400 --> 00:55:27,400
That's what I do. Like I'm a talker. So like I was just gabbing, gabbing, gabbing.

728
00:55:27,400 --> 00:55:31,400
And we got out of the van.

729
00:55:31,400 --> 00:55:34,400
I took our stuff and threw it in the back and I tipped him.

730
00:55:34,400 --> 00:55:37,400
And what you know, you don't have to do what I tipped him.

731
00:55:37,400 --> 00:55:43,400
And literally he said he was like, you are the best part of my day.

732
00:55:43,400 --> 00:55:46,400
And it was just a stranger. Like it wasn't it wasn't for the tip.

733
00:55:46,400 --> 00:55:50,400
I mean, we talked we talked sports all the way out of the airport.

734
00:55:50,400 --> 00:55:56,400
And like, I mean, I'm obviously I'm a talker, so I'm loud and I'm boisterous.

735
00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:59,400
So he I mean, it was it was just nice.

736
00:55:59,400 --> 00:56:09,400
It was nice to be one home back in the States and then to immediately given the love by a stranger.

737
00:56:09,400 --> 00:56:20,400
But that's that's something that changed my mind. Like, you know what I'm saying, because coming from a seven hour flight, being a like not so small man.

738
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:26,400
You know, let's just say that my my attitude wasn't the best.

739
00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:35,400
So I was having a day and my wife knows, especially when we're in when we're in like transit, they can be.

740
00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:45,400
I want to say less than ideal for me sometimes. So but that moment in that moment, he he changed my mind

741
00:56:45,400 --> 00:56:53,400
because like we got in the car and then we drove off and my boy's car had been sitting for a while.

742
00:56:53,400 --> 00:57:02,400
So, you know, sometimes when you sit in Michigan for a while in the car zone drive, you know, you can get just sounds creaks, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, coming out of the car.

743
00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:06,400
And, you know, she has a relatively new car, a 16.

744
00:57:06,400 --> 00:57:11,400
So we pull out, heard something stopped and I checked it out and I said, don't worry.

745
00:57:11,400 --> 00:57:15,400
I said, you know, we'll figure it out. Let's just get it home.

746
00:57:15,400 --> 00:57:28,400
So he changed my mentality just in time for a situation to arise for me to take it smoothly and change my attempt at, you know,

747
00:57:28,400 --> 00:57:35,400
or my reaction to what that situation could have posed, which is a bad reaction.

748
00:57:35,400 --> 00:57:38,400
So it's it's it's funny how it works.

749
00:57:38,400 --> 00:57:42,400
But that's I mean, I wholeheartedly believe what you just said.

750
00:57:42,400 --> 00:57:45,400
And I will preach it until the day I die.

751
00:57:45,400 --> 00:57:47,400
No, Matt, that's fantastic.

752
00:57:47,400 --> 00:57:54,400
But the way we can influence people in the sense where both creators we do video, we do photo.

753
00:57:54,400 --> 00:58:01,400
I have always said that photography is just an outlet for me to reach more people.

754
00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:06,400
It's an it's an outlet for me to connect to people through this medium.

755
00:58:06,400 --> 00:58:11,400
And I always told my girlfriend photography was not the end all be all for me.

756
00:58:11,400 --> 00:58:15,400
It was all about what it could bring me. Yeah.

757
00:58:15,400 --> 00:58:22,400
And now I'm trying to teach life through photography and through videography.

758
00:58:22,400 --> 00:58:24,400
And that's one of my new goals to do.

759
00:58:24,400 --> 00:58:30,400
And like this whole thing, things about my life I've learned since chasing my dreams, making it a series.

760
00:58:30,400 --> 00:58:35,400
I'm using cinematics. I'm telling a story to connect with others.

761
00:58:35,400 --> 00:58:40,400
And just you saying all this is the connection part is huge.

762
00:58:40,400 --> 00:58:43,400
And I think I keep saying I lost that part.

763
00:58:43,400 --> 00:58:46,400
And like, I didn't realize, like, I lost it till I got it back.

764
00:58:46,400 --> 00:58:48,400
And I was like, Whoa.

765
00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:54,400
Yeah, adulthood tends to beat that idea for a minute.

766
00:58:54,400 --> 00:58:56,400
And you got to come back to it.

767
00:58:56,400 --> 00:59:00,400
But I think I think coming back to your roots was probably the best thing for you.

768
00:59:00,400 --> 00:59:03,400
It's been the best thing I used to not.

769
00:59:03,400 --> 00:59:06,400
I wasn't excited for a while to go take photos.

770
00:59:06,400 --> 00:59:11,400
And like, I'll tell you, I told a story I was saying the night before I went to the mountains.

771
00:59:11,400 --> 00:59:14,400
I'm excited now and I just want to go to bed so I can wake up in the morning to be there.

772
00:59:14,400 --> 00:59:16,400
That's how powerful this connection has brought me.

773
00:59:16,400 --> 00:59:19,400
It's been able to bring back that inspiration.

774
00:59:19,400 --> 00:59:33,400
And so this podcast, talking with you, talking with a bunch of other creatives and just people who are just fans of the outdoors is going to be a good thing for me and a good thing for other people who I talk to, who I talk to and who are listening.

775
00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:35,400
Because I agree.

776
00:59:35,400 --> 00:59:46,400
I want them to people who are listening to understand other people's experiences and other people's perspectives because there is not just one way to do it.

777
00:59:46,400 --> 00:59:54,400
And if they're a professional in their field that they can give their knowledge, whether it's photography, videography, life.

778
00:59:54,400 --> 00:59:56,400
Some people are just wise.

779
00:59:56,400 --> 01:00:06,400
Whether it's their mountaineering, whatever it is, I want people to take something from it. Life experiences, knowledge from their field.

780
01:00:06,400 --> 01:00:09,400
So talking with you, I think a lot of people are going to take a lot from this.

781
01:00:09,400 --> 01:00:14,400
And closing out with these last two questions.

782
01:00:14,400 --> 01:00:24,400
What is some advice to someone who just picked up their first camera?

783
01:00:24,400 --> 01:00:27,400
Advice for somebody who just picked up their camera.

784
01:00:27,400 --> 01:00:33,400
Or thinking about it.

785
01:00:33,400 --> 01:00:37,400
Focus on the basics first.

786
01:00:37,400 --> 01:00:40,400
Don't worry about edits.

787
01:00:40,400 --> 01:00:43,400
Don't worry about edits at all.

788
01:00:43,400 --> 01:00:45,400
I would focus on the basics.

789
01:00:45,400 --> 01:00:53,400
Do not be swallowed whole by, you know, you've got to buy this camera.

790
01:00:53,400 --> 01:00:57,400
Or this is the best camera or Canon is the best camera or Sony is the best camera.

791
01:00:57,400 --> 01:00:59,400
Nikon is the best camera.

792
01:00:59,400 --> 01:01:01,400
Don't be swallowed by that.

793
01:01:01,400 --> 01:01:06,400
I've taken plenty of photo and video with this.

794
01:01:06,400 --> 01:01:13,400
That worked just fine, especially for social media content.

795
01:01:13,400 --> 01:01:18,400
I would say.

796
01:01:18,400 --> 01:01:20,400
The triangle is probably your best place.

797
01:01:20,400 --> 01:01:23,400
It's the best place to start.

798
01:01:23,400 --> 01:01:28,400
ISO, help me out, Nik.

799
01:01:28,400 --> 01:01:30,400
Shutter.

800
01:01:30,400 --> 01:01:31,400
Aperture.

801
01:01:31,400 --> 01:01:34,400
F-stop.

802
01:01:34,400 --> 01:01:36,400
That's the best place to start.

803
01:01:36,400 --> 01:01:39,400
And that will teach you the basics.

804
01:01:39,400 --> 01:01:43,400
And then from there you will be able to expose your photo correctly.

805
01:01:43,400 --> 01:01:47,400
And then from that point, you can worry about edits.

806
01:01:47,400 --> 01:01:49,400
Don't buy presets.

807
01:01:49,400 --> 01:01:51,400
It's a waste of money.

808
01:01:51,400 --> 01:01:52,400
It is.

809
01:01:52,400 --> 01:01:54,400
It's a waste of money.

810
01:01:54,400 --> 01:01:57,400
You're not that person who is selling you presets.

811
01:01:57,400 --> 01:01:59,400
So you don't take photos like them.

812
01:01:59,400 --> 01:02:02,400
And that's okay that you don't take photos like them.

813
01:02:02,400 --> 01:02:07,400
And I know, like, I was saying that kind of makes other photographers mad,

814
01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:10,400
especially the ones that are selling presets.

815
01:02:10,400 --> 01:02:16,400
But it's like, you know, you're selling somebody your style.

816
01:02:16,400 --> 01:02:19,400
And photography should be about you.

817
01:02:19,400 --> 01:02:20,400
Developing your own style.

818
01:02:20,400 --> 01:02:21,400
An expression of you.

819
01:02:21,400 --> 01:02:25,400
So always focus on yourself, the basics,

820
01:02:25,400 --> 01:02:31,400
and don't let numbers basically get you down.

821
01:02:31,400 --> 01:02:34,400
Because it's not about that.

822
01:02:34,400 --> 01:02:37,400
Matt, fantastic question.

823
01:02:37,400 --> 01:02:41,400
Where can the people find you on social media?

824
01:02:41,400 --> 01:02:44,400
And what platforms are you on?

825
01:02:44,400 --> 01:02:46,400
I am on TikTok.

826
01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:48,400
I am on Instagram.

827
01:02:48,400 --> 01:02:49,400
I am on YouTube.

828
01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:52,400
And it's all the Michigan Vagabond.

829
01:02:52,400 --> 01:02:55,400
Why the Michigan Vagabond?

830
01:02:55,400 --> 01:02:58,400
Because I'm not centralized to Michigan.

831
01:02:58,400 --> 01:03:04,400
Like, I liked, like, it was, it was young Matthew for a long time.

832
01:03:04,400 --> 01:03:08,400
And that's because a group of buddies that were all younger than me.

833
01:03:08,400 --> 01:03:09,400
Yeah.

834
01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:16,400
And they called me young Matthew as more of like a dig, like, hey, old man.

835
01:03:16,400 --> 01:03:18,400
But then I changed it.

836
01:03:18,400 --> 01:03:25,400
So I changed it to the Michigan Vagabond because I, I really just float a lot, man.

837
01:03:25,400 --> 01:03:26,400
Like, I float a lot.

838
01:03:26,400 --> 01:03:30,400
Like, I really feel, I don't mean to be wrong.

839
01:03:30,400 --> 01:03:33,400
Like, I'm very much connected to Michigan.

840
01:03:33,400 --> 01:03:35,400
It's my heart. It's my love.

841
01:03:35,400 --> 01:03:37,400
It will always be my home.

842
01:03:37,400 --> 01:03:39,400
But, you know, I float a lot.

843
01:03:39,400 --> 01:03:43,400
We're going, oh, man.

844
01:03:43,400 --> 01:03:47,400
This year, we are headed to Utah, back to Maine.

845
01:03:47,400 --> 01:03:51,400
I'm flying to South Cali to visit my brother.

846
01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:56,400
Next year, might see you actually next year, if you would like.

847
01:03:56,400 --> 01:04:00,400
We will be outside of Sequoia National Park.

848
01:04:00,400 --> 01:04:01,400
Yes.

849
01:04:01,400 --> 01:04:08,400
So and then the year after that, we're headed to Germany, Austria and Switzerland for three weeks.

850
01:04:08,400 --> 01:04:16,400
You know, we're, you know, it's so that's where Vagabond came into my head, because I'm more of a drifter than like being connected.

851
01:04:16,400 --> 01:04:20,400
Like, I guess.

852
01:04:20,400 --> 01:04:25,400
My heart will always be here, but my soul will always belong to the world.

853
01:04:25,400 --> 01:04:31,400
Like those beautiful places that just kind of just make you take that deep breath.

854
01:04:31,400 --> 01:04:34,400
That's definitely, definitely what it is.

855
01:04:34,400 --> 01:04:37,400
And I think that's I think that's why I stuck on that name.

856
01:04:37,400 --> 01:04:43,400
And I think that's why I will continue to use that name.

857
01:04:43,400 --> 01:04:48,400
For those of you listening, I think that was the best explanation of a username.

858
01:04:48,400 --> 01:04:51,400
Most people just pick one and they just run with it.

859
01:04:51,400 --> 01:04:54,400
Matt has a fantastic story behind his username.

860
01:04:54,400 --> 01:05:02,400
So if you're not following Matt Couch, the Michigan Vagabond on social media, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, hit that follow button now.

861
01:05:02,400 --> 01:05:10,400
And if you're not already following this podcast or on Instagram, we're on TikTok, the Nick Amp podcast, we're on YouTube, we're posting videos on there.

862
01:05:10,400 --> 01:05:18,400
If you want to follow my account, I'm the Nick Amp on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube.

863
01:05:18,400 --> 01:05:25,400
And on there I post mountains, photos, videos. Want to see all that stuff? Follow me there.

864
01:05:25,400 --> 01:05:29,400
And thank you for listening, Matt. Thanks for coming on.

865
01:05:29,400 --> 01:05:33,400
Thanks for having me. I look forward to seeing your work in the future.

866
01:05:33,400 --> 01:05:48,400
Later, guys.