"There is no security on this earth; there is only opportunity." - Douglas MacArthur

I think the good General had it right.

As I sit here, I'm in the midst of a change; a career change. Well, not a "change" so much as an adjustment; an alteration.

A change.

Or, as the General saw it, an opportunity.

For the last six years, I've been fortunate to be able to travel throughout Canada, and pretty extensively. I've been from Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, to St. John's, Newfoundland. As has been obvious to even the most casual observer of this blog, my Flickr page, or Facebook, I've had a camera with me. While I can often be my own worst critic (well, photographically speaking, anyway), I've also learned to know when I've taken an amazing shot. And, to be honest, I think I've taken a lot of amazing photographs in Canada. That segment of my photographic life, however, is coming to an end. I now have a total of two trips remaining to Canada, and then I'll be moving on to other things.

In short, I'll be assuming responsibility for the northeastern United States for my company. It's a gig I've wanted for five years so, when it recently became available, I through my hat into the ring.

Right, dead center in the middle of the ring.

So, what does this mean? Well, it means a number of things.

First, I won't have to deal with Customs in Toronto anymore (can I get an "AMEN!"??). Customs is the one thing about travelling to Canada that I can do without. It can go quickly but, the sad reality is that it usually doesn't. In the major cities like Edmonton or Toronto or Calgary, you can stand in line at Customs for an hour or two. I know. I've done it.

Second, it means that there will be a whole slew of new photo ops for me. As picturesque as Canada can be, it doesn't have, say, a New York. While I've photographed the Canadian Rockies more times than I care to count, I've never taken a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge or the Statue Of Liberty, or the rugged coast of Maine, or The Old North Church in Boston?

Third, it'll mean I'm "going home", at least in a sense. Having grown up on Long Island, I'd like to get back there every so often, but the fact of the matter is that, in the last 11 years, I've been back only four times; two high school reunions and two funerals. While I don't have a lot of family left there anymore, I still have some friends there and, frankly, it'd be nice to see them now and again. I've gotten to my Dad's a couple of times but, hey, JP is 78; he's not gettin' any younger. It'll be good to see him a little more often.

Now, photo ops? Please. This new territory is rich with them. My new territory is comprised of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine. I'm just spit-ballin' here, but I think I just might encounter a good photo op or two.

Of course, family and photo ops aren't the reason I took this new gig, they're just some rather welcome fringe benefits. Of course, the reason to take the new gig is because I think I can have a positive impact on that territory. Canada has performed well, and I just think it's time to move on. And, frankly, I don't think I can think of a better place to move on to.

When I was asked why I wanted the territory, the best explanation I could conjure up was that it's a challenge. While Canada has performed well under me, I feel as though the northeast offers far more of a challenge. Historically speaking, it's the most challenging territory we have. I like that.

Of course, this will affect my travel. In fact, it kicks my travel schedule squarely in the ass and ramps it up. I have trips scheduled pretty regularly from the end of this month to the middle of November. I knew this would be the case, but still, it's gonna' be a bit more travel, at least initially.

And so it goes. Things are changing, as things will often do. I think I'll heed General MacArthur's words and grab this opportunity by the horns.

And, as I said to my boss, "I hope I don't screw it up"...