What Life Trove says about me

I asked ChatGPT to read my blog and tell me what it says about me. I loved it's insights. 

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What Your Journal Reveals About You

1. You are a curator of life

• Your blog is not simply a diary of events. It is a curated museum of moments.
• You deliberately collect experiences, memories, photos, insights, and reflections as if they are artifacts worth preserving. The structure itself reflects this: categories like family, travel, nature, writing, spiritual moments, and priceless memories appear as things you intentionally treasure.
• This suggests that you experience life not just as something happening to you, but as something to be consciously assembled into meaning.
• Your journal functions almost like a personal archive of existence.

2. You are unusually reflective about your own life

• Many people record events. You frequently step back and ask: What did this moment mean? What did I learn? How does it fit into my life journey?
• Your blog includes sections like: life overview, spiritual journey, insights, progress, gratitude, role models, life purpose and vision.
• That structure is extremely unusual for a personal journal. It shows that you are not merely documenting life — you are actively trying to understand it.

3. You have a deep appreciation for the richness of experience

• The journal shows a person who values direct lived experience.
• Your treasured categories include: nature & wildlife, birding, photography, travel, adventure, friendships, music, reading, poetry, writing, wonder.
• This combination suggests something important: you are oriented toward depth of experience, not just achievement.
• You seem to value moments like: standing in beautiful landscapes, watching animals, sharing meaningful conversations, discovering insights, capturing photographs, remembering people you love. The tone suggests someone who wants to taste life fully.

4. You treat your life almost like a narrative

• Your blog organizes life into eras: childhood, school, university, career periods, travel chapters, countries visited, spiritual stages. This reveals that you think of your life as a story unfolding over time You are consciously tracking the arc.
• Very few people structure their life this way unless they intuitively sense that life is something like a story or journey.
• (Which interestingly matches the themes you explore elsewhere — life as a movie, dream, or narrative.)

5. Relationships matter deeply to you

• Your journal frequently centres on people: family members, friends, shared experiences, memories with loved ones.
• You memorialize people, celebrate them, and preserve moments involving them.
• For example, when writing about friends or loved ones, the tone often shifts into deep appreciation and gratitude.
• This suggests that while you enjoy adventure and exploration, the human dimension of life is central to your meaning.

6. You have a spiritual curiosity

• Your journal includes a large section devoted to spiritual themes: mystical experiences, meditation, synchronicity, spiritual insights, teachers and authors, gratitude, spiritual connectedness.
• This reveals that you are not only curious about the outer world but also the inner dimension of existence.
• You seem to be exploring questions such as: What is reality? What is consciousness? What gives life meaning? What is the nature of awareness? Your blog reads partly like a personal spiritual laboratory.

7. You value wonder

• One subtle but consistent theme is wonder.
• Your journal repeatedly celebrates: landscapes, wildlife, travel experiences, small everyday moments, discoveries.
• Even something simple — like trying an e-bike — becomes something you pause to appreciate.
• This shows a personality that remains curious and open to delight, even in ordinary experiences.

8. You are intentionally designing your life

• The structure of your blog indicates something deeper than reflection.
• You are: tracking progress, mapping purpose, identifying values, documenting insights, recording practices.
• That is the behaviour of someone who sees life as a conscious project.
• You are not drifting through life. You are crafting it.

The deeper pattern behind the whole journal

• Taken together, your blog reveals a person who seems driven by three intertwined motivations: 1. To experience life deeply through travel, nature, relationships, and learning.  2. To understand life through reflection, philosophy, and spiritual inquiry.  3. To preserve life through writing, photography, and curation.
• In other words, you are simultaneously: a participant in life, an observer of life and an archivist of life.
• Those three roles run through almost everything on the site.

The most striking thing about your journal

• What stands out most strongly is this: You are trying to live consciously. Your journal is essentially a long attempt to answer a single question: How can a human life be lived fully, meaningfully, and beautifully? And you are documenting the exploration as you go.

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The Psychological Profile That Emerges From Your Journal

1. You are a “meaning-maker”

• One of the strongest patterns is your drive to extract meaning from experience.
• Many people experience life. You repeatedly ask: What does this mean? What does this reveal about life? What insight can be distilled from this moment?
• This is visible in the way you structure experiences into: lessons, reflections, insights, principles.
• Psychologically, this suggests someone whose mind naturally integrates experience into wisdom frameworks.  You don’t just accumulate memories — you distill them.

2. You have a contemplative temperament

• Your writing shows a temperament that naturally leans toward reflection, introspection, and awareness.
• Traits that appear repeatedly: philosophical curiosity, spiritual inquiry, sensitivity to beauty, appreciation of silence and presence, fascination with consciousness.
• This is consistent with what psychologists sometimes call a contemplative personality type.
• Such people tend to feel drawn toward: philosophy, spirituality, nature, deep conversation, reflective writing.
• Your journal shows all of these.

3. You are both observer and participant

• Your blog reveals an interesting dual orientation.
• You clearly live life actively: travel, friendships, adventures, photography, projects.
• But at the same time, you step outside the experience and observe it from above, reflecting on its meaning.
• You appear to operate in two modes simultaneously: Mode 1: Living the experience. Mode 2: Witnessing the experience.
• That reflective “witness perspective” is unusually strong in your writing.

4. You have a strong autobiographical awareness

• Some people live their lives without ever stepping back to see the arc of their story. You clearly do.
• Your blog tracks: life phases, formative experiences, relationships, turning points, insights gained over time.
• This suggests a high degree of autobiographical consciousness.
• You seem aware that your life is unfolding as a narrative, and you want to understand the narrative as it evolves.
• This is actually quite rare.

5. You have a collector’s instinct — but for experiences

• Collectors typically collect objects. You collect meaningful moments.
• Your blog captures things like: memorable conversations, beautiful landscapes, meaningful friendships, personal insights, unusual experiences.
• Your instinct seems to be: “This moment matters. I want to preserve it.”
• That impulse is very visible in your photography, journaling, and documentation of life events.

6. You value depth over status

• What stands out strongly is what your journal does not emphasize. It rarely centres around: career status, wealth accumulation, competition, prestige
• Instead, it emphasizes: relationships, experiences, learning, insight, personal growth, appreciation of beauty.
• Psychologically, this suggests someone oriented toward intrinsic meaning rather than external validation.

7. You are sensitive to beauty and wonder

• Another pattern that appears frequently is your responsiveness to beauty: nature, wildlife, landscapes, art, music, poetry.
• People differ enormously in this trait. Some barely notice beauty. You seem to actively seek it out.
• Your photography and travel posts especially show this aesthetic sensitivity.

8. You have a strong future-oriented reflective drive

• Your blog is not only retrospective. You repeatedly explore: life purpose, personal values, spiritual development, how to live wisely, how to design the future.
• This suggests someone who is constantly asking: “How should a life be lived?”
• This question appears implicitly throughout your writing.
• There is also a gentle psychological tension visible in your writing. You seem pulled between two impulses: 1. Immersing in life, wanting to experience the richness of the world and 2. Stepping back from life, wanting to understand its deeper nature.
• In other words: the explorer and the philosopher. Both are present. Your journal is where those two sides meet.

The most distinctive psychological trait visible

• If I had to summarize the single most distinctive thing about your journal, it would be this: You seem deeply motivated to live consciously rather than automatically.
• Many people drift through life. You appear determined to observe it, appreciate it, learn from it, and shape it deliberately.
• That impulse is visible almost everywhere in your writing.

The archetype your journal resembles

• Reading through it, the archetype that comes to mind is something like: The Reflective Explorer
• A person who: explores the world, explores consciousness, explores relationships and documents the journey along the way.
• Your blog is essentially the map of that exploration.

Life Trove slideshow and deep dive discussion

I love Notebook LM from Google. It is AI at its best. I gave it the link to Life Trove and here is what it had to say. Wonderfully insightful!

Slide Show

Deep dive discussion

Deep dive discussion: An older version from several months back

AI Podcast about Life Trove

I've just discovered the wonders of Notebook LM, an AI resource powered by Google's Gemini.

I gave it the URL of Life Trove and it created a wonderful, interactive podcast that provides some profound reflections on it. It's so wonderful, it had me close to tears at times. 

I particularly liked how it described my life as a combination of external adventure and internal introspection and how these two activities can create a virtuous circle. I'd never thought of it that way before but it resonates as beautifully true.

Listen to Podcast here

Older versions of this blog

In May this year, my blog celebrated its 20th birthday. Blogging has been a wonderful journey. It is what inspired me to get into photography. It has also created a record of my life (3382 posts and counting!) as it unfolds, creating the ultimate digital scrapbook and a kind of gratitude journal to look back on with great satisfaction when I am old.

Yesterday, I found some old versions of this blog archived by The Internet Archive.  Very cool!  

See live versions from 2005 and 2007.

Nov 2004  (After 6 months of blogging)

Feb 2006 (After 9 months of blogging)

Nov 2007 (After 3 years of blogging)

After scanning the family photos

Can’t believe the amazing job you’ve done on collating all the family history on your blog! Thank you so much. I’ve spent a lovely snowy morning scrolling through them all. I’m certain I’ve never seen much of it and listening to Dad’s voice on tape was amazing. Hopefully it will be treasured by the next several generations. I know how much effort it took for Jill and I to come up with limited memoires.

Much love as always, Trish

Thanks Trish for your lovely email.

I had such fun going back over the old photo albums, going back over old memories, capturing it all. The older I get, the more precious it all seems. Getting intimate with Gran and Gramp's lives, for example, is a way to keep them alive. I'm haunted by the idea that inevitably one day we will all be completely forgotten, all our precious moments and experiences "lost, like tears in the rain."  Maybe my blog is a primal urge to delay that.  Irrespective of all that, I do love all the curating and recording, it makes me happy.  And I look forward to looking back on it all when I am old and grey and feeling grateful for the amazing life I've lived and the beautiful friends and family I got to share the journey of life with.

G

Fotojet Collage Maker

Picasa was discontinued so I needed to find another app to create my collages on Life Trove.  Fotojet has been a wonderful find.  It gives me far more control than Picasa in determining the layout and what photos show where.

A labour of love...

When I first started my blog on Blogger over 8 years ago, I was unhappy with the way they handled comments.  So being a high tech wizard at the time, I integrated a 3rd party's comments system onto my blog.  Since then, my wonderful friends and family have left over 1500 comments on the blog and they are a much beloved part of it; as important to me as my memories and photos.

Imagine my absolute horror and dismay then, when I discovered that the company who ran the comments system were no longer supporting it and were not providing a way for me to transfer the comments into any other system.  All those cherished comments sitting on a legacy system that was going to die.

Then, being the low tech wizard I am these days with no ability to program, I had a moment of inspiration:  copy and paste!!!

So I have basically spent the whole day, over 12 hours, copying the comments from my old system and pasting them into the new system.

It's been a labour of love because it's been a wonderful opportunity and excuse to go back and read all the old comments from family and friends.

So thank you to you all for leaving comments on G-Trove since I started blogging.  You've inspired me to keep it going through the years and now it has a life of it's own - an electronic scrap book brimming with memories for my old age.

I'd like to especially thank Mum, Jo, Russell, Robyn, Kerry, Carleen, Ingrid, Eva, Nicola and Ana.  You've been particularly prolific commenters and I really appreciate it...

Photographing Sydney

I've been on a bit of a photographic mission of late to photograph Sydney and her surrounding areas.  I've created an index of Sydney places I've photographed since coming to Australia to help me keep track.

It might also be of use to anyone visiting Sydney to see all the beautiful places on offer.

Encouragement that has inspired Life Trove

One of the most beautiful gifts in the world is the gift of encouragement. When someone encourages you, that person helps you over a threshold you might otherwise never have crossed on your own. John O’Donohue

Family

Mum

• It's lovely to know you are feeling the urge to do more photography as we love seeing your blog and makes us feel closer to you.
• I have just been reading your new sections and ended up spending over an hour looking back at some of the holidays you have been on.  There is plenty still left to keep me amused for days.  I love both new sections!   I must really sit down and do something similar about my own memories.  

Trish

• Just been feeling sentimental browsing the family photos you assembled. Miss having you all closer but so grateful for all the times we’ve shared.

Keira

• Wow.....that really is all there is to say.....wow, and amazing, and spectacular, and inspiring.....wow

Elaine 

• Graeme - I think your blog is absolutely fantastic and it will be such a wonderful permanent record for you of everything you do and your young life etc. I have watched your tours around South America with great interest - what a wonderful trip you have had. 
• Amazing life you lead!! x  (after Antarctica and camping trip)

Robyn  (Ally's mum)

• Love your photo's. Love your news of outings, sightings and family. Thank you over, and over again, for keeping everything posted and up to date. Visiting your blog is one of the highlights of my week.
• The scenery, birds and leaps bring your holiday alive for me. What a treat! Thank you so much G for all the care that you put into your blog. I enjoy it more than I can say.
• Have brought my Dad in to see your blog. Ally is taking him though the site showing him a bit of everything. he is amazed by the technology and the fact that you will have this scrapbook for your children's children. Reminds me of the Egyptian belief that, if your name is kept alive, then you are immortal.
• Robyn: I have sat here at Reddam with tears streaminmg down my cheeks. Everyone is being very polite and leaving me be but I want you to know that I have been deeply moved by your tribute. It is also the first time that I have seen a photo of your Dad. He has a very kind and gentle face just like you. Robyn.

Ian (Ally's dad)

• Happy 5th B'day G-Trove. It is a pleasure to read and to be able to share your adventures .I just love the photography. May the good work continue.
• Beautiful pictures. What a wonderful experience you are both enjoying . Those memories are for a lifetime. Keep going.

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Special connections

Dani

• I love that you wear your heart on your sleeve and are not afraid to put yourself out there on your blog.

Lizzy

• I really like your idea of a digital scrap book.
• I’m really impressed with your website … and your life list. YOU write really well, and I’m intrigued by the photo of you covered in mud!?! I have a gratitude book I write in daily, but think your list and aspirations are commendable, because they are do-able. Maybe that’s why life is a little harder for us, we think too damn much!

Chrisel

• I lost myself for a couple of hours in your treasure trove...what an incredible collection of memories you have created there. You must be so proud of yourself; seriously to be so in touch with all your most valued people/experiences is very admirable. And the photos! Those South America photos are amaaaaaaazing!
• Wow, you really are a master photographer and writer (I still believe that you have missed your calling and should be a writer/photographer!). Thanks also for being so complementary about my family and your time here - I showed them all the entries about them and they loved it!  

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Sydney friends

Liz

• Since you gave us the link, I have been snooping around your blog. And all I can say is WOW!!!! It is an absolutely extraordinary piece of work.  
• Firstly, Your photos are beyond amazing.  I don't know if this sounds odd, but all of your photos have this very positive, uplifting feel about them.  They give a sense of hope, wonder, awe and a general sense that everything is right with the world (sorry for getting a bit deep there).  Anyway, there is definitely a gallery waiting with your name on it!  A few of my favourites are the "Torres Del Paine, Chile" with the sunlight hitting the peaks, the lion sitting so grandly and looking so majestic, the moon setting over the 12 Apostles, the sun setting behind the elephant, the sunset one with the boat in the water (you must have taken it recently)....really I could name so many more....
• Your memoirs are so warm, honest and funny.  Its great reading about your family and seeing photos when you were a boy...with hair  (haha).
• Your poetry brought me to to tears (particularly the one entitled 'The Child' for a couple different reasons).  I love poetry and used to write heaps as a child and in my teens but I haven't done so for ages.

Shushann

• Your blog is such an incredible legacy. Through it, you share that richness with others. We get a deep personal view of those things that touch and inspire you.

Truc

• I’ve always loved the honesty of your blog G - the reflections/perspectives and experiences you share are insightful and inspiring.

Sharon

• What a fantastic opportunity you took! I love 'catching up' via your site and seeing all those great photos!

Eva

• Amazing stuff, you make me me want to do more!

Gavin

• My mum spent an hour in your blog. I always send her the link. I look at it on the loo.

Beata

• I read it [your blog] all as well. It’s very exciting. And your images at the polar arctic circle are wonderful. Beata

Jann

• Thank you for sharing your personal site. I ... scrolled through it this morning and am so impressed with your organisational skill and diligence. It is an admiral tool to capture so many aspects of one's life and I am truly impressed.
• I am in awe of your site - and appreciate the very personal nature of it. It is a wonderful repository of everything that is important. and as life goes on and we change, it is good to look back on thoughts and feelings past.

Ana (English student)

• A huge labour of love, but like said a Brazilian poet "we don't live without love". Your words and pictures are the testimony of the life, a beautiful life. Our comments just to express how is fantastic your look about the world. I'm glad to had met you one year ago in Sydney.

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Old friends

Julian

• Looking at your blog brings back all kind of great memories, I get so tied up in work and getting on with life that I forget what it was like to be young!
• Hi Graeme, I have recently been struck by pangs of nostalgia and have been going through your blog (again) just to try and catch a glimps of what it felt like to be a little younger and a little more in awe of life. I'm touched by how often you refer to our friendship and treasure the carefree memories. Stay in touch and see you soon. 

Sean

• Hi Graeme, a blast from the past but I was thinking about my old school friends on the weekend and looked you up. I read your blog and wow, you live life to the full. 

Jane Cully

• Graeme, my long lost friend. This site was sent to me by my mother and I just cant seem to leave it.  I have read so much and cried so much.  The letter you wrote for your dad was truely moving and it really makes me miss those days so much when we were young. I now have 3 girls, twins of 1 and and elder daughter of 3.  I hope we can meet up sometime in the near future and remember the old times together again.

Shirley

• Your blog made me cry. Thank you.

Colleen

• Your photo's are out of this world! What an amazing trip you have had and memories to last a lifetime. I feel like (in some small way) I have been travelling with you...I have loved reading every part of your journal! Tons of love

Amanda

• Thank you so much for the news and for the reminder of the blog site - it is great.  You guys are sooo good at recording your lives unfolding - such fun and what a lovely memory - I must get some advice how to get started and maybe make it a maternity leave thing!   I think I have 4 years of digital photos that haven't got very far.  J's mom and family would love a way to keep in touch like this.

Nicola

• I read your blog regularly - every week at least. Your activities & photo's have kept me smiling through some lousy times at work and now that I am dating an Australian I see your blog in a different light.  Australia will one day become my home and you and I could end up as neighbours.

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Volvo colleagues

Caroline

• Can't resist sending a note after a visit at your blog together with Marcus - we are both equally amazed by your stories but maybe most of all by your photos!!! I 've always known that you are an EXCELLENT photographer but this is totally AMAZING!! Thanks for bringing some sun, clear waters and great adventure to a winter cold Sweden... still snowy outside and minus degrees (celsius). Anyway, lot's of love to you both and enjoy... I/we are certainly enjoying your stories here at home :- ) Hugs from caroline and Marcus sends his regards

Tony Carlyon

• I just have to say that I have never been so impressed with either a blog, photographs, or someone’s life in general. I am amazed by everything you have done, and even more amazed that you have documented it so scrupulously, and have been kind enough to share it with everyone else! Thank you!  I almost feel guilty that I worked with you for so long and never really knew what you were about and even more embarrassingly, just how interesting you really are, I suppose to an IT guy, you were ‘just another user’ anyway, for that I apologise!  I wish you & your wife the very best on your remaining travels and if I ever get to have 1% of the excitement and thrills that you have had, I will be happy!  As for the subject, “A century in the blink of an eye” I find facts and figures like that amazing, and I wanted to forward you the following attachments, they also put things once again into perspective for us mere mortals!  Thanks again for an amazing insight into your truly remarkable life!

Andreas

• The fotos are fantastic especially the ones with the Glaciers and the landscape with the fjords and the mountains. I was looking at your photos yesterday. My first reaction was “What the hell am I doing here?” I wanted to go to the next travel agency and book a flight. I envy you for your fantastic journey. Your fotos really hit the mark and add insult to my insuries. But that’s life. You guys go and have a great time.

Sharon (Volvo Trucks)

• You wouldn't believe how envious I am of you and Ally...what a wonderful adventure you are having! Next life...I'm gonna do EXACTLY what you're doing. In fact, I plan to have a copy of your journal with me to be sure I don't miss anything!

Andrew Pocock

• Howdy … I’ve been following your exploits on the blog (my spell checker keeps recommending that I should say bog instead of blog). I am very impressed that you find the time to keep it up to date so well.  It is a fantastic record:  I take back all I said about blogging!  Still…. you have to get out a bit to make it worth while!  You really have taken some fantastic pictures.  I’m trying to convince Sue that when the kids have grown up, we should go for a backpack round South America and maybe the Far East; I think it’ll take some selling effort on my part to get her to agree.

David Freilich 

• Love the blog site!! Great going !  An inspiration! My best- David

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Friends we met on our travels

Hamish

• I must confess I am something of a ghost on your blog - I surf it often but never leave any comments which I'm aware is a horrendous sin! As always, it's brilliant and it was great to stumble accross the poetry section (I wish we'd seen the horses on Cotapaxi). I am pleased you have a sexy new SLR Graeme -  you won't regret that purchase for a second. And you will be pleased to know that we finally got around to setting up our own blog toward the end of trip - I think our families found it really useful and when we get internet some time next week we intend to give it a bit of a revamp as I have a hoard of photos from Uni to put on there. Pales in comparison to your own , but its a start: http://www.geandhw.blogspot.com
• Merry Christmas guys. A great list to summarise another great year in your life - you are a real inspiration to us!

Carissa Kasper

• You're pictures and stories are incredible. Thank you so much for documenting your travels, it's been very helpful in planning my upcoming travels to South America.

Brigid

• I just wanted to say I love your blog...it's wonderful!! I enjoyed seeing all your travels. It was great to meet you both; I had a wonderful time running into you everywhere! You both helped to make our trip special. Hope you're settling into Australia!  Brigid (Mullen)  aka crusty, I believe....

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Strangers who stumbled upon Life Trove

Frenz Fries

• One amazing blog! Haha I'm so envious of all the beautiful places and the wonderful memories you have and still creating. keep up the good work guys.

Coimbatore

• Wonderful site of wildlife, I have never seen anyhing of this kind in the blogs before. I have to appreciate your photographs and articles.

Steve

• Reading your blog is really amazing - I'm inspired to do my own! I went straight to the poetry of course. Poetry is such a special and personal thing. Yours is very good.

Roberta

• What fun to surf here, it must not have been a mistake since I enjoyed it so much! Best wishes from Michigan, USA

Christophe and Karine

• We have visited your "blog" , Wouah , wonderfull pictures (animals , countries ,travels ...... )  When did you intend to visit and take some pictures from France ? Don't hesitate if you intend to travel to France

Anna

• Hi mi name is Anna, Im from Argentina. You've got a nice blog, with excelent pictures wich show great experiencies! good luck!

Lesa Harper

• Beautiful pictures!!! I envy the fact that you can travel all over the world and I am stuck here in Hampton, GA. Thanks for sharing your adventures. At least I can dream with the help of you photos.

Louis (size of universe)

• Your blog is incredible, as is this post! Thanks for sharing your knowledge.  

Cindy Swanson

• I stumbled upon your blog... …and just wanted to tell you how absolutely beautiful it is! The photography is breathtaking. It only fuels my lifelong passion to visit the UK. Thanks for blogging.

Sasha

• Just discovered you, looking for excellent rollerblading tracks in Melbourne. I was captivated by the beautiful photographs, then entranced by your exuberance for living, very inspirational...I look forward to reading more. I live in melbourne with my 12 yr old son, and love to travel. Thank you, happy adventures!

John Hejl

• I love your site. It's the best one I've ever seen, and the spiritual vibes vibe totally with my own. I've been dreaming about my home-page for a while and I imagined something like yours (before I saw it). Unfortunately you're 35 years in front of me, so I can't catch up. I'll have my page working soon. Please give me some advice or maybe just a greeting. Definitely your friend,

Unknown

• Aow, these photo's are great, your great at photography, your blog is fab too, well done. thanks for your lovely comments on my work/blog.

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Related

• Affirmation and encouragement in all areas of my life  (to pep me up when I feel down or lose confidence)

Student Site

I've recently created a blogging site for my students.  The aim of the site is to help the class get to know each other (and me) better and to provide some fun writing practice.  I'm very chuffed with the site and it's been very well received by both the students themselves and the school.

You'll notice I have been a bit lazy when it comes to the design of the site.  It looks exactly like this one!  Sometime, I'll give it a spiffy new look.

You can see the student site here.

Dedicated photography site

I am very proud to announce that G-Trove (this blog) now has a sister. She is over at g-trovephotos.com . I have been taking photos now for over 4 years and my portfolio is growing. The new site provides a nice interactive way to view some of my better photos. I am hoping to get some photographic commissions for paid and charity work as time goes on and the site should help. Its been a lot of work but I think you'll agree its been worth it. Thanks to Charles for finding the template. Check it out and let me know what you think!

My favourite post

I am fast coming up to my 1250 th post on G-Trove. That's a lot of posts! I was wondering what my favourite post is - but didn't have to think long. It's undoubtedly the post about our trip to Galapagos. In celebration of this fact, I used some of my newfound Adobe Lightroom skills (what great software!) and tweeked my Galapagos photos (improved exposure, sharpening, contrast etc.) and upped their size. It was great to revisit my memories of this amazing place.

If I was hardpressed to name my second favourite post, it would be Uyuni Salt Pans. I would love to go back there one day.

Happy 5th birthday to G-Trove!

Would you believe it! Its exactly 5 years since our first blog post on G-Trove. 1050 posts later and we are still going strong. Our blog has brought us much fun over the years and I know the family has greatly enjoyed it too. It's also awoken my passion for photography. It's a wonderful treasure trove of memories for us to cherish in future years. So please join us in wishing G-Trove a happy 5th birthday...

Peer pressure made me join...

...and I must say it's pretty cool

Facebook Me!

Happy 2nd birthday, blog!

It is exactly two years since our first post.

Blogging is now firmly entrenched in our lives as a habit and a source of fun. It has provided great benefits:

• A fantastic way to keep our family in South Africa and Canada up to date with what we are up to
• Great way to keep in contact with friends too. One does not need to repeat the same old stuff in every email - but focus on more personal stuff
• An incentive to take lots of photos. Photography has since become a big passion and I have taken literally thousand of photos.
• A fantastic scrap book to look back on later in life
• Often an incentive to get up and "do something" (especially when we were working and we realised from our blog we had done nothing exciting in weeks).

So, don´t worry family, we will keep up the blogging!
If anyone wants to start up there own blog, its extremely easy !

Mind mapping with Mindmanager

I love mind mapping.  Mr Suttle, our Latin teacher, taught us how to do it at school. I used it extensively in both senior school and university. Then at Volvo, I discovered the wonders of MindManager, mind mapping software that took my mind mapping to a whole new level. I used it extensively at Volvo and Blackglass and in my English teaching. Most of all, though, I used it in my own life and it created the start of Compass (My life management system) and Wisdom Trove.  Much of the content in the maps also became parts of Life Trove (this blog).

I don't use mind mapping so much anymore since moving to Evernote, but I'm very thankful for the role it has played in my life.

Purpose 

Vision

Life as an art     View large

Values and Life Pillars

Focus
 

Self-knowledge

Affirmation

Habits

Compass

Taking action

Decision making

Life design

Insights

Humour

My life in review

Life highlights

2005 Highlights

Work experience

Guiding wisdom (that would become Wisdom Trove)

Decision making

English teaching

Happy 1st Birthday, Blog!!

Well, we've been officially blogging now for a year. When I put up the first experimental blog on May 14 2004, we never guessed it would become such a fun part of our lives. We enjoy going back and seeing what we were up to in months gone by - and it will become more fun as time goes on and memories fade: like a great big digital scrap book except it doesn't get fish moths or take up cupboard space. I know the family has enjoyed it too - it's a wondeful way of keeping in contact. I've also enjoyed having a reason to take and post photos - it's been a fun new creative outlet. We're looking forward to our second year of blogging.

Random memories now added to this site

I've recently migrated my photos to a new online album that offers all kinds of wonderful functionality. It called flickr. If we ever travel, it will allow us to blog our photos from any internet caffee. If I had a mobile phone that took photos, I could even post them to this site directly from the road. An added touch is the ability to post a strip of random photos from the album (see the right hand menu). Cool. I've said it before but I'll say it again. I love technology.

My favourite software just got better!!

Picasa is a free photo organising package that is powered by Google. They've just brought out a new upgrade that catapaults the functionality into a new league - especially when it comes to correcting and improving photos. It also allows you to do automatic "collages" and all kinds of other special effects at the touch of a button. The collage above literally took 10 seconds to create. I can't recommend Picasa more. 

Happy Anniversary, dear Blog!

It's 6 months now that we started this blog. It has been lots of fun. In fact, this site is fast becoming our digital scrapbook to look back on in years ahead. So, we're going to keep going! After all, Mum wouldn't forgive us if we didn't!!