On a solo trip to Europe

at the age of 19, I forgot my digital camera at a friend’s apartment in Amsterdam - my first stop on the trip. For the three weeks before I returned to see her, all I had on me was my film camera: a used Canon AE-1. I traveled through France and Greece during that time, taking shots like I normally do - however, possessed by the fear that the film would be ruined by the seven different airport scanners it passed through.

Six weeks later, after arriving home in New York, I dropped the film off at my camera shop. A week later, when I returned to pick it up, I held my breath as I opened the package. Inside were some of the best shots I’ve ever taken - all in perfect condition.