Everyone travels for their own reasons. Some to find themselves, some to cure their curiosities about the world and some simply to relax. I travel because I am addicted to it. It feeds my soul. It strips me back to reveal my true self and it is ultimately what makes me the happiest version of myself.
These are the words of Amie Victoria (@amievictoriaphotography), an Australian lifestyle and travel photographer based on The Sunshine Coast. It is this addiction to travel that led her to the breathtaking plains of Siberia, embarking on a 21-day rail trip that crossed Russia, Mongolia and China, aboard The Trans-Mongolian Railway.
© Amie Victoria
It was sharing her trip with her fellow travellers that gave her the most satisfaction, though the photographs certainly emphasise the visual rewards of undertaking this journey. The daily card games and vodka served in teacups did not distract her from capturing the magnificent landscapes and charming villages she passed on the journey, which make this adventure all the more appealing to those who share Amie’s desire to see the world and share it with like-minded travellers.
© Amie Victoria
The train is a fundamental part of the journey itself, as the experience of passing the changing landscapes inevitably accompanies that of being aboard a constantly-moving vehicle. Yet, as off- putting as it may seem to some, the long days on the train proved to be some of the most enjoyable, with the very simplistic, very Russian, food making the journey all the more authentic. The server and barman of the train (pictured below) lives permanently on the train with his wife, repeatedly making the journey from western to eastern Russia and back again.
© Amie Victoria
Beyond the spectacular landscape, Amie was equally impressed by the gentle and giving nature of the people she met along the way. Her photographs, which are all very topographical in nature, beautifully demonstrate the connection between the train, the landscapes and the things she encountered whilst on the journey, highlighting all that is to be gained by taking the road less travelled by. There is an intimacy to her photographs that makes you feel as though you’d been with her, whilst also making you want to discover these places more closely.
© Amie Victoria
