When Sacramento State staff member and alumna Sharon Kelley planned her first-ever “real” vacation, she didn’t go to sandy beaches to work on her tan.

Instead, she traveled to the destitute country of Tanzania.

Kelley went with a group, to hike and photograph the country, so different from her own. What came out of the trip was a change in philosophy for Kelley, and a unique experience that she translated through the art of photography, and brought back to display in the University Union coffee shop as a way to share the epiphany with others.

As a single mother of two, Kelley never had the opportunity to explore many parts of the world. She calls the trip to Tanzania “a present to herself.” Making the journey to Tanzania would prove be an inspiring and powerful experience for Kelley.

A staff member in the University Computing and Communication Services, Kelley says that the trip to Tanzania had both “humanitarian and physically challenging elements.”

Kelley traveled with a group of six women ranging in age from 23 to 65. A cook, a medic, a guard and a person to carry the gear accompanied the women.

The group hiked 10-20 miles per day, ending up in a different place every night. In addition to hiking and sight seeing, Kelley used her experience in photography to take some beautifully profound photos, which she titled “Tanzanian Soliloquy,” which can be viewed in the coffee house until Nov. 19.

The photos are thought provoking, and shed an interesting light on the culture of a country so different from America.

“The photos were very spur of the moment. … I wanted to take away those glimpses that hold your eye for a moment and dissipate, leaving a sweet aftertaste of having been privy to something fleeting, but profound and unique,” Kelley said.

Kelley was so dedicated to the journey to Tanzania that she even sold some of her own camera equipment to afford gear and supplies to give away on the trip. To her, the beautiful simplicity in the lifestyles of the Tanzanian people was powerful. The culture juxtaposed with the poverty inspired Kelley’s photography to an intense level.

“What I took away with me is vast, but there are two important things — learning to be part of a cohesive whole instead of seeing myself as an individual among the many, and not to be so disposable. To keep and reuse things,” Kelley said. “You can’t fathom how different life can be until you are someplace else.”

Kelley says that among the group of people she traveled with, one person stood out in particular. Emily Lyon, a 23-year-old graduate of Sac State, served as the glue that held the trip together.

“Her friendship and sense of humor staved off the exhaustion, hunger, cold/heat and frustration of the team,” Kelley said.

Kelley, who has been involved in photography for about eight years, said that when she retires she plans to work for a human rights organization as a documentarian. To contact Kelley call 278-5975 or e-mail at [email protected].