Theresa Vernetti is a photographer in San Diego who practices dental hygiene in between local backpacking excursions and adventure travel to the far corners of the earth. She makes a very nice lasagne, can deliver an impressive karate kick to the head and has recently discovered a passion for bicycling in the Chinese countryside.

The excitement of third world geography and the unique encounters she has with locals along the way are what gets Theresa "away from the office" a couple of times a year. Redmond O'Hanlon, an entertaining, adventure travel writer, has some interesting insights on the allure of remote destinations. "I think my ultimate aim is to rediscover childhood. In an equatorial jungle, the world seems intensely fresh and strange just like it does in childhood. You wake up in the morning and you're glad to be alive. The first time that happened to me, I thought I was getting a fever. Plus, there's the fact that your guides, whether they're Dyaks or Pygmies, take on a parental role and treat you like a child. You trust them in much the same way that you trust your parents, and you try to amuse them and keep their attention like you do with your parents. It very quickly has nothing to do with money."

As a student of the University of California, Santa Barbara, Theresa majored in spanish literature and religious studies, taking full advantage of the education abroad program linked with the University of Granada, Spain. Three additional years and hundreds of teeth later, a second degree in dental hygiene was earned at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry--- Grandpa's alma mater ! She currently works as a hygienist at two fine practices in San Diego.

Theresa attempts to capture the essence of daily life and spirit of the people in the places she visits and enjoys sharing her work with friends, family and unsuspecting patients.

Countries visited:

Central Mexico, Baja California, Guatemala, Ecuador, Canada, Spain, France, Italy, Czech, Austria, England, Morocco, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Nepal, India, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Tibet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2005 Theresa Vernetti