My new lens finally arrived today. If you’re not into photography, you can stop reading here. I got a Sigma Zoom Super Wide Angle AF 17-70mm f/2.8-4.5 DC Macro Autofocus Lens; the lens through which I’ll see the world and capture years of memories. I decided early on that I would only carry one lens on this trip, so a lot of time and consideration went into choosing this fine piece of glass. I can’t wait to open this baby wide and capture the Himalayas. At 25.5mm (35mm equivalent), I’ll be able to frame breathtaking mountainscapes. Or I can zoom it in to 105mm and discover the details of life. Perhaps, I’ll fling open that aperture to 2.8, to isolate my bright subjects in the middle of dark monsoon day. Or stop it down to f/32 and bring endless landscapes into focus. Stabilized by my Pentax K100D’s in-body stabilization, I’ll be able to freeze the crispness of a dark mountain morning. If you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited about this lens. But in the end, its not about the lens. Its about photographs. The lens will be gone in 50 years, but I’ll still have the prints. Regardless, this lens is gonna be fun.