it's an Arri Alexa, isn't it?

Feelings of Unease

Lara's having a crisis of confidence, so for her sake, I'll keep up a happy face. But something about this expedition has been making me nervous. I have butterflies in my stomach. As we sail closer to the Dragon's Triangle, I'm starting to feel nauseous. And this isn't the excited kinda nerves.

What the hell is wrong with me? I should be excited. This trip is going to be awesome. I just need to shake off this feeling.

Maybe I can convince Lara to take a break and have a drink with me.

Filmmaker

Whitman is such a drama queen. I can't believe the hissy fit he threw during the filler shoot. I mean, this is his job, right? It's not like he's offering anything to the actual research part of this expedition.

Once we find Yamatai, and the camera's are rolling, he'll calm down. He might be a total pain in the ass, but he knows how to work a scene. I just need to do my job and keep my cool. Lara doesn't know it, but I've been shooting footage of her too. I really want to make sure she gets the credit she deserves. And besides, she looks great on film. I think she's a natural. That's probably going to drive Whitman out of his mind with jealousy. But by the time he finds out, we'll be enjoying the premier of Telluride!

Family Story

I can't believe we're actually on an expedition to find the homeland of my ancestors. Ever since I told Lara the story of Himiko years ago, she's been hunting for its location. I never really gave it much thought, that any of this could actually be real history.

My grandmother used to tell me the story like it was a memory...

Many thousands of years ago, Queen Himiko ruled the land of Yamatai. The sun rose at Himiko's command and she ruled everything its rays touched, from the mountains to the sea and beyond. But one day, Yamatai simply disappeared without a trace, forgotten in time.

Adventure with Lara

I suppose on some level I have Lara to thank for this job. She's always believed in me. The academics at college dismissed filmmaking as nonsense. They just saw me as this ditsy American troublemaker with a camera.

But you know what? Most people can use a little trouble in their lives. And deep down, I know Lara wanted to just cut loose sometimes. She just needed a little help unlocking her inner party girl.

We had so many awesome adventures together. That insane backpacking trip through Bulgaria, I was always dragging her out to clubs. And the hiking trip on the south face of Kilimanjaro; all Lara wanted to do was explore ruins, but who knew we'd run into so many cute guys? Certainly not Lara, haha!

I have a feeling this expedition is going to be one for the books. Lara with her notebook, me with my camera...another crazy adventure!