Eleanor's Adventures

Mitchell Duneier’s “Sidewalk” was incredibly moving. It was also fascinating and relevant to my major/what I enjoy studying: what makes a city a city? The concept of what a sidewalk does for society and how it is almost a performative space that hosts these “public characters” is so interesting. It made me think about all the “public characters” that I see in my everyday life that I might overlook; they are a part of a persons everyday life. I think Jacobs’ observation about “the social context of the sidewalk is pattern a particular way because of the presence of the public character…” is true and astute. Duneier’s research about race, class, and status in relation to these public spaces is also something I’ve studied in my major, and I found this reading to be particularly helpful in deepening my understanding of this subject. I’d love to read more from this.

The Handbook of Ethnography: Participant Observation and Fieldnotes by Robert Emerson, et. al. was an important reading for critically understanding the role of an ethnographer, the way in which fieldnotes works, the drawbacks that they can have, what to be aware of, different strategies, and how to edit notes. I found this reading to be helpful because it made me think of myself and the “fieldnotes” that I’ve taken and how I might operate differently in the future. This was useful in regard to our upcoming final project.

Post-Modena by Jane Kramer was very different compared to the first reading. This second one is an article that focuses on the unconventional Italian chef Bottura. Kramer used dialogue, personal opinions, and a narrative arc. I found this to be an easy and enjoyable read. Kramer did a good job at using unique descriptive language, and bringing these characters to life. Though it was a long read, I appreciate that Kramer attempted to splice up the writing into sections while recounting the years.

The Practice of Everyday Life by Michel de Certau was philosophical and intriguing. The concept that are actions influence others is something commonly known; but this thought process still takes on a passive tone. Certau is asserting that we, as consumers, actively manipulate. I’m a Growth and Structure of Cities major, so I found that Walking in the City chapter to be particularly interesting. I’ve also enjoyed critically thinking about cities, how people operate in a city, what makes it the way it is (culturally), and how its physical space affects people (and vice versa).

The “What Writing Does and How It Does It” reading felt somewhat familiar but still helpful in regards to context, rhetorical analysis/criticism, logos/ethos/pathos. I appreciated that the author used examples to further illustrate their point, like EB White’s “Education.” It gave the topic of discussion more substance. I’ve always thought about this kind of rhetorical analysis in the context of essay/academic writing. Not to say that Travel Writing is not that, but my brain did not immediately connect the two. I feel that we all unconsciously/loosely apply these things when writing about something we’re passionated about, but I’d like to try deliberately applying these concepts to my writing style and see how it goes.

I found “The Tourist Gaze” reading to be interesting because it made me reflect on my time as a tourist/the experiences I have had/things I have bought. We are heavily influence about what we should see and do online, and those that create that content are influenced by others/the tourism industry. So, while each tourists experience may be individually different, it is still curated. And on top of that curated experience and image, this can ignore other amazing opportunities and cover up injustices in the place being visited.

In the Subjunctive Mood, I learned that it is not a tense. The author talks about their time in Spain, and I enjoyed the way they sectioned of their writing into: 1. Ojalá. 2. after words of suasion and negation. 3. with “si” or “como” si. 4. after impersonal expressions. 5. after verbs of doubt or emotions. 6. to express good wishes. 7. in adverbial clauses denoting purpose, provision, exception. 8. after certain indications of time, if the action has not occured. 9. in certain independent clauses. I appreciate the way they set up what she was talking about with the indicative and subjunctive, and how they interwove their personal experiences, dialogue, to what was being taught.

I really enjoyed reading Eula Biss’ “Goodbye to All That.” This was a more traditional narrative style; Biss takes the reader through a specific time in her life, New York. She was witty, incorporated dialogue, varied sentence structure, and used a good mix of indicative and subjunctive. I could really visualize what she was writing about, and that for me is extremely important for being able to continue reading.

The Art of Writing a Story about Walking Across Andora was a unique but effective way to tell a travel story. Having sections with bullet points beneath each one was extremely satisfying and clean. The write was insightful and humorous even though the way that it was set up was almost clinical/pragmatic. Another aspect to this kind of writing is, one that we’ve seen before in this class, where the author incorporates the reader in the narrative by using “you.” You go down the street. You do this. You do that. It keeps the reader hooked because you are interested in seeing what “you” might do next, but it can also be uncomfortable if the “you” in the story doesn’t do something good. I also especially appreciated the attention to historical detail in this writing about Andorra. Essentially, this article meant to function as a guide or a “how to” when it comes to travel narratives. The author gave some helpful advice in situations that have happened to me frequently when writing. For example, what to do when you feel like you are drowning yourself in description that’s all been said before; this feeling of insecurity was very affirming. I loved this one.

The Song of Achilles is my most recent favorite reading (I); I finished it yesterday (I). I’m an avid reader, and the book had been recommended to me for years, but my friend had the book in her possession and I asked if I could borrow it (I). This book easily captured me (S). Madeline Miller’s writing style is so unique, and it made me really think about the phrase “show don’t tell” (I/S). She did a lot of telling with occasional showing, but it really really worked (I/S). The building of the relationship in the book was fantastic and the pacing never slowed for me (S). I’m a huge fantasy, romance, fiction girl (I). I like to be entertained and to get emotionally invested in things, and this definitely fell into that category (S). My life circumstances at the time of me reading were being in a new place, and I always find comfort in reading (I/S). My librarian in high school once asked me why I liked to read so much. She asked, “Is it because you like to learn? Or to escape.” (I) My response was both, but leaning towards the latter (I). I love reading (S); I feel like I’ve lived hundreds of lives and learned hundreds of lessons without having to go through the heartache or pain that they would be like in real life (S). I had the mentality for most of my life until I hit college, and then I started wanting to make mistakes (S). I wanted to learn from things, but I can still escape when reading (S)

Visiting the Italian cheese and wine shop last week was enjoyable. The area was charming. When we first visited the cheese shop, the man who came out and presented the various cheeses and meets was incredibly kind; he was patient while our co-host Hope translated his Italian for the class. The cheese shop was so petite that there was no feasible way to cram everyone in there, so we did the tasting in the street; this included lots of maneuvering for vehicles. While the standing and changing places may have been uncomfortable on the cobblestone streets, it created a really unique experience with new food; it was memorable. With each cheese, I experience a new taste and a new feeling. One of the meats made my eyes water; one of the cheese was dry; one of the cheeses was rich with the taste of wine. When we got to the wine shop, I felt comfortable and happy in the presence of new acquaintances. Massimo gave a detailed explanation of the wine, its elaboration, and other interesting details. At one point, my only discomfort was the crick in my neck from the angle my head was placed in order to give Massimo my full attention. It was a comfort to hear about something familiar yet new. Familiar in the sense that I understood the wine process that he was talking about: oak barrels, stainless steel tanks, packagings and labelling, the presentation of the wine, the laws surrounding the cultivation of the grapes, and so on. It was new because Italian’s are different than the French. Their wine is different, the percentage of alcohol is different, so is the taste and the grapes, etc. 

When I was about eight years old, I had my dad take a picture of me and put me in his contacts; this was an age where I was obsessed by technology. I especially liked that you could put your career or description below your name when making your contact. I took some time thinking about what I wanted as my descriptor. I chose “Adventurist” because that was my dream for my future self. To me, that was what life seemed to be about…adventure. From a young age, tv shows and movies like Duma, Harry Potter, Narnia, Swiss Family Robinson, Johnny Quest, Walter Mitty, Journey, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Monte Carlo, Nim’s Island, and Free Willy were widely appealing to me. I couldn’t quite explain why they were, other than that they captured my attention and excitement

I had been chasing a feeling that I’d felt approximately two times in my life. The first time being sailing in a small 420 boat. I can still picture the sun that was beginning to set in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. The boat was keeling in the strong wind, and I had my feet hooked underneath the center strap as arched off the side. The official term is called hiking, and it’s one of my favorite aspects of sailing. There is something addictive about being on the edge of capsizing your boat, but if you adjust your sail and direction just right, you’re able to go flying across the water with overpowering the sail. In that moment, the tips of my hair were dragging in the Atlantic, the harbor seals swam somewhere below, the sea sprayed my tanned face, and my soul was consumed by joy.

The second time I experienced this kind of rush was after backing the Washington coast without a phone. I still don’t know the exact location—possibly near the Puget Sound—of where it was because someone else oversaw the map that day. We’d been hiking along the beach until we came upon a mass of rock that stretched from the edge of the forest, across the beach and out into the ocean. Instead of taking the easiest path over, we decided to venture up and out to the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. I had, and still do have, a fear of heights, but after climbing up the steep cliff all I could do was stand and watch the horizon. It sounds corny, but I remember standing there transfixed by the crashing waves and the grandness of the ocean. I distinctly remember how proud I felt of myself, and how thrilled I was by the world.

When COVID happened, everything seemed to be at a standstill. It made me reflect once again on what I truly wanted out of life, and I found that I still had an unquenchable desire to go adventuring. So, I waited. Three years went by. I graduated high school, started my first year of college, made friends, lost friends, mom got breast cancer, ate Wawa, swam competitively, mom recovered from cancer, realized I love writing fiction, taught people how to swim in the summer, started my sophomore year, quit my sport, took up ballet, decided my major, thought about getting a publishing internship, had coffee randomly with a woman, woman encouraged me to apply for a champagne house internship in France, applied to study abroad in Rome, was hired by the champagne house, was accepted to abroad program, went through the visa process, bought plane tickets, and before I knew it, it was time to leave.

Life is funny sometimes; for three years, I was in the same place with the same people, on a set path with occasional scares or surprises…and then everything changed, and I was in a different country by myself with entirely new people. I am still on my adventure.

So far, my journey has felt like three chapters: summer job in France, nine days in Croatia, studying in Rome. My time abroad has taught me many things, good and bad. It’s helped and hurt me in many ways. However, there are a few things I know to be true: I am capable. I am resilient. I am so privileged to be able to do this. I’ve contracted the travel bug. There is still much more out there that I want to see. I’ve also realized whatever issues that plagued you in your home country, don’t necessarily escape you across an ocean, but the experience may give you new perspective. In this article, I want to reflect upon my nine days in Croatia.

Going to Croatia was a last-minute decision. I was getting to the end of my internship in the champagne region of France, and I knew that I needed to leave the Schengen region before I reached my 90-day limit. I’d arrived in France in early June with no required visa—trust me I went through the gruesome battlefield that is figuring out all the visa, EU, Schengen rules—and had a visa for my study abroad in Italy. My abroad program would end on December 17, along with my visa, and that meant I had only a few days to appreciate Europe during the winter holidays; the problem being I wouldn’t make it to Christmas or New Years. Both holidays of which my family wanted to come to Europe for, so I needed to get out of the Schengen area to elongate the number of days on the back end.

The decision was between taking the Eurostar to London—a city that I’ve visited before and loved—and Croatia—a country that I knew next to nothing about but looked lovely, according to the photos. After some research and price comparison, I decided to book a flight to Dubrovnik. From there, I booked my first stay at a hostel, but since my planning was so last minute, the only availabilities were mixed dorms. I was nervous about this; I was a solo female traveler in a new country with no previous experience in hostel hopping, but more than anything, I had that feeling again; it was the same kind of feeling of adventure I once felt…the excitement of something new and unknown.

When I touched down in Dubrovnik, my first mission was to get Kunas, Croatia’s currency. I found an ATM in the airport, and when the machine asked me how much I wanted to extract, I drew a blank. The options ranged from 200 kunas to 1,800 kunas. I had no idea what the conversion was, and my phone hadn’t updated to my new location, so I didn’t have access to the internet. Once I connected to Wifi, I figured out that 200 kunas was equivalent to 25.81 USD. I took a shuttle to the Old Town.

*to be continued*

Why We Travel

This reading aimed to be existentialistic and philosophical. The author cited several writers and philosophers, such as George Santayana’s “Philosophy of Travel.” From my reading, it became clear that the author’s moral meaning behind her travel writing had to do with looking for meaning by getting lost in order to find oneself; this trope used throughout all different forms of media for centuries. They stated that traveling for her means leaving her beliefs at the door and seeing the world and things you thought you knew in a different light. They created a contrast between tourist vs. traveler, which I found to be an interesting comparison. I also found the perspective that this writer comes from is definitely one of privilege. For example, “we travel, then, in part just to shake up our complacencies by seeing all the moral and political urgencies, the life-and-death dilemmas, that we seldom have to face at home.” Not everyone has the desire to travel, and not everyone has the ability to travel. Those “moral and political urgencies” are something that someone faces on a daily basis. The author’s perspective affects the kind of readership that taps into these stories, but perhaps that is what the author wants. I enjoyed the different quotations from authors and philosophers like Camus’ “what gives value to travel is fear.” These quotes made the piece richer.

Fifty Shades of Greyhound

I enjoyed this reading because of its dark humor; it made the piece really engaging and mildly disturbing. The rhythm and pacing of this story made me realize why the “Why We Travel” reading didn’t feel quite right; this author did a brilliant job at joking, weaving the deeper meaning, and including dialogue–I wasn’t bored, and it felt like the writer wasn’t just rambling. The writer created bits like Bus People vs. Airplane People that created a multi-layered story. The specific details sprinkled throughout the piece like meeting a woman from Wichita Falls who was possibly the first person to drink Dr. Pepper may be one of those things you laugh about but never share. This is something that I struggle with, my instinct is to give the overarching story about my travels, but I need to remind myself that the bizarre details are what liven up a story and make it memorable.

The Basics of Good Writing in Any Form

I found this reading to be helpful in thinking about my own writing. Nonfiction is not my comfort zone; I’ve always felt better writing fiction, but I appreciated what the author said about nonfiction still being something of prose and poeticism. Sentence length variation is important. Reading about the different between expository writing and scene was helpful. I’d like to keep writing and find my balance between both. I thought the chapter being broken down into sections like “developing character” and “image and metaphor” to be straightforward and helpful.

The difference between a travel diary and a travel article is that a travel article is written with a specific purpose. The article has an objective and a narrative arc. It is edited repeatedly, and it is written for a particular audience. Whereas, a travel diary is written however the writer wants. It is their personal journal where they can write about whatever they want. While there might be a point to the story, they are not required to paint a picture to their audience, to have a narrative arc, or convey clear information, etc.

https://www.afar.com/magazine/the-sound-of-silence

I really enjoyed Lisa Abend’s “The Sound of Silence” article! It had a nice hook and was entertaining throughout the whole story, as if a knowledgeable friend were telling it to me. This style of writing makes the reader feel connected with the writer, and their travel experience. I could visualize the story being told as if it were a movie. The writer did a good job describing places, scenarios, and people in a way that didn’t solely rely on adjectives; Abend really painted a picture by describing actions or giving examples about feelings she had (wanting to get away from crowds of people). Abend did a wonderful job of mixing her personal experience and opinions with her observations of other people, nature, and facts about the journey, and Inverie–weaving all of her information together seamlessly. What tied together the article was the successful narrative arc and keeping a consistent theme about conversation and human connection.