Travel as an Empty Vessel

By J. Schlasner

After my trip to Puerto Rico, some fantastic talks with Dr. C that helped me understand my travel interests, and a lot of new writing experience, I can say that I better understand my personal goals as a travel writer to an extent.

Without the willingness to try new things, I wouldn't have eaten the tostones.

I came to realize that travel writing is a very honest, introspective experience for me.  As a slight introvert, I’ve become adept at observation before action when in a new place, and I would like to encourage this behavior in other travelers.

In my writing, I also have no problem with admitting my natural awkwardness and confusion as I try to figure out local customs. I feel it’s an important part of the experience of visiting a new place for the first time.

I’d actually prefer that all of my travel articles carry this element. I think it’s important to remind travelers that when first encountering a new culture, we are all ignorant, and that’s exciting and good.  We can’t learn anything if we think we already know it all. 

This emptiness and quiet observation of a culture, is quite possibly the most important aspect of a travel narrative for me.  Too many people barge into a host country, expecting to be catered to in every way possible (see T.M. Boyd’s Ugly Americans article), and end up turning their experience into another version of their own culture while completely missing the unique experience that country has to offer.

The El Yunque Visitor's Center is an example of culture through architecture.

The topics I prefer to focus on are what I refer to as the ‘cultural arts’, or art that reveals something about the culture it comes from, not just the individual.  Things that I feel fall under this category are preforming arts, visual arts, food, and architecture, and even municipal planning. 

Lastly, as someone who has had a physical limitation her whole life, I also like to keep an eye out for possible complications for my fellow disabled travelers.  More resources should be made readily available to help them research their destination ahead of time and make plans and arrangements based on their limitations.

I hope I will one day be able to consistently integrate my goals into each piece of travel writing I create.