Travel Bound

Travel Bound

By: Lillian Bocquin

If you do one thing in your life, I urge you to go somewhere, anywhere really. Travel is not just for the wealthy or those with less strict schedules. Travel is something that can be useful and something worth pursuing. Find the ways travel can be useful and manageable in your life and don’t miss those opportunities.

The Puerto Rico travel opportunity offered by Gaylord College at the University of Oklahoma is something I should have looked over. I didn’t have the money or time, but something kept telling me to try for it anyway. After a little research I learned that it could count toward credits I needed and would have to take in the spring if I did not take them over the winter break. After a little more work I learned about several scholarships offered and was able to receive enough money to pay for more than half of my total trip. I felt very lucky and very excited.

Photo by Meta Carstarphen, student group from 2017 Gaylord Puerto Rico class

However, there was a downside to this experience. Now, I’m addicted to traveling. I love the idea of learning new cultures in different communities, seeing new sites or traditions and meeting people I connect with even though we come from completely different backgrounds. I say this is a “downside” only because that’s how people usually view it; I actually view it as the best possible thing that could have happened to me.

Traveling is depicted as being so difficult to manage or plan, but it doesn’t have to be. It took me about 20 minutes of looking into my trip to learn that it would be a realistic option for a struggling college senior behind on her credits. Not only that, it was a preferable option! I urge everyone to take another look at that dream vacation, or even another look into the next city over, you never know what you could end up falling in love with.

Photo by Lilly, Previous study abroad trip to Italy

Unsatisfied Cravings

Unsatisfied Cravings

By: Lillian Bocquin

I typically can’t make a decision on what to eat without some sort of guidance. Not only am I bad at decisions but I don’t typically crave any specific type of food. But all of that changed when I visited Puerto Rico.

The food in Puerto Rico has extremely rich flavor. Most things to eat there are thick, decadent, or deeply flavorful. Our class had the opportunity to cook several authentic Puerto Rican during our stay that included a delicious curry-like meal served over rice that was easily my favorite. (And also the one I cooked!)

Photo by Lilly, The kioskos at Luquillo

However, the best meal I had all week came from a small kiosko down the road from our condo we were staying in. A kiosko is a small restaurant or shop similar to a food truck. The meal was a well-known dish called Mofungo.The dish is made from mashed plantains formed into the shape of a bowl, and this bowl houses deliciously cooked pork and vegetables in a wonderful sauce.

Photo by Lilly, To-go Mofungo from a kiosko

The meal was one of the best-flavored things I had eaten in my life, and especially while I was in Puerto Rico. Since our departure, I have been craving it. I have been trying to find similar dishes that are easier to make at home or order in a restaurant. I have even reached out to my friends I know are from Puerto Rican descent just to see if they will help me make it or invite me over to try their own cooking. I don’t usually desire specific food, but I’ll need to fix this Mofungo craving soon.

Fort Worth It

Fort Worth It
By: Lillian Bocquin

I have visited Fort Worth, TX several times in my life but many included just passing through. However, when one of my classes visited the city as a preparation trip for our journey to Puerto Rico, I discovered the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Stockyards were a vibrant part of the city I had not explored previously and we dove right in when we got there.

Having ridden the train from Norman to Fort Worth early that morning, many of us sought out food almost immediately upon arrival. A quick Google search for the best Mexican food in town led us to Los Vaqueros and they did not disappoint. I had quite literally the best vegetables of my life and the wonderful staff kept the chips and salsa flowing.

Photo by Lilly, Los Vaqueros Restaurant in Fort Worth Texas

That afternoon we were able to watch the cattle trail up the main street and speak with one of the women working the cattle. This woman told us the cattle drivers were city employees and expressed how much she loved what she did. She also revealed how difficult it was, especially the aspects people don’t see like taking care of the animals all day.

Photo by Lilly, Fort Worth Stockyard cattle drive

I hope to love my job one day as much as she does, no matter how difficult it may be. In fact, I think the most difficult jobs are the ones you truly love. Those are the jobs that are worth every bit of the blood, sweat and tears that go into it.

Destination: Lilly

Destination: Lilly

By: Lillian Bocquin

As a little girl I wanted to be a marine biologist. 


Marine Biologist picture most likely taken near the Galapagos Islands.

I loved the ocean and everything in it and even at a young age I knew the point to life was doing what you love and working for that as much as you can. Now that I’m older, I still have the same mentality about life but I have a different passion that I am choosing to follow. And this passion is what truly makes me the person I am and helps define my place in life.

I love people. I pursue others and seek out what I can do for them. If I was a destination, it would be best described as a visitor center. I love pointing people in the right direction, welcoming them into my life and sharing experiences with them. I have come to appreciate and embrace all of the influence I have received from other people, and I feel sharing my life with other people is the most important thing I can do.


Photo taken by Kevin Duong at Soonerthon 2017. 

Because I find myself in other people, I do not consider one place or one person as my home. The places that I have felt most at home are those with a welcoming atmosphere. I believe I have the power to make anywhere my home if I want to see it that way, and I can also make anywhere seem like a home for others.

Making Traveling My Job

Making Traveling My Job

By Lara Olfers

            Traveling to new places and learning about the way other cultures and other people work has always been an interest for me but going to Puerto Rico was a completely different experience for me. I learned to look at places from a completely different perspective as a travel writer. Not only did I need to experience things myself, I needed to focus on the feelings, emotions and descriptions to use later when writing about my experiences. This was a challenge for me, as I typically like to just experience things for myself. I've always thought that someone wanted it bad enough, they would also want to go experience it themself instead of just reading about it. As I start my job as a flight attendant, I plan to travel to as many places and as often as I can, taking note of each and every travel experience for my own personal memories. I will use the skills I learned in this class to capture the feelings, the smells, and the emotions I get in each new trip in order to savor as much of this next chapter in my life. As for my future in travel writing, I'm not sure I will use my writing for much more than personal journaling. I didn't enjoy having to constantly think of assignments and searching for things to write about and I felt it distracted me from fully experiencing Puerto Rico.

Links:

http://travel.usnews.com/Puerto_Rico/

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/puerto-rico

http://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-guide/puerto-rico

Contact Information:

Email: lara@ou.edu

Phone: 972-310-3353

Twitter: @lara_olfers

Facebook: @LaraOlfers

Instagram: @ lara_olfers

Driving On Island Time

Driving On Island Time

By Lara Olfers

I was assigned transportation for my theme. There were many things I noticed about transportation in Puerto Rico that was different than how we use transportation in the mainland. The roads in San Juan were uneven and rocky. There were many one-way streets. Cars were parked on one side of the street and the streets were just wide enough for another car to slide by. It was very nerve-wracking for me, especially when we were walking around during nighttime. Fortunately San Juan, and many of the other cities we visited had an active trolley system set up. I also noticed that there were many more police on motorcycles and street bikes than in real cars. This could be because of the congested streets in the cities and highways. Another difference I noticed was the green paint on the roads. On the mainland, the paint used on the streets is usually the color of yellow. There were many bike lanes painted green and I thought they looked very nice and brightened the streets up. They also seemed very useful because I saw a lot more people walking and biking from place to place than in the United State mainland. Another difference that confused me for a while was the gas prices. In Puerto Rico, gas is sold and priced by the liter, unlike the United States mainland, which is by gallon. I was amazed to see that I could buy gas in Puerto Rico for 67 cents!

Links:

http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/driving-in-puerto-rico/

https://sanjuanpuertorico.com/trolley-old-san-juan/

http://travel.usnews.com/Puerto_Rico/Getting_Around/

Contact Information:

Email: lara@ou.edu

Phone: 972-310-3353

Twitter: @lara_olfers

Facebook: @LaraOlfers

Instagram: @ lara_olfers