Well, here we are. One semester done that included lots of writing, lots of late nights and you guessed it, lots and lots of coffee. But would I trade any of those sleepless nights for anything else? Absolutely not. Those thousands of cups of Nespresso coffee, even though they were delicious, were not really needed. The pure source of energy I had this semester, specifically in this class, was becoming a writer who wasn’t afraid of sharing their own experiences. As a journalist, I was always thrilled to write about other people’s experiences, but did I feel the same in regards to writing my own? Well, now I can confidentially say, yes, yes I am.
Looking back at my very fist “So here I am” blog post for this class, there are many constants that have remained the same–I still believe my trip to Greece truly created memories I will never forget, I love my family more than anything and I am still obsessed with feta cheese–but there are many things that have changed since I wrote that post. I used to think I knew so much about other cultures, thinking I was so well-traveled, when in reality that was far from true. After developing an extensive understanding of topics like Orientalism and Neo-Colonialism, I began to realize my mindset on travel was based on three things: how much fun I was having, the photos and the outfits. My attention was always on seeing the most popular attractions, making sure the color scheme of my outfit was fitting into the architecture of the city and eating the best food for my palette.
Not only was this class an eye-opening experience for how I personally viewed travel, but also how I was sharing my travel experiences on social media. I would always post myself at the most recognizable locations in a foreign country, places that would confirm not only my stereotypical mindset but of my followers as well. When I was posting a picture of myself at The Parthenon in Greece, I should have posted photos of all of the wonderful and unique cats along the streets. These cats show more of the lifestyle of the place and allow my audience to gain more of a respectful understanding, and c’mon they are adorable. And that’s when I suddenly realized, I should just be like the cats in Greece. These cats don’t look for the most beautiful spots, but they each look for the unique spots–the ones hidden deep in an alley that may not appear perfect, but they are as important as the pretty spots. Now, I know the cat is probably not motivated by an urge to understand a culture more deeply, but you get what I’m saying. I now aspire to travel with a purpose, one that is driven on building connections with a culture and not just confirming my preconceived perceptions.
These cats not only seek out much more than the popular, but they are also accepting of pretty much everyone. Anyone could go up to them, stroke their fur and give them snacks–once again, another aspect of how I should be viewing travel. These cats, the locals per say, should be treated with kindness, respect and not as entertainment. Not only will I be like these cats when I am in a foreign place, but I will maintain an inclusive perspective on travel after this class. I have been so privileged in my travel experiences and never thought of how it would be like if other obstacles were in the way (disability, sexual orientation, race, gender, etc). I began to feel even more appreciative of where I have been and what I have seen and will keep thinking of those feline friends in Mykonos, welcoming all and being treated like royalty at the same time.
As much as I love the cat metaphor we have going on right now, I want to stress how important I hold this idea of accepting a culture for all of its worth after this class. I cannot thank my professor enough for giving me the tools to understand this aspect of traveling with a purpose. I so wish I could go back to all of the places I have previously been to and recreate the entire trip, but instead of focusing on what seems the most entertaining, I would focus on the many, almost infinite layers the culture has. This often reminds me of the countless gelatos I had when I traveled to Italy last year. Yes, I just usually think about how good they tasted, but I also love to compare my gelato in Milan to how a culture should be understood. Sure, there may be too many layers to count, but you want to try and savor each and every layer. That is something I will always try to do now on every new adventure I embark on.
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My belief that I knew everything about travel was kind of the exact same thing with writing. I was very confident going into this class because of my extensive journalistic experiences under my belt and having written many essays in high school. I had interviewed countless people, deeply describing their lives, but I had never done the same with my own stories. When I found out each one of our projects, blog posts and discussions would be addressing not only our research but also our own experiences, I was terrified. Writing about my adventures? I never thought any of mine were worth writing about. But, by doing countless revisions and writing over and over and over again, I truly saw I had stories to tell–and that mine are just as important as anyone else’s. Although learning to write about myself may have been the most challenging aspect not only in this class but in my whole writing career, it is a skill I am obsessed with using now and do not plan to stop using it anytime soon.
Writing about myself, my travels and my own stories was also greatly improved by gaining the aspect of thinking rhetorically. Before this class, I honestly had no idea what rhetoric even meant. When someone would say the word “rhetoric” I would think of Aristotle, Plato and the art of persuasion, but not much else. Now, I understand that rhetoric is when we simply think on a deeper level about stories that matter and need to be told. Rhetoric can engage an audience more with multimodality, the use of emotion and just a style of writing that leaves the writer wanting more. As an avid writer, I want to make an impact, and it wasn’t until I gained an understanding of rhetoric when I realized how much bigger of an impact I can make. I think it is important to read, write and think rhetorically because of this lasting impact I just mentioned. If we all think rhetorically, there can be positive changes made across the board, whether that be advocating for more inclusion, encouraging people to lessen their carbon footprint or discussing the movement of technology, rhetoric can increase your impact by tenfold. We all need to think rhetorically in today’s world so that these conversations can be started and actually lead to change. Rhetoric is the gateway for people to think more critically, passionately and more driven in order to share everyone’s story. And as I have learned this semester, everyone’s story needs to be told, including mine.
“Every time you share your story, it’s a reminder that you’ve lived it and that it has value.” –Heather Greenwood Davis
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