Writer Bio

About Me — Vincent Van Patten

I’m an aspiring citizen of the world.

My name is Vincent Van Patten; I’m twenty-four-years-old and I proudly call Los Angeles California home.

I write to understand our modern day. I want to discover where I fit into this beautiful life.

I’m a writer and photographer, passionate about uncovering our world through the connection between its people and places. I strive to explore and document all that I learn and see.

I’m fascinated by every inch of this planet and its diverse ideas. However, I believe it’s connecting with others that makes this life worth living.

Three years ago I graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo — a university nestled in the hills of Central California. I embarked on my writing career as an undergrad journalism student.

I learned a great deal about myself and the future I want to create; after four years in journalism, I knew I didn’t want to be a news reporter.

I discovered my profound passion for writing when I graduated and began writing on Medium.

It is here that I can write freely about what I’m interested in: spirituality, history, philosophy and personal-development, without striving for a passing grade.

Every day, I become more motivated to write. I wake up in the morning and want nothing more than to grab the pencil and pad next to my bed and get to work. I write to inspire others.

Since I was a kid I’ve fostered a love for travel and a deep appreciation for nature. Some of my most iconic childhood memories include cruising up and down the California Coast with my family to support my older brother in his surf contests.

It’s now my dream to fill my day-to-day with exploration and creativity — to write, take photos and experience all this world has to offer. This of course makes life enjoyable; it’s a blessing just to be alive.

I believe there’s an essence to every place. This indescribable feel isn’t always on the surface and easy to find, but I’ve found it’s quite often beautiful.

I believe this quest for discovery makes travel the most enriching experience we can have. We must be fearless to dig deeper into the unknown.

When I’m not writing, I find sincere joy getting lost in a captivating book.

I read mostly anything! Some of my favorite books include:

The My Struggle Series, & A Time for Everything, both by Karl Ove Knausgaard, War and Peace, by Leo Tolstoy, Shogun, by James Clavell, The Sun Also Rises & A Moveable Feast, by Ernest Hemingway, Sapiens, Homo Deus, & 21 Lessons for the 21st-Century, by Yuval Noah Harari, Leonardo da Vinci, & Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, by Walter Isaacson, The World of Yesterday, & Montaigne, by Stefan Zweig, Shibumi, by Trevanian, The Pilgrimage & The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah, Shoe Dog, the autobiography of Nike creator Phil Knight, & Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.

When I was young, I thoroughly enjoyed watching cooking and travel shows such as Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. I don’t think I would be who I am without his influence.

Bourdain’s work and his book have inspired me in many ways to go after the lifestyle I want. I feel like I can be an explorer of this progressive planet.

I’ve recently committed to writing full-time on Medium. I’m truly excited to see my writing continue to get better through hard work and diligence.

All of my writing and photography is on my website: Vincentvanpatten.com

Cheers!