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    <h2>Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Iain Stanley</h2>
            <div><h3>Hello Globetrotters — An Aussie expat living in the south of Japan for 18 years</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><p id="5882"><a href="undefined">Julia A. Keirns</a> is a writer and full-time RVer. I think most of us have dreams of doing this one day:</p><div id="6cb6" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/a-globetrotter-writer-4ccf9a8fe77">
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          <div>
            <h2>Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Julia A. Keirns</h2>
            <div><h3>Spotlight Story About Me — Julia A. Keirns</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*cXLMIP61LglPnPGxwfuJLQ.jpeg)"></div>
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    </div><p id="d07a">Flight attendant, piano player, traveler and writer <a href="undefined">Janna Barrett</a> has done a little bit of everything. Impressive:</p><div id="b433" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/globetrotters-writer-spotlight-janna-barrett-d9b3ec694aac">
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          <div>
            <h2>Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — Janna Barrett</h2>
            <div><h3>Sharing adventures from land, air, and sea</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*wbp3A0935GuNBps7G4ceAA.jpeg)"></div>
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    </div><p id="ab8a">Meet this Canadian-Australian, bartending writer <a href="undefined">James Thoman</a>:</p><div id="6965" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/globetrotters-spotlight-story-james-thoman-762174ebb62c">
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            <h2>Globetrotters Spotlight Story — James Thoman</h2>
            <div><h3>Hi Globetrotters!</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*ugGYwuR3mhkfLMi84PZ5Jg.jpeg)"></div>
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    </div><p id="f375">Check out lawyer, world traveler and writer <a href="undefined">Michele Desoer</a>:</p><div id="d958" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://medium.com/globetrotters/globetrotters-writer-spotlight-mich%C3%A8le-desoer-6da192b68385">
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            <h2>Globetrotters Writer Spotlight: Michèle Desoer</h2>
            <div><h3>Please! I’d like to go there! Hi Globetrotters. My name is Michèle Desoer.</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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    </div><h1 id="0669">Curated Stories and Writers</h1><p id="156c">Without further ado. It’s not always easy to pick out just a few. To be sure, we have so many amazing storytellers and many engaging stories.</p><p id="4211">However, these few jumped out at me for specific reasons, which I will attempt to explain.</p><h2 id="7429">Jordhan Robinson</h2><p id="3767">This story was hauntingly descriptive, and of course the repercussions of the holocaust will never cease being relevant to our current times:</p><blockquote id="bec6"><p>“These loosely strewn shoes gave a feeling of overwhelming dread. Like ghosts staring vacantly over the water’s edge. An indicator of unspeakable horror.</p></blockquote><blockquote id="4774"><p>Budapest is a beautiful city indeed, but one that lives with a dark past.”</p></blockquote><div id="00db" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/the-shoes-on-the-danube-88931602214b">
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            <h2>The Shoes on the Danube</h2>
            <div><h3>A haunting memorial on the bank of the Danube</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*5-cIakufIueowkJnzEDKRg.jpeg)"></div>
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      </a>
    </div><h2 id="42b3">Mark Ainscow</h2><p id="ab1b">Loved this wonderfully descriptive story of riding the Auto Train from Washington, DC. to Orlando. Sounds like such fun! I didn’t even know the Auto Train existed so it’s a great example of a travel subject that hasn’t been done to death already.</p><blockquote id="7432"><p>“I wasn’t sure how to sell it to my wife, though. Would she go for it? The conversation went something like this:</p></blockquote><blockquote id="ef08"><p>“Bear with me, hon; I have an idea, and reserve all judgment until I’ve got all my words out.”</p></blockquote><div id="8dc1" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/my-family-and-the-auto-train-297e534e0105">
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          <div>
            <h2>My Family and the Auto Train</h2>
            <div><h3>The Easy(ish) Way Down I-95</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*NSY9CxYvm2qQjyivxmHLSg.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
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      </a>
    </div><h2 id="3c78">Angela Choi</h2><p id="eb8a">Capturing that often unexplainable feeling of leaving a place and going to another is a common occurrence for travelers, especially for ex-pats who may live in the same place for an extended period of time. We get so attached, but still want to go other places.</p><blockquote id="07fb"><p>“This is what it means to be human — to hold seemingly contradictory feelings. To feel sad for the fleeting nature of what is and to feel excited for what is to come.”</p></blockquote><div id="9c31" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/resolving-the-emotional-conundrum-of-being-a-digital-nomad-e67b382a90cc">
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          <div>
            <h2>Resolving the Emotional Conundrum of Being a Digital Nomad</h2>
            <div><h3>In less than 48 hours, I’ll leave Da Nang, Vietnam for Rishikesh, India. Had I left Da Nang a week ago, I think I…</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
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            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*m5AkuXaF7QrX_TSpqpDpWg.jpeg)"></div>
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      </a>
    </div><h2 id="d5fc">Matthew David</h2><p id="64f3">An intrepid journey in Nepal that was a pleasure to read due to its imagery and personal connection:</p><blockquote id="b042"><p>“Letting go of my obligation as the expedition photographer, I surrendered to the elements, returned my camera to my pack, and buried my hands in my trousers as I joined my companions to silently take in the panorama before us.”</p></blockquote><div id="80fc" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/a-sunrise-in-shangri-la-1548a898f874">
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          <div>
            <h2>A Sunrise in Shangri-La</h2>
            <div><h3>Trail Scouting with Sherpas in Eastern Nepal</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro

Options

.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*HGbA2FUOAO0Rn-Fv)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="7b41">Troy Larson</h2><p id="2a12">The simple pleasures of an abandoned bridge in the middle of nowhere is golden:</p><blockquote id="47ab"><p>“In most of the places we visited, crickets were the only nightlife, and accommodations sometimes meant a tent. Dining options consisted of snacks we brought along for the ride and whatever we had in the cooler.”</p></blockquote><div id="eb5c" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/im-troy-and-you-can-t-find-me-2cc2ae201742"> <div> <div> <h2>I’m Troy, and You Can’t Find Me</h2> <div><h3>I’m hiding in places you’d never think to look.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*xJLdnNMEl9C1jQs52t775A.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="840a">Melissa Rach</h2><p id="ac72">Writing about a well-known place in a new and refreshing way isn’t always easy but it can be done.</p><blockquote id="4448"><p>“It’s actually problematic for a person with wanderlust when the pull of New Orleans is stronger than my desire to visit new-to-me cities. Like a good friend, I tend to become familiar with what I like and keep coming back.”</p></blockquote><div id="b2cc" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/there-is-no-place-like-new-orleans-21c53e96c6e9"> <div> <div> <h2>There Is No Place Like New Orleans</h2> <div><h3>Laissez les bons temps rouler, yeah?</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/0*lkdy507W7F9qBPFJ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="71cf">Tim Ward</h2><p id="fdbc">A lot of people have visited and written about Lisbon. Offering a story about places to visit that aren’t so common, but still interesting, was refreshing.</p><blockquote id="b883"><p>“…now that we have already seen a good number of the tourist highlights, there’s absolutely no pressure to do anything other than to flâneur — to wander about without a plan, following our noses and keeping our eyes open for the unexpected.”</p></blockquote><div id="3a95" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/old-lisbon-never-gets-old-cfc5a46e249e"> <div> <div> <h2>Old Lisbon Never Gets Old</h2> <div><h3>Why we keep coming back</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*[email protected])"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="4059">Kua Lina</h2><p id="8a6b">Beautifully written with lovely photos, and back in my own ski-bum days I loved skiing in March myself. Sounds delightful:</p><blockquote id="2d63"><p>“As we are taking our first ride up, as always, my heart is singing to the gorgeous views and blinding white of the snow.”</p></blockquote><div id="2100" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/skiing-mont-tremblant-perfect-in-march-3715eef7614e"> <div> <div> <h2>Skiing Mont Tremblant — Perfect in March</h2> <div><h3>Going north for spring break</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*LkdM4byJXZBOi2g82APYMQ.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="0e64">Serhii Onkov</h2><p id="1863">Reading about Kyrgyzstan is rather fascinating as it’s so different than what most of us probably know.</p><blockquote id="3e79"><p>“The rain caught up with us finally, wet us, and moved somewhere forward. But it meant nothing then, so captured I was by the beauty around. Time stopped; space, mountains, sky, and even horses froze and became an incredible picture.”</p></blockquote><div id="dc0a" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/globetrotters/song-k%C3%B6l-yurts-and-emptiness-e037e4d73266"> <div> <div> <h2>Song-Köl. Yurts and Emptiness</h2> <div><h3>Flashbacks to Kyrgyz highland</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*YbhjjHInQrLCX9FjlfP3NA.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h2 id="3b2d">Carol Labuzzetta</h2><p id="1faf">A great mix of beautiful personal photos and descriptions of a hike through one of America’s great national parks.</p><blockquote id="5671"><p>“As we got to the far side of the pond, we encountered some raised boards to keep hikers off the wet trail. Along the edges of these boards were small pools of water, mosses, ferns, and even some late-season fungi.”</p></blockquote><div id="9db5" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/acadia-national-park-trail-series-jordan-pond-loop-61afb68ad613"> <div> <div> <h2>Acadia National Park Trail Series: Jordan Pond Loop</h2> <div><h3>Exploring select trails in America’s National Park System one at a time.</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*6TTJrNw-MYgzyQrhM1eogw.jpeg)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><h1 id="7458">Wrapping Up</h1><p id="0456">The editing team here at <i>Globetrotters</i> consists of <a href="undefined">Adrienne Beaumont</a>, <a href="undefined">Anne Bonfert</a>, <a href="undefined">Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages</a>, <a href="undefined">Michele Maize</a> and myself, <a href="undefined">JoAnn Ryan</a>.</p><p id="d7f4">Visit the Writer Submissions tab on the main menu for <a href="https://readmedium.com/write-for-globetrotters-abd277b16b80">writer guidelines</a>, <a href="https://readmedium.com/frequently-asked-questions-about-writing-on-globetrotters-and-medium-d4b02fcb668f">FAQ</a>s and other helpful articles about writing on <i>Globetrotters</i> and <i>Medium</i>.</p><p id="a314">Questions, feedback and suggestions are always welcome!</p><h2 id="b56d">Happy travels in 2023</h2><div id="5904" class="link-block"> <a href="https://medium.com/globetrotters"> <div> <div> <h2>Globetrotters</h2> <div><h3>Sharing travel stories, tips and experiences together</h3></div> <div><p>medium.com</p></div> </div> <div> <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*mCQPDDuH5Ju6aOYXKO6rEw.png)"></div> </div> </div> </a> </div><p id="6dfa"><b><i>Don’t miss another minute!</i> <a href="https://medium.com/subscribe/@joannryan"></a></b><a href="https://medium.com/subscribe/@joannryan"><i>Subscribe</i></a><i> to my stories. <b>Not a Medium member?</b> Join an awesome community of readers and writers! <a href="https://joannryan.medium.com/membership"></a></i><a href="https://joannryan.medium.com/membership"><b>Join with my referral link — JoAnn Ryan</b></a><b>. </b>Find me on<b> <a href="https://me.dm/@joannryan"><i>Mastodon</i></a>.</b></p></article></body>

Writing — Travel

Globetrotters Curated Stories Vol 2: What Makes for A Great Travel Story?

Read the best travel stories on Globetrotters!

Salt Lake City airport — Photo by JoAnn Ryan

Hello Wonderful Globetrotters,

How are all of you doing out there? Well, my own life has gone through ups and downs lately, but I’ve been keeping my head above water. Trying to juggle writing and life isn’t always easy.

Having all your lovely stories to read helps. It’s always an honor to take some time and showcase some of the best work we’ve received in the last month or so.

What does a great travel story do anyway? It’s a question we editors ask ourselves continually, and I’m sure our readers and travel writers must ask themselves this all the time as well.

A great travel story doesn’t just tell us rudimentary facts but goes well beyond this. In addition to supplying key take-aways for readers, we may be given such things as:

  • Vivid imagery that makes us actually want to be in the place being discussed… I mean, like, at this very minute.
  • Creating a people-to-people connection through personal details is something we love to see.
  • Extra fun stuff like, say, humor, drama or action, is always a nice touch. Be an engaged storyteller.
  • A unique voice that strikes us as being true and sincere.

Sounds good? What would you add to this list? What makes a great travel story, in your opinion?

Before getting to our curated story list though, please allow me to go over a few reminders as well as feature some of the lovely Writer Spotlight Stories we’ve received lately.

Reminder #1: Story Recaps

Adrienne Beaumont puts together a recap of stories for us every single week so that we may catch up on our reading. Follow this link to read spellbinding travel stories of Globetrotters past.

Occasionally though, she does need a break to work on other things, and so this week Michele Maize assisted. Thanks Michele! 💚

Reminder #2: March Challenge Stories: Glorious Green

Reminder that our monthly challenge for March is in place, which editor Anne Bonfert always heads up for us every month. Thanks Anne 💚 :

Seeing the greenery of our planet can certainly be one of the highlights of traveling.

Adrienne led us off this month with her own green story. Thanks Adrienne 💚:

To read stories submitted so far head over to the Monthly Challenge tab on the main menu, and of course, at the end of the month we will have our big story recap party and list all the submissions from throughout the month.

Writer Spotlight Stories

We have a great way for you to introduce yourselves on Globetrotters, through our Writer Spotlight Story series (don’t forget to use the tag ‘Spotlight Stories’ for these).

Here are a few to check out and feel free to write your own if you haven’t done so yet:

Matthew David is a writer, photographer, traveler, walker and voracious reader:

Sitting at a cafe and watching the world go by while traveling sounds good to me. Meet this reformed lawyer, Paari:

Dana Daley grew up in a family where traveling was a priority. Love that:

Check out this teacher, writer and traveling Aussie, Iain Stanley:

Julia A. Keirns is a writer and full-time RVer. I think most of us have dreams of doing this one day:

Flight attendant, piano player, traveler and writer Janna Barrett has done a little bit of everything. Impressive:

Meet this Canadian-Australian, bartending writer James Thoman:

Check out lawyer, world traveler and writer Michele Desoer:

Curated Stories and Writers

Without further ado. It’s not always easy to pick out just a few. To be sure, we have so many amazing storytellers and many engaging stories.

However, these few jumped out at me for specific reasons, which I will attempt to explain.

Jordhan Robinson

This story was hauntingly descriptive, and of course the repercussions of the holocaust will never cease being relevant to our current times:

“These loosely strewn shoes gave a feeling of overwhelming dread. Like ghosts staring vacantly over the water’s edge. An indicator of unspeakable horror.

Budapest is a beautiful city indeed, but one that lives with a dark past.”

Mark Ainscow

Loved this wonderfully descriptive story of riding the Auto Train from Washington, DC. to Orlando. Sounds like such fun! I didn’t even know the Auto Train existed so it’s a great example of a travel subject that hasn’t been done to death already.

“I wasn’t sure how to sell it to my wife, though. Would she go for it? The conversation went something like this:

“Bear with me, hon; I have an idea, and reserve all judgment until I’ve got all my words out.”

Angela Choi

Capturing that often unexplainable feeling of leaving a place and going to another is a common occurrence for travelers, especially for ex-pats who may live in the same place for an extended period of time. We get so attached, but still want to go other places.

“This is what it means to be human — to hold seemingly contradictory feelings. To feel sad for the fleeting nature of what is and to feel excited for what is to come.”

Matthew David

An intrepid journey in Nepal that was a pleasure to read due to its imagery and personal connection:

“Letting go of my obligation as the expedition photographer, I surrendered to the elements, returned my camera to my pack, and buried my hands in my trousers as I joined my companions to silently take in the panorama before us.”

Troy Larson

The simple pleasures of an abandoned bridge in the middle of nowhere is golden:

“In most of the places we visited, crickets were the only nightlife, and accommodations sometimes meant a tent. Dining options consisted of snacks we brought along for the ride and whatever we had in the cooler.”

Melissa Rach

Writing about a well-known place in a new and refreshing way isn’t always easy but it can be done.

“It’s actually problematic for a person with wanderlust when the pull of New Orleans is stronger than my desire to visit new-to-me cities. Like a good friend, I tend to become familiar with what I like and keep coming back.”

Tim Ward

A lot of people have visited and written about Lisbon. Offering a story about places to visit that aren’t so common, but still interesting, was refreshing.

“…now that we have already seen a good number of the tourist highlights, there’s absolutely no pressure to do anything other than to flâneur — to wander about without a plan, following our noses and keeping our eyes open for the unexpected.”

Kua Lina

Beautifully written with lovely photos, and back in my own ski-bum days I loved skiing in March myself. Sounds delightful:

“As we are taking our first ride up, as always, my heart is singing to the gorgeous views and blinding white of the snow.”

Serhii Onkov

Reading about Kyrgyzstan is rather fascinating as it’s so different than what most of us probably know.

“The rain caught up with us finally, wet us, and moved somewhere forward. But it meant nothing then, so captured I was by the beauty around. Time stopped; space, mountains, sky, and even horses froze and became an incredible picture.”

Carol Labuzzetta

A great mix of beautiful personal photos and descriptions of a hike through one of America’s great national parks.

“As we got to the far side of the pond, we encountered some raised boards to keep hikers off the wet trail. Along the edges of these boards were small pools of water, mosses, ferns, and even some late-season fungi.”

Wrapping Up

The editing team here at Globetrotters consists of Adrienne Beaumont, Anne Bonfert, Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages, Michele Maize and myself, JoAnn Ryan.

Visit the Writer Submissions tab on the main menu for writer guidelines, FAQs and other helpful articles about writing on Globetrotters and Medium.

Questions, feedback and suggestions are always welcome!

Happy travels in 2023

Don’t miss another minute! Subscribe to my stories. Not a Medium member? Join an awesome community of readers and writers! Join with my referral link — JoAnn Ryan. Find me on Mastodon.

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