Writing — Travel & Photography
Globetrotters Writer Spotlight — JoAnn Ryan
Hello to all my fellow Globetrotters and everyone else
This is in response to the writing prompt Globetrotters Writer Spotlight.
Hi Globetrotters. My name is… JoAnn Ryan
I love to travel because… What lies beyond the next big bend in the road? What about the next one after that? Burning questions for travel enthusiasts. I inherited my wanderlust spirit from my mother, as we traveled a lot when I was growing up. I get bored if I’m in the same place for too long — there are just too many “What lies beyond?” questions to answer.
My number one travel activity is… Photography… also the beach, white water rafting, skiing, camping, lake boating, hiking, exploring… and stealing power from the gods…
I come from… Florida is my current state of residence, but I was born in the state of Idaho and lived in the NYC metro area for a few wonderful, albeit poverty-stricken, years. Currently, I also live part-time in Trinidad & Tobago.
I work as a… I’m not working a “real job” for the first time in a very long time. My husband owns rental property and pays all the bills. The transition to not working has been much more jarring than expected, and I struggle with prioritizing my time in a constructive way. I aim to build a writing career, but admittedly sometimes lack focus and conviction. Currently planning to go back and finish my MA (or perhaps MFA) in English so I can teach literature and creative writing.
The best place I’ve been is… Difficult to pick! Las Cuavas Beach in Trinidad & Tobago is, I believe, the most beautiful place I’ve ever been, closely followed by Cancun, Mexico. My favorite vacation of all though, was the trip I took to the Hawaiian island of Kauai with my family shortly before my mother died — one of the last times my family would ever be all together. That trip has become sacred to me.
In my spare time, I like to… Besides travel, I love to read, cook (especially baking) and watch interesting documentaries . I play way too many games on my phone—Candy Crush, Seeker’s Notes and others — it’s an addiction I constantly have to control.
My top travel tip is… Safety first, but never forget to have fun and enjoy the journey as much as possible.
If I could live somewhere else, I’d live in… The Northern Arizona/Las Vegas area has always been special to me, as I spent a lot of time there as a kid. One day I may retire there, although I would miss the Florida humidity — once a person gets used to it, it becomes strangely comforting, like a nice fluffy blanket. Living along the Mediterranean somewhere sounds lovely as well.
My favorite way to travel is… I love road trips and would like to do more train travel. Least favorite: After COVID hit, cruise ships became like luxury floating prisons with all kinds of hidden unpleasantries. I also got vertigo while deep sea fishing off the coast of the Atlantic a few years ago. It was bad! I used to have an iron-clad stomach, but not so much anymore I guess.
Three lessons I’ve learned from traveling are…
- Pack light.
- Always bring water and snacks.
- A bit of planning is never a bad thing, just winging it doesn’t always work out well for me — a lesson learned from visiting NYC for the first time.
More of my photo and travel stories:
Thanks again to Warren Patterson for giving us this great writing prompt.
