GLOBETROTTERS WRITING PROMPT
Let’s Show Some Green — The Finale
About St. Patrick’s Day, green landscapes and a green or not so green planet
While blue is certainly the color describing our planet the most, this prompt has shown how much green we can see when traveling around. While not everything is green, green is mostly what is a healthy landscape.
Our writers have transferred us to Ireland where the green public holiday originates and where St. Patrick’s day is more than a religion. But we’ve also seen the green in the country, which is why I’d like to fly across one day.
But this monthly challenge didn’t stop in Ireland. The submissions took us twice around the world. From lava-prone landscapes to rainforests and green islands all the way to the desert. Yes, our writers even found green in the driest of all landscapes on earth.
Yes, this was such a joy reading through a load of submissions and we appreciate everyone who participated but also everyone who just read through the list.
As always, we have to pick our favorites even if we’d like to take them all. Read below. Those are the stories that stood out to us.
Adrienne Beaumont
Where do I start? This month is even more difficult than previous months because I have been assessing stories written by children and young teenagers so for me to read more after reading for hours and hours every day has been a big ask. I don’t know how people work full-time and manage Medium.
The stories I’ve read have been engaging and personal and have made me want to see these places for myself. Some of them I just loved because they stood out amongst the others.
So, if you wrote a story about the greenness of Ireland, I loved it. I can never get enough of Ireland.
4 Breathtaking Places Near Dublin, Ireland To Enjoy Nature And Hiking by TRAVEL STORIES BY GABE
“Visiting Green Northern Ireland” by Rhonda Carrier
“It Took an Irish Rainstorm to Remind Me of the Kindness of Strangers” by Claire Elizabeth Levesque
“Our Amazing 5-week Adventure Up and Down the Emerald Isle” by Jerry Dwyer
I’ve added Scotland to my itinerary after reading this and other stories. Thanks. Michele!
“The Verdant Scottish Highlands And Its Sad History” by Keith Kelley
I’ll be checking out this area when I’m in the Philippines for my son’s wedding in June. I’m wondering if they’ll be green or brown for me.
“The Green Chocolate Hills” by Judith Uusi-Hakimo I’ve read about them previously on Globetrotters so have already booked to see them. Judith’s story has made me even more excited.
“It’s Called “The Green Island” for a Reason” by Kua Lina and “Madeira’s Magical, Mist-ical Forest” by Tim Ward have made me want to visit both of these tropical Atlantic Ocean archipelagoes maybe in one trip, but not this year.
My two favourite stories were: ( drum roll please)
Scott-Ryan Abt wrote “But then I was on the train on the way home from work this afternoon and I’d finished the book I was reading and thought that I’d do a quick scroll through the various photos, travel and otherwise, that have accrued on my phone the past five years. And sure enough, a few stuck out in their….unfiltered greenness and got me going.”
I just loved the way he was inspired to write for this challenge.
Jamey Melcher wrote a very personal emotional story about experiencing the Aurora Borealis in Iceland. She didn’t go out into the complete wilderness like most people do (including me) and still don’t get to experience this fascinating phenomenon. You can see the city lights of Reykjavik in her photo! This was surely a special gift…
JoAnn Ryan
Who doesn’t love exploring the greenery of our planet? The stories this month have been so lovely and fun to read.
All of our authors who participate always provide us with their best and thus it becomes difficult to choose favorites. Stories by Erika Burkhalter, Scott-Ryan Abt, Jerry Dwyer, Simon Whaley and others I always thoroughly enjoy.
In particular though, I loved this descriptive story of the delicious-sounding Chocolate Hills by Judith Uusi-Hakimo:
“The wildlife equally matched the vividness of the flora. Brightly colored parrots flitted between branches while iguanas bustled around, looking for food. Even the fish in the crystal clear waters were a stunning array of greens and blues. It truly felt like an Eden in this tropical oasis.”
Sounds amazing!
Thank you so much to everyone who submitted. We appreciate you! Read you all again, hopefully, in April!
Jillian Amatt - Artistic Voyages
There is nothing I like more than a green landscape. It is why I wrote my March challenge post about the greenery that we discovered in Uganda after traveling in a few desert and drought-wracked countries for over a year.
After experiencing such a stark contrast, we appreciated the lush vegetation that much more.
Because of this experience, I really appreciated Janin Lyndovsky’s post about her determination to make it through an unprecedented drought in Australia. While some lost their livelihoods and lives to the drought, Janin soldered on and came out shining on the other side. It is a story of strength in the face of unknown adversity.
Because of our long travels in Africa, I also appreciated Ronald Smit’s post about the rubbish that he found on the ground in Zambia. Sadly, Zambia is not the only country to deal with this level of pollution. It is a problem in many countries of the world, but especially in Africa. I do hope that humans soon realize the gross impact that they have on the world and that it is up to us to clean up our acts before we can expect the environment to do it for us. Thanks for bringing this issue to light Ronald!
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Krasi Shapkarova’s story of growing up in the greenery of Bulgaria. Bulgaria is truly a country that I have grown to love, and I can certainly relate to her childhood of freedom and fun as she played her way through the lush green forests.
As usual, the stories were rich and diverse. Thank you to all of you who contributed to our monthly challenge!
Michele Maize
Green is one of my favorite colors and for me, the best color to see out in nature. Green means life and I was so pleased while reading all of the submissions this month.
Here are my top 3…
TRAVEL STORIES BY GABE showcases some stunning places to hike in Ireland. Hiking is one of my favorite things to do so I loved reading about these amazing green places to take in all of Ireland’s beauty.
While this story isn’t about all of the green beauty, I believe that it needs to be shared and read. We, as humans, trash the beautiful green areas of our earth. If we do our part, mother earth can remain the beautiful place that we all adore. Thank you, Ronald Smit, for submitting this different essay for our green challenge.
Krasi Shapkarova, I loved reading about your childhood in Bulgaria. It made me feel so much nostalgia for the times before technology when kids would go out and play outside. Thank you for sharing all of the beauty from where you grew up. It looks like a magical place.
Anne Bonfert
I was excited about this challenge as it had a very specific topic dedicated to a country and its public holiday but also offered a lot of freedom to the submissions as we just requested something green.
Talking about the Irish. I’ve never been to Ireland and I’ve only celebrated St. Patrick’s Day once in my life. Of all the places in the world, that was in Africa, Namibia to be specific. I don’t know how accurate our celebrations were, so I was excited to read some of yours.
There is no other writer from Latin America who can tell stories and share joy and excitement as much as TRAVEL STORIES BY GABE. His pure joy for all things new and different and his passion for traveling are contagious.
Just like a small child, I was smiling with him all the way as he walked through the parade and found some space in an Irish pub.
One sentence especially stood out to me. With this one in mind, every traveler will find more joy when abroad and live a life fulfilled with happiness and excitement.
"But I think that this is where we learn how NOT to compare. This is St Patrick’s parade and not carnaval. So, I highly disagree with how many people from Latin countries will complain about parades in European countries." - TRAVEL STORIES BY GABE
A desert is one thing but to experience a drought in an area where cattle are supposed to be grazing and not a single blade of grass is left for any animal to feed on is a very different one.
Janin Lyndovsky describes her feelings when she experienced the worst drought running a farm in Australia. Following her words, I cried with her and smiled when the rain eventually came.
Yes, green is life.
Talking about life. We need to do something to keep that life on Earth. At the moment we're doing everything to destroy every little green on this planet.
Ronald Smit doesn't just show some lush green landscapes from Zambia but he also isn't shy to point out pollution and the big problem of littering we have. Not just in Africa but everywhere in the world.
Not just because of the topic but also because of the way he wrote the article, Ronald was picked by most other writers in their submissions as they shared his article in theirs.
Once again, we thank each and every writer who has contributed to this writing prompt. The stories were all interesting and inspiring. My view of the Irish, the countrysides and all green places around the world have certainly broadened my horizon.
If you missed the deadline and still want to share a travel story showcasing something green, you can do so. The article will just not be part of the challenge. We are always open to travel posts.
I also encourage you to stay tuned for our next writing prompt for the month of April. We will announce it here on Globetrotters on the 1st.
The team of editors also has contributed to the challenge with the following articles. These posts never join the contest.
Jillian Amatt — Artistic Voyages with “Green Means Life — Transitioning From the Desert To the Jungle”
Michele Maize with “The Rolling, Lush Green Hills of Scotland Are Mesmerizing”
Adrienne Beaumont with “All Things Green and Irish”
Anne Bonfert with “Green is More Than Just a Color” and “When You Find Those Tiny Bits of Green in the Desert”
JoAnn Ryan with “God’s Green Earth in The Palm of Your Hand”
And now, please give credits to all participating writers and do give a read to these awesome submissions if you haven’t checked them out yet:
Marianne O with “When the Bay Area Changed From Yellow To Green To Snowy White”
Jamey Melcher with “The Promise of Northern Lights in Iceland”
Rhonda Carrier with “Visiting Green Northern Ireland”
Scott-Ryan Abt with “The Greenest of all the Greens Known to Human and Animal”
Claire Elizabeth Levesque with “It Took an Irish Rainstorm to Remind Me of the Kindness of Strangers”
Judith Uusi-Hakimo with “The Green Chocolate Hills”
Julia A. Keirns with “The Desert is Green”
TRAVEL STORIES BY GABE with “After Celebrating St Patrick’s Day in New York And Brazil, I Finally Made It To The Emerald Isle And Celebrated This Special Irish Day In Dublin” and “4 Breathtaking Places Near Dublin, Ireland To Enjoy Nature And Hiking”
Jerry Dwyer with “Our Amazing 5-week Adventure Up and Down the Emerald Isle”
Keith Kelley with “The Verdant Scottish Highlands And Its Sad History” and “Green is the Happiest Color”
Carol Labuzzetta with “St. Patrick: The Patron Saint of Engineers & Reason for Celebrations”
Ophélie Quillier with “Celebrating the Greenness of England”
Ronald Smit with “The Fountain of Rubbish”
Kua Lina with “It’s Called “The Green Island” for a Reason”
Janin Lyndovsky with “Green — the Colour of Strength Resilience and Hope”
Simon Whaley with “Sustainable Snowdonia — The Centre for Alternative Technology”
Melissa Rach with "When I Can’t Make It To Chicago For St. Patrick’s Day, I Show You Some Midwest Green Instead"
Krasi Shapkarova with “The Color of My Childhood”
GnanVi_Speaks with “A Green Treasure in the Blue Mountains”
Erika Burkhalter with “Stepping Back to a Primordial Time in an Alaskan Muskeg Bog”
Tim Ward with “Madeira’s Magical, Mist-ical Forest”
Mariana Carvalho with "My First Time in Ireland and Why I Didn’t Go to Dublin"
Your Globetrotters editing team (JoAnn, Adrienne, Jillian, Michele & Anne)