What does it mean to go back to a place? I’ve been back a month now from my last big international travels, a month-long trip to Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. The trip was spurred by the fact I knew I needed to get the stories of African volcanoes into my current book project. It was …
A Year into New York Life
Today marked my one-year anniversary of moving to New York City. “That’s quite the change!” is the normal reaction I get when I tell people this—and of course it is. I am a West Coaster through and through—born in California, raised and went to college in Washington. For the last seven years I have hopped …
Top Five Reasons to Read Travel Books When You Travel
Reading of any type is a great way to spend part of a vacation. But when I travel or move a new place, I love grabbing travelogues, travel books, and fiction books about the specific area I’ll be exploring. I recently moved to New York City and have been devouring books related to New York …
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5 Ways to Learn More About Bryanna and Her Newest Book
Dig deeper behind Bryanna's stories in her new book Make Sure You Have a Map. Here's five ways to explore more! #1. Learn How I Wrote the Book Check out this recent blog post to learn more about her writing and travel process including favorite albums that she listened to while writing and how …
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In the News: Story from My Alma Mater
My alma mater, Pacific Lutheran University, just published a story profiling me as an author and national park ranger. If you'd like to learn a little more about motivates me everyday, including in my jobs as a writer, park ranger, and traveler, head over to http://www.plu.edu/marcom/news/2016/08/01/park-ranger-plog/ I am grateful for all the study abroad opportunities …
The (Biased) List of Best Places to Travel This Summer
Summer travel: the lure of the open road, the opportunity to jet off to a far-off country. Summer camping trip with my family when I was young introduced me to traveling many years ago, and though I do most of my own big trips in the fall and winter (it’s when I have time off), …
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Favorite Travel Quotes
Writers, philosophers, and nomads across the globe have been writing about the travel for thousands of years. Men and women from all walks of life have written about the value of travel, the reasons to travel, and the debate about the “right” way to travel. Here are a smattering of some of my favorite travel …
The Reality of a Place
Stereotypes and preconceptions about a place are a funny thing. What you can expect from a place comes from a variety of places: friends and family, guidebooks, photos, videos, movies, and more all affect what we think we can expect from a place. Reality of places are rarely what you expect. (Of course, if you …
I’m Moving! (Thoughts on Nomads, Wanderers, and Sojourners)
I’m moving again. This does not come as a surprise to my parents, friends, or old colleagues whose first question when we catch up is always “and where are you living these days?” But I am not sure I have the classic disease Wanderlust. Despite what my grandmothers think, I can stay in the same …
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Why Do I Write?
I had a writing professor in college once asked my class if we wrote because the world had something to tell us or because we had something to tell the world. That day in class, I stared long and hard at the blank piece of notebook paper I was supposed to be answering this prompt …