In 2009 I spent 3 ½ months in China. I came home eager to write, wanting to create a book about my experiences. I wanted to write something worth reading, something that would make people smile and pull people in. I wanted to share my love for China with the world. I was ambitious. But, I loved to write so I was sure I could do it. That is, until I sat down to write.
I had no clue where to begin. I mean, where do you start when you have so much material? On top of it all, the details seemed to be fading. I was relying on photos to refresh my memory way to often. I was so mad at myself for not writing while in China like I had pledged to do. If I didn’t write something soon, I was afraid it would all slip away.
So, I signed up for a travel writing class. The journals gave me a place to begin. They triggered memories and brought experiences back to the surface. I had a list of things to write about almost immediately. It was very exciting.
Once I had the topics, it was time to write. Stories that I was afraid wouldn’t fit one page ended up reaching three. Once my pen got moving I became fully transported back to China. My adventures were clear again. It is incredible how great the simple act of putting pen to paper is for your memory!
Some of the things I chose to write about made sense, while others surprised me. The formats the stories took were also not always as expected. Of course I wrote about that first weekend in Shanghai when I became a tourist attraction. After all, it is one of my favorite stories to tell about China. The level of reflection that came from this one event, however, caught me off guard.
My journals near the end definitely pushed me further. They looked at things I hadn’t really planned to and in ways I had not expected. It’s so interesting to me that a simple annoying comment by a travel companion insulting the locals for their rudeness could prompt me to write an ethical reflection on judging different cultures based on American standards. I also saw a seemingly simple tour of Shanghai through the eyes of an artist, weaving the artwork I saw into my own experiences. That’s something I’m really proud of.
The most shocking thing I did, however, was definitely working up the nerves to write about that horrible bathroom incident in Tibet. I went from getting angry at my mom for sharing the story with my dad to writing it for everyone to see! I pushed myself to face the uncomfortable. I didn’t just tell the story again, but I was able to laugh about it this time, and even learn a thing or two. (Perhaps I'll even have the confidence to post it here!)
I ended up with stories that I want to share and, more importantly, a drive to record even more events as they unfold. This redhead is not done traveling. But, this time, I'm going to blog about it.
