Sharing Travel Experiences

Interview: Kaleidoscopic Globe Trotting

by Andy Hayes

Today’s interviewee needs no introduction as we have with us the hard-hitting travel journalist Joanna Haugen. Published both near and far, Joanna has seen it and done it and is here to tell us the story. Without further ado….

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Why don’t you take a minute to introduce yourself.

I’m a globe-trotting freelance writer planning my next great adventure, and though I may not always have plane tickets in my hand, I am constantly dreaming about places I’d love to see and things I’d love to experience. My travel bug bit early on when my father would let me tag along on his business trips. My childhood summers were consumed by road trips, exploring the United States and learning to appreciate our national parks at an early age. Though I’d traveled to Canada as a kid, it wasn’t until a school trip to London when I was a sophomore in high school that I really began to understand the enormity of the world. From there, I explored new travel territory up the coast of Australia, through Scandinavia, off the coast of Korea and on the Inca Trail in Peru. My husband and I served as Peace Corps public health volunteers in Kenya and had the chance to do some traveling in East Africa as well. Even though I’ve touched six continents I have barely scraped the surface of exploring the world, but I like to think that through my adventures, I’ve at least opened others’ eyes to the magic of travel.

Zion National Park

Your blog is called Kaleidoscopic Wandering – what a colorful name. What does it mean to you?

On the surface, I am in love with the incredible spectrum of colors I see when traveling. One of my favorite things to do in a new country is visit the local market and marvel at the rainbow of spices, fabrics, candy, produce and flowers spread out before me. Nature offers up a wildly impressive array of colors, even in the most barren of places. Traditional clothing, food, art … everything is so vivid and beautiful.

But on a deeper level, the world is not black and white in challenges, opportunities, opinions or solutions. I believe that travel opens the mind, and as we are exposed to new ways of looking at commonalities and differences, we begin to realize there is an entire spectrum of thinking that we’ve probably never considered. One of the keys to being a global citizen is being open to the possibility that travel will teach us things we didn’t know we wanted to learn.

Andy’s Note: Amen! What she said.

Dancers in Peru

How did you end up being a travel writer?

Two of my greatest passions are traveling and writing. It was only natural that this is the path I took in life.

When I was younger, I was particularly interested in writing for guidebooks, but as my view of travel writing has expanded, so has my interest in what I am able to write.

What’s been your most inspirational travel experience?

Though many travel moments have left me in awe, probably the most significant experience was my recent trip to Burning Man. Even though I traveled only 500 miles away from my home, I was transported to an entirely different mindset and outlook on life. The concept of Burning Man is that, out in the harsh and raw Nevada desert, nearly 50,000 people can build a city, live without money and exist in a grassroots community for a week without leaving a trace behind. Being empowered to survive and thrive in this environment made me realize two things: First, I am the only person stopping myself from doing anything, and second, when I begin to question why I can’t or don’t do something, the real question I should be asking is why not? These two lessons make it possible for me to believe I can tackle things that just a few weeks ago I would have thought impossible.

Andy’s Note: I’m pretty jealous as I’ve not been to Burning Man. Maybe next year. (Maybe Joanna should come back and write up a story for us!)

Burning Man

You’re big into adventure travels. Any top tips for some adventure experiences our readers can do that don’t require a lot of experience and aren’t *too* intense?

I am a huge fan of hiking. It doesn’t have to be far or strenuous, but spending even a day or two finding ways to get off the beaten path and immersing yourself in nature the way it was intended to be enjoyed is very rewarding. Dress appropriately and wear proper footwear; even day hikers should be prepared for the unexpected with some basic hiking necessities like water, food and a first aid kit.

I’ve also done some whitewater rafting, which requires some physical labor on the part of the traveler, but for the most part the river guide manages the boat. People who haven’t rafted before should choose a trip that tops out at class-three (waves up to four feet with plenty of excitement) and possibly a couple class-four rapids (longer, more difficult rapids, narrow passages and turbulent water) before choosing full-day, heart-pounding trips filled with class-five rapids.

North Rim of the Grand Canyon

Anything interesting come up in your travel diary?

I just booked tickets for a short trip to San Antonio, Texas, in October. For Thanksgiving and the holiday season, we’re toying around with a potential trip to Savannah, New Orleans, Charleston or Austin. I also hope to tour the Caribbean early next year. Beyond that, I’m open to wherever cheap plane tickets and a full tank of gas can take me.

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Thanks Joanna for sharing your view on the world of travel. I like how you think.

Photos credit Cory Haugen.

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