... for the times they are a’changin’ ...

So you want to be a travel writer? The first step to achieving your big dreams of traveling the world while getting paid to do it is, naturally, to create a blog. Forget about Rick Steeves and the Lonely Planet, travel blogs are the latest fashion and truly the way of the future. I’m a recent graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I am now living in Madrid, Spain. For the next year, I’ll be working in a grade school as an English teacher. This blog is my first step in sharing this next big adventure with all of you.

Most people in my life, with the exception of my beautiful mother, “get” technology. I, on the other hand, would much rather avoid it at all costs. I despise automatic updates on my computer, and especially hate those kiosks at the airport where you can check in your bags and receive a boarding pass without ever speaking with an airline representative.

When I travel, my journal never leaves my side. I love writing about my adventures with a pen and paper. So when my friends encouraged me to change my ways and start a travel blog, I hated the idea. Yet with a lot of convincing, here I am in Madrid, writing my first blog post.

So what do I hope to achieve through all of this? My objective is three-fold. The obvious goal is to share my experience living in Madrid and traveling throughout Europe with friends and family.

Second, for professional purposes, I will not just write about my travels, but also about my experience as a foreigner in Madrid. I hope to go to law school in the near future, and pursue a career in international affairs and immigration. While abroad, I plan to work part-time at an international organization that helps migrants moving to Spain, primarily from Africa. Given my professional goals, this will be a wonderful way to see first-hand immigration issues, and the many struggles these individuals face. Through this internship, and my own personal experience, I plan to explore, understand, and live through the obstacles and excitement that people face when living in a different country.

And third, as a personal objective, I want to move away from my standard academic writing style for a little while and experiment and enjoy finding a different kind of voice in my writing. I’m fascinated by language and love to write. Breaking out of my comfort zone un poco and experimenting is my goal.

So, for now, I’ll take to heart a line from my favorite Bob Dylan song and acknowledge that ’these times they are a’changing.’ I welcome you to follow along and take this journey with me.