Kyoto: Where the Cuckoo Calls
By Suzanne Kamata “even in Kyoto I long for Kyoto— cuckoo!” –Matsuo Basho (1644-94)* My story begins at Kyoto Station, where I alight after a three-hour bus ride. It is…
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Don’t Be Afraid: A poem becomes a treasure map in Ireland
By Leslie Waugh Ireland had long been on my list of places to visit, and after a fantastic two weeks in Iceland in July this year, my husband and I…
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Seeking Slowness
By Benjamin Jackson In 1996, time became frenetic, out-of-control, frightening. The world was balancing on a fulcrum between old and new—notepads giving way to networks, mail to modems, pensions to…
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A Moment of Glory in Communist Poland
By Michelle Lawson It was 1971 in a nightclub somewhere near Gdynia in Poland. Men held me close as we danced to Je t’aime, an infamous chart-topper banned from British…
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Freya Stark’s Afghanistan
By Katherine Gypson “This is a great moment, when you see, however distant, the goal of your wandering. The thing which has been living in your imagination suddenly becomes part…
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Tales from Tuscany
by Leslie Jones We are all pilgrims who seek Italy. – Goethe Exploring the awe-inspiring corridor between the Uffizi Gallery and nearby Piazza della Signoria, I’m intrigued by the myriad…
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Literary Traveler is Celebrating 25 Years
2023 marks the start of the 25th anniversary year of celebration for Literary Traveler! To celebrate, we are holding a writing competition for the best Literary Travel writing with…
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I Know Slovenia Where Veronika Decides to Die
by Tamerlie Philippe “Honestly, she thought, no one ever knows where Slovenia is.” I used to belong to that group of people and I knew nothing about Slovenia. In Veronika…
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Bonded to The Bard
by Ashley Conway But thy eternal summer shall not fade, / Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow’st – William Shakespeare Pulling into Stratford-Upon-Avon is a surreal feeling. I’ve…
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Hitchhiking Honduras: Relating to Cheryl Strayed in Wild
By Hannah Hughes I stuck out my thumb and waited. After thirty-seconds, a red pickup truck flashed and then stopped further down the road. I approached the truck’s rear, bringing…
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