Any reader would be interested in your travel story of life-changing proportions. You want to help others change their lives too by learning from your story. But how can you write it so that others will be interested? How can you tell your story so that the experience of reading it is as fascinating as the experience of living it?
First, the reader will need to get to know the you before the change.
What was your life like back then? We’ll need to get a clear picture of what you changed from, before we can appreciate what you changed into. A butterfly looks all the more beautiful when we consider the caterpillar it had once been.
So, with that in mind, try to answer the following questions as you describe yourself before your travel transformation:
What was a typical day like? How did you feel about yourself? What were your goals? Where did you feel your life was headed?
Then, narrate the catalyst for your trip.
What was it that made you decide to go somewhere new? What was your motivation? What was that spark of inspiration or stroke of good luck? Why that place, in particular? Why did it call out to you? What did you know about it at this time?
Next, tell us the story of your arrival, as well as your expectations versus the reality you experience. But don’t get too bogged down in the day to day.
Focus your story on your meaningful change.
Narrate the steps in that process. What was the first seed of that change? Did you meet someone, or visit a particular place? Describe this seed, whatever it is, very deeply.
Describe what’s happening to you emotionally.
What are you beginning to realize? Make that link between your previous self which held those previous beliefs and your new realization and changing self.
Keep giving us those moments along the way that reinforced this change within you. Even if you believe that your transformation happened in just one moment, most likely there was a lead up to this moment, as well as reinforcement afterward that helped to cement this change. Don’t forget to round out your story with those experiences as well.
End with a description of how you current life is different now, how you navigate your way through the world differently because of this experience and the way you chose to interpret them.
All of the above involves some deep diving into your memories and emotions in order to pinpoint those exact moments that led to your change, as well as your interpretation of those moments, and the mental space you were in that allowed this change to take place and cement itself into a transformed worldview.
These are some of the most important travel stories to tell, and I personally can’t wait to read your story of travel and transformation! Please use the contact form to get in touch with me about how you’re going in your writing process. I’d love to know, and help if I can.
