About icscribbles
Hello, my name is Lisa Varley and I'm
currently a University student studying biological sciences in
Chicago. Tired of cloning DNA in the lab, last year I decided to break free from
tradition and study abroad in the Australia as part of our university’s honors
program fieldwork project. Although writing daily journal entries started as a
compulsory homework assignment, I learned to enjoy it almost immediately.
Sharing the contents of our journals with other backpackers served as an excellent
table talker and I became obsessed with finding interesting ways to share my
travel.
By the end of my stay in South Pacific, my
project evolved from a little black notebook into an overstuffed scrapbook, filled
with tales of discovery, moments of insecurity, photos, comic strips, a
dictionary of Australian English words, and bizarre stories about close
encounters – like snorkeling into a harem of pink and blue transsexual fish as
big as your dad. (Don’t believe me? Google the Eastern Blue Groper.)
Since my return to the U.S., I’ve had the
pleasure of publishing several poems and short stories The Toucan and OPUS literary
magazines. I’ve also been refining my writing style over the course of this
year, focusing on the emotional outreach and demographic writing. My background
in the sciences has helped me develop an eye for detail, critical thinking
skills, and a vast knowledge of exotic flora and fauna have admirable tools in the past and would treasure the opportunity to use them in the field again.
If WorldNomads.com selects me as the
winner of their Travel Writing
Scholarship to Southeast Asia, I would be incredibly excited because this would be perfect opportunity to become immersed in the travel journalism industry. I have been dying for a chance to travel back to
the south pacific and would be most excited to embark on the Burmese food odyssey
with Tin Cho Chaw in Kuala Lumpur.
I’ve been dying to meet her ever since MasterChef:
Australia participant Callum Hann recommended her cookbook during a live demonstration
at Macquarie University.
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in your competition and good luck to all the contestants in this year's 2012 Travel Scholarship Competition!
My Travel Map:
