Abstract
An epistolary phenomenon of personal diaries is analyzed from different prospectives including person’s motivation (self-expressions and honest reflections on events in the world, society, community, and personal life). Travels give unique opportunities to a person in exploring the surrounding world and her/his role in the universe. The travelers’ stories reviewed reveal personal discoveries of the world beauty (“A “Wondrous Paradise” of Ocean Barrier Reefs”), reflections on civilization history (ruins of Pompeii; battlefields near Thermopylae, the Silarius (Sele) River, Verdun, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Stalingrad, Omaha Beach, and Hiroshima), and search for wisdom and harmony (immersed in Balinese’s peaceful and hospitable nature centered around their faith in karma). Students and faculty share their experiences in educational trips (“Cultural Immersion Trip to Senegal”, “Children of Honduras”, “Discovering Rome”), natural science trips (“ARGYLES Scholars Explore Niagara Escarpment”), and professional and environmental missions (“Volunteering in El Salvador”, “Our Honduran Mission”, “Nursing Students Go to Belize”, and “A Biodigester for Costa Rica”). Community members contribute with “Christmas in Bethlehem”, “Quebec, the City of Dreams”, “Immersing in San Miguel de Allende”, “Streets of Asia: Guangzhou” and personal reflections (“Eternal Love: A story of a Japanese artist and his painting”, “Where She Is ….”, “A Cry in the Wilderness”, and “A Millennium Trip to Egypt”). All these stories illustrated by photographs were peer-reviewed and published in academic journal editions. Warm readers’ comments posted in multimedia encourage authors to continue endeavors and support them in moral struggles. These personal stories gently contribute to powerful steams of Humanities.
Presenters
Vladimir RiabovProfessor, Division of Arts and Sciences, Department of Computer Science, Rivier University, New Hampshire, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Communications and Linguistic Studies
KEYWORDS
Personal Reflections, World Attractions, Educational Trips, Cultural Immersion, Civilization History, Wisdom, Harmony
