This paper was originally created for English 379 Travel Writing during the Fall 2020 semester in the Bachelor of English program. For this assignment, we were tasked with creating a narrative that blends together a personal story of travel with historical insight. The only trip I felt was worth reading about was my extended stay in Oahu, Hawaii where I helped take care of my grandma. Despite my task, the trip was the first time I had ever been away from friends and immediate family, giving me plenty of time to explore the island—my birthplace—and learn of its tragic history with colonialism.
When I signed up for the class, I had no idea what travel writing was but the name alone sounded fascinating. As I was still discovering what forms of writing I wanted to pursue, I was interested in seeking knowledge in an area I knew absolutely nothing about—in the end, this mindset rewarded me. Although I do not plan on creating more travel writing narratives in the near future, this article was important for my development as a writer in many ways.
Unfortunately, the assignment did not turn out the way I wanted it to. I think there are a lot of little things I could have condensed better, or perhaps removed entirely, including parts about my brother as it hardly contributes to my overall narrative. Also, I’m not quite sure why but the paper’s voice just feels awkward, perhaps outside feedback would have gone a long way towards fixing this.
Although it may not be apparent in its presentation, crafting this article made me a better writer by considering the business aspect of writing. Dr. Murray’s lessons included ways of becoming published, leading me to attempt a paper that could potentially do so. Also, despite having written about myself for previous college classes, this was the first time I felt pressure to craft something both personal and academically insightful. Perhaps the greatest thing writing this paper taught me was my research on the rise and fall of the Hawaiian Kingdom, which would develop an impulsive need to learn more about my ancestry.
Matthew Kajiwara-Hernandez 