https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/about/contributors/helen-glennyHelen Glennyhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/joys-of-traveling-slowlyThe Joys of Traveling Slowly | New Zealand StoryFri, 05 Jun 2020 20:09:44 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/joys-of-traveling-slowlyhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/discovery/the-dust-townThe Dust Town | Cambodia Travel StoryMon, 29 Jul 2019 20:16:04 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/discovery/the-dust-townhttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/the-price-of-booksThe Price of Books | Myanmar Travel StoryWed, 30 Aug 2017 22:07:52 GMThttps://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/stories/transformation/the-price-of-bookshttps://public-web-wn.uat.wng.me/create/scholarships/writing/2017/helen-glennyHelen hones her writing skills as she travels through Albania and Montenegro as a winner of the 2017 Travel Writing Scholarship.2017-12-18T11:00:00Z https://wng-kosmos-wn-cms-uat.kaos.nibit.com.au:443/create/scholarships/writing/2017/helen-glennyhttps://www.worldnomads.com<div class="scholarships-assignment-intro segment-margin-break"> <div class="Author"><br /> <div class="Author-profile"><strong>Helen Glenny from New Zealand,</strong><br /><small class="Author-title">Winner Writing&nbsp;Scholarship 2017</small></div> </div> <h3 class="standfirst"><span><br />From hiking with beauty queens to sailing into the sunset, read about the moments that shaped Helen's Balkan adventure.</span></h3> </div> <div class="scholarships-assignment-snippet segment-margin-break"> <h4>Finding scenes&nbsp;in the Balkans</h4> <p>"Find your scenes, and move your characters through them," Tim Neville, our mentor, told us. Scenes? Characters? I was about an hour into the World Nomads Travel Writing Workshop, and I was slowly realizing that I knew a lot less about travel writing than I thought.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>But during my three weeks in the Balkans, I was able to try out Tim's advice, find scenes, take on missions, and develop tension in some of Montenegro and Albania's most interesting places.&nbsp;</p> <p><img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/LearnImages/writing2017/onassignment/helen-article4.jpeg" alt="Helen taking a photo" /></p> </div> <div class="scholarships-assignment-snippet segment-margin-break"> <h4>Nevice</h4> <p>After a three-day workshop with Tim and my two fellow writers, I traveled south into Albania and was taken high into the mountains, to a 60-strong farm town called Nevice. Auron Tare, my guide, is trying to promote the region for tourism, and it's not lacking attractions. Around us, rough mountains roll into grassy fields. Just meters away from town, canyons carve through the rocky earth. To promote the region, Auron hosted a Miss Albania photoshoot on a clifftop five minutes out of town. I've hiked all my life, but never through 4,000-year-old ruins, and never with thirty perfectly coiffured Albanian teenagers and a film crew as my hiking companions.&nbsp;</p> <img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/LearnImages/writing2017/onassignment/helen-article1.jpeg" alt="Miss Albanians hiking on the mountain" /></div> <div class="scholarships-assignment-snippet segment-margin-break"> <h4>Tirana</h4> <p>Back in Tirana, Albania's capital, I walked past Enver Hoxha's old home in the Blokku district, which is now Tirana's party central. I noticed someone slinking away from his old garage, pocketing a spray can. What do vandals write on the homes of ex-dictators? I approached the wall. "The only good system is a sound system." Next to that, still wet; "SWAG." Expecting political statements, instead, I saw the light-hearted scribbles of people who aren't fixated on the country's past.</p> <img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/LearnImages/writing2017/onassignment/helen-article2.jpeg" alt="Photo of Tirana wall" /></div> <div class="scholarships-assignment-snippet segment-margin-break"> <p><strong>The Bay of Kotor</strong></p> <p>"Remember this," Tim whispered to us, sharing one of his travel writing secrets. We were bobbing around on a small fishing boat in the Bay of Kotor, with a bunch of boisterous local chefs. Squid fishing was on our itinerary, but all organized activities were being ignored in favor of more important things - laughter, beer, and good company.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <p>I knew what Tim was getting at. That moment captured the best of travel - connecting with new friends from different cultures, enjoying exciting places and new experiences. For a story, and for a travel writing workshop, those moments make great endings.</p> <img src="https://media.worldnomads.com/LearnImages/writing2017/onassignment/helen-article6.jpeg" alt="Helen laughing on a boat" />&nbsp;</div>Andrew Stephen 0