Ticket stubs, maps, social media posts of travel...these are all examples of everyday writing that we oftentimes save from trips abroad to countries around the world. Why? Because we can't stay in those places forever. One of the most important affordances of everyday writing is its ability to provide us with memories. Looking at photos and souvenirs that we keep from our explorations away from home help us remember the times that once were in familiar and unfamiliar areas. This exhibit is meant to display some of those artifacts that deal with travel. Whether they are Instagram posts about visiting the Grand Canyon or a ripped map detailing directions to the Sydney Opera House, all these examples of everyday writing help us to remember some of the best expeditions and explorations of our times abroad.
Many of the artifacts you will see in this exhibit come from my own personal collection. I had the opportunity to study abroad my first year at Florida State University and that experience led me to create an exhibit that documents a subject that I am passionate about.
Feel free to browse the tabs on the right side of this page to see the various everyday writing artifacts that deal with travel. Hopefully this exhibit will give you a good idea of the broad scale that is represented by everyday writing, the importance of the seemingly mundane artifacts we experience in our everyday lives, and maybe even create your own collection of everyday writing artifacts when traveling abroad!
Credits
Christopher J. Diertl