Layers Of Invasion And Empire. Slovakia With Sarah Hinlicky Wilson
Slovakia only became an independent state in 1993, so it is less than 30 years old. In this interview, Sarah Hinlicky Wilson and I discuss borders and how strange it is that history draws lines on a map that don’t necessarily represent the people who live within them. These layers of invasion and empire can shape lives for generations. Sarah also recommends places to visit for both culture and nature and shares specialties of the region, as well as some of her favorite travel books. Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is the author of memoir, poetry, and religious nonfiction. And today we’re talking about I Am a Brave Bridge: An American Girl’s Hilarious and Heartbreaking Year in the Fledgling Republic of Slovakia. Show notes * The sense of always wanting to be somewhere else — and whether those of us who are ‘unrooted’ will ever find home * How borders split Europe in ways that resonate through history * Interesting places to visit in Slovakia, for culture or nature * Slovakian architecture, including wooden churches, built without nails * Food and drink specialties of the region * Recommended travel books You can find Sarah Hinlicky Wilson at SarahHinlickyWilson.com Header photo: Photo by Branislav Knappek on Unsplash Transcript of the interview Joanna: Sarah Hinlicky Wilson is the author of memoir, poetry, and religious nonfiction. And today we’re talking about I Am a Brave Bridge: An American Girl’s Hilarious and Heartbreaking Year in the Fledgling Republic of Slovakia. Welcome, Sarah. Sarah: Thank you, Jo. It’s so exciting to be on your show. Joanna: Oh, well, this is a very cool place to talk about. Before we get into the book, you describe it as “a story for anyone who is always homesick for somewhere else.” And I love that. What do you mean by that? And how does that manifest for you? Sarah: I think all of us who are travelers have this experience happened to us after a certain point of time that suddenly, it’s springtime. And instead of being appreciative of the springtime where you are, you’re like, ‘Oh, I remember what springs were like in this other place,’ where you used to live, or you once traveled. You feel yourself yearning, ‘Oh, if I could only be there this time of year,’ or when the fall colors come, or it’s Christmas, or some other holiday. And you get to this point, and I got to this point early in life of just being perpetually homesick because wherever I was, I wasn’t in that other place. I think for me, personally, it was also exacerbated or developed by the fact that I moved around a lot when I was a kid. As you can tell from my accent, I’m an American, and Americans have a habit of moving around a lot. So I never really felt anchored in one place. As a result, I think I became extra heightened in my sensitivity to any place that I went to and really wanted to just have that genius loci, the feeling of the place that was so distinctive and not like anywhere else in the world. Once I got into adulthood, as started with my Slovakia story, I’ve just been traveling all over like you have. And now it means that there’s always somewhere that I wish I was, no matter where I am, no matter how great it is, I’m always homesick for somewhere else. And so, I thought probably a lot of world travelers can really relate to that feeling.