This blog belongs to freelance journalist and traveler Hope Loudon. The name comes from Hope’s love of Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh which explains Taoism with the help of A.A. In Chinese, Tao (道), literally means “way.” Therefore, this blog’s content will focus on the way of Hope, and on her journey. Perhaps it is also a bit of a pun because of the literal meaning of the word “Hope.”
Hope inte
nds, through her travels and blog, to discover her own talents and desires, and to overcome her challenges to connect with her emotions and true self. She has her own Pandora’s box to open, and she would like to face what it contains with strength and authenticity. Since traveling is much like childhood in terms of new experiences, simple pleasures, and daunting first steps, she also hopes that her journey will connect her with her inner-child which she has previously not really allowed to play. At the same time, Hope is a journalist with a passion for serious news and global problems such as the environment, human rights, international justice, and the economy. She received her Bachelor’s of International Affairs from the University of Nevada, Reno in May of 2014. Before that, she spent eight months in Chengdu, China where she attended The Southwest University for Nationalities, worked as an Assistant Coordinator with the nonprofit Heifer International’s China branch, and wrote freelance environmental articles along with a monthly food column for the popular expat magazine, Hello Chengdu. She is presently interested in exploring the Psychology of trauma through journalism which preserves and validates oral histories, and gives victims a platform from which to tell their narrative which is such an important part of personal and societal healing.
