Emmy’s Story Map – Geography 210: Geographic Dimensions of Human Development

My Global Citizen Story Map shows how I am connected globally through mountains and hiking. I began hiking with my family at a young age with short day hikes at Crabtree falls. Crabtree is a campground and hiking area about two hours northwest of Richmond Virginia where I grew up. In the summer of 2011, my grandfather organized a trip for my family and extended family to go to Bar Harbor Maine for a week. Bar Harbor is a small town located near Acadia National Park, where we hiked for a week. The views were incredible and I grew closer to my family throughout the week creating memories and sharing in the intimacy of nature. Another experience I had in the mountains was when I went to the British Virgin Islands in the spring of 2014 with my best friend and her family. One Island in particular was uninhabited and was basically just a mountain that my friend and I climbed. When we got to the top, we stood on the edge of a huge cliff looking out over the clear water and islands in every direction, it was a sight I will never forget. I also had the opportunity to travel to Mandeville Jamaica this past summer for a mission trip. Jamaica is generally known for its beaches and resorts but Mandeville is a town nestled in the mountains of central Jamaica. In my opinion the mountains were just as beautiful as the beaches and the town of Mandeville provided a different perspective and a more cultural view of Jamaica than the tourist areas. Finally It has always been one of my dreams to visit Italy, specifically Montaguto where my grandmother’s grandmother is from. Montaguto is located at the top of a mountain in southern Italy and I would love to visit this area for its beautiful landscapes and importance to my family heritage. My experience in the mountains has shown me what it means to be a global citizen. As there no two same cultures in the world, there are no two same mountains in the world. Having the opportunity to experience mountains and hiking in different ways has helped me to see the difference in each place and recognize these mountains for what they are individually just as one should consider each culture.

Harleen Bal says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:31 pm

I thought the narrative aspect of your Story Map was particularly effective; the focus of your presentation was clear and quite narrow, since it revolved around hiking and mountains. I also found the mixture of pictures showing both people and the landscapes, themselves, to be well-organized and interesting.

Maggie says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:33 pm

This is a great post, Emmy! From my (admittedly limited) experience of hiking, I know that it can be a really impactful experience. I loved how you incorporated both the places you have already visited as well as where you want to go with an explanation of why. I’m intrigued by the comparison of culture to mountains – that no two cultures, just like mountains, are exactly the same. You made a big concept into something understandable by relating it to a hobby. My favorite part of your StoryMap was the awesome video from your mission trip in Jamaica!

Keaira Clark says:

October 1, 2015 at 12:50 pm

I think you did an amazing job. I think it was interesting how you related the uniqueness of each mountain to the uniqueness of the culture. I think if you can develop how your perceptions of a place change with the incorporation of a mountain it would make you great project even better! I also think you did a great job in choosing pictures. You did not merely show a mountain or waterfall but you included panoramic pictures. I think that was very important in showing how the mountains are an important part of making a region.