Small Girl, Big World

                                        By Amanda Cintron

KINGSTON, RI - Standing barely 5’1’’ with a tiny frame, Rapunzel-like hair, and deep blue marble eyes that reflect her future as a travel writer, Cassandra O’Bryan talks me through her journey as a future travel writer. 
 

Having attended a school just 25 minutes from her hometown of Middletown, RI, travel writing was definitely not O’Bryan’s initial career choice when arriving at the University of Rhode Island. A self-proclaimed “small town girl,” she was used to the beach being just a two minute walk and the same friends since elementary school. She lived a sheltered lifestyle that didn’t include much diversity and culture. However, to her surprise, she received a culture-shock when she arrived at URI. This was the beginning of her appetite for culture. 

 

 

She began to become intrigued by Anthony Bourdain, a chef, author and television host, when she began to watch his shows on the Travel Channel, “Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations” and “The Layover.” O’Bryan has only been out of the country twice, to Canada and Mexico. She finally knew that she wanted to pursue this career path after a 20 hour car ride to Panama City, FL. During this trip she was able to see various states, towns and cities. Also, in this trip she began to write about her travels in what now is her travel journal.

 

“Start small and work my way up,” she said, that is her plan. O’Bryan now a senior at URI, majoring in journalism and minoring in writing, plans to work her way into the travel writing industry. She is currently applying to as many internships as she can, hoping that she can get a start to her career. In addition, she is applying to study abroad in France. For now, she is writing stories for URI’s school newspaper the “5 cent Cigar,” any chance she gets the opportunity to do so.
 

O’Bryan still keeps aspects of her “small town mentality,” not having any social networks, except Facebook that she rarely uses. “It keeps me focused and humbled,” she said. Her long lists of future travels include the United Kingdom, South America and more. After her graduation next semester, her round shaped, deep blue eyes will show her what she has been starved of her whole life and craving for her whole college career.