RSJ grad Katelyn Welsh gives advice to future traveling journalists after her journey in South America
Nancy Vazquez interviews former classmate Katelyn Welsh about her recent travels as a photographer after graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno.
Q: Tell me a little bit about your work since you’ve graduated. I saw you were on a couple of trips. Tell me where you went.
A: I graduated in December. So pretty much at the beginning of January, I traveled to South America, I went to Ecuador. Initially, we were originally supposed to go to Peru and do the Inca Trail and all that fun stuff. But their civil unrest got pretty out of hand. So our tour guides ended up canceling on us be last minute track in Ecuador. So yeah, that’s where we went.
Q: Is civil unrest, something that you wouldn’t want to venture to? Is that your boundary as a photographer?
A: The journalist in me really wanted to go. But because on the Inca Trail, you have to get a guide, they don’t let you do it by yourself. Once they reached out were like, we have information that they were planning a blockade. I don’t know if there was actually bombing anywhere near there, but pretty crazy stuff. I’m glad we didn’t actually go. I think during the time that we would have been there, a bunch of people were stranded at Machu Picchu because they were blocking. There’s only one way in and out and that’s by train. The Rebels or whatever you want to call them were blocking that, that’s why people were stranded. So because I had a friend that I was responsible for, I was like, we better play it safe. If it were for maybe a job or something, I would be down to go. The journalist me would be down to go, but since I have someone else who was I was kind of responsible for our tour company was like I shouldn’t go.
Q: Why South America? What attracts you to it?
A: I think for one I really worked hard on my Spanish, being able to communicate with people over there, it’s kind of something that I prided myself on. Just being able to connect with someone in another country, like maybe that’s their level of language, it’s really good. The culture, it’s a very vibrant culture. They’re less concerned — kind of any more underdeveloped country, they’re less concerned with appearances. Just one example would be like, you buy a bag of limes here in the States. They’re all pristine and the same size. You buy a bag of limes in South America, and they’re not pristine, some are big some are small. It’s like they just make do with what they have, it’s great. I have an appreciation for that, just kind of the rawness of not as developed countries.
Q: In terms of traveling and physically doing things like packing, what tips would you give to a journalist or just somebody who wants to go and take photos as you did?
A: I would say less is more. I packed really minimally because I was doing a lot of tracks then. I only had a carry-on and my tablet before that we packed a lot more. It was more enjoyable this time around. You really can live off of three pairs of underwear. So, I would definitely recommend that. Then also really making an effort before you leave to learn the language it really helps with not feeling as lost. I also think it’s kind of homemade to connect with the locals more, even if it’s not 100%. By no means was my Spanish perfect at all. But it’s like meeting halfway. They realize you’re trying you have a lot of rewarding interactions. It’s like learning to be okay, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, is kind of a huge thing. It’s okay to not have everything planned. Like, we left and we didn’t even have a return flight booked yet.
Q: How did you feel safety wise in these other countries, especially maybe when you would take your camera out to take photos?
A: I learned in August when I was in Colombia to not just pull out your camera and walk around with it. A police officer actually approached me and was like you’re gonna get robbed at gunpoint if you do that. So I think you just really got to do your research ahead of time and know the area. Definitely, if I’m walking in town or walking with my backpack because we’re in transit or trying to go to the bus station to get to another location, I never set my backpack down. You always keep it on. You have your head always on rotation. I didn’t have any problems, but I definitely kept my camera hidden. Then if I was in town and I ever wanted to take a picture, I just pulled it out real quick and put it back. Definitely, something to be aware of for sure. — Don’t walk at night, take a taxi and stuff like that.
Q: What would you say to students who maybe aren’t sure what they want to do after they graduate; whether to work or travel?
A: I would say that it’s definitely important to have those experiences if you can, obviously, like, money is a necessity. So if you do just need to jump into a job, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I mean, if you do have the opportunity to do a trip, go, because you’re never gonna get that time back. I would say absolutely do that before jumping into a super committed job where you have to work, like a year before you can get up. That would be my recommendation.
Q: Any other tip or anything else you wanted to add about your travels?
A: Definitely travel. And then also I’d recommend bringing stomach pills, chronic diarrhea is real. Happens every time. Like literally.
