Sculpted by Experience
Leaving an Imprint – Clay and Travel
The process of hand-building clay objects and glazing can completely transform the look of a piece. What begins as a shapeless lump of earth becomes something molded by experience, pressure, and time. This is also true of travel. It stretches, reshapes, and refines us in ways we never anticipated. It deepens our happiness, improves our mental well-being, and changes our outlook on life. Every destination leaves an imprint – just like fingers that press into soft clay and shape us into someone new
The Places I’ve Gone To:
Mardi Gras Mask
New Orleans, U.S.A. (2017)
Clay, 2025
A Culture of Celebration
I arrived in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season. Though I didn’t immerse myself in the parades, the spirit of celebration lined every street, with the scent of crawfish, the rhythm of drumbeats, and the joy of faces that passed me. Beads draped over balconies and vibrant decorations lined the streets. Mardi Gras is more than a party; it’s a reflection of New Orleans itself and how it’s a city that embraces life in full color.
Much like how clay hardens into something that lasts, the traditions of New Orleans have solidified into a culture that cannot be replicated. Mardi Gras is a time when history and tradition merge with vibrant expression, where community and celebration go hand in hand. Though I observed from a distance, I could still appreciate how this festival shapes the city’s identity.
Grossmünster Relief Tile
Zürich, Switzerland (2019)
Clay, 2025
Finding Perspective
I traveled to Zürich, Switzerland for my first destination outside of the United States. My aunt took my grandpa, brother, and me on a “test trial” for her German class trip. As I stood atop the Grossmünster, I looked out over the city and felt the vastness of the world open before me. Later, I hiked in the Swiss Alps, surrounded by peaks so grand they made me feel small in the best possible way!
Much like relief work in clay, which requires carving away to reveal depth and perspective, Zürich gave me a new way to see the world – and my place in it.
Pretzel
Germany (2019, 2024)
Clay, 2025
Connected with Heritage
Germany holds a special significance for me, not just as a traveler, but as someone with a German background. I have German blood from both my mom's and dad’s side of the family and family who currently live in Germany from my mom’s side. Whenever I visit Germany, it feels like reconnecting with a piece of myself. My German identity remains strong, especially due to growing up in a small German village in Ohio where we have our own version of Oktoberfest called “Parkfest,” and where I learned German within school.
Much like clay, which carries traces of its origins no matter how it is shaped, my connection to Germany remains a part of me, even from a distance. Traditions, food, and music are powerful reminders of the bond shaped by family, history, and the culture I carry with me wherever life takes me.
Hot Dog
New York City, U.S.A. (2022, 2023, 2024)
Clay, 2025
A Second Home
Through all of my travels, one place has always drawn me back. New York City – My favorite city. My second home. I first visited in March of 2022 with my high school senior class. I wandered through the towering streets with my three best friends, and fell in love with the energy of the city! Since then, I have returned multiple times, often with my fiancé, who grew up nearby.
New York, like clay, is messy, chaotic, and full of endless possibilities. It is a city where creativity thrives, where art is everywhere – on buildings, in subway stations, and on the sidewalks. It is a place where you can mold your own experience, shape your own journey, and craft something entirely unique each time you visit.
I don’t know what exactly draws me in. Maybe it’s the skyscrapers, the quiet invisibility within a sea of people on the street, or the endless art galleries that are ready to be explored. I think I just love the idea of being a nobody in a city that holds millions, where everyone has sculpted their own story.
Flamingo
Aruba (2024)
Clay, 2024
“One Happy Island”
Aruba, known as “One Happy Island,” is a place where warmth extends beyond the sunshine to the people who call it home. The island’s beauty is undeniable; turquoise waters, soft sandy beaches, and a relaxed atmosphere that invites anyone to belong. But the kindness of the community is what stood out to me.
Much like working with clay, Aruba teaches that joy and connection aren’t reserved for experts. You don’t have to be a seasoned traveler to feel welcome… you don’t have to experience everything to appreciate the beauty around you. Just as anyone can pick up clay and shape it into something meaningful, anyone can find happiness and belonging in a place that is traveled to.
Hohensalzburg Fortress Relief Tile
Salzburg, Austria (2019, 2025)
Clay, 2025
Living Within a New Culture
I made a tough decision to move to a different country for four months. I set a goal: to gain confidence and push myself beyond my comfort zone. Salzburg, with its baroque architecture and spectacular Alpine views, became my second home.
I had visited once before. On the same trip aunt took my brother and me on, we visited Salzburg and Hallstatt. I never imagined I would return as a temporary resident. Living within a new culture opened my eyes to a different way of life. I learned about local traditions – how Austrians spend their free time, their deep-rooted love for hiking, and the mental peace found in the mountains. I wouldn’t call myself fluent in German, but I navigated daily life in cafes, brauhauses, and busy city streets, where I slowly turned the unfamiliar into something familiar. In those moments, I realized I had carved out a small home in a foreign land.
Like clay shaped by steady hands, Salzburg left its mark on me.
Tiny Troyan Pot
Sofia, Bulgaria (2024)
Clay, 2025
The Stories Clay Holds
Sofia was unlike any capital city I had seen. It was quiet yet full of history, its streets lined with traces of past and present. At the time, I didn’t know about Troyan pottery, a traditional Bulgarian ceramic style with earthy tones and intricate designs. As I look back, I wish I had known about it so I could have kept my eye out for it.
Troyan pottery, like the city itself, preserves generations of tradition. Just as clay holds the marks of its maker, each piece is carefully shaped and painted by hand, much like how Sofia left its imprint on me. Even in the busiest places, there is space for stillness, history, and quiet beauty.
Tulip
Istanbul, Turkey (2024)
Clay, 2025
Modeling a New Understanding
Istanbul allowed me to visit Asia for the first time. This was an entirely different experience than any of my previous travels. I stepped into mosques with spacious domes, geometric tilework, and an atmosphere of quiet reverence. Five times a day, the call to prayer, or adhan, echoed through the city, a sound I grew to love.
I learned how religion intertwines with daily life. I removed my shoes, wore a headscarf, and covered my arms and legs before I entered any mosques – traditions vastly different from the churches I had visited before. The contrast between cultures struck me, and yet, Istanbul, just like clay, left an imprint on me. It molded how I understood history and the beauty found in the blending of worlds.
Rowboat
Lake Bled, Slovenia (2024)
Clay, 2025
Peace in Stillness
Lake Bled contained still waters, mountains that rolled in the background, and a castle perched on a cliff. In early November, the crowds had thinned, and left behind a quiet peacefulness. I walked the lakeside path and watched people row small boats across the calm, cold water.
In travel, as in pottery, we often focus on action – the molding, the shaping, the movement. But there is beauty in stillness, in allowing things to settle. Lake Bled reminded me that transformation sometimes comes in quiet reflection.
Olive Tree Relief Tile
Athens, Greece (2024)
Clay, 2025
New Inspirations
I traveled to Athens with four other people, but I decided to spend the day solo exploring – the first time I have ever done that! I walked all around Athens. I admired the architecture, the plants, and, of course, the cats. I noticed many olive trees, and how uniquely shaped they were. As someone who grew up in the Midwest of the United States, I mainly only saw trees such as Maples, Pines, and Buckeyes.
Working with clay, much like travel, is about embracing the unfamiliar. You find new textures, new techniques, and new inspirations that push you beyond what you know. Athens was just that – a place where every detail, from ancient ruins to native plants, invited me to see the world differently. Like fresh designs pressed into a clay relief, Athens left patterns in my mind and shaped my perspective in unexpected ways.
Juliet’s Balcony
Verona, Italy (2024)
Clay, 2025
Stay Mindful of Our Impact
On my first solo trip, I visited Venice and Verona! I stood beneath Juliet’s balcony, and I reflected on how tourism interacts with history. People gathered in crowds and took turns to touch the statue of Juliet’s breast for “good luck” – a tradition built on fiction. I, instead, opted to touch her hand, as a way to return dignity to a figure too often reduced to a body.
Tourism, like the shaping of clay, leaves an imprint. It can highlight cultural beauty, but it can also wear it down. Cities like Venice and Verona face pollution, the erosion of historic sites, and the commercialization of their heritage. Statues, meant to honor or represent history, sometimes become dismissed.
Just as working with clay requires a delicate touch to avoid any cracks or damage to a piece, travel requires mindfulness. Verona taught me to be more aware of how my presence contributes to the places I visit and ensures that my impact, like the careful shaping of clay, preserves rather than damages.
Burg Gutenberg Relief Tile
Balzers, Liechtenstein (2024)
Clay, 2025
The Beauty of Small Places
While many people flock to the grand capitals of the world, there is a special charm about visiting a small town. Balzers, Liechtenstein showed me that sometimes, the truest essence of a place is found in its quieter corners.
I visited a castle that sat atop a hill, its stone walls weathered by time. The relief work on its surfaces told stories of the past…each carving a reminder that history exists beyond the well-known tourist paths.
Like working with clay, where fine details make a piece come alive, it is often in the small, unexpected places that we find the most meaning. Balzers reminded me that beauty isn’t just in grand cities; it’s in the hidden details, the places we take the time to truly see.
Where I Hope To Visit:
Yurt
Kyrgyzstan
Clay, 2025
Living a Minimalist Life Connected with Nature
Kyrgyzstan quickly became the destination I answered when somebody asked, “If you could go to one place in the world, where would it be?”
I’ve always been a city lover. However, sometimes the noise, the crowds, and the endless digital connections can overwhelm you. Kyrgyzstan offers a different kind of travel – one of stillness, simplicity, and immersion in nature.
One of the most immersive ways to experience their culture is to stay in a yurt, a traditional circular tent that has been used by nomads for centuries. It’s a way of life that prioritizes simplicity and connection to the natural world.
My dream is to stay in a yurt, nestled in the mountains, and awake to the sounds of wind rustling through the grasslands. Like clay, life doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.
Llama
Peru
Clay, 2025
A Lasting Impact
The Llamas of Peru are more than just cultural icons; they are a vital part of the country’s history, economy, and daily life. They were domesticated over 6,000 years ago and have been used for transport, wool, food, and fuel. They have played an essential role in civilization for so long.
I would love to visit Peru to see how these animals continue to serve the people today. Beyond their practical uses, they symbolize the deep relationship between humans and nature – one built on respect and sustainability. In the same way that crafting with clay requires patience and care, so does the domestication and raising of llamas. The process of shaping and guiding them is a craft in itself, passed down through generations. It stands as evidence of the creativity and durability of past civilizations. Just as pottery preserves history through its form and function, Machu Picchu holds the stories of those who came before us, etched into its stone pathways and towering terraces.
Imigongo Inspired Tile
Rwanda
Clay, 2025
Art Within Other Cultures
Rwanda, a country shaped by both tragedy and resilience, has been on my travel list for several years. One of its most unique art forms is imigongo, a geometric design tradition crafted from cow dung and natural pigments.
For centuries, Rwandan women have shaped these tiles, much like potters mold clay and transform raw earth into art. But during the 1994 genocide, many cultural traditions, including imigongo, nearly vanished.
Artist Basirice Uwanmariya helped revive it. She trained women to carry the tradition forward, just as pottery techniques are passed through generations. The tile I created is a tribute to Rwandan artistry. It’s more than a pattern, it is a vessel of survival, identity, and an expression that lasts.
The Lasting Effects
Like hands that shape clay, travel leaves an imprint on us. Each journey, each experience, each unfamiliar place molds us in ways we often don’t realize until we step back and see how we’ve changed. Some destinations press deep, and leave a mark that lasts, while others refine us in subtler ways, smoothing out our edges or adding new layers of understanding. But the shaping never truly ends. Just as clay remains flexible until it is fired, we, too, constantly evolve…formed by the places we go, the people we meet, and the lessons we carry forward. We are works in progress, forever sculpted by the world around us.