new singer we like, we must immediately go on social media and figure out what she named her what did I see there? A green slope at the back of the house; perfect for rolling down. I could almost see an adolescent Jane rolling down the hill with her pet cat. We want to know the stories behind the songs brothers, getting mud all over her muslin dress—just we love. But sometimes, research just isn’t enough. We like Catherine Morland. have to be where Taylor Swift said goodbye to a lover. Visiting the places that inspired Jane inspired me Where the book was written. Where the movie was to learn more about her. It gave me insights into her filmed. Where the great impressionist painters lived and life and writing that I would never have made from worked and worshipped. Experiencing places firsthand reading a nonfiction book or watching a documentary. is richer than experiencing them on a computer screen Historical figures, cultural icons, singers, artists, and or between the pages of a novel. political movers and shakers all inspire us with their In describing the heroine of Northanger Abbey, works. But what places inspired them? What places Jane Austen writes that Catherine Morland “loved can inspire us? nothing so well in the world as rolling down the green In this edition of Stowaway, we will explore the slope at the back of the house.” This opening scene concept of discovering inspiration in our travels. immediately sets up the main character and provides We will explore the locations that inspired Taylor an iconic image. When I read Northanger Abbey for Swift’s song lyrics, the hometowns of European the first time at fifteen years old. I could instantly painters, the sacred sites of Taiwan, and so much relate to Catherine’s desire for adventure outside more. We will also consider places that inspire other the pages of her books. The characters and places in cultures (like the various legends of Santa Claus) and Northanger Abbey seemed so real to me. places that can inspire travelers (like Zambia). I hope When I was seventeen years old, I finally had the that with this issue of Stowaway, you will find similar opportunity to visit Jane Austen’s England for myself. inspiration for yourself and your travels! I stood inches from the desk where Jane wrote some of my favorite books. But my favorite moment occurred when I climbed up a hill on the side of the —Karlie Kelsch road to look out at the site of Jane’s birthplace. And Managing Editor