Annie Bierbower - Author Interview

Annie, your first study abroad experience was a semester in Lima, Peru followed by five weeks of backpacking. Many students choose Cusco, why did you opt for Lima?

 My hometown in northeast Nebraska has a population of 1,100 people. I was excited by the prospect of living in a giant, chaotic city in South America and giant chaos is exactly what I got. The official population of Lima is around 8 million but some estimates say it’s closer to 18 million including the shanty towns on the outskirts. The city is an absolutely wild experience that can change dramatically with each step and I’m not exaggerating. 

You also volunteered in an elementary school in Villa El Salvador, one of Lima’s largest shanty towns. What is the biggest impact volunteering abroad has had on you? 

The biggest impact is how badly I want to do it again and have a trip that focuses solely on volunteering. I got involved in the project later in my stay and it ended up being easily my favorite part. We helped children with homework and improved the school grounds and it was such an awesome way to meet the people. They didn’t have much but insisted on feeding us a warm meal almost every time we worked there. I’m super aware of being wasteful now. 

Latin America has some amazing authors. Who is your favorite South American author?

Gabriel García Márquez is an easy answer. His writing is so beautiful and romantic (even when it’s heartbreaking). Love In the Time of Cholera made me cry about three times and not even at climactic points but by how moving his sentences are. I also really admire that he has had success as a journalist.   

You love to read even while traveling but admit to feeling guilty sometimes putting your nose in a book since there are so many things to see and do. Have you overcome the guilt or just stopped reading?

I definitely haven’t stopped reading but I do have a life rule to not bring a book from back home with me. A) They’re heavy and take up space B) I can read it when I get back C) It forces me to find a local book to read. Maybe it’s by a famous author from the area, a book they study in high school, or the go-to guide on the country’s history. 

Your father, who is a dentist, has helped you conduct a dental clinic with the NGO Volunteer for the Visayans in the Philippines. What can dental professionals do internationally to make a difference?

Dental care is decades behind in many developing countries and is based around quick fixes rather than addressing the cause of the problem. In some areas of rural Peru, people have their teeth pulled because of minor fractures or chips and decay is rampant. Villagers in the Philippines will either ignore the problem or pull the tooth themselves at home. Sugary processed foods have been introduced into their diet but oral care has not been. Dentists should look into providing information about dental care and donating materials. Toothpaste can be made with baking soda and water by the gallons even in remote villages but first people have to know how it will help them. The American Dental Association  and GoAbroad  have pages of volunteer opportunities and information. Look into doing a workshop and spreading some knowledge during the work. 

What does your father, the only dentist in small town Nebraska, think about all your travels? 

My whole family has always been super supportive but I think I get my sense of adventure and desire to travel from him. He always researches the place I'm going and ends up knowing more about it than me before I leave. He really wants to do an international dental volunteer trip so he will be on an adventure himself soon.

At the University of Nebraska you conducted research on visual communications across cultures. In Belgium pink is used for baby boys and in Thailand pink is the color of Tuesday. What is the most interesting interpretation of color by a culture?

Red is the color of mourning in South Africa. I always remember this one because at first it struck me as strange since I think of strength or romance but then I realized it also conveys struggle and triumph. These could all be elements of mourning.  

In college you worked in television production, and as a newspaper reporter after graduation. How did those experiences influence your writing style?

The experience working in newspaper really helped me view my writing from the audience’s standpoint. You write all through college but it’s different when you see it in a publication each week and hear people talking about it. It also taught me a lot about writing format and research (the latter is my favorite part). 

What is one piece of advice you would give an aspiring travel writer?

Document everything as you go. It’s hard because it takes time and you’re busy doing a million different, fun things but it results in much better writing and way less work after you get back. 

You have a particular interest in southeast Asia and hope to travel all over the region in the future. Do you have any plans to get started?

I was lucky enough to travel to the Philippines for work and had an absolutely amazing experience. Next summer I will be visiting a friend who is teaching English in Malaysia and we hope to make it to at least one other country (my vote is Cambodia) so the plans are in full swing.