HON 195/ENG 199: Uncovering Iceland: Forms of Travel Writing
Spring Break Travel Course
Travel dates: March 13-20, 2027
Travel writing is a creative form that reveals a story while providing the texture of culture and place. It is also a genre of writing that has expanded with the advent of technology. From photo/video essay to the traditional travel essay, students will explore various forms of travel writing via reading and a weeklong excursion to Iceland during spring break. Writing material will be drawn from visits to waterfalls, volcanoes, geothermal spas, and from connecting with students and faculty at Reykjavik University. Registration for this travel course is by permission only with an application process. Please note that priority will be given for those students registering for the semester-long HON 315/ENG 307: Writing for the Real World course.
Course texts will likely include Best American Travel Writing (2020), Outside Magazine, Brevity Magazine
Faculty
Professor Amy Amoroso teaches writing in the Honors Program and English Department. Her courses include: Island Ink Literary Journal Publishing, Destiny and Disease: How Illness Shapes Science & Society, Narrative Medicine: Stories of Health & Illness, Thinking in Honors, Honors Capstone, Introduction to Creative Writing, and Story as Medicine with Elders, which won the Association of Jewish Aging Service’s 2025 Innovation Igniter Award.
Tracey Meagher is a Policy Associate with the Catherine Cutler Institute and serves as a project liaison for Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF) funded programs focusing on North Atlantic projects.
Eligibility
Additionally, students should have a valid passport (with an expiration date no earlier than 6 months after expected return to US) or be in the process of applying for a passport. Priority will be given for those students registering for the spring semester-long HON 315/ENG 307: Writing for the Real World course due the way the courses complement one another. Students do not have to be in the Honors program to apply.
Tuition and Fees
We are excited to share that the program fee for the course is expected to be $1000 plus tuition, as a significant portion of the travel expenses will be funded by the Maine Economic Improvement Fund (MEIF). Tuition and fees are an additional expense. All participants on USM travel programs receive the in-state tuition rate regardless of residency.
The program fee includes roundtrip airfare, lodging, some meals, cultural and academic programming and excursions, and in-country transportation. Additional expenses include tuition, personal spending money, supplies/materials, and some meals during the trip.
Application
The application deadline is Monday, November 9, 2026.
A complete application includes all of the following:
- Submit the program application form
- We recommend looking over the application before completing it so you have all parts ready, as unfortunately you cannot save as you go.
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or academic advisor
- Here is the link you can share with faculty/staff to complete a recommendation on your behalf: Online Recommendation for Travel Program
- Copy of academic transcript
- Information regarding requesting a transcript can be found here (It’s probably easiest to either follow the steps for “Electronic Delivery” or “Unofficial Transcript via Classic MaineStreet” and either way, send to Emily Zider (emily.zider@maine.edu)
Once the application committee has reviewed applications, you will be notified of acceptance via email, likely around November 13. At that time, all students accepted to the program will be asked to submit a $300 nonrefundable deposit and will be enrolled in the course in MaineStreet by a USM staff member.