No moment is too small, and the destination is not the only story. For English professor W. Scott Olsen, traveling is all about the journey itself and the contrasts found as a result.
"My philosophy as a travel writer and photographer is that a conversation with a 3-year-old in a park is just as valuable as a conversation with a prime minister," Olsen said.
And Olsen has had plenty of these conversations. For more than 30 years, Olsen has led students on journeys around the world — helping them become informed global citizens.
"Someone said, 'Hey, you know you can go travel and take a bunch of students with?' There was no way I was ever going to pass that up," Olsen said.
His journey started in 1992. On that first trip, he shadowed business professor Dr. David Moewes as Moewes led students through New Zealand and Australia. After learning the ropes of leading student travel, Olsen started leading trips of his own.
Traveling with students allowed Olsen to see many places, and it allowed his students to experience things they never would have otherwise. Olsen recounts the "around the world" May Seminar he led with the late Dr. Jonathan Steinwand. They literally traveled around the world — the trip took them to New Zealand, Australia, Hong Kong, India, Cairo, London, and then home.
"It was so much fun," Olsen said. "Even today, 12 years after the fact, students still say it was a definitive life-changing experience. It provided depth and contrast. I mean, how do you go from a tea shop where kings and queens have high tea and the very next day be standing in a tremendously impoverished part of India. How do these things exist on the same planet?"
Themes of comparison flow through how Olsen talks about his travels with students. He used his latest trip to Paris and London as another example.
"How are these cities the same? How are they different? Why are they the same and different? How are the attitudes, cultures, histories, different?" he said. "We learn a great deal of our entire lives through comparison and contrast. I know sweet because I know sour."
Bri Lee '16 traveled with Olsen as part of his "Adventure, Exploration, and Risk" Inquiry Seminar. As a freshman, Lee had not traveled abroad before. They spent the weeklong trip hiking the West Highland Way — a 100-mile trek that goes through the Scottish Highlands. They hiked 10-15 miles a day, and Lee has nothing but fond memories of the trip. It was the catalyst that inspired her to spend five years living in Ireland after graduation.
"Not many first-year students kick things off with a weeklong hike through Scotland, but stepping that far out of my comfort zone early on helped me adjust quickly and connect with others," she said. "It was definitely the catalyst for my interest and love of international travel. It was an early lesson in resilience, and it's something I've carried with me ever since."
Olsen aims to provide ample opportunities for students to get out of their comfort zones.
"My goal, educationally, is to provide a whole smorgasbord of opportunities," he said. "You may pass by something on the buffet, but what is available should be huge. I've always wanted to put people in situations where everything is fluid — everything is just always in the moment of unfolding."
Just like Lee's experience, Olsen has gotten to witness plenty of "unfolding" moments with students. "To have the honor of seeing their lives explode that way is just fantastic," he said.
In 2016, Tabitha (Durbin) Feeney '17 went to Paris and London with Olsen. "It taught me to travel — really travel!" she said. "I think this was one of the first international travel experiences without my family, which can be scary. I learned how to trust my instincts, immerse myself in local culture, and be OK with being uncomfortable."
As he enters phased retirement, Olsen completed his 19th trip with students during spring break 2025. With him was English instructor Erin Hemme Froslie, who came along on the trip just as Olsen shadowed Moewes all those years ago.
"For Scott, the journey is always the point of travel," she said. "There is no such thing as a bad day or a mishap. Missed train? The museum staff is on strike? It's all part of the adventure. It's all part of the story. Scott travels with a constant sense of discovery, which means every moment has value and interest. And that joy is contagious."
Not to worry, though. Olsen isn't done yet. He's still filling out grant applications for trips and planning adventures with his pen and camera.
"Time to just say, 'let's see what's out there!'" he said. "Do you know the old Mark Twain quote about 'travel is fatal to prejudice'? I make all the students read that. That is why we're going. We're traveling for this reason, right?"
Learn more about how Concordia students explore the world through domestic and international travel opportunities.