In ancient times, the mythical nine muses ruled over the arts and sciences, providing inspiration in poetry, history, music, comedy, tragedy, dance, and astronomy…Virtual Muse is the creation of Will Bradford, a blog for musings on travel, design and entertainment.
My name is Will Bradford and I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity about foreign cultures and an adventurous spirit. This made me anxious from a young age to break away from my hometown of Detroit. The opportunity for me to do that came when I joined the United States Army. First I traveled across the US… and then I was stationed in Kosovo, what would be my first taste of life outside the states. Experiencing the intoxicating foreign sights, sounds and food made me feel more alive than I ever felt before. I met friendly, engaging people and thirsted for more travel, culture and exhilarating sights.
New York City attracted me like a magnet with it’s reputation for rich culture and colorful diversity. As soon as I finished my tour of duty, I packed up my bags and headed to to study Sociology. I made the most out of time between semesters by jumping on every flight I could afford. Each trip to another country made my passion for travel even stronger. I danced in the streets of Rio De Janeiro for Carnival, spent a summer working in Uganda as a literacy volunteer, and even bungee jumped over the Nile. A month in Greece gave me sunsets over the volcano of Santorini, walks among the ancient ruins of Crete and parties that lasted until the sunrise in Mykonos. Life in the Mediterranean was like experiencing another world that I could never have imagined, and soon I embarked on a train trip through Italy where I gazed at the wonders of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, walked the medieval streets of Palermo and made new friends in Venice. A trip to Spain revealed the wonders of the Alhambra and the whimsy of Gaudi, the passion of Flamenco and the pleasure of eating tapas in Madrid.
Returning to Africa, I saw Lucy’s bones in Ethiopia, wildebeest in Kenya and camped under the big African sky. My travels have given me a new connection to humanity’s past and it’s present; the cultures I’ve explored taught me more than anything I could get from a textbook. I’ve realized that sharing travel experiences and inspiring others to have similar adventures is my greatest joy, so I’m currently building my own travel website and blog. I plan on telling my stories online through writing, photography, video and audio webcasts as I continue my exploration of fascinating cultures and places.
