"Travel opens emotional doors, provides perspective, and is a better value than therapy." ~SK

Presentations & Workshops

As an experienced university instructor and therapist, Susan Kraus is aware that process is just as important as content. She designs her workshops and presentations for adults, and balances facts with a narrative element that helps make the facts more real and memorable. Her style is engaging and interactive, using humor and anecdotes to make the learning process fun.

 
Each of the following workshops/presentations can be scheduled for between 1-3 hours. The amount of content can expand to fit the allotted time. They can also be presented in a single block or over 2-3 days in hour-long increments.
 
If you are interested in booking a presentation or workshop, email Susan with the dates and requirements of your event.


Chiloe: An Island Apart
From the palafitos (houses on stilts) and curantos a seafood and sausage dish cooked over hot rocks) to the 160 small, wooden 17th and 18th century churches (some of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites), Chiloe is an island with a unique history and culture. Part of an almost intimate archipelago, there are small islands here with no roads, access only by boat, and lifestyles determined by the seas and tides. Historical overview and introduction to a unique culture.

 

Don’t TAKE Your Vacation…Make it What You Want
We each have unique needs and desires for what we want a vacation to do for us. But too often these needs are unspoken if not invisible, as well as being unrealistic. So we return home unsatisfied, wishing we could have done things differently. This presentation is designed to help participants identify what they most want from a vacation, and how to balance their own desires with those of family or a partner. By deconstructing vacation elements and focusing on smaller, incremental time frames (hours vs. days or weeks) participates will be able to approach their vacation with a plan to ensure they “get the most” from their vacation experience. (Available with cruise focus; ideal for 1st day at sea.)

 

Travel Writing 101
A primer for the average traveler on how to observe, organize, and present one’s own travel experiences in written form for an audience, whether that be a home town newspaper, blog, or letter to extended family and friends. Handout of “Ten Tips for Travel Writing” so participants have some guidelines to take home. (Can be adapted for cruises, from one session to three.)
Family Reunions
Planning is the critical component for successful family reunions. Family therapist, mediator, and travel writer Susan Kraus will explore what factors are essential to consider, when and how to be flexible, as well as the perils and pitfalls of reunions. Humorous and engaging for any audience. (Cruise focus option available.)
Making the most of your Time in Santiago and Valparaiso
Two one-hour (or 30 minutes each) presentations on what not to miss when you only have a half day to full day to tour Santiago or Valparaiso. Designed to guide participants towards their personal interests and exploring them with a theme in mind rather than trying to do it all.

 

Isabel Allende
A 30-60 minute presentation on one of Chile’s most recognized contemporary writers, of the niece of former Chilean president Salvador Allende. Isabel Allende writes of the spirit of Chilean people and in some books presents an intimate (albeit quasi-fictional) look at historical figures.
A Haole's Guide to Hawaiian Culture
A parallel presentation to Hawaiian History, this focuses on the rituals, foods, origins of luau and hula, spirituality, and more. Informal and engaging style.
Chilean History: A One-Hour Summary for the Historically Challenged
Appreciation for a destination is enhanced when we understand context, but these days we are all overworked and out of time. Just getting ready for a vacation can be exhausting, let alone reading a dense book on where we are headed. This presentation will provide participants with an overview of Chilean history. Specific focus on how geography impacts cultural and political development when a country is functionally an island with extremes and climate yet connected for thousands of miles to a continent. With cave drawings from 11,000 years ago, through the nomadic Mapuche tribal peoples, European explores and settlers, this overview will move quickly through history to the present.

 

The Three Houses of Pablo Neruda
Neruda was a diplomat, political exile, statesman, poet, and the most notable and beloved Chilean literary figure. His three houses, all filled with his collections from many years abroad, are La Chascona in Santiago, La Sebastiana in Valparaiso, and Isla Negra near El Tabo. This presentation will explore his three Chilean homes and what they have come to represent, int he context of an intense, extraordinary life. These homes, each with a unique style and each representing a different period in his life, are architectural clues to understanding the poet and the man. Poetry, of course, will be included.
Caribbean History: A One-Hour Summary for the Historically Challenged
While there are commonalities for the myriad of islands we now call the Caribbean, each island has a unique narrative and history. The indigenous people, and the European explorers that conquered and exploited them, have their own narratives. It is impossible to do justice to the islands as a whole, but it is quite possible to share an overview of the history, peoples, and culture of each island in a brief format, island by island. This presentation can compare and contrast islands (one hour talks) based on the itinerary of a cruise like (i.e. compare and contrast Barbados to Guadalupe or Martinique) or present 30-minute historical and cultural summaries on individual islands (24 in total).

 

Larger Than Life: Notable Historical Figures of the Caribbean
Every island has their heroes, but most are unknown outside the island, overlooked by history. This brief workshop looks at a few of the notable yet invisible historical figures of the islands.

 

Alaskan History: A One Hour Summary for the Historically Challenged
Appreciation for a destination is enhanced when we understand context, but these days we are all overworked and out of time. Just getting ready for a vacation can be exhausting, let alone reading a dense book on where we are headed. This presentation will provide participants with an overview of Alaskan history to enhance their tourist experience.
Women in the Sun: The Life Experience of Women in the Caribbean
The life experiences of women are often neglected in the big picture of history where white European men get the most attention. Making use of the works of Caribbean women writers, this brief workshop uses quotes and narratives to share the story of what life was like for women on different Caribbean islands.

 

Hawaiian History: A One Hour Summary for the Historically Challenged
Appreciation for a destination is enhanced when we understand context, but these days we are all overworked and out of time. Just getting ready for a vacation can be exhausting, let alone reading a dense book on where we are headed. This presentation will challenge assumptions about Hawaiian history and provide participants with an overview that will enhance their tourist experience.

 

Totem Poles and Other Cultural Symbols: A Primer for Outsiders
A quick overview of Totem Poles: what they mean, how they function in tribal culture, how certain artists and carvers keep traditions alive, and how they have been misunderstood as religious wen they are more about ancestry, power, and wealth. We will also cover some Tribal 101 basics on predominant tribes who lived for centuries on the lands we now call Alaska.