Alison Quaggin Harkin received her MA in Integrated Studies in February 2010, with a specialization in cultural studies and educational studies. She has been the journal editor of the Journal of Integrated Studies since February 2009. Currently she teaches in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at the University of Wyoming in Laramie.

Journeys have been on my mind recently. I’m sure this is at least partly because co-editor Bruce Gillespie and I are almost at the end of our two-year journey with the Journal of Integrated Studies—and what a fascinating trip it’s been, full of twists and turns and learning. From the heady early days of planning the journal with other MAIS volunteers and JIS coordinator Reinekke Lengelle, we moved on to the pleasure of seeing articles and creative work arrive, enjoyed receiving careful and thoughtful evaluations from reviewers and section editors, and worked to edit and proofread submissions with volunteer copyeditors.

During our time with JIS, Bruce and I have also been on our own personal and professional journeys, of course: we completed our MAIS studies, graduated from the program, and began exciting new careers in university teaching. I believe Bruce would agree that our experiences in integrated studies and with the journal have enhanced our current work with our own students, as we encourage them to think and write holistically, reflectively, and critically.

Certainly this kind of holistic, reflective, and critical thinking—along with the theme of journeying—is evident in the articles, poem, and short story appearing in this second issue of JIS. The editorial lineup includes Heather von Stackelberg’s story about a young woman’s attempts to discover herself and the connections between her own and her grandmother’s lives, Colin Scheyen’s fascinating look at the historical and cultural changes in jazz music from its early days to the present, and Laura Oldford’s reflection on how fairytales can help those in narrative therapy explore their lives and feelings.

Similarly, three articles involve an exploration of colonialism and its continuing influence on language. Tammy Stenner examines historical and contemporary changes and challenges affecting language in Peru, while Emily Weiskopf-Ball analyzes playwrights’ depictions of colonized people’s reactions to imperialistic language and culture. Linda Rappel makes a strong case for intercultural awareness and cultural diversity to prevent such linguistic imperialism in English language teaching. Thus the three authors’ discussions contain many points of intersection and complementarity, and, ultimately, demonstrate the importance of integrating multiple arguments and approaches.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention this issue’s delightful artwork, which demonstrates the importance of creativity, whimsy, and beauty in our lives, or Syke Stein’s poem about the need to remain open to mysterious and unquantifiable aspects of academic thought. After all, what would any journey be without surprises along the way, without a daring willingness to imagine ourselves into new places and situations? I suspect those of us who embark on the MAIS journey, and all who sign on as volunteers for the Journal of Integrated Studies, welcome such surprises as we travel with others who share our spirit of adventure.

Thank you for allowing me to travel beside you for a while, MAIS and JIS friends. I hope you enjoy your journey through this issue of JIS. As a Westerner, I’ll close by wishing you happy trails, now and always.