Where are you based?

I am a born-and-bred New Yorker from the Upper West Side. I've been lucky enough to have lived in Italy, Australia, and Los Angeles.

What topics and places do you cover?

My beats are family, culinary, luxury, and sustainable travel.

I cover Western European destinations, particularly Italy. I've lived in both Rome and Tuscany, speak fluent Italian, and consider Italy my second home.

New England and the Northeast, the Caribbean, and California are destinations I cover frequently.

What outlets do you usually pitch (and write for)?

Family Vacationist, USA Today 10 Best, USA Today, Shermans Travel, and Business Insider are my main current outlets.

 I've also written for CNN, Travel Channel, USA Today Go Escape, and numerous other print and online publications.

Are you in-house or freelance (or both)?

I'm a freelancer.

What are your professional pet peeves?

Getting press trip itineraries at the very last minute gives me too little time to do advance research.

In your past professional life, you were …                                                        

I've had three careers. I was a casting director for feature films in Hollywood and Rome. After that, I pivoted and did graduate work in education and taught pre-school. Working with actors and little kids has more in common than you might think!

Where would you like to return to?

I'd love to return to Portugal and any of the Hawaiian Islands.

What's on your bucket list?

India, Antarctica, Tahiti, and the Faroe Islands.

Where do you travel for fun?

I love water so a Caribbean beach or swimming in a Swiss Alpine lake is where you'll find me. I'm a culture vulture who enjoys visiting art museums, going to the ballet, and watching live theatre, so cities like London, Paris, and Dublin are favorites.

Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is …

I was once on a trip where another writer got arrested! Don't ask!

What advice would you give your younger professional self?

Don't let rejection get you down, it's part of the game.

What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on?

I've been traveling all of my life; I feel so lucky to be doing what I love for a living. Being a travel writer is the best gig out there.

How best should people contact you?

Find my email address on my TravMedia profile here.