Where are you based?
Stephentown, NY, a tiny town in the upper Hudson Valley, along the Berkshire border.
What topics and places do you cover?
I'm a generalist and will follow an interesting lead wherever it takes me. That said, most of my work tends to fall into the following areas: conservation and preservation, coastal experiences, wildlife experiences, soft outdoor adventure, food and drink, "hidden history," and human culture. I sometimes write travel-adjacent science stories, which allows me to showcase brilliant people doing innovative things in a destination, even if it's not about the destination itself. I also like stories that aren't luxury for the sake of luxury, but because a destination, or a place within a destination, offers access to something you wouldn't be able to experience otherwise.
What outlets do you usually pitch (and write for)?
I write for whoever appreciates a unique idea and pays a decent wage. :) Some of my favorites to work with are National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, BBC, Smithsonian, AARP, and Fodor's, but I've written for a wide variety of national and international publications.
Are you in-house or freelance (or both)?
I come from an editorial background, but I'm currently freelance.
What is your approach to press trips?
Some of my favorite stories, including a pair of ASJA award winners, have come out of press trips, and sponsorship is essential for an industry where pay rates have plummeted over the past decade. I prefer individual trips, which help me dig into angles I find the most fascinating. In turn, I'm able to create pitches that cut through the noise and catch editors' attention.
What are your professional pet peeves?
Emails “inviting” me to interview or feature someone in a story, or inviting me on a trip “in exchange for coverage.” The latter is considered pay-for-play, which is a violation of journalism's code of ethics. Even a pre-trip assignment isn't ironclad, so if the client insists on confirmed coverage, the only option is to purchase sponsored content. I also prefer that all details be disclosed up-front, such as if the destination requires me to cover my airfare and then will reimburse me, or has a written agreement that it asks writers to sign.
And I'll just put it out there that news pegs are a pain. Sometimes a destination is worth writing about because it's cool, interesting, or under the radar, regardless of whether or not it was a filming location for a new movie.
In your past professional life, you were …
So. Many. Things. Book and magazine editor. Corporate communications and marketing director. Copywriter. Managing editor of digital and social media. Conference speaker and workshop leader. Hatha yoga instructor. I still do the latter!
Where would you like to return to?
Spain, of course, because I'm married to a Spaniard and we've been visiting several times a year for over a decade. There is so much to see, experience, and eat!
Australia, which is enormous, and I feel like I only see a tiny sliver on each visit. Ecuador, because I got to experience Quito and the Galapagos on my last trip—no shame there—and I'd love to see other parts of the country. Hawai'i, because it's one of the most stunning places on earth and has everything a water lover could hope for. And Chile, which is perhaps my favorite travel memory, from when I first started in this crazy business of travel writing.
What's on your bucket list?
Pretty much everywhere I haven't been. Tops on my list are New Zealand, Japan, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Egypt, Cambodia, Indonesia, and the Maldives.
Where do you travel for fun?
Most of my “fun” trips turn into work because I can never quite shut off the writer part of my brain. I do a fair amount of day and weekend exploration around upstate New York, especially the Hudson Valley, and New England, which is where I'm originally from. If I were left to my own devices, I'd probably pick someplace with a beautiful coastline where I can kayak, go snorkeling, hike to a waterfall, or take a wildlife walk, and then settle down at night with a great meal and a killer cider. And I'm always looking for places where I can take my pickleball paddle and learn some new skills.
Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is …
One of my most vivid travel memories is from a trip to Kauai about thirteen years ago. I went hiking along the spectacular Na Pali Coast, on the trail to Hanakāpīʻai Falls—eight miles out and back, and notoriously challenging.
Not too far into the trail was a guava forest, where the air was filled with the fragrance of overripe fruit and my boots squelched over fallen flesh—so much so that the treads of my boots got caked with it. Although I had brought aqua shoes for the subsequent stream crossing, I didn't want to hold up the hikers behind me on the narrow path while I changed shoes, so I stepped out onto the rocks in guava-slicked boots. It will surprise no one to hear that I promptly slid off. I remained standing, which perhaps salvaged a bit of my dignity, but my boots filled with water. There is nothing worse than hiking in saturated footgear, so I had to wear aqua shoes for the rest of the trek.
Were my feet two oversized blisters after eight miles of walking in neoprene slippers? Yep. Was it worth it to feel the power of the 300-foot falls crashing into a pool the color of chrysoprase? You betcha.
What advice would you give your younger professional self?
Patience and persistence count more than raw talent. Respect others and play nice in the sandbox, but also respect yourself, and don't be afraid to ask for what you need to do your job to the best of your ability.
What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on?
The publishing industry has been in tremendous flux for the past decade, and it accelerated during the pandemic. We all need to be a little more understanding of what journalists, editors, and PRs are grappling with as the industry tries to figure out its version 2.0.
How best should people contact you?
You can find me on TravMedia.
