Where are you based? 

I currently live in New York. 

What topics and places do you cover? 

I mostly cover travel trends and "thoughtful travel" (travel for good.) I'm also really passionate about history and culture within travel, particularly stories based in marginalized communities. More broadly BBC Travel covers stories that help readers "fall in love with the world," including verticals like World's Table, slow travel, green getaways, and more. 

What you don't write about:

There's nothing travel-related that I specifically don't write about, but it has to fit within BBC parameters. So for example, we wouldn't do a general cruise piece, but we might write about a cruise that's doing something unique or sustainable. Any piece that tells a compelling story that showcases something unique and interesting about the world could fall into our purview depending on the angle. 

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

I'm currently on staff at BBC Travel so that's the only outlet I write for at the moment, although I do have my newsletter that focuses on destinations with hidden history, usually from marginalized or little-known communities.

The best PR pitches include ... 

The best PR pitches are ones that are crafted specifically for me or BBC Travel in general. I don't mind being included in a mass email, but some effort to make sure that the topic is something that we could use would be helpful. Also, as a staff writer, it would be super helpful if PR companies just sent me a list of who they rep once a year.

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

In-House

What is your approach to press trips? 

Unfortunately, the BBC doesn't allow press trips, even for on-staff folks. 😢 If I need to be on-site to cover a story usually BBC will cover it. 

What are your professional pet peeves? 

One thing that bugs me enough that I've talked about teaching a class on it is when PR professionals don't know the difference between a journalist, an editor, and an influencer. We all do very different jobs and have different needs and different outputs. 

In your past professional life, you were … 

I've always been a writer in some fashion. In the past, I've worked as a writing/journalism professor and in nonprofit communications. I still occasionally consult for nonprofits on content and editorial projects. 

Where would you like to return to? 

The two places I seem to keep returning to are New Orleans and Dublin, which are my two favorite cities in the world at the moment. There's a similarly creative and friendly vibe in both places that resonates with me.

What's on your bucket list? 

The Amazon. I have always wanted to go and am working to get there sometime this year or next at the latest. 

Where do you travel for fun? 

Anywhere I haven't been yet!

What advice would you give your younger professional self? 

I kinda wish I had written a blog when I was younger. The market is a bit saturated now, but I feel like there are a ton of stories from my past travels that are too old for a current story, but that would have been super fun to write about and read. 

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

I'm super interested in working on more multimedia travel projects so please reach out to me if you have any ideas, pitches, or proposals that might work for this!

How best should people contact you? 

Find me at my TravMedia profile here.