Where are you based? 

I am based in New York City.  

What topics and places do you cover?

As an editor at Fodor's, much of my work focuses on our annual Fodor's Finest Hotel Awards, a multi-month endeavor that celebrates the world's most beautiful and outstanding hotels. In addition, I work closely with the team on our annual GO List, which pulls together a list of destinations on our radar for the upcoming year. In my day-to-day work, I focus primarily on editing and producing a myriad of stories for the digital site. When it comes to writing my own stories, I am not tied to any one place or topic but will instead let where I travel dictate the story angle. 

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

I primarily write for Fodor's Travel. 

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

I am the Senior Digital Editor for Fodor's Travel and primarily focus on editing and writing content for the Fodor's Travel website. 

What is your approach to press trips? 

I'm a firm believer that press trips are necessary for our industry. Press trips are crucial for travel writers and editors looking for that next great story. They allow writers and editors to develop important connections with tourism and hospitality contacts, not to mention they help connect writers and editors. I think it's unrealistic (especially with the current state of media) to expect travel writers to pay out-of-pocket to get stories that then sell for less than the cost of a one-way plane ticket. 

What are your professional pet peeves? 

While not a pet peeve, I do highly suggest always reviewing the writer guidelines that editors share. We take great care to ensure those guidelines are up-to-date and super prescriptive to help save writers time and energy when it comes to figuring out what stories to pitch. 

In your past professional life, you were … 

My first professional job out of college was working in digital advertising at HAVAS Media, where I spent four years, followed by a brief stint working in public relations at Ketchum. While my goal was always to transition to editorial, I've come to appreciate my time in both advertising and public relations, as it helped me value the importance of both industries in supporting editorial. 

Where would you like to return to? 

I am originally from Bogota, Colombia, and have such love for my home country. Unfortunately, I have not been back to Colombia since right before the COVID-19 pandemic, so I am itching to return as soon as possible. 

What's on your bucket list? 

It's my dad's dream to go on a father-daughter trip to Patagonia, which I'd love to make happen for him one day. 

Where do you travel for fun? 

I would say everywhere I travel tends to be both for business and pleasure in some capacity, but if I'm looking for an easy getaway, my husband and I love to head to upstate New York with our dog, Chico, and spend the weekend exploring farmers' markets, visiting small towns, and hiking. 

Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is … 

I recently had my most harrowing travel experience when I was thrown from a galloping horse while horseback riding in the Atacama Desert. Thankfully, I walked away with little more than some bruises and scratches, but the emotional shock that followed the fall really shook me. So naturally, I turned it into a story. 

What advice would you give your younger professional self? 

Do your best to make connections offline. Attend networking events, go to conferences, utilize your school's alumni network, ask professionals you admire to coffee, and don't be afraid to approach people and introduce yourself. Those offline, human connections are becoming increasingly important in our hyper-online world and can really make a difference when you're trying to get your foot in the door. To that point, I've created a seasonal event series here in NYC called The Femme Circle, which invites creative women and their allies to gather for an evening of a candid panel focused on a particular industry. 

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

In addition to my work as an editor and travel writer, I'm also a two-time published author. My first book, Wanderess, was published by Penguin Random House, and my last book, Call You When I Land, was a travel memoir published by HarperCollins. I am always happy to offer advice to aspiring authors on how to navigate the publishing space. 

How best should people contact you? 

If you're interested in connecting, see my TravMedia profile here. If you're hoping to pitch Fodor's a story, please do so by submitting it to this form.