The college campus stirred in the early morning hours as we assembled for the day’s lessons. The routine of lectures, course assignments, and tests had become predictable. Even the route—from the parking lot, between the buildings, and down the hall to a room with carefully-placed rows of desks—was habitual and mundane. Until the day that […]
My friends and family always say to me, “You’re living the dream.” Do they realize I work? Yes, of course they do… But to their eyes, I’m running around the world… always up to interesting things in interesting places. Quite frequently, as a travel writer, it’s all pampers and perks one day, then finding yourself […]
In 2015, I thought perhaps I’d hit rock bottom. I was a stringer for a weekly community newspaper for more than six years, with more than 850 published feature stories and four Keystone Press Awards to my credit. When the number of stories I covered on a weekly basis had diminished from an average of […]
I was a struggling-to-make-ends-meet newspaper reporter when I received my first paid travel assignment. It wasn’t big or glamorous, but I felt like I’d won the lottery. I was asked by a magazine to visit a Vermont ski resort to take a mountain-biking lesson. Being an avid cyclist at the time, I couldn’t believe what […]
As a travel writer, I’ve enjoyed a myriad of perks. But my favorite benefit is the free trips. The perks don’t come overnight, and they take time to cultivate. But if you have a plan and work your plan, attending travel trade shows can yield a goldmine of hosted travel. I attended my first regional […]
This year, for the third summer in a row, I’ll be crossing the pond to visit Italy and southern Europe for three weeks. The first time I did this (before I was a travel writer), I paid for all of our lodging, meals, transportation, and attractions… in return for a nice, basic… and expensive… vacation. […]
We were heading back on a catamaran to the Southern California mainland when my hubby, who’s often my photographer, turned to me and said, “This was one of those million-dollar weekends.” We’d just spent three glorious days on Santa Catalina Island—a remote paradise reminiscent of the Mediterranean. As guests of the tourism board, we were […]
I’m a “reformed accountant turned travel writer.” As I travel the world, I write about my passions—boating, food and wine, history, and culture. (I don’t have a journalism degree, by the way. I didn’t need one to find success in this field.) In fact, travel writing is just one thing I do. Today, I’m also […]
“I had nothing to lose, so I answered the call and landed a fulltime writing gig!”—Jessica Pickett Host Jody Mayberry and Director, Lori Allen, introduce us to Jessica Pickett. When Jessica came to our Ultimate Travel Writer’s Workshop in 2014, she didn’t see herself having much in common with other attendees because she was working […]
When I agreed to become a regular contributor for a local regional blog, as well as the blog for my Convention and Visitors Bureau, I had no idea how much these travel blogging assignments would hone and cultivate my writing skills. Looking back, it’s probably one of the most influential assignments I’ve ever accepted as […]
