Craig is a freelance travel and outdoor writer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been traveling and outdoor adventuring for most of my life. His father was an airline pilot, and Craig had the chance to travel the world from a very young age. He is particularly fond of writing about travels that include some challenging outdoor-related activity. For example, this spring Craig will backpack across Scotland. He took up writing later in life, after serving in the Army, working as a software engineer, and coaching high school track and cross-country.
What got you into travel journalism?
I sort of fell into it. I began writing seriously a few years ago, after a couple of other careers, and the first articles I wrote were about my own trips, such as a 24-hour mountain bike race. Then, I heard about the Book Passage Travel writer’s Conference, I went to that (I wanted to meet Tim Cahill), and the rest is history.
What’s the most challenging part of being a travel journalist?
For me, and keep in mind I’m pretty early in my career, making sense of this giant morass of travel publications. Figuring out whether or not they take submissions, and if so, do they pay, matching story ideas with the right outlet, and finally, where’s the contact information for the right editor. It’s easy to lose a whole day on not-particularly-fun research.
What is the most rewarding aspect of travel journalism?
There’s a lot of satisfaction in the whole chain of things that go into an article (aside from my previous answer): travel, writing, publishing, and payment. But the coolest thing is when someone tells me that my article got them excited about a destination.
What is something you wish people knew about travel journalism?
I think 90% of the previous Journalists of the Month said the same thing. When you’re out there traveling for an article, it’s no vacation. Up early, and constantly doing something the whole day long (though, admittedly, sometimes that’s sitting in a really nice restaurant eating like kings), all the while trying to take notes and keep track of all the information and experiences.
How have your cross-cultural experiences shaped your point of view of the world?
The more you travel, the more you understand that people are people, and there are good ‘uns and bad ‘uns everywhere. And while they may have a totally different lifestyle than you, the first rule still applies.
What have you enjoyed most about being a NATJA member?
Easily, it’s the people. I went to my first NATJA conference last year in Palm Springs and came away with more friends and contacts than all the rest of the year’s activities combined.
