I believe that life is a patchwork of experiences. I am a retired PhD chemist with a lifelong passion for travel, photography, and quilting. I love learning about and sharing the unique cultural and scenic aspects of the places I visit.
I am always on the lookout for unique experiences and like to focus my traveling lens on history, art, architecture, nature, and soft adventures with a touch of luxury. I also love the challenge of taking beautiful photos that capture the essence of the location I am visiting. And I like to make quilts inspired by my travels.
I focus on creating quality content for my blog that is also SEO-optimized to ensure continued visibility. To date, I have received 18 NATJA awards for both writing and photography in the 4 years since I joined NATJA.
1. What got you into travel writing?
I like to say that I write because I travel. Travel writing has become my second act after a successful career as a chemist. I love to travel and take photos, and I like inspiring others with my content.
2. What’s the most challenging part of being a travel journalist for you?
For me, the most challenging part of travel writing is having enough time to write about all my trips. I have been on the road a lot these last few years, and there aren’t enough hours in the day to put all my experiences to pen and paper.
3. What is one thing [equipment or personal item] you can’t go without on the road?
I am still old school and always take my DSLR with me on all my journeys. Taking photos of my travel experiences helps to frame and imprint them in my mind.
4. What’s your most unusual and/or memorable travel experience?
Nothing beats experiencing East Africa’s native wildlife in person. Seeing a real tusker elephant with ivory tusks almost as long as his body or watching a lioness and her young cubs as they frolic and play are memories that I cherish.
5. How did you learn about NATJA and why did you join?
When I first started travel writing, I searched the internet for travel writing associations. I joined because I wanted to learn more about the industry and NATJA seemed like the organization that could help me with that.
6. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a rookie travel journalist?
My best advice is to connect with those who have been travel writers for a long time and learn from them.
