Writing

Here is my most recent work, organized first by awards, then by a sampling of genres, and then by general destination. Although there are many other ways to organize a writing life, this is the best way I can think to showcase my work. Digital work is linked whenever possible, and for print publications, I have attempted to link them as pdfs through this site.

Please click around and see what I’ve been up to–and where I’ve been!–lately. Please don’t hesitate to send me an email if you have any follow up questions or just want to chat about a destination.

Travel Writing & Journalism Awards

My travel writing has won awards from the North American Travel Journalist’s Association (NATJA), Travelers’ Tales Press, and the Dzanc Books International Literary Program (ILP).

Gold Awards

Gold, On the Verge of Flight, Travel & Transformation, Travelers’ Tales SOLAS Awards, 2017
Gold, The Alternate World of Soviet Arcade Games, Special Focus—Internet: Historical Travel, NATJA, 2015

Silver Awards

Silver, Keeping Hungary’s Paprika Tradition Alive, Personality Profiles, Online, NATJA, 2017
Silver, The Second-Best Hummus House in Tel Aviv, Special Focus, Online: Culinary Travel, NATJA, 2016
Silver, Mr. Cini and the Salt Flats of Gozo, Special Focus, Internet: Culinary Travel, NATJA, 2015
Silver, Adventurous Romance in Costa Rica,” Special Focus, Internet: Sports & Recreation, NATJA, 2014
Silver, Legend of the Betelnut Princess, Food & Travel, Travelers’ Tales SOLAS Awards, 2013

Bronze Awards

Bronze, Josef and the Jaffa Flea Market, Special Focus, Online: Personality Profiles, NATJA, 2016
Bronze, Becoming Mahout, Special Focus, Internet: Personality Profiles. NATJA, 2013

Special Mentions

Finalist, Cruising the Volga with Love, Special Focus, Online: Intergenerational/Family Travel, NATJA, 2016
Finalist, Following the Turtle, Special Focus, Internet: Resorts, NATJA, 2014
Finalist, Tipping Culture: A Quick Guide to Global Tipping Customs, Travel Tips & Advice, NATJA, 2014
Finalist, Dzanc Books International Literary Program (ILP) Literature Award, 2011

Work Appears In:

Publication Spotlight

Perspectives, the column I started for EVA Air’s in-flight magazine in 2014, is illustrated by Taiwanese illustrator I Ying Yeh and is a light-hearted look at popular travel topics. The magazine has a monthly print run of 800,000 and is distributed on all EVA Air / UNI Air international flights, Evergreen International Hotels and Evergreen buses. The magazine was on hiatus for two years due to COVID-19, but recently began production again in March 2022.

Columns I’ve written include:

• At the Sunday Market, March 2022
• Stargazing in the Desert, March 2020
• Night at the Airport, Nov. 2019
• History Lessons, July 2019
• Around the World in Coffee, June 2019
• Exercising on the Road, Mar. 2019
• For the Love of Ice-Skating, Jan. 2019
• Corn Mazes & Pumpkin Patches, Oct. 2018
• Bathhouse Blues, Sept. 2018
• Unusual Ways to Beat the Heat, Aug. 2018
• At the Farmer’s Market, July 2018
• Memories of a County Fair, June 2o18
• Road Trips, May 2018
• The Art of Olive Oil, March 2018
• Hotel Hacks, Jan. 2018
• Tea Time, Dec. 2017
• Wine Adventures, Nov. 2017
• Doing Good Deeds, Oct. 2017
• When It Rains, Sept. 2017
• Beach Wear, Aug. 2017
• Summer Music Festivals, June 2017
• Flying with Cats, May 2017
• Love Letters, Feb. 2017
• Christmas in Bangkok, Dec. 2016
• Why We Carve Pumpkins, Oct. 2016
• Cooking Lessons, Sept. 2016
• The Art of Photographing People, June 2016
• Souvenir Stories, May 2016
• The Lowdown on River Cruising, Mar. 2016
• New Year’s Resolutions: Tips for Making Travel a Part of Your 2016, Jan. 2016
• How to Survive an Ice Festival, Dec. 2015
• Holidays with Weird Food: It’s Not Just Jell-O Salad, Nov. 2015
• Global Greetings, October 2015
• Making the Most of the Desert, September 2015
• Pack Like a Pro, August 2015
• Taxi Culture, July 2015
• Lost in Translation, June 2015
• Dining Etiquette, May 2015
• Getting Over Jetlag, Apr. 2015
• Time to Unplug, Mar. 2015
• The Art of Bargaining, Feb. 2015
• Airports for the Navigationally Challenged, Jan. 2015
• Hotel Headaches, Nov. 2014
• When It’s Not a Photo Op, Oct. 2014
• Tipping Culture, Sept. 2014

A Sampling of Genres

As a freelance writer, I love having the opportunity to write in a variety of genres for different audiences. Here is a sampling of work from across genres–from food writing to trade publications and hotel reviews. All of these stories can be found below under the proper destination, too.

Food Writing

• There’s No Better Way to Drink Than Like a Transylvanian Saxon, Roads & Kingdoms
• The Second-Best Hummus House in Tel Aviv, Paste Magazine
• The Hip New Hungarian Street Food is Sausage in a Bread Cone, Paste Magazine
• The Ta’ Qali Farmer’s Market, Perceptive Travel

Hotel Reviews

• Following the Turtle: Hotel Poco a Poco, Monteverde, Hotel Scoop
• Cats and Fairytales: The Cheshire Cat Inn, Santa Barbara, Hotel Scoop
• Inspired Love at Talus Rock Retreat in Sandpoint, Idaho, Hotel Scoop

In-Flight Magazine Features

• 48 Hours in Kuala Lumpur, En Voyage Magazine
• Xiao Liuqiu, Taiwan’s Coral Island, En Voyage Magazine

Investigative Journalism

• The Alternate Universe of Soviet Arcade Games, Atlas Obscura
• Rasputin was Poisoned, Shot, Beaten, and Drowned. But Did His Penis Survive? Atlas Obscura
• Of Shipwrecks and Wrist Bones: The Story of St. Paul’s Remains, Atlas Obscura
• The Legend of the Betelnut Princess, Your Life is a Trip

Personality Profiles

• Keeping Hungary’s Paprika Tradition Alive, Paste Magazine
• From Roots to Soup, TravelWorld International
• Mr. Cini and the Salt Flats of Gozo, Perceptive Travel
• Becoming Mahout: Caring for Elephants at the Maetaeng Elephant Park in Chiang Mai, Perceptive Travel

Research/Scholarship (travel-related)

• She’s Everywhere, All the Time: How the #Dispatch Interviews Created a Sisterhood of Feminist Travel Bloggers, Feminist Connections
• From Street Food to Digital Kitchens: Toward a Feminist Rhetoric of Culinary Tourism (Or, How Not to Devour Paris and Eat Your Way through Asia), Food, Feminisms, & Rhetorics

Trade Publications

• Adventurous Romance in Costa Rica, TravelWorld International Magazine
• Cruising the Volga with Love, TravelWorld International
• Take Five: Tel Aviv’s Artsy Bars, Paste Magazine
• The Best of Borneo on a Budget, Sherman’s Travel

Travel Memoir

• On the Dark Shores of the Delta, Witness Magazine
• When in Jerusalem, The Smart Set
• Down the Bitterroot Mountains, DirtRag Magazine
• On the Verge of Flight, Panorama: Journal of Intelligent Travel
• Walking Budapest, Panorama: Journal of Intelligent Travel
• 25 Very Short Short Stories: Traveling Solo, Your Life is a Trip

Travel Tips & Advice

• The Top 5 Most Unromantic Date Ideas in the World, Perceptive Travel
• 5 Apps to Help You Meet People While Traveling, Sherman’s Travel
• Working With Tourism Bureaus: Tips and Strategies, Travel Writing 2.0
• FAM Trips: Making Sense of Your Notes, Travel Writing 2.0
• FAM Trips: Tips and Tricks While On the Road, Travel Writing 2.0
• Researching for FAM Trips: Getting to Know a Country You’ve Never Been to Before You Get There, Travel Writing 2.0
• Notes from a First Time Attendee: What I Learned at NATJA, Travel Writing 2.0
• I Know I’m Out There Somewhere: How to Decide Where to Study Abroad, Yahoo Voices

Blogging & Media Work by Destination

North America

Bahamas

• My Last Post Before Baby, Perceptive Travel
• How Did the Oldest Bottle of Drinkable Wine End Up in the Bahamas?, Perceptive Travel
• Babymooning in the Bahamas, Perceptive Travel

Canada

• An Atlas in Cloth: Captain Cook’s Rarely-Seen Fabric Book, Atlas Obscura
• On the Water in Winter at the Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver, Hotel Scoop
• Masks of the Chinese Freemasons, Perceptive Travel
• Winter Warrior & West Coast Afternoon Tea, Perceptive Travel

Mexico

• Sunshine and Sea at the Princesa de Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, Hotel Scoop
• Margaritas and a Blue Motel: Spotlight on San Carlos, Mexico, The Vacation Gals

U.S. East Coast

• Why I Fell in Love with the Central Florida Ale Trail, Perceptive Travel
• 5 Tips to Actually Keeping Your Exercise Routine on the Road, Perceptive Travel
• Cruising the Mobile-Tensaw Delta, Perceptive Travel
• Bring on the Beignets, Perceptive Travel
• Garret Rooms and Paintbrushes at the Degas House in New Orleans, Hotel Scoop
• The Living Histories of New Orleans Jazz, Perceptive Travel
• In the Heart of Greenwich Village: A Night at the Washington Square Hotel, Hotel Scoop
• The Most Magnificent Cannoli, Perceptive Travel
• A Winter’s Night at Dahlonega Spa Resort, Hotel Scoop
• Top Winter Lodging Along the North Georgia Unicoi Wine Trail, Hotel Scoop
• The Best of Galveston on a Budget, Sherman’s Travel
• A Night of “Rustic Casual” at the Antelope Lodge in Alpine, Texas, Hotel Scoop
• Taste the Antebellum at the Inn at Ellis Square, Savannah, Hotel Scoop
• ‘Even Better’ at the Coeur d’Alene Resort, Hotel Scoop

U.S. West Coast

• Hello, World! My First Post Since 2020, Perceptive Travel
• 5 Ways to Spend Saturdays with a Baby in Tucson, Perceptive Travel
• The Most Beautiful Hacienda in the Southwest, Perceptive Travel
• 5 Southwest Trips I’ll Never Forget, Perceptive Travel
• Down the Bitterroot Mountains, DirtRag Magazine
• The Grapes Left Behind, Perceptive Travel
• The Octopus Farm, Perceptive Travel
• When the World Began, Perceptive Travel
• Unexpected Nights at the Port of Los Angeles: The DoubleTree San Pedro, Hotel Scoop
• The Worst Ghosts of the Southwest, Atlas Obscura
• Western Days and Ko’Sin Nights at the Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Hotel Scoop
• Just a Few Steps Away at the Arizona Inn, Hotel Scoop
• Cruising Lake Pend Oreille with Bald Eagles and Specialty Cheeses, Perceptive Travel
• Inspired Love at Talus Rock Retreat in Sandpoint, Idaho, Hotel Scoop
• Road-Tripping Arizona: Pueblos, Petroglyphs, and a Petrified Forest, Perceptive Travel
• Art Really is Everywhere in Los Angeles, Perceptive Travel
• Art is Everywhere at SpringHill Suites Marriott Manhattan Beach, Hotel Scoop
• Finding Buddha Beach, Perceptive Travel
• Yosemite: On Not Being Ansel Adams, Perceptive Travel
• Sustainable Living at Elden Trails B&B in Flagstaff, Arizona, Hotel Scoop
• Red Rocks and Family Days at the Red Agave Resort, Sedona, Hotel Scoop
• Among Flowers at the Carmel Garden Inn, Hotel Scoop
• Cats and Fairytales: The Cheshire Cat Inn, Santa Barbara, Hotel Scoop
• The Best of Big Sur on a Budget, Sherman’s Travel
• Beds, Ghosts, and Breakfast in Bisbee, Arizona, Hotel Scoop
• The Simple Beauty of Esplendor Resort in Rio Rico, Hotel Scoop
• The Southwest at its Best: Lodge on the Desert in Tucson, Arizona, Hotel Scoop
• Getting Some “Sweet Dreams” at the DoubleTree in Roswell, Georgia, Hotel Scoop
• Finding Summer Romance in Coeur ‘Alene, Hotel Scoop
• Cave Creek Ranch in Southern Arizona: Not Just for Bird-Watching, Hotel Scoop
• A Closer Look at the Human Zoo, Las Vegas, Bootnsall
• Sunrise at Haleakala, Maui, Hawaii: Catching the Elusive Green Flash, The Vacation Gals

Europe

Bulgaria

• Hiking Bulgaria, Perceptive Travel

Croatia

• Photographing Osijek, Perceptive Travel

Hungary

• Dipping into a Hungarian Bath, Perceptive Travel
• Walking Budapest, Panorama: Journal of Intelligent Travel
• A Chimichanga in Budapest, Perceptive Travel
• Hilton Budapest: In the Midst of Hungary’s History, Hotel Scoop
• Keeping Hungary’s Paprika Tradition Alive, Paste Magazine
• The Hip New Hungarian Street Food is Sausage in a Bread Cone, Paste Magazine

Malta

• Local Farms & Artisan Fare at Djar Ih-Bniet in Malta, Perceptive Travel
• The Ta’ Qali Farmer’s Market, Perceptive Travel
• Mr. Cini and the Salt Flats of Gozo, Perceptive Travel
• The Unusual Afterlife of Popeye’s Village, Perceptive Travel
• Of Shipwrecks and Wrist Bones: The Story of St. Paul’s Remains, Atlas Obscura
• Taking It a Step Up at the Corinthia Palace, Malta, Hotel Scoop
• Thoughts from an Island, Bootsnall
• Cats and Paradise in Sliema, Malta, Bootsnall
• A Home and a Place – Swieqi, Malta, Bootsnall
• Five Words for Love – Luqa, Malta, Bootsnall

Portugal

• Olive Trees and Portuguese Treats, Perceptive Travel
• Harry Potter’s Cloak & a Very Old Library, Perceptive Travel
• Port Wine Adventures, Perceptive Travel

Romania

• Finding Moldovan Pies in Bucharest, Perceptive Travel
• Gateway to Eastern Europe at the Intercontinental Bucharest, Hotel Scoop
• There’s No Better Way to Drink Than Like a Transylvanian Saxon, Roads & Kingdoms

Russia

• The Lowdown on River Cruising, En Voyage
• The Alternative Universe of Soviet Arcade Games, reblogged by i09
• Cruising the Volga with Love, TravelWorld International
• The Alternate Universe of Soviet Arcade Games, Atlas Obscura
• Drinking Vodka & Chasing Pickles, Perceptive Travel
• When Lost in Russia’s White Nights…., Perceptive Travel
• Is This Rasputin’s Dick?, story reblogged by Jezebel
• Rasputin was Poisoned, Shot, Beaten, and Drowned. But Did His Penis Survive? Atlas Obscura

Serbia

• Belgrade, City of Books, Perceptive Travel

Spain

• Autumn at the Garden: Valencia, Spain, The Spain Scoop
• Days of Rain – Alicante, Spain, Bootsnall

Switzerland

• Crepe Night in Neuchatel, Perceptive Travel

Middle East

Israel

• From Roots to Soup, TravelWorld International
• On the Coast of Caesarea, Perceptive Travel
• In the Heart of West Jerusalem: Leonardo Plaza, Hotel Scoop
• Jesus Left Behind a Lot of Things, But Is This Really His Boat?, Perceptive Travel
• Take Five: Tel Aviv’s Artsy Bars, Paste Magazine
• The Second-Best Hummus House in Tel Aviv, Paste Magazine
• Josef and the Jaffa Flea Market, Perceptive Travel
• Greetings from Israel: The Haifa Bayview Hotel, Hotel Scoop
• Night on the Ein Gev Kibbutz, Hotel Scoop

Africa

South Africa

• The Many Faces of Mzoli’s, Perceptive Travel
• Cape Town, City of Languages and Books, Perceptive Travel
• The Most Colorful Walk in the World, Perceptive Travel

Southeast Asia

Malaysia

• 48 Hours in Kuala Lumpur, En Voyage Magazine
• International Women’s Day 2014 – Celebrating the Diversity of Women, Colours of 1Malaysia photo, Journeywoman.com
• Island-hopping in Langkawi, Entouriste
• Langkawi: Photo Gallery, Entouriste
• The 23 Best Hotel Experiences We Had This Year, Berjaya Langkawi mention, Hotel Scoop
• The Best of Borneo on a Budget, Sherman’s Travel
• Beachside Bungalows at Berjaya Langkawi, Malaysia, Hotel Scoop
• Riverfront Views and Water Taxis at Kuching’s Grand Margherita, Hotel Scoop
• A Taste of Malaysia at the Royale Chulan, Hotel Scoop
• Sarawak Cultural Village: Barbeque, Tapioca Leaves, and Dancing, AFAR.com Highlight

Taiwan

• Xiao Liuqiu, Taiwan’s Coral Island, En Voyage
• The Mona Lisa of the East, USA Today Travel
• The World’s Weird Wonders: Discover the Yehliu Geopark, USA Today Travel
• The Legend of the Betelnut Princess, Your Life is a Trip
  
• Finding My Artsy Side in Taipei’s Hotel 73, Hotel Scoop
• The World’s Weird Wonders: Discover the Yehliu Geopark, Perceptive Travel Blog
• Name is Dandy: Boutique Hotel in Downtown Taipei, Hotel Scoop
• The Mona Lisa of the East, Perceptive Travel Blog, reprinted in China Travel News

Thailand

• The 23 Best Hotel Experiences We Had This Year, Hotel Scoop
• A Little Luxe on the Coast at the Dusit Thani Hua Hin, Hotel Scoop
• Five Incredible Thai Street Markets, Sherman’s Travel
• Cityscapes and Cocktails at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza, Hotel Scoop
• An Unexpected Aura Reading at the Rarin Jinda Wellness Resort in Chiang Mai, Hotel Scoop
• Becoming Mahout: Caring for Elephants at the Maetaeng Elephant Park in Chiang Mai, Perceptive Travel Blog
  
• A View from the Anantara Riverside in Bangkok, Hotel Scoop
• The Five Fantastic Fruits of Thailand, Perceptive Travel Blog

Latin America

Colombia

• Organic Volcanoes and Mud Scrubs in Cartagena, Colombia, Bootsnall
• Pueblo-Hopping in Bucaramanga, Bootsnall
• A Military Monday in Cartagena, Bootsnall
• Santa Marta & The Magic Man, Bootsnall
• Travels in Buses, Bootsnall
• Pride of Medellin, Bootsnall July 2006 featured travel story

Costa Rica

• Redefining Luxe at the Riu Palace Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Hotel Scoop
• White Sand and Catamarans at Playa Flamingo’s Best Beach Resort, Guanacaste, Hotel Scoop
• From the Kitchen: Cooking Crema de Ayote, Perceptive Travel Blog
• Following the Turtle: Hotel Poco a Poco, Monteverde, Hotel Scoop
• Volcanoes and Hot Springs at the Arenal Kioro, Costa Rica, Hotel Scoop
• Adventurous Romance in Costa Rica, TravelWorld International Magazine
• Feed the Toucans at Club Rio, Costa Rica, AFAR.com
• Kayaking at Club Rio, The Springs Resort & Spa, Costa Rica, AFAR.com

Dominican Republic

• Circa39 Shines in Miami, Hotel Scoop
• Fathom Travel: What It Means to Replant a Swamp, Perceptive Travel

Nicaragua

• 12 Hours in Nicaragua, Perceptive Travel Blog

Guest Contributions

• Guest contributor for BootsnAll, Indie Travel Guide
• Guest contributor for Yahoo! Voices

Interviews with Travel Writers, Photographers, Editors, & Publishers

For three years, I worked with publisher Tim Leffel to find the most interesting people in the industry to interview about their move to web 2.0 (or should we now say 3.0?) Check out some of the best interviews I’ve done here–or head over to Travel Writing 2.0 to check out the 100+ writers, editors, and publishers I’ve interviewed over the years.

• Interview with Chicana feminist travel writer and associate professor Stephanie Elizondo Griest
• Interview with American Southwest writer Tom Miller
• Interview with human rights activist and LGBTQ+ writer Michael Luongo
• Interview with literary travel writer Laurie Gough
• Interview with adventure writer and new media/travel writing teacher Amanda Castleman