A Wunderful 2023 Begins
Cover stories, blue checks, and learning to say no
I think we can all agree that the first week of January didn’t really count. Based on the lack of emails in my inbox, I get the sense that I wasn’t the only one who struggled to recover from the holidays (or maybe just 2022 in general), and I appreciate that we all gave each other a little space to rest. And in my case, it made it easier for me to focus on dealing with losing power and water and road access during the ongoing historic storms battering California’s coast.
That said, the year started off strong for me. My cover story on Three Perfect Days in Denver for Hemispheres, the in-flight magazine for United Airlines, went live online and in seat-back pockets of their planes. I have yet to hold the 17-page glossy in my hands, but traveling friends have sent me photos and it looks amazing. I am proud that I was able to capture how deeply I enjoyed my trip to Denver in this story, and hope readers feel inspired to visit as a result.
A few days later, I was finally verified on Instagram (possibly as a result of the cover story). Maybe it shouldn’t matter, but I’m proud of that little blue check, so I’m going to celebrate getting it.
If you’re not already following me on Instagram, it’s where you’ll find the most frequent updates of what I’m writing, and the adventures I’m on. Also dog pics.
I’ve been using the year’s leisurely start to reflect on what’s next for me, thanks in part to my 2022 year in review newsletter. Calculating my editorial earnings was an eye opener. I knew going into it that lifestyle journalism isn’t exactly a wellspring of financial abundance, but seeing that dismal income in front of me - and knowing how hard I worked to achieve it - made it clear that what I’m doing, or the way I’m doing it, isn’t sustainable.
Even with the job perk of getting to go on incredible trips all year, which I do not take for granted, it doesn’t make sense to hustle hard chasing opportunities if those opportunities don’t equate to earning a living. I think of all the time I spent pitching, researching, interviewing, writing, invoicing, following up on invoices - on top of the stress of looming deadlines and working around a chaotic travel schedule - and it doesn’t feel worth the pittance I brought in. And when it comes down to it, the stories that I’m most proud to have written also paid me the most.
So.
Things are going to be different this year.
I am leaving behind the publish-or-perish mentality that insists quantity is the path to success. I trust that the industry won’t forget about me entirely if there are a few days or weeks spacing out my articles.
No more low-paying work. Even though it’s painful to turn down assignments, maintaining this boundary this will allow me to focus on the stories that I deeply care about, reduce stress from juggling too much work, and free up space to pursue copywriting projects that actually pay a living wage, or put time into writing a novel. Accepting crappy rates lowers the bar for all my colleagues, anyway.
I will become even more selective about who I choose to work with and the trips I go on. Certain publicists have bullied me, even abused me, and nothing is worth that treatment. My circle of collaborators will shrink, but I am certain this will lead to higher quality work.
The stories I write will align with my greater career goals as much as possible. Every assignment I accept will have to tick at least one box related to what I want out of doing this job.
More journalism-adjacent activities like speaking engagements (my favorite thing to do), media appearances, and strategic partnerships.
January Travel Plans
Iceland, where I’ll be on assignment for Condé Nast Traveler.
Next, I head to New York to attend the International Media Marketplace (IMM), my first ever travel writers conference. I know a lot of writer and PR friends will be attending and I’m looking forward to meeting many of them in person for the first time.
At the end of the month I return to my beloved Belize. I’ll be working, but it’s always a pleasure.
What to expect from this newsletter
I’m still getting things off ground, but my intention is for subscribers to feel like they are part of the journeys I take. Future issues will be biweekly dispatches from the road - first person anecdotes that give a sense of where I am and what I’m up to, and those small, remarkable moments that make traveling so special. You can also expect to see my recent articles, future travel plans, and even a look behind the scenes of what being a travel journalist is like. If there is anything else you’d like me to include, please let me know in the comments!
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Other journalist newsletters you should subscribe to: Katie Lockhart, Illyanna Maisonet, Cassandra Brooklyn