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My desk today is a grey tray table, my office is a packed Delta flight and the view from my window is upwards of 30,000 feet in the sky with an endless vista of clouds and sunshine. I could not be happier.
I left New York at 7am this morning and am en route to the Sunshine State for a press trip that will take me on a tour of Miami’s local restaurants and ethnic neighborhoods. I’ll be joining other journalists to cover the vibrant food scene of Little Havana, Little Haiti and learn about Miami’s heritage on behalf of our respective publications (in my case, The Daily Meal).
As I sit here typing up this post and jamming out to my “writing groove” playlist, it is finally settling in that I am a travel writer. For the longest time I have been saying “I want to be a travel writer,” so it has taken time to see that I have become one. What defines a travel writer? Is it the number of followers we have, the site traffic we attract, the assignments we’re given or the publications we represent? Is a travel writer a blogger or a celebrated author; a journalism school graduate or a backpacker blogging from the road? I haven’t considered myself a travel writer because when I think of what it means to be one, I immediately imagine the greats-the Bill Brysons and Matt Kepnes’ of the world. Even with published work, a journalism degree and travel assignments, I measured myself against the best and didn’t embrace the beauty of what I’m doing and how far I’ve come in my writing.
Travel writing is a lot like that metaphorical horizon-you are always chasing it, always striving towards it so that when you finally do reach it, it can be surreal. While I haven’t arrived at the mecca of my travel writing dream yet (I’m looking at you, National Geographic) it is truly an incredible thing to have just been on assignment in Argentina three weeks ago, to be flying to Miami for a press trip now and to be travel writing for three major online publications.
Like someone pulling on a new sweater, I am easing into the title of travel writer and letting myself wiggle around in it until I am comfortable. Although The Pin the Map Project is a budding blog and my travel writing a growing endeavor, it wasn’t until now did I finally let the label of “travel writer” settle over me like one of these lovely, white clouds outside my window.
As a self-proclaimed dreamer, all too often I chase my ambitions to the horizon just to forget to appreciate when I arrive there. I am always quick to look towards my next destination, next adventure, next chapter that I constantly have to remind myself to simply enjoy the beauty of right now. While I have countless dreams for my travel writing and how it will grow; up in the air with the sunshine streaming across my keyboard, I am finally embracing being a travel writer and am appreciating the moment.
For tips on breaking into travel writing visit my course page here.
