Where are you based?
I'm based in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where I live with my husband and our almost-13-year-old daughter. We also spend time at our beach house in the Hamptons, which is the place where I truly recharge.
What topics and places do you cover?
I've been doing this for a while, so I cover it all: luxury, lifestyle, design, hotels, wellness, food, family travel, adventure, cruising, you name it. I love discovering up-and-coming destinations and finding new ways to experience the classics. I profile thought leaders and people whose lives have been transformed by travel. I also work at the intersection of journalism and brand storytelling, helping companies find authentic editorial voices at a time when people are consuming content in different ways and traditional media is shifting.
What outlets do you usually pitch (and write for)?
I'm a senior contributor at Forbes, where my Transformative Travel column is the top-ranked travel column in the Forbes.com network. I also contribute to Tripadvisor, Afar, Organic Spa, and more. On the brand side—through my agency, Begley Bloom Media—I've created content for companies like Four Seasons, Holland America, Starwood Hotels, and The Related Companies. Alongside writing and editing, I appear regularly on TV as a travel expert and host Satellite Media Tours (SMTs), which let me share travel stories with broad audiences in real time.
Are you in-house or freelance (or both)?
Freelance. I was on staff for many years and never thought I would go freelance, but I made the leap about nine years ago, and it's still going strong. I love the flexibility: It lets me chase big ideas, work with interesting partners, and carve out time to travel to places that inspire me.
What is your approach to press trips?
I'm selective. I rarely do press trips, but if something aligns with my coverage and I know I can create meaningful stories, I'll consider it. I especially like opportunities that combine business and editorial, whether that's attending a conference, moderating or speaking on a panel, hosting an SMT in a destination, or developing branded content on location. When there's a chance to collaborate in creative ways, I'm all in.
What are your professional pet peeves?
I can sum it up in two letters: AI. You can spot it immediately when an email, press release, or article has been written by AI. It feels flat and generic. But I think people are starting to realize the value of real connections and human-produced content. Ultimately, that authenticity is what will cut through the noise. Oh, and for the record: As someone who has always loved (and used) the em-dash, I'm here to tell you that ChatGPT stole the device from journalists.
In your past professional life, you were …
My first job out of college was as a reporter (a glorified title for a fact checker) at Money magazine. Then I got hired at Conde Nast as a “rover,” where you could try out different positions. I landed in the honeymoon department at Brides (even though I was single at the time). There, I fell in love with the travel industry and never looked back. Among other roles, I have been deputy editor at Travel + Leisure, where I planned content, helped lead the team, and oversaw a number of brand extensions. I was also editor-in-chief of Yahoo Travel, which won the North American Travel Journalists Association's Gold Award for Best Online Travel Magazine under my leadership.
Where would you like to return to?
Japan. I studied Japanese in college and have been several times, but I feel like I've only scratched the surface. I find the balance between ancient traditions and futuristic culture endlessly fascinating. My daughter loved it so much that she wants to study Japanese, too.
What's on your bucket list?
Antarctica. And I'm trying to convince my mother to go with me. We've traveled to six continents together—I even took her to India for her 80th birthday—and I'd love to check off the seventh continent together. It'd be even better if I could bring my daughter along so that three generations could share the epic adventure.
Where do you travel for fun?
I always say the last place I visited is what I am most excited about—and that was Albania, where I went with family and friends a few weeks ago. I was curious to see what all the buzz was about, and it was fascinating to watch a destination in the middle of its transformation: still a bit rough around the edges, but brimming with potential.
Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is …
Years ago, my friend Tammy and I got lost on a dark, rainy mountain road on our way from Austria to Slovenia. It was pre-GPS, avalanche warnings were everywhere, and even though we don't speak German, we decided a sign said “be careful” when it actually said that the road to the border crossing was closed. When we finally reached the border, the guard was totally panicked to see us—the road was that dangerous. We still laugh about it to this day. It was straight out of Absolutely Fabulous.
What advice would you give your younger professional self?
Don't be afraid to take detours. I moved to New York right after college and immediately started climbing the corporate ladder. I'm grateful for all the opportunities being a travel journalist has given me, but I sometimes wish I'd done something wild and carefree, like moving to Asia for a year. The good news is: There's still time. My husband and I always find ourselves looking at real estate whenever we travel.
What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on?
I'm excited to announce that I've just launched a Substack, The Upgrade, which looks at how travel can change your life. Expect stories about the people transforming travel, insider advice, the destinations I can't stop talking about, and the trends shaping how we explore the world. Please follow along!
How best should people contact you?
Find me on TravMedia.
