Where are you based?
The BBC has an office where I work in Midtown Manhattan. I'm based in Brooklyn.

What topics and places do you cover?
BBC Travel is the BBC's global travel site. We publish compelling stories about destinations around the world and aim to amaze, immerse, and inspire our readers. We tell people about places they've never been and show them a new side to places they think they know. In a complex world that's often filled with negative news, we celebrate the people, places, and cultures that make the world so wonderfully diverse and amazing.

To do this, we commission stories with unexpected angles on topics such as culture, food, history, rail journeys, and off-the-beaten-path adventures. We offer expertly curated recommendations to places in our SpeciaList series, teach readers how to be more mindful visitors in our Thoughtful Travel series, and help readers make sense of how the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape may affect their travels.

Through our stories, we connect readers to cultures around the world and appeal to people who aren't travelling at the moment as much as those who are. We encourage responsible travel and tell stories with cultural sensitivity and sustainability in mind, from diverse perspectives.

What you don't write about.
We're likely to pass on stories that don't have a strong "why-now" angle, ideas that are too general, pieces that are too local and not aimed at a global audience, stories without a clear travel angle, or substance-less lists.

What outlets do you usually pitch (and write for)?

I've been a full-time editor and journalist at the BBC for the past six years, but previously, I wrote for The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, CNN, WIRED, Condé Nast Traveler, The Independent, The Guardian, VICE, and elsewhere.

The best PR pitches include ...

A really fascinating or unexpected tidbit about something that is happening in a specific place and why it matters for a global audience.

Are you in-house or freelance (or both)?

In-house

What is your approach to press trips?
The BBC cannot consider pitches that came from fully or partially comped experiences or press trips.

What are your professional pet peeves?
Aggressive follow-ups. The age-old adage is true: we editors are inundated with pitches. I read every idea I receive and do my best to get back to writers, but sending me multiple follow-ups days apart is quite off-putting.

The rule I always go by is if you don't hear back from an editor in two weeks, you should politely follow up with them. If you still don't hear back one week later, you should send them one more note, kindly letting them know that while you'd still love to place this idea with them, you'll need to shop it around elsewhere if you don't hear back.

In your past professional life, you were …
A freelance travel writer! Before that, I was a tour guide in Italy, a kayak instructor in the Virgin Islands, a newspaper correspondent in Mexico, an English teacher and guidebook writer in Sardinia, and I had a few desk jobs mixed in.

Where would you like to return to?
I would be very happy living out the rest of my days in Cagliari, Tokyo, rural Guatemala, or Hanoi.

What's on your bucket list?
Guyana. It's a tiny nation on the brink of a massive change, which fascinates me.

Where do you travel for fun?

These days, anywhere with my four-year-old son. Seeing the world through his eyes is a joy, and taking him to places that I love (like Big Sur and Nicaragua) and watching him absorb them is really special. These can be smaller trips, too. We have a game called "end of the line" where we hop on a subway line here in NYC and take it to the end of the line or somewhere we've never been together.

Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is …
I recently wrote a book that took me to 10 countries on five continents. One such place was Taiwan, which famously (or infamously?) was the last place on Earth determined to hold onto its "zero-Covid" policy.

After obtaining a special visa, I boarded a China Airlines flight where the employees wore hazmat suits. As soon as we landed, airport security sprayed down each passenger and their luggage with industrial-grade chemicals. We were whisked into a "COVID taxi" and taken to a windowless "COVID hostel" where we were required to quarantine for four days. Staff slid trays of food into my room through a slit, much like how I imagine it works in a high-security prison. I was also given a Taiwanese SIM card so a government agent could track my whereabouts and make sure I never left. Twice a day, I was required to take my temperature on a government-issued thermometer and send my anonymous agent a picture of it to ensure that I was not sick. He would usually respond with really cute emojis, which I found both confusing and also kind of adorable.

What advice would you give your younger professional self?

Always be kind. I often tell freelance writers that 30% of the success of the job is being great to work with. I would so much rather work with a really good writer who is wonderful to work with than a tremendous writer who is terrible to work with.

How best should people contact you?

Find me here on TravMedia.