Photo Credit: Jeff Topham
About
A cathartic 1997 trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway – six nights of autumnal forests, grumpy provodnitsas and warm potatoes served by beady-eyed babushkas at paint-peeled stations – convinced me to write my first travel story.
Almost two decades later, I’m still writing – and I’m still inspired by the same itch-like curiosity that drove me to board that legendary locomotive all those years ago.
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From trains to beer to quirky attractions and budget travel, I've developed many story-writing interests over the years. But I've never lost my desire to help others plan their trips -- which is why I take my Lonely Planet guidebook work very seriously.
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The job has changed over the years, of course. I’m developed photography and video skills and I'm very active on Twitter. I've also won more than 15 international awards and I host personalized tours of my Vancouver hometown. Content-wise, I continue to write for print and digital outlets but also offer writing services to a wide range of carefully chosen clients.
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But alongside my travels, I still find the craft of writing just as satisfying. That’s part of the reason I’ve continued to work with many of the same editors over the years. I still love the trips – but I’ve never stopped working on my words.
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