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.
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.
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.
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.