What was your first job as a journalist?
I wrote for several publications in college, but I interned for Sadie Magazine and conducted a bunch of interviews with some amazing women.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
Yes. I bought one with my allowance money at a garage sale when I was ten.
How is social media changing news?
There are no gatekeepers, so anyone can be journalist. This is both empowering and can cause problems with misinformation.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Lois Lane is a classic and she's often overlooked by Clark Kent.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
I believe trust is a major value that we should impart when working as journalist. Our job is to empower others with our words.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Quick two-or-three sentence description with a title. If interested, I will ask for more information.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Google Docs for writing, and good ol'fashioned research.
What's your favorite social network?
I'm really enjoying Threads at the moment. It builds community and does a good job connecting those with similar interests.
Who do you wish followed you?
Alex Honnold. I feel as though we're both nerdy enough that we would be good friends.
Why did you become a journalist?
To share my passions with others and to inspire change for the better.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not since I was homeschooled, but I was featured in the local papers for writing a novel and getting it published at 20.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a piece on Chris McCandless for Fodor's that I was very proud of. It combined creativity and research.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Pitch, pitch, pitch. It sounds cliche, but often your ideas are great--it's just not the right publication or the right time.
When's the best time to pitch you?
Mondays are my day to plan the week, so getting a pitch during this time is ideal. Spring for prime outdoors season so I have time send it.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I had a pitch from journalist when I worked about Passion Passport about her experience traveling as a minority. Beautifully written.
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
Someone once pitched me about bras and travel with a goal of promoting their underwear. I kid you not.
What's your favorite drink?
Why this a question? Like every writer, coffee.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Outside. Hiking, climbing, loving not being at a computer.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Backpacker Magazine and the New Yorker.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That environmentalism is always good, that the National Park System is always right, and that you need to be an expert to enjoy the outdoors.
