Awards & Other Cool Stuff
It’s always gratifying to be acknowledged for your work and passion. I’ve been fortunate enough to receive recognition in multiple ways, including being awarded the Eureka Award, which recognizes excellence in travel writing by Visit California (California’s tourism board) in the “Best Digital Feature, 2015” category. I received the award for a piece I wrote for the New York Times about California’s Santa Cruz Island.
In 2011, I received the Government of India’s top honor for a foreign travel journalist for a piece I wrote about India’s ancient wellness traditions. I have also been asked to lead and participate in multiple panels covering issues such as trends in Adventure Travel, Food & Wine and Design at high-profile events and for organizations such as the global Adventure Travel World Summit, Palm Springs’ Modernism Week and Santa Barbara Visitors Bureau.
I always wanted to share some of my favorite travel experiences in more ways than just writing about them. So a few years ago, I partnered with a top aquatic athlete based on the idyllic island of Bora Bora to create travel packages and experiences around an amazing aquatic triathlon he created called the IronMana (image above). The Bora Bora Liquid Festival was a celebration of Tahitian culture, watersports and just having a blast with like-minded folks at one of the most beautiful locations in the world. It was a privilege to manage promotions, client services and create daily itineraries all while working in partnership with Air Tahiti Nui and Tahiti Tourisme to make this spectacular event come to life every December for five straight years. Here are some articles about the wet and wild week in Bora written by me and some of my travel writing buddies: ESPN,
Men’s Journal, Team Naish,
