Featured Writer
Based in New Orleans, Kristy Christiansen has spent more than two decades writing about travel and the interesting people she meets along the way. Her stories have appeared in Country Roads Magazine, Southern Living, Extended Weekend Getaways, and the Louisiana Inspiration Guide, among others. She loves piling her family in the car and embarking on long road trips, exploring small towns, digging for fossils, and hiking off-the-beaten paths in national parks. Follow along on her travels at www.facebook.com/beyondthebayous.
Máté Koczka is a Hungarian travel journalist, PR consultant, and Editor-in-Chief of SzeretunkUtazni.hu (“We Love Travel”), a Hungarian online travel magazine. He writes about destinations, cruise travel, aviation, hotels, cultural experiences, and the human stories behind tourism. His work often focuses on how travel connects local communities, heritage, and meaningful visitor experiences.
Colleen O’Neill Mulvihill is a board-certified health coach, an ICF-certified travel coach, and an avid travel writer. Her stories have appeared in Go World Travel, FYI 50+ Magazine, Rovology, Travel by Vacation Rental, and Brainz Magazine, among others. She is also the co-author of the book, “The Wellness Bucket List: 1000 Escapes and Experiences to Enrich Your Mind, Body, and Soul.” Her interests include spending time in nature, homesteading, wellness, cultural travel experiences, and farm stays.
Sharon Kurtz is a travel writer from Austin, Texas, who loves sharing the world’s beauty through stories. She thrives on exploring local cultures, tasting regional cuisines, and uncovering hidden gems that make each destination unique. From bustling cities to off-the-beaten-path escapes, Sharon captures not just sights but the people, flavors, and traditions that define a place. Follow her adventures on Instagram: @Shar_Kurtz.
Writing is Jill's "second act." She spent 25 years in the United States Air Force and has lived in four countries outside the United States, which have fueled her love of travel and exploration of different cultures. She began writing news stories and personal essays for the Walt Disney Company's former parenting website, Babble, after retiring from the military. She transitioned to travel writing after realizing how much joy she found in journaling about a weekend trip. Jill writes about all types of travel but loves covering stories that encourage families to experience and explore together. Her writing has appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, Southern Living, Fodor's Travel, Business Insider, and many other publications.
Caroline Eubanks is a writer and author of This Is My South: The Essential Travel Guide to the Southern States (2018), winner of a Lowell Thomas award, and A Boozy History of Atlanta: People, Places & Drinks that Made a City (2025). She’s also a contributor to several guidebooks for Lonely Planet and DK Eyewitness, and her work has appeared in National Geographic, Travel + Leisure, and the Chicago Tribune.
Barbara Noe Kennedy is a freelance journalist and former Senior Editor at National Geographic Travel Publishing. She specializes in stories at the crossroads of travel, history, culture, and social justice. Her work has appeared in National Geographic Travel, BBC Travel, Fodor’s, London Telegraph, Lonely Planet, AAA, and others. Learn more at barbaranoekennedy.com.
Freelance writer. Road tripper. Travel diva. Dog rescuer. Writes for food or kibbles and bits. Based out of Pittsburgh, PA, via Juneau, AK, Vanessa has been a freelance writer for more than 25 years. An avid traveler, she always bring home amazing memories, intriguing stories...and often more dogs. www.VanessaOrrInk.com
Teh Chin Liang is a long-time travel journal contributor to Dave’s Travel Corner and Global Travel Insider and a Senior Writer for GoNomad. Having traveled to more than 30 countries and counting, he especially enjoys venturing off the beaten path and experiencing unique local customs and cultures. He mostly travels solo and loves to capture what he sees on the road through words and photographs. Becoming a travel writer has made him more sensitive to each place he visits and encourages him to live more fully in the present.
Bruce Northam is a veteran and prize-winning travel writer and five-time author. Here are his recent features. His talk, Directions to Your Destination, reveals a new way of evaluating tourism. Bruce is the author of THE DIRECTIONS TO HAPPINESS: A 135-Country Quest for Life Lessons as well as a renowned Lower East Side NYC walking tour guide. Bruce’s show, American Detour, bares a travel writer’s journey to 150 countries.
Anna Staropoli is a freelance writer. She studied English, creative writing and geography at Dartmouth College. Since then, she’s written for national and international publications, including National Geographic, Food & Wine, and Italy’s La Repubblica.
Heide Brandes is an award-winning journalist who focuses on travel, adventure, outdoor experiences, culture and more. She has bylines in such magazines as National Geographic, BBC, The Smithsonian, Cowboys & Indians, Southern Living, AAA Journeys and more. Her work can be seen at www.heidebrandes.com. When not traveling and writing, Heide is an avid hiker, caver, professional belly dancer, medieval reenactor and kind of a quirky chick living in Oklahoma.
