Christopher Mitchell is a Toronto-based travel content creator who is the Founder of travelingmitch, Cofounder of Ultimate Ontario and We Explore Canada, as well as being one of the original four founders of the Toronto Blogger Collective, running the newsletter, This Week in Blogging, and being the North American Director for TBEX.
1. What got you into travel writing?
I’d have to say curiosity. It’s one thing to visit a destination, but it’s another altogether when you arrive somewhere and have an incentive to be unapologetically present. In the early days, I simply found that when I visited a destination that I knew I was writing about (or creating content about, in general), I noticed the small things…and in many senses, with travel, the “small things” are actually the big things.
2. What’s the most challenging part of being a travel journalist for you?
Well, I think in any profession there’s always a bit of imposter syndrome at the beginning. It takes time to both find your voice, and then realize that your voice adds something to the travel journalism ecosystem.
Also, at first, I started entirely focused on freelance travel writing, and I landed some big articles, but eventually, I switched my approach more towards running websites and brands that were big enough that I could actually support and pay other writers as well. In a sense, I loved the idea that I was getting rid of the middleman, and was helping others on their way, in an ever changing landscape.
That’s part of how we’ve grown Ultimate Ontario and We Explore Canada, specifically. Funny enough, helping others overcome their own challenges in this space has played a big part in my career as well, and why I Cofounded the Toronto Blogger Collective, run the newsletter This Week in Blogging (which helps others stay on the pulse of the content creation world), and am the North American Director of TBEX.
3. What is the most rewarding aspect of travel journalism?
Is it too obvious to say travel? For sure, that’s a major aspect of it. Travel inspires both humility and awe, something I feel a good life can use in abundance.
However, it would be a mistake to not mention colleagues and community here. I’ve met some of my best friends in this industry, and I’m constantly inspired by the hustle, drive, and thinking of those around me.
4. What is something you wish people knew about travel journalism?
That it’s multifaceted and ever-changing!
Things are very different than they were when I started (almost 15 years ago now!). That being said, I always like to remind people that “where there is change, there is opportunity.”
There are more opportunities than there ever have been to build out your own brand, forge your own path, and establish your own partnerships – beyond just the conventional relationship of writer and editor.
Finally, I wish more people knew just how hard we’re working to get these stories, these photographs, and to create this content. We’re lucky, no doubt, to do what we do, but it doesn’t mean we don’t work our respective tails off!
5. What have you enjoyed most about being a NATJA member?
Well, I’ve yet to attend a conference (though would like to soon), but I love the way that NATJA supports and showcases their community. The awards, which I’ve been fortunate enough to win in past years, also are a demonstration, to me, that the work we do matters, and that’s an encouraging force.
6. How have cross-cultural experiences shaped your point of view of the world?
It’s an interesting question because, from a macro perspective, I’d say that my cross-cultural experiences have shaped who I am as a person, and my life, almost entirely.
How could my time teaching in a small town in Nicaragua not inform how I think about community and education? How could the three years I spent in Istanbul during a turbulent time politically not affect the way I think about society and resilience? How could my time studying in Norway, amongst 10,000 international students, not have smashed whatever preconceived notions I had about other countries to pieces when I was but 20 years old?
To come back to that macro perspective on things, the biggest thing that I would say is that travel, done right, establishes empathy, and it’s important that we all see ourselves in the struggles and experiences of our fellow human beings.
