I've been a journalist since 5th grade and a full-time freelance travel writer and photographer for 26 years. I am the recipient of five Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism awards and more than 30 SATW Western Chapter awards. I have contributed to national newspapers (e.g. Miami Herald, Denver Post, Christian Science Monitor, and San Francisco Chronicle) and magazines (e.g. Islands, Outside, Backpacker, and Hooked on the Outdoors), and currently write a biweekly column and regular features for The Boston Globe's Travel section. I have also written two books -- on Rwanda and Kurdistan -- for a children's book series on ethnic conflict, and have contributed to numerous travel anthologies, including several Travelers' Tales books. I am a member of the Circumnavigator's Club.