Featured Contributor
Allan Kissam
By Maralyn D. Hill and Sherrie Wilkolaski
A
llan Kissam has experiences
that give him insights when
writing that may not be
obvious to most people. His
first job after college was a
deputy in the uncuff and search cage
of the Orange County Sheriff...at
times it was cage fighting. Turning
in the badge, he headed to six years
at sea, managing nautical charting
surveys and environmental studies.
Often this involved scuba diving for
recovery of instruments or checking
navigation hazards. Today, Allan
specializes in information systems
security as a Certified Information
Systems Security Professional
(CISSP) and a Certified Ethical
Hacker (C|EH). He has published in
technical journals and is awarded
two U.S. patents.
Focused on travel writing, his
publications have been selected as
the Feature Article by editors of
travel online blogs. These
publications include print magazines
for aircraft owners or for
engineering readership. Allan
continues searching out the
interesting aspects and unusual
perspective of travel destinations
that cause people to take note. He is
a member of the International Food,
Wine, and Travel Writers Association
(IFWTWA). Allan is venturing into a
new writing space and is currently
working on a sci-fi book.
If you could be anyone else,
who would it be?
Nobody. People all have problems
and issues, along with outward
appearances, so I prefer mine
to theirs.
Where have you traveled over
the course of your career?
In my work, I have traveled over
most of the world, including
Bahrain. The African continent,
South America, China, and Russia
have my interest for planning
ahead. That is enough to fill
a lifetime.
What motivates you to be
a luxury journalist?
Luxury travel creates lasting
memories and opportunities to
write about the unusual.
Which do you prefer, writing,
or photography?
Writing, because I can correct the
disappointment when reading the
draft. A photo opportunity is often
a fleeting moment where one is
either very skilled or lucky.
Tell us about a favorite
travel experience.
Standing on the southern shore
of Australia, looking across the
ocean, and knowing that I have
gone from the Arctic and almost
to the Antarctic.
How do you go about writing?
I start with general notes about
a destination that are gathered off
the internet. Destination stops are
usually preset by the tour, but I try
to locate l