Luxe Beat Magazine May 2014 | Page 83

How did you discover your love for travel? I have been traveling since I was a very little girl. I can remember being maybe five or six years old and tingling with excitement when my family would check into a hotel room. I’d run around, opening drawers and looking in closets. We traveled constantly and I definitely inherited my love of travel from my parents and grandparents. I recently discovered that in the early 1940’s, my grandfather made a cross-country drive, which was unheard of at the time. My grandmother was always traveling somewhere and she never met a stranger. I do write a lot about food because I think food can help define the soul of a place. Sometimes you find out the most interesting things by sampling what the locals eat. Which do you prefer, writing or photography? I love both writing and photography. I started out writing and have been writing since I was a child. I loved “taking pictures” as a kid, but never thought about as a profession. Then, when I met my husband, he spent every spare minute taking photos (and every spare penny buying photography equipment). I fell in love with being able to express myself visually as well as through words. If I had to give up one or the other, it would be a hard choice. What does the writing process entail for you? I am a chronic researcher. In fact, I often spend mor