Boston Globe Travel Show: Julie Dimon’s Travel Writing Tips

While at The Boston Globe Travel Show yesterday, co-intern Christa Romano and I sat in and listened to a few speakers and watched some cultural performances. We caught some tips on travel from the Frommer’s and listened to a Novia Scotian bag piper and drummer before attending Julie Dimon’s presentation on Travel Writing 101. Unfortunately, due to a funeral, GoNOMAD editor Max Hartshorne was unable to join her as planned, but she filled the hour with some great ideas.

In short, I want to be Julie Dimon. I checked out her website before attending the event, so I was aware she’s a young travel writer who also has her own show Word Travels. She wouldn’t state her age when the host joked she must be 80 with all her experience, and I am dying with curiosity to know because to me she looked to be maybe in her late twenties. Her website says she has been pursuing this career for the past seven years, which if I’m guessing and doing my math correctly means in order to even try to accomplish all the great stuff she’s done by the time I’m her age (I’m 22) I need to start NOW! Lucky for me, I am interning at GoNOMAD which has been a great start so far and I hope I continue to pursue this path.

She was a great public speaker, very inspiring, and very stylish. Though I learned many of her tips by studying journalism at UMass, hearing ideas from a fresh voice from someone who has actually done it on their own was motivational for me. What I took away the most, was to keep reading, writing, and to never give up. It is a daunting industry, journalism in general, let alone travel writing, but if I can keep my passion alive looking towards people such as Julie Dimon I have hope that I, too, can make it.

Check out her tips here!