When I was a middle school Humanities teacher in New York City, poetry was my favorite unit to teach. I loved it mostly because of how much my students loved it. All of a sudden, my most problematic and reluctant students were letting their guards down and opening up to creativity and self-expression. I made it fun for them. I acknowledged that they didn’t have to understand every word or what the poet was trying to say, but just to […]
Posts categorized: About Shayne
Guess who just called me one of the nicest people she’s ever met in South Florida? Fellow travel blogger Ashley Vaccarino of Arrive Chic. I was thrilled to have the chance to take part in her Travel Style interview series on her site and dish on all the ways I like to travel. She’s got a great travel blog, as well as an e-commerce store for all of your travel essentials. I took a look and picked my top three […]
A notorious blogger and girl-about-town–me? Who knew? Well, that’s the way the Oasis Culture Blog introduced me in a fun Q & A feature all about my favorites in Miami and travel. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to dish on my top restaurants and cocktail bars, what it’s like to live in Miami and some travel what ifs. I also shared my all time favorite Miami memory, and you’ll just have to read the article to find out what […]
Feb 17
2014
2014
Travel Phenomenon: The Room Explosion
There’s a travel phenomenon that my best friend and frequent travel companion Krista and I coined years ago. The room explosion occurs when, in spite of your best efforts, your hotel room becomes progressively messier with each passing day to the point that it actually looks like a small bomb has gone off inside your suitcase, leaving its contents strewn haphazardly all over your room. When I spotted this Chanel ad about a year ago, I knew I had to […]
I’ve been back from Key West for a week since my 11 day trip to work on the event staff of the 32nd Annual Key West Literary Seminar. It’s my sixth year contributing to the seminar and it’s such a beautiful and invigorating way to start the New Year. The joy comes from being apart of this incredibly intimate and special weekend filled with panel discussions, lectures and readings from the top writers in their field. They range from Nobel […]
Dec 27
2013
2013
My Travel Wish List
2013 was a pretty incredible year of travel for me. Since launching the blog a year ago yesterday, a whole world of travel and writing opportunities opened up. I ventured abroad to Mexico, Curacao, Costa Rica and the Bahamas. Within the U.S., I visited my typical “second home” destinations of Key West, New York and Atlanta. I also visited best friends in Nashville and Pittsburgh. And I discovered a little more of the state of Florida with trips to Tampa, […]
I’ve decided that 2014 will be the year of the Costa Rica surf camp. It’s a trip I’ve wanted to take since 2007 when my best friend Krista and I embarked on our epic two week road trip along the California coast (you know, the trip that inspired my travel writing). We took a couple of surf lessons in San Diego and Santa Cruz, and we were hooked. Of course, seven years later, I’m still a fledgling surfer, at best. […]
Nov 6
2013
2013
Costa Rica: A Study in Sunsets
There’s an inside joke between me and a few of my friends about how the natural world makes me feel. A few years back, as a passenger on a sunset sail in Key West with two of my best friends, overcome by the natural beauty surrounding us, I blurted out, “My soul is singing!” This was, of course, followed up by a lot of laughter due to its overwrought sentiment. But the saying stuck. And it accurately sums up the […]
How To Set Your Rates Welcome to the final part of my 5 part series, “How To Succeed in Freelance Writing Without Really Trying,” citing Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed Writer as a touchstone text. Today, we’ll discuss how to set your rates. Access the rest of the series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4. There is no simple answer for the conundrum of setting your rates and quoting estimates. In some cases, the rates and budget are set for you, especially when […]
Networking & Referrals Welcome to Part 4 of my 5 part series, “How To Succeed in Freelance Writing Without Really Trying,” citing Peter Bowerman’s The Well-Fed Writer as a touchstone text. Today, we’ll discuss networking and referrals. Access the rest of the series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 5. Networking Networking has got to be one of the most elusive terms in the business lexicon. What does it mean? How do you do it? What dividends does it really pay? It’s only […]
