How did your career as a travel advisor & editor begin?
I still don’t really think of myself so much as a travel advisor, the team at my company PRIOR are frankly better than me at that but I guess my interest in travel came initially from an interest in food. I was a cook for a brief second then studied at the Slow Food University in Italy before working for Alice Waters which brought me to the US. I didn’t have the opportunity to travel much growing up in Australia so when I went to study I made the most of it and picked up travel writing as a way to travel more as a student. Alice let me continue that on the side and so I contributed to a bunch of titles like T Magazine, WSJ and the FT before landing at Conde Nast Traveler. After several years there mostly out on the road finding stories I decided there was a gap in the travel world, experiences that came from a real editorial point of view.
Tell us about your travel company, PRIOR!
I started PRIOR at the end of 2018 just in time for the pandemic which was a wipeout for a new company. But we somehow got through and really put a lot of effort into our newsletter and editorial as a way to inspire people, build our own intel and generally keep the dream alive. On the other side of that we have really grown and so know we have great travelers in our orbit who we create trips for, host groups and partner with brands to do something cool in travel. I am really only interested in finding the ‘only in’ of destinations and whilst we are ‘luxury’ (hate that word) I would say that we really about a philosophy of high and low. Connecting travelers to the people that make places unique. That’s the reason to travel for me!
What’s your favorite part about the New York creative community?
I split my time between Milan and New York. Our main office is here and so when I am here I have a jolt of adrenaline and just get stuff done. I admire that people who are in the creative world here are all or nothing. It might be a cliche but I think it is a really unique aspect of the city. More than anywhere else. Also I love that there are thousands of worlds in this city that sometimes cross over and other times have no idea the other exists. It is always fun to discover those.
We love your new video podcast series, Traveling Through, and the guests you've had on so far! Can you share what inspired you to start the series, and what you hope to reveal about travel with each interview?
I am a curious person, I am inspired by curious people. I think it is the single biggest characteristic that makes for a rich and interesting life. I decided to do it not because I wanted to flex my knowledge of fancy hotels or hot destinations but more to understand the stories of these culture makers. When people tell you stories about their travels they are revealing a lot about themselves. If you can find the right doorway in you often discover that when people talk about their travels it is often them at their most open, curious and relatable. It makes sense because when we travel all of our senses are alive.
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We're also lovers of exploring new places, and find great joy in discovering locals-only secret spots on trips. What advice would you give to those who want to add more off-the-beaten-path moments to their trips?
Try to resist having fomo. When you are looking at what someone else is doing or want to exactly emulate what they have done then you can taint your own experience. Sure. Talk to friends and people in the know but trust in the process. You might have some missteps but the magic is in the serendipity.
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