Sand in my pen. Traveler Writes on a very windy Lake Michigan beach.

Welcome. I’m Traveler Writes, a.k.a. Kim Roth, the leash-, map-, fork- and pen-wielding ex-New Yawkah who blogs about:

- Living and traveling in Michigan and destinations in the U.S. and abroad

- Food and culinary travel — I’m always hungry, and I eat a lot

- Traveling with a dog — and my not infrequent worries when leaving said dog at home

I started this blog because I love to explore — roadtrips, Europe, lazy wandering in warm, sunny places – and I love to share those places and experiences with others. For me, traveling without writing about it just isn’t the same.

I’m also blogging to share some of the natural beauty, quirky places, interesting people and cool things I’ve discovered while living between coasts.

I moved here from the east coast about 15 years ago. Back then, when a prospective employer asked me to consider taking a job in northern Michigan, I admit I had to consult a map to see exactly where it was. Although I’d traveled, my view of the country was much like that old New Yorker cartoon — you know, the one where the city (that would be NYC) takes up two-thirds of the frame while narrow ribbons depict Jersey, the Great Plains, Pacific Ocean and Asia.

Ripening blackberries, published with a Chicago Tribune article I wrote about berry-picking in southeast Michigan.

Now, it’s hard for me to imagine living somewhere else. I’m still often amused – in a delighted, not condescending, sort of way – by some of the, shall we say, cultural differences. (Yes, I’m about to generalize.) People really do make rhubarb pies here. They say ‘pop’ when they want a can of soda and ‘she’s a hoot’ when they think someone’s funny. They hold festivals to celebrate simple but wonderful things like cherries, asparagus, blueberries and morels. They are proud of being frugal, smile at strangers and don’t (usually) flip you the bird while driving. Who knew?

When it comes to traveling outside Michigan, less well-known, or at least less commonly visited, places appeal to me, which means some of the locales I’ve seen (and not seen) probably sound a little strange. For example, I’ve been to Samarkand but not Paris; Apalachicola but not Key West; Foz do Iguaçu but not Yellowstone; Carnaval in the Dominican Republic but not in Rio, nor Mardi Gras in New Orleans. At least not yet.

Abby, the border collie

I admit I’m a glass-half-empty kind of traveler….I tend to focus on, sometimes rather obsessively, the dozens of destinations still on my bucket list. And yet, it’s not so easy to get away when you run a writing and communications agency, are raising a (very lovable) border collie, and don’t have an unlimited budget. So when I’m not planning – or fantasizing about – an upcoming trip, I try to explore closer to home, which is, by the way, Ann Arbor. Given our two not-a-recessions in the past decade, it probably isn’t a bad strategy.

I hope the Traveler Writes blog encourages you to explore, too — whether you take a trip that’s five miles from home, or half a world away.

Happy reading, and please comment and share your own travel experiences as well!

–Kim

About the Photos:

Unless noted otherwise, all the photos on www.TravelerWrites.com were taken by me (and are copyrighted by me, so if you see something you would like to use, ask permission) using either a Nikon 200D or a Canon 50D. In a pinch, or if I’m trying not to be too obvious, I’ve used a BlackBerry Curve, and now I use my iPhone.

Disclosure:

My travels have been self-funded. If I mention or review a product or write about a trip or experience for which I didn’t shell out my own dough, I’ll clearly let you know.