Category Archives: Writing samples

Travel writing, Writing samples

For CBC: Clear your mind and fill your heart by waking up in BC’s nature this summer (Sponsored Content)

Odds are, you’ve spent a lot more time outdoors this year than usual. City parks and restaurant patios have become sacred spaces for spending time with loved ones or simply escaping the constant pull of the home office. We’ve learned to head outside to reconnect with others and ourselves, to find our centre and replenish our physical and mental reserves.

As travel resumes, British Columbians have the chance to dive deeper into nature, exploring the vast wilderness of this province that we call home. It’s a summer to spend the days watching wildlife in wild spaces and falling asleep to the sound of the wind in the trees. Whether you’re looking for a back-to-basics getaway or a luxurious holiday in the great outdoors, there’s no shortage of options right here in beautiful BC.

Read the rest on the CBC website

Amsterdam, Travel writing, Writing samples

For Time Out: Contribution to the world’s best rooftop bars

8. SkyLounge Amsterdam, Amsterdam

The view Amsterdam is an unusually flat city, so you don’t need to get up high to be above it all. From the 11th floor, SkyLounge offers unparalleled up-close views of the Basilica of Saint Nicholas and Amsterdam’s iconic canal houses, with sightlines stretching all the way out to Schiphol airport.

The vibe Perched on top of the DoubleTree by Hilton Amsterdam Centraal Station hotel, this breezy rooftop is usually buzzing with locals, expats and tourists alike bobbing their heads to the DJ’s tracks while planning out a weekend’s worth of mischief.

The drinks When you think Amsterdam, you naturally think tropical cocktails. No? Well, they’re in high demand here, though those with more refined tastes can always opt for something based on champagne or gin instead.

Don’t miss Sunset, when the city glows with that unbeatable Dutch light. Just remember that the golden hour ranges from 4pm in December to 10pm in June. Christina Newberry

Read the full list of the world’s 25 best rooftop bars at Time Out.

Travel writing, Writing samples

For ExploreNowCanada: The Perfect Summer Getaway in Osoyoos

This southern stretch of the Okanagan is a sunny vacation paradise with good food, great wine, and sandy beaches for that perfect summer weekend escape.

NO. 1

Walnut Beach Resort

When you're lying on the sand under a straw umbrella, you know you're on vacation. When it's 30+ degrees and someone delivers a freshly made cocktail straight to your waterfront lounge chair, you've taken it to the next level. There's only one licenced beach in Osoyoos, found at the Walnut Beach Resort (@walnutbeachresort). Private for hotel guests only, it's a serene place to wiggle your toes in the sand, gaze out at the lake and pretend you're in Mexico. I love the large pool and hot tubs, too, but it's hard to beat the beach.

Read the rest in ExploreNowCanada’s Instagram Guide

Writing samples

For Unito: Want To Succeed? Integrate People, Not Processes

The work landscape underwent massive changes in 2020. This came with a new and urgent focus on digital tools that empower teams to collaborate with coworkers they may never have met. Workflow management — and integration tools in particular — have become critical for teams that need to accomplish, track, and manage everything from repetitive tasks to complex large-scale projects…

Read the rest on the Unito blog

Writing samples

For Unito: Tool Silos: What They Are and How to Smash Them

Companies of all sizes are moving their infrastructure, digital assets, and work processes into the cloud. Gartner expects companies to spend $116 billion on SaaS tools in 2020. That massive investment represents multiple tools all being used at the same time. The average mid-market business used 137 SaaS tools in 2019. That's an increase of 30 percent from the year before. This increase isn't just present at the business-level; individual employees are using 10 apps or more. The sheer number of tools used by the average organization creates a new obstacle for collaboration: the tool silo…

Read the rest on the Unito blog…

Amsterdam, Travel writing, Writing samples

For Time Out’s list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods 2020: Amsterdam-Noord

In the buzzing borough of Amsterdam-Noord, shipyards have become cultural playgrounds and wide-open spaces beckon young families, artists, brewers and entrepreneurs. Hop on the free ferry from Centraal Station, in the opposite direction to most international visitors, to reach NDSM Wharf: the centre of Amsterdam's street art scene and home to Europe's largest monthly flea market at IJ-Hallen (these days with increased stall spacing and one-way route markers).

On this side of the River IJ, Noord's young creatives have built a flourishing community of multi-concept businesses, like the cinema-slash-waterfront restaurant at FC Hyena (now with added drive-in theatre), SkateCafe – where you can take a break from the half-pipe for a meal and a glass of natural wine – and the urban beach at Pllek, with its airy organic restaurant built from old shipping containers.

The angular Eye Filmmuseum, Noord's most iconic modern building, lies just a short bike ride from traditional villages lined with gabled wooden homes. Then, for a dose of adrenalin (plus an awesome view of the entire neighbourhood and the rest of Amsterdam beyond), brave Europe's highest swing, perched atop A'DAM Tower.—Christina Newberry

Travel writing, Writing samples

Travel Media Association of Canada Award: Coverage of a Host Destination

I’m honoured to have received my third Travel Media Association of Canada award last week. My story on family farms on the Saanich Peninsula took second place in the Coverage of a Host Destination category.

The judges said, “The juxtaposition of personal memory with current reporting works beautifully, and the inspirational reflective prose serves that theme well. Strong sensory detail, excellent reportorial detail on numbers, size, etc. Smooth transition to brief write-ups on various farms visited.”

This was such a fun piece to write. Thank you to the judges and congratulations to all the winners!