Today I stumbled on Roy Stevenson's article "What's Selling Now: Travel Writing in 2012." This article makes you want to immediately sign up for courses, workshops, and whatever else that The Travel Writer's Life offers to help boost your travel writing career. He has been published in over 150 magazines, and he was in New Zealand when he wrote this particular article (which isn't about New Zealand at all, but still).
As I finished the article, I immediately was ready to book my next plane ticket to somewhere. Travel writing is something I do a little for Yahoo, South Magazine, Travel + Leisure's website, and I was put on-assignment by Forbes Travel for Hilton Head and Kiawah Island, but I want to do even more. I want to do what Stevenson does and go on full-blown, weeks-long vacations to see as much of this beautiful world as possible with the time I have left.
Stevenson's article is geared to aspiring travel writers, but his passion for traveling comes through in even this instructional-style article. He is made for travel writing, and the joy he gains and shares about his travels and lifestyle is evident, and I finished reading feeling inspired because he is someone that identified his passions and then created a life that is in line with those passions.
2012 will be full of great things for Stevenson no doubt. And thanks to the motivation I feel after reading this article, I hope for me too :)