FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT INSPIRES YOU TO TRAVEL?
Along with my naturally curious personality, exploring different places and cultures has always been a part of my life. I was fortunate to grow up in an artistic, multicultural family that traveled often. My mom was a flight attendant so that definitely had some perks! I got my first passport at six months old and grew up trekking the globe on a budget, always ready with a backpack and sleeping bag. We flew on standby (IYKYK) which sometimes made our trips unpredictable but in the end that made me a more resilient traveler. Our rugged adventures, navigating with paper maps and communicating across language barriers, opened my eyes to new perspectives and fuelled my wanderlust. The most magical thing about traveling is the life lessons and inspiration that you get to carry on with you long after the trip is over.

HOW DID YOU END UP IN AMSTERDAM?
Growing up in Florida’s suburbs totally different from the many places we would set off to explore and I knew early on that studying and living abroad would be part of my path. In high school, I wanted to move to Europe and by the time I reached university, I was backpacking and solo traveling across the continent.

After graduation, I studied abroad in Leiden and soon decided that Amsterdam would be the spot for a gap year. So, I took a leap and traded Florida’s swamps for Amsterdam’s canals. What started as a gap year eventually became a decade long adventure of a lifetime!

It wasn’t easy, but a decade later, I still pinch myself sometimes! And yes, biking along the canals is as dreamy as it sounds — except of course, when it rains for weeks on end. I’m excited to see what the next decade holds, whether in Amsterdam or beyond!

WHAT HAVE TO LEARNED FROM DECADES OF TRAVELING?
Travel so frequently taught me to be open-minded and adaptable. Some of my most impactful life often came being pushed outside of my comfort zone. Exploring new perspectives — staying with locals, visiting markets, and learning from artisans inspired me to Cultural Anthropology. Today, I like to seek out the essence of a new place through its culture, history, and food.

I prefer to take the scenic route and prioritize responsible travel, respecting local communities and their values. My bespoke City Guides reflect this, focusing on local people, diverse perspectives, and women-led initiatives.

Traveling is a powerful way to understand yourself and the world around you. I hope my stories inspire you to get out and explore, near or far!

DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR GOING FREELANCE?
This is one of the most common questions I get. First things first, figure out your why. What’s the driving force to choose this career path? And does freelance suit what you’re doing? And do you have the foundation to get it going? I think the freelace lifestyle is sometimes over-glamorized by social media. It’s important to figure out what drives you to take an entrepreneurial route.

A successful freelancer isn’t built in a day. There are going to be busy and slow periods, and a string of rejections along side exciting opportunities. No doub,e you’ll face a lot of unexpected challenges and need to figure out on the fly. But if an unpredictable path is your vibe and it fits what you’re doing, selling, or creating… then go for it!

Why am I a freelancer? It’s pretty common for writing and photography gigs to be freelance, that’s the nature of the creative industry. Plus, I’m a Millennial trying to survive various economic recessions post graduation. So, I found a way to turn my multi-hyphenate creative skills into a career. To get started, naturally built up a solid client base in the travel and lifestyle sector. From there, I expanded my wheelhouse into branding and advertising, eventually working for global brands and agencies as a creative director.

But honestly, there were plenty of times that I would’ve loved the consistency and economic stability of a full time job. You have to choose what’s right for you.
You can find more tips about freelancing on my blog.

WHY DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT AMSTERDAM?
I’ll be honest, like any relationship my passion for Amsterdam flows up and down but this city is my adopted home. I’ve grown up here — from my 20s to 30s and Amsterdam changed along with me. I love that Amsterdam blends cultural vibrancy with a cozy, small town feel, although over the years Amsterdam has grown to feel a lot more metropolitan.

Moving abroad by myself was a huge leap of faith (there have been many tears, trials and tribulations to say the least, but coming to Amsterdam and creating a life of my own here gave me a lot of strength and tenacity. Moving here in my 20s gave me the freedom to discover who I wanted to become and the flexibility to figure it out my own path along the way.

In my first few years here, I spent a lot of time wandering through different neighborhoods, connecting with locals and discovering interesting places. These walks inspired my first City Guides, which eventually led to my career as a travel writer and photographer. Today, my work has been featured in publications like Lonely Planet, Fodor’s Travel, Time Out, iAmsterdam, Tripadvisor, and more.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE BESIDES TRAVEL?
My friends often joke that I’m an old soul, an analog gal living in a digital world. I feel tuned into nostaligia in connected to an

I love trying different forms of creativity, from raku ceramics to cyanotypes and natural dye. My parents are artists (a potter and a weaver) so it seems fitting that I would follow a creative path too.

I enjoy connecting with the tactile process of creating with my hands. Whether that’s printing photos in a darkroom, writing with a pen and paper, or preparing colorful, flavorful meals.

As a writer at heart, I’ve always got a pen and notebook near by so I can jot down ideas and inspiration from my daily life and travels. My handwritten journals often turn into City Guides and blog posts that hopefully, inspire others too.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO FILM PHOTOGRAPHY?
Film photography is another life-long passion of mine. I fell in love with the developing and darkroom printing process in my highschool photography class 20+ years ago. But coming of age as digital became ‘the rage’ I never found the same inspiration with digital cameras that I do with film. It’s cool to see the I’ve shot a lot of 35mm film printing in the darkroom for over 20 years. While others went digital, I stuck with vintage cameras, collecting old Polaroids and collecting rolls of film in my fridge. Check out more of my photography or follow me on Instagram

As a freelance creative in Amsterdam, I love working on diverse projects and meeting new people. But sitting behind a computer for too long isn’t my favorite part of the day. My curiosity drives me to explore, create, and learn something new daily, finding inspiration in the world around me.

IS BLOGGING YOUR FULL-TIME JOB?

LilyWanderlust began as a personal project, my own creative corner to share travel stories and photography. My blog is an extension of what I do for work, it all flows together. And it’s led to some amazing work opportunities! If you’re a brand looking to collaborate, get in touch.

My day job is running my freelance creative studio Slick Creative Co. Most of the time, I’m developing content strategy, campaign concepts, and visual stories for global lifestyle, fashion, and travel brands. Then, I work with teams to bring our ideas to life.

Writing and photography have been my life-long creative outlets and while many believe we have to exist in a box, I’m happy to be a hybrid-creative! My love for printed publications dates back to crafting photo journals during my childhood travels and my days as lifestyle editor of my school newspaper.

Well, you made it all the way to the end. Thanks for reading! If you still have questions, use the links below.