Kimberly Fisher writes for a number of travel publications and is a prolific traveler.
She is also involved with a number of charities (see her bio at the end of this interview).
Recently we had the opportunity to ask her about some of her projects, travel advice and travel writing.
Q. What was your initial inspiration for traveling?
My family has always been very nomadic. We grew up in Alaska and my parents, being multi-racial, would always take us around the world at a very young age.
Q. When did you know you wanted to start travel writing? And what was the impetus for beginning to write?
While modeling and acting, I was always somewhere exotic in the world, and balanced that with going to school. My friends always came to me for travel advice. I had an opportunity to do an “ask the model” column for a popular website, and it pretty much took off from there. That went really well, and I continued writing for different publications.
Q. We noticed you are involved in a number of charities including The Writers Guild Foundation. Can you mention which other ones you are involved with and tell us about your work with these charities and how you have been able to increase awareness for these organizations?
I think it is so important to give back to the community. I am involved with The Writers Guild Foundation, The Make a Wish Foundation, Reading to Kids and The Junior League of Los Angeles. Having somewhat of a “title” and a huge network of people I think increases public awareness to these charities. I also attend as many events as possible during the year.
Q. Any plans in the works to publish a travel book – if so any details?
I am working on 2 new books at the moment~ One is “Dating Tips For Men: 101 Tips From Models, Pinups and Playmates” and “The Jet Set Guide to Travel”.
Q. You certainly have an entrepreneurial spirit. One your projects, Jetsetera, features a number of very unique travel products as well as travel related content. Tell us how you became involved in this and what Jetsetera is about.
I love being able to pack for any trip in about 10 minutes, and I love being stylish and comfortable. I realized that no one really had travel products that fit that mold. Later on in the year we are switching to more private-label products and a travel clothing line. You will find necessities as well as things like organic travel teas and candles.
Q. You contribute content to a number of popular travel sites including your own Budget Luxe. This site is intriguing because because there aren’t many resources that identify luxury locations combined with affordability. Tell us a bit more about Budget Luxe.
BudgetLuxe actually started as a pilot. We are still hoping it gets picked up as a television show, but for right now it is a blog that has deals and tips for on how to travel in luxury for less. Some people are under the impression that you have to have tons of money to travel to nice places, which really is not true.
Q. Can you give us a description of a humorous moment (story, happening or other) from some of your travels?
I had a odd experience with in-room massage in China, a jungle guide that tried to convince me to eat live termites in Belize, fed sharks in Tahiti and one of the worst hangovers ever from Soju rice wine in Korea.
Q. What advice would you give young writers starting their careers?
Like everything in life, experience will make you better. Write as much as you can, everyday. Challenge yourself.
Q. You’ve been to a number of countries – any favorites or specific favorite International locations you can recommend to our readers.
I think Monaco is a beautiful fairytale land, I love the people and food of Belize, Italy and the Greek Islands.
Q. What are some of your favorite activities and or places to visit in Los Angeles?
LA is such a diverse city with endless summer weather. You can do anything here from a casual beach day with street truck food to an evening at the symphony and dinner at a 2 star Michelin Restaurant. Depending on my mood, I love exploring new places and restaurants, walking to outdoor cafes, hiking, biking, Pilates and The Getty.
Q. What do you enjoy the most about travel writing?
I love giving people a different view of the world and sharing my experiences. I have been very blessed.
— And that wraps up the interview. We want to thank Kimberly for taking her time to answer our questions.
Biography
As a renowned travel expert, Kimberly has traveled the world exploring everything from luxury hotels to off-the-beaten-path adventures in almost every state and 39 different countries. In 2009 alone she logged in 100,000 frequent flyer miles.
Sporting a vivacious and charming personality, Kimberly is often featured in international TV and media. Her travel articles have been published in Disarray Magazine, Ocean View Magazine, Play Magazine, ReLiving Magazine, TangoDiva.com, Trazzler.com and 52PerfectDays.com. She is a contributing writer for Viva Guide Books and Guide Gecko, and a former hotel reviewer for CityPorters.com.
She is the national Luxury Lifestyle contributor at Examiner.com. She currently contributes several travel articles weekly to ehow.com and travels.com. (Some recent publications include “The Best Scottsdale Hotels”, “Crazy Things to do in Las Vegas”, “Fun Places in France”, “The Best Caribbean Vacations for Kids” and “How to Start a Travel Business”. She is owner of the online travel blog and boutique Jetsetera.net and BudgetLuxe blog. On camera Kimberly has hosted several shows, including travel segments for “BudgetLuxe”, “N Contrast” and “On the Scene”.
She is a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, International Travel Writers Alliance, International Society for Travel Writing, and the North American Travel Journalists Association. Visit Kimberly’s website at: www.kimberlyfisher.com
This was insightful! Kimberly’s bio is pretty impressive! Thanks for sharing