I grew up in Wisconsin, in a small town not far from Milwaukee.

I had the good fortune to attend Harvard College, where I studied Folklore & Mythology. As I like to say, I was trained in the art of storytelling. I learned Welsh and wrote my thesis on supernatural tales told by a grandmother. (Perhaps predictable, since my own grandmothers were hugely influential on me.)

I’ve lived most of my adult life in New York City (save a brief detour back to Boston). I moved to Seattle in 2019 for three years—where I fell in love with the Pacific Northwest—and currently live in Washington, DC.

I’ve been lucky to travel all over the world (though Antarctica is still my missing continent). I love hotels, and reckon I’ve stayed in more than 2,000.

I’ve been even more lucky to be married for 10 years to Charles Runnette, a wildly talented creative/editorial director and filmmaker. (I know I’m biased, but still, it’s true.)

We share our lives with a Lagotto Romagnolo—the Italian truffle hunting dog—named Marco, who’s got a big personality.