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After much pondering and the need to “Roam around the World,” in March 1998, I literally hit the road. My first assignment as a travel nurse placed me in the arms of Orangeburg, South Carolina. With moss-covered trees and southern hospitality, the need for creativity was reborn. I taught myself photography and rekindled my childhood love of writing.
The art of crafting a story and bringing it to life with photography developed at the Time and Democrat, a local newspaper. The July, 2000 story, Invasion at the Regional Medical Center, was an introduction to being paid for what I loved.
Other work included letters to the editor and opinion pieces. During a six-month stint in Savannah, Georgia, with my camera, pencil and paper in tow, I worked for the Savannah Morning News and the island editions of Close-Up. It provided more practice with newspaper work as well as a way to learn about the town and all it had to offer.
In February, 2001, a call from the editor of Walking magazine confirmed my writing talent. They wanted to publish my story, Diary of a Fat Girl. Two months later, the magazine featured me in the April “Spotlight” section. In this same year with varying months until 2003, I wrote for Advance for Nurses and Nursing Spectrum, trade magazines.
Healthcare Traveler magazine, geared towards the travel side of the health care profession, gave me wings to soar. With a current listing of twenty-six plus articles, interviews and contest won pieces, this was my best work to date. Soon I practiced the art of magazine writing, interviewing and meeting deadlines. A genuine rush comes over me when I craft a story from idea to completion. Compare it to that of an architect or even an engineer. During that time I was added to the Advisory Board of HT, which was a great honor. I have represented four companies in this role, my current position with Foundation Medical Staffing and past positions with American Mobile Network, Cross Country TravCorp and All About Staffing.
In 2007, my travel adventures were mentioned in the book, Work It Girl! The Guide to Professional Success by Lorraine Morris and Pamela McBride.
Since flexibility is my middle name, my past work included several in-house newsletters for American Mobile Network and Gambro as well as a fitness center in Clovis, New Mexico. My Letters to Editors appear in various newspapers, writer’s magazines and twice in O, the Oprah magazine.
This page, The Fat Girls Club, is a healthy mix of travel information, photography and the exploration of thoughts as I search out my heart’s desire while sharing it with you, my readers. On TripAdvisor, my readership is currently at 325,000. I'm humbled by the fact so many people enjoy reading my reviews. You can read more about me at writerontheroadway.com or as writeandtravel on Twitter.
So put the top down, crank up the radio and let’s see where the next turn in the road will take us.
Love, light and life,
Lila
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