Aspiring travel writer takes a break in Almeria, Spain. (2003)
Brace yourselves for a Pretty Major Life Announcement (PMLA) that I myself can barely believe is happening.
It’s been 11 years, seven months and some change since I quit my idiot-proof career at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, sold my car, my house and everything in it, bought a laptop and flew to Europe for open-ended travel and embarrassingly vague plans to become a travel writer.
Overall I can’t complain about what happened next. I indulged in 4.5 years of global nomadic wandering, I became a happier, healthier, wiser person and, to my genuine surprise, I somehow engineered a freelance travel writing career with no training, no connections and no clue that’s endured for, well, 11 years, seven months and some change.
Alas, the past few years of freelancing have been increasingly discouraging. Clients have been closing down or scaling back, fees are getting lower, and I’ve been forced to do way too much exhausting (and unpaid) freelance hustling. After my two biggest clients shut down in late-2013, I started fervently looking for full time work.
Which brings us to the PMLA: On January 19th, I start a new career working for the Mall of America.
[PAUSE FOR SMELLING SALTS TO BE ADMINISTERED]
Those of you who are familiar with my general feelings about malls, shopping and the suburbs may be concerned about an undiagnosed, juggling-related head injury right now, but wait! My job, Tourism Communications Manager, has nothing to do with retail. In fact, it’s delightfully similar to the responsibilities and tasks I enjoy as a freelance travel writer, with the added attraction of a fixed salary, paid vacations and benefits.
I’ll be writing articles/blog posts/copy, working on social media, pitching stories to editors (and writers), and generally promoting a destination. But instead of promoting a new destination every week, I’ll be promoting the same destination, always.
In short, I’ve turned to the Dark Side, as one colleague put it. You may call me “Darth Norwegius.” But I’m excited nonetheless and, most importantly, I go in with a very fresh writer’s perspective on things such as targeted press releases rather than machine gunning and exactly who is helping whom in the writer/destination relationship.
I will undoubtedly continue to moonlight in travel writing (I do have a few fun clients left), and I’ll still be a presence in the travel industry, but I’ll be sitting on the other side of the desk, luring media attention instead of being lured.
That’s the gist of it. Having not worked in an office for almost 12 years, and having never worked for an entity in the private sector, any and all (re)entry advice is welcome.
Also, WTF are “slacks”? Apparently I need to wear them.
Omg I knew it! So awesome!!!
you get to take the light rail to work?! Awesome! Congrats on the new venture! I can’t wait to hear how it turns out.
Congratulations on the new gig! This is HUGE! I am so happy for you.
Congrats on the new adventure, Leif! PS. What is a paid vacation? Sounds interesting.
Congrats Darth Norwegius! I’m sure you’ll do great :)
Congrats and welcome to the not-so-dark side! Looking forward to working with you in this new way!
Congrats! I worked with some previous counterpart there about 10 years ago, when I was up there to shoot a TV segment. Have to admit, I also made fun of our trip to film a mall. Curious to see how you spin it!
Mazel tov! Here’s to paychecks and new projects!
Well done Leif. Paychecks are fun. I think they wear slacks in the movie Office Space. And feel free to borrow my wife’s tag line every time she goes to the MOA- “I didn’t want to go, but it’s the only place with all the things I needed”.
A regular income will do wonders for your wardrobe. Go easy. Start with Dockers, maybe.
But seriously, congrats on the new gig.
Slacks….they’re like trousers.
Congratulations! Your juggling companions may be happier about this than you are. I heard one in particular might have been trying to get your travels limited to the metro area on weekdays and the weekends of tournaments.
Congrats! We’ll look you up when we swing through the Twin Cities.
On your first day there, beat up the biggest, meanest person you encounter to establish dominance, and whatever you do, don’t drop your soap in the shower…no, wait, that’s advice for prison.
Eh, whatever, still relevant.
Good luck with your new gig Leif! I can certainly sympathise with the move. Hope to still catch you on the top 10 travel lists circuit from time to time. James
Remember, when you’re behind the desk, no one can tell if you’re *not* wearing pants.
Hey! As someone who has transitioned from a 15-year career journalism to the Dark Side (as it’s called), it’s not so bad at all! I’ve been doing the PR thing for 10 years this month (at the same place), and it’s A OK. I think the key is to be able to believe in what you’re pitching. Good luck with the big PML transition!!!
Thoughts from across The Pond: 1) No worries about dealing with the Dark Side (you Americans always cast a Brit as the villain in your movies, something to do with the accent) 2) I have only a vague notion what ‘slacks’ are – but I’m certain that a ‘vacation’ in the Queen’s English is the same as a holiday over here – paid or unpaid.
Good luck mate – Ian in sunny Hampshire (the English one)
Congratulations to you, Leif. Also, as weird as this may sound, I’m starting a blog about vending machines (seriously), and I’m all in on a monster post about weird vending machines at the Mall of America, of which I suspect there are many. Currently, the blog has zero readers, and the only copy is a bunch of lorem ipsum place-holder text. It’s a very modest beginning, you might say.
But seriously, if this grabs you, follow me on Twitter at @coincontrol, where I’ll be announcing the “launch” when it happens.
Since no one is saying it: “Boo! Awful!”.
Good job, Old Sport. Work is good.
I love it.
Good luck, and let me wish you many days on the road again soon. I guess change is a good thing, at least in the short run… :)
This is fantastic news – I’m really happy for you!
Congratulations! I was just viewing your other website showing photos of what have been identified as Dracula’s castle and, of course I recognized the real place right away; a few years ago I did a painting of it from a black and white photo in a book, and, of course, with my own interpretation of how it should look — like in early autumn, but before the first snowfall; needless to say; it is entitled “Dracula’s Castle, Under Two Flags;” the Romanian flag, and you can guess what place is represented by the other flag; why, Texas, of course! (Read my comment at the end of Dracula, Vlad Tepes, the man, the myth and the floss). I have never actually been to the castle, but Barn Bluff in Red Wing MN comes close; my son, youngest daughter, and I climbed Barn Bluff, beginning with the less developed Mississippi side and coming back on the more civilized Hwy. 61 side; maybe half as many steps, but the whole area bears a close resemblance. Halfway through the expedition, we took a breather and sat down on a concrete landing in the stairway on the end of the bluff that is bare — no trees growing on it; my daughter had a 16-oz. Dr. Pepper, which we passed around and sipped from it; presently, our cell phone rang; it was a call from family members in Texas! Well, we lived in Red Wing nearly five years — my husband and I, along with our son and youngest daughter; (our oldest daughter had married a young man from there); we had gone there on vacation and decided to stay awhile! When I read you were from Minnesota, I thought you might be able to relate to all this.
Cheryl B. Montoya
San Antonio TX
Hey Leif! I’ve only just found your blog which I found hilarious by the way. Congratulations on earning a more reliable crust, and I look forward to joining your bandwagon. :)