Wander With Wonder is possible because of a group of amazing writers who love to travel—Around the World or Across the Street—and share experiences with you, our readers. We are sharing some of those stories with you over the next few weeks. Follow along as our contributors talk about travel, making connections, and the future of travel with our Wander readers.

Join us today as we chat with Penny Sadler, our Wander With Wonder Lifestyle & Wine Editor.

Why Travel Writing?

My family didn’t really travel, other than to move from California to Texas and back several times. I think I got hooked on travel in grade school geography class. I recall reading about places like Pompeii and the Black Forest. An entire city covered by a lava flow sounded like the coolest thing ever to me. I’m pretty sure my wanderlust was born in the classroom.

I always kept a journal and started writing for print in the 90s. Journaling is sort of like the old school form of travel blogging. It all seemed natural to me, I never thought about it, I just did it.  

I love interviewing people for articles; I’m a very good listener. I’ve been told I’m excellent at drawing information from even the most reticent individuals.

The best part of being a travel writer is the people I meet. My biggest challenge is staying focused on the task at hand; I’m very curious and easily distracted by sparkly things.

What Do You Offer Wander Readers?

I offer Wander readers my personal perspective as a creative individual who believes one of the most unforgivable things is to be boring. I find adventures everywhere. I really do love the “Across the Street” section of Wander because it illustrates that you don’t have to travel far to find something of interest.

What is a Favorite Wow Moment?

Rome was a big wow for me. Everything about it seemed larger than life and much better than I expected.

What is Your Best Travel Advice?

You may have heard the expression, if something scares you, do it? Well, for me traveling is like that. Most people would never guess that I’m actually a little afraid to travel. But somehow, my curiosity was stronger than my fear. For this reason, I’d say if you don’t travel because of fear, especially fear of going alone, let’s talk.

Do You Have a Funny Story to Share?

The first time I went to Venice I spoke almost no Italian (still don’t) and the locals weren’t into speaking it with me either. One day I was walking around the open-air market checking out the fresh produce. I reached out to pick an apple and the woman standing behind the stall screamed at me in Italian not to touch anything. I was so shocked that without thinking I screamed back at her, ” Mi dispiace!” which is Italian for sorry! I think I shocked myself far than she had just shocked me.

What is Always in Your Carry-on Bag?

I always have eye drops, hand lotion, and something to read.

Where Do You Hope to Travel Soon?

Originally I was going to spend a lot of time in Europe during 2020. I had a barge cruise in Italy booked for April. After that, I was going to go to the Côte d’ Azur. Obviously, those didn’t happen in April. Anyway, I’m honestly not sure at the moment, but I hope that the barge cruise may be on for late September. I’m also working on a few possible road trip itineraries. It’s just a little too soon to say at the moment because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Biggest Bucket List Item You Can Imagine

An around the world trip—I find our planet and its inhabitants endlessly fascinating.