Tilted Map means a different way of looking at something familiar. I believe in looking at sustainable travel in a different way.

I also believe you can make any kind of travel more sustainable. It doesn’t have to be boring, or expensive, or involve a kayak or a hut in the rainforest.

I also believe it’s not about being perfect; it’s about doing better.

I write about sustainability, but I don’t believe in preaching down to people.

While most of the Italian recipes I share are meatless (and damn tasty), I’m not vegan.

And when I cross the ocean, I don’t do it in a sailboat.

I believe in trying to do the best we can, while still living our lives and getting out and seeing this beautiful world. 

I use the term “zero-waste” for my reviews of products that are produced responsibly, with less impact and less packaging. Please know that I don’t mean “zero” literally. We don’t have to aim for zero, which is impossible. We just have to try to do better.

And I’m passionate about supporting the businesses – usually small businesses that real people pour their lives into – that make that possible. 

This blog is about both travel and sustainability. Wanting to see the world and caring about keeping it in good shape? I think those are pretty compatible interests.

As it turns out, I’m not alone. A lot of you, my readers, have written to say that you found me via one topic and then stuck around for the other. Thank you for that!

Why I Started Tilted Map

I’ve always loved to write, and to travel. I earned my Bachelor’s in Journalism, then moved to China, where I started my first, very personal, blog.

So I had already been living abroad and travel blogging for years when I went back to school in Italy to get my masters in Sustainable Business and Energy.

When I finished, I wanted to combine the two – travel and sustainability. That’s how Tilted Map began.

To me, “sustainable travel” isn’t just about eco-lodges in the rainforest. There are more sustainable ways to do every type of travel.

A lot of dollars flow through the travel industry. One of my biggest goals is to help readers spend their travel budgets with companies that operate ethically, and do their best to protect the environment. (Because in every industry – airlines, hotel chains, cruise ships and beyond – not all companies are the same.)

My Story

So, far I’ve lived abroad for five years of my life – but I grew up in the mountains of Northwest Montana, right on the border of Glacier National Park. I’ve always been a nature lover, and that’s part of why I’ve been writing about sustainability and the environment ever since I started blogging.

I left Montana after college, with a job teaching English to 300 university students in China, a side-hustle as a freelance magazine writer… and just one word of Mandarin.

(If you want some simple, fun reading, my old posts about China are some of my favorites.)

And while living in China, I met the man who would become my husband. He’s from Italy, and when we were both ready to leave China, we spent six months backpacking around New Zealand and Southeast Asia to get to know each other.

(Trust me: After living in a minivan for two months with someone, you know whether the relationship can work or not.)

Then we moved to Italy together! I studied hard and learned Italian, we got married in Milan, and I went to graduate school for Sustainable Business and Energy at Bocconi University.

I fell in love with a lot of aspects of Italian culture – and I love to write about cultural differences between the US and Italy, which, of course, includes a lot about food culture.

I’ve also briefly held a desk job in France (during which I time I wrote only one post about France, and it’s about the toilet paper). I spent a semester studying in Spain, and some summers guiding students around Nicaragua and the Caribbean. And had healthy stints as a nomad with a backpack in between.

(My tips for how to move abroad are all in this post.)

And since I’ve found ways to travel to more than 40 countries since college, you’ll also find all kinds of stories here about exploring the world! Tales of adventure and of culture shock, joy, frustration, love and, hopefully, inspiration. (Even for when you can’t travel.)

Do you have questions?

Whether it’s a brand to test, a book to read, or a destination that’s doing something uniquely sustainable. I might not have the answer, but I spend a lot of time testing products, calling experts, and tracking down answers for this blog, so I love to hear what’s on readers’ minds.