Welcome
I am a freelance writer and blogger with an affinity for telling stories about adventure, action sports, culture, politics, and travel. In 2010, I set off on a surf trip through Central America dictated by weather forecasts rather than guidebooks. Not always the best with directions, I became horribly lost in Nicaragua and hitchhiked with three fruit salesmen for two days. I paid my way by selling manzanas and mangoes out of the back of their truck until they found a neighborhood full of fellow gringos to drop me off at. I’ve traveled through over thirty other countries and currently live in Suva, Fiji.
Current Projects
Moon Bali and Lombok: I am currently researching and writing the first edition to Moon Bali and Lombok from Moon Travel Guides.
Chantae Was Here: My adventure and travel themed blog, Chantae Was Here, attracts thousands of monthly readers who are passionate about explorations our world has to offer. Topics frequently written about include travel, surfing, sustainability, kitesurfing, scuba diving, yoga, and other adrenaline inducing activities. It was named a finalist in the “Inspiring Travel and Adventure” category in BUPA’s 2014 Blog Awards. It was also named one of the Top 25 Adventure Blogs of 2018 by The Adventure Junkies and one of the top 50 Travel Blogs of 2018 by People Maven.
The Salt Sirens, Founder and Editor: An ocean-themed website for women centered around marine conservation and ocean sports.
Perceptive Travel, Associate Editor, Contributor: An award-winning online travel magazine, Perceptive Travel features offbeat stories around the globe by professional travel writers who are also book authors.
Skyscanner Australia, Social Media Manager, Contributor: Skyscanner is the world’s top flight search engine. My duties involve crafting social media posts, engaging with our audience, and contributing travel-related articles for the news section.
Background and Qualifications
Degree and Qualifications:
I have a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Legal Psychology from the University of Southern California.
Extreme/Action Sports and Adventure Experience:
Wakeboard: Co-Founder and President of USC Wakeboard Team, where my team members and I coordinated trips, taught lessons, and competed for titles.
Snowboard: Competed in the giant slalom and boarder-cross competitions for four years while attending USC.
Surf: Competed in surf contests while attending USC.
SCUBA: Hold PADI Open Water and SSI Adventure Diver certifications.
Freediving: Hold AIDA** freediving certificate. Personal best of 30 meters depth, static apnea time of over 4 minutes.
Various Adventure Experiences: Have trekked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, trekked to the summit Mt. Rinjani in Indonesia, bungy jumped in New Zealand, bungy jumped at Victoria Falls, skydived in California, kitesurfed over 20 kilometers of Shark Bay in Western Australia, and have traveled through over twenty-five countries as a solo traveler.
Publication Credits
- 30A
- 4WD Touring Australia
- Adelaide.com.au
- The Adventure Junkies
- Backpacker Essentials
- Bali Surfer Girls
- Boating Magazine
- The Dyrt
- Escape
- Fansided
- Fuel TV
- LocalPOV.com of Sports Illustrated
- Mamamia.com.au
- Mapquest
- Matador Network
- Neon Tommy
- News.com.au
- Parabola Magazine
- Perceptive Travel
- The Planet D
- Rad Season
- The Salt Sirens
- SEE Africa Magazine
- Scott’s Cheap Flights
- The Slideshow
- Skyscanner Australia
- Standup Journal
- Surf’s Up: The Girl’s Guide to Surfing, Contributing Author
- Surfd.com
- SurfGirl Magazine
- Travel + Leisure
- Travel by Lightfoot Magazine
- Travioor.com
- Trivago
- VICE
- Wanderful
- World Nomads
Copywriting Credits
- TheCrazyTourist.com
- ExtremeSport.tv
- Hipmunk.com
- Ker & Downey Africa
- Lily Trotters
- NapaValley.com
- Sonoma.com
- WineCountry.com
Public Speaking and Media Interviews
- Design a Life of Adventure (USA): Guest lecture at California State University Long Beach, May 2017
- Talking Lifestyle (Australia): Radio Interview, February 2018
- World Nomads (Australia): Podcast Interview, May 2019