I’m Megan Spurrell, an experienced travel writer and editor with 10 years in the industry. My travel writing is essentially a hedonist’s guide to the world—bold flavors, gorgeous places, interesting people, stuff that feels good and is actually fun. My job is to bring you, dear reader, into the sensory experience of the places I write about—even if you have no intention of free-diving in Hawaii, or salsa-ing through Mexico City’s oldest dance halls, I hope I can make it feel as though you’re there. I love letting people in on the trends I’m seeing, and identifying what we can learn from cultures who really know how to enjoy life.

So, how did I get here? I’m originally from Los Angeles, but my story winds through Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Southeast Asia, the Bay Area, and lands me, in New York City, where I am now based.

I’ve been writing and editing stories about travel for a decade, and I’m currently on staff at Condé Nast Traveler, where I’ve been since 2017. I work on digital features (ie, long-form and reported stories and essays), and lead on our food and drink content (hard labor that involves trying lots of fabulous restaurants), and our outdoors section, because the combo of raw natural beauty, sweat, and a hit of adrenaline is just as intoxicating to me as one-too-many martinis. If it’s related to the ocean, I’m there (have you heard about my trip to French Polynesia last year?), but I’m also a recovering horse girl drawn to ranch lands and back country.

I focus on feature writing and essays—my inner nerd is pleased when I can report something meaty; my fun-loving self enjoys rattling off thoughts and opinions, as if anybody asked—though I occasionally work on guides to destinations I know really well (who am I to keep my juicy intel from the people?).

Consider me your resident South America expert, though all of Latin America is familiar territory. After a year spent living in Brazil, and a 6-month stint in Peru where I now return several times a year, it feels like a privilege to know the nooks and crannies of the Americas. I speak and report in Spanish, and I can throw about the remnants of my Brazilian Portuguese as needed (my high school French, meanwhile, is only good enough to read a menu).

Work with me

I accept freelance writing assignments.

I love doing on-camera work, as talent, host, or source.

I think social media is fun—takeovers, guest posts, interviews, whatever.

I’m always happy to share tips, whether you need a quote for your article, or help deciding where your next trip should be.