About

Josephine Matyas has reported from around the world – with a tender spot for wild places of great beauty. Think: Peru’s Amazon Basin, the savannah of Kenya, Swiss glaciers and the winter (and summertime) beauty of Canada’s Yukon. She has won numerous awards for her writing, plus a few for photographs that accompany her articles.

The pathway to a career in writing has been a bit circuitous. It all started with writing government research papers and detoured into a freelance life of travel, food and lifestyle.

Getting from “there” to “here” . . .

It wasn’t hard to see that – during that government stint – a travel addiction ravaged the paycheque. Cutting out the middleman looked like the prudent move – voila! – a sudden career detour into travel writing. Her first piece sold in 45 minutes. Within three days that one article was parlayed into a bi-weekly newspaper travel column that ran for seven years. Jo has been writing travel features ever since (to feed that travel-addicted soul) and food, lifestyle and environmental pieces. So far, so good.

A bit about Josephine Matyas

She is a full-time freelance writer whose work has appeared in publications from Canada to the U.S. to Australia. Jo also co-write travel pieces with her husband, writer and musician Craig Jones. Their consumer website, Travels With Rigby, www.travelswithrigby.com, has a focus on RV travel, pet-friendly travel, food and music destinations.

Thousands of her articles and photographs have appeared in a wide variety of newspapers, magazines and websites including:

  • Zoomer
  • West of the City
  • Doctor’s Review
  • CAA magazine
  • TraveLife
  • Canadian Living
  • Canadian Tourism Commission/Destination Canada
  • Southbound
  • DREAMSCAPES Travel and Lifestyle Magazine
  • Canadian RVing
  • Good Life
  • Kingston Life Magazine
  • Backpack
  • Ensemble Vacations
  • Welcome Back Students
  • Toronto Star
  • The Globe and Mail
  • inflight magazines such as Sunwing and Signature Vacations

You’ll find samples of published pieces under the section “articles” and images in the “photo gallery.”

My approach to travel

I specialize in exploring and writing about ecotourism and soft outdoor adventure (give me a kayak, canoe, snorkel or hiking boots). When I travel, I look for the undiscovered side of a destination – usually with a strong component of food, the environment and local culture (festivals, markets, heritage, music, history). I write enthusiastically about off-the-beaten path locations.

Editors like to know that I file on time (always), early (sometimes). In addition to writing, I am a bit of a stickler for details, which has been a perfect fit for my editing and copy editing roles:

  • Online editor (www.kingstonlife.ca), 2008-2009
  • Associate Editor for Welcome Back Students, Bride Guide, Kingston Visitor Guide, Conference Kingston and Key to Kingston, 2008-2009
  • Managing Editor for Cottage Times, 2005 and 2006

Memberships

  • Travel Media Association of Canada (TMAC), member and past board member; past co-president
  • American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA)
  • 2009 and 2010 panelist with National Geographic’s Destination Stewardship survey (http://traveler.nationalgeographic.com/2009/11/destinations-rated/panelists-text)