Meet Discover Walks Guest Writers
Alexandre Gourevitch
I am Alexandre. Some 12 years ago, Jim J. and I (along with Bertrand and Thomas) started Discover Walks. A guided tour company dedicated to discovering great cities around the world, in the company of born-and-raised locals. As an entrepreneur in travel, I have been fascinated by innovations that have made travel and tourism what they are today. In the next few instalments, I will be presenting – and discussing – those great innovations that occurred at one point or another and that make travelling the wonderful leisure that it has become today.
Number of articles: 5
View all articles
Bliss Goldstein
Bliss Goldstein has written for The San Francisco Chronicle, HuffPost, and is the 2022 Winner of CALYX Journal’s Margarita Donnelly Prize for Prose Writing. She taught writing at Western Washington University in Washington State, USA. She holds a masters degree from Stanford University. At her core, she’s a frustrated rabbi because she could never learn to read Hebrew. At the same time, she’s a Jew-Bu, a Jew who practices Buddhism and meditates regularly. Bliss believes travel is a spiritual practice, though sometimes the journey is just between one’s ears. Fellow pilgrims are invited to follow her here on “THE PATH,” as well as travel to blissgoldstein.com.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Brian Feutz
I’m Brian Feutz, a popular writer covering travel, retirement, technology, and finance. I retired from a technology career and have since become a six-time “Top Writer” on Medium, a guest speaker on podcasts, and received recognition for both non-fiction and fiction writing. My wife and I live on an island in the breathtaking beauty of Washington State’s Puget Sound. We travel and explore our own and other countries and publish insights that offer unique (and sometimes humorous) perspectives that entertain and inform. Have you ever been in a Mexican jail? I have and I don’t recommend it. I’ve also been stranded in Vienna, lost in Croatia, struggled through an earthquake in San Francisco, explored caves in Belize, and caught COVID in Zihuatanejo. I’ve lived as an exchange student and hosted three students from around the world. Life is full of triumphs, turmoil, and surprises – and I enjoy writing about them. Follow me here and on my personal blog: brianfeutz.com. You’ll also find me on Twitter and Medium. Comments and questions? brian@brianfeutz.com (Oh, and the jail thing was a simple misunderstanding.)
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Don Giannatti
Hi, I’m Don Giannatti, a professional creative with a career spanning more than five decades in the fields of photography, arts mentorship, and writing. My sojourn has taken me from the vibrant and bustling cities of Los Angeles and New York to Phoenix and the expansive desert and majestic mountains of the southwest. I'm proud to have built the third-largest ad agency in Arizona in the 90s and 2000s, where we designed award-winning campaigns for clients all around the globe. Over the years, I've done many things; from helping companies go public, photographing famous personalities, to mentoring hundreds of photographers looking to up their game. My photographic specializations included fashion, editorial, and advertising photography. Now, I dedicate much of my time to teaching other photographers how to navigate the challenging world of professional photography. I firmly believe everyone can have a fulfilling and sustainable creative life. That belief is grounded in hard work, perseverance, and strong personal ethics, which I consider the cornerstone of my success. I've authored six books on photography and the business of photography, and I'm excited to be currently working on my seventh. Beyond my professional life, I enjoy going on long motorcycle road trips for my photography projects, playing jazz drums, and composing music. Creativity, in all its forms, is what truly drives me. At the moment, I'm spearheading "The Creative Class," a unique workshop for photographers and visual artists. It's designed to help creatives build sustainable businesses within the visual communications sector. My goal? To help more creatives make their dreams a reality through consistent growth and deliberate action. To learn more about me, my career, or my services, please visit my website at www.dongiannatti.com.
Number of articles: 3
View all articles
Douglas Gruehl
I started at age 5 with a HUGE hating of the movie Fantasia and from then on went on to critique everything I saw - I was always wondering what the hype was about Gone WithThe Wind and Wizard of Oz and especially Citizen Kane. Was enthralled with Saratoga, It Happened One Night, and Sunset Boulevard. And here I am now!
Number of articles: 42
View all articles
Elijah Jones
I'm Elijah Jones journalist, writer, activist, and musician in my free time. I was born and raised in Detroit, US. My biggest inspirations are Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. I grew up seeing and reading what they've done for black people. It significantly impacted my life and mentality and motivated me to keep fighting for a more just and equal world where people can coexist with all their differences. In this column, you will see my impressions of being a black person in the US and what's happening in the black community. "Darkness can not drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that." – Martin Luther King Jr.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Floriane Gaber
My name is Floriane. I have always been interested in the arts in public spaces; I have devoted several books to it. Today I am a tour guide and I take visitors to discover Paris. I have had the chance to visit around sixty countries and, each time, I have asked myself: “What makes this place really special?” ". My new project is therefore to write a series of articles on the theme “How to put a city on the map?”
Number of articles: 11
View all articles
Frederick Davis
Art is my passion, and I love all kinds of it. However, from painting to music, one caught my attention more, the seventh art. I can spend the whole day binge-watching all sorts of movies. I adore analyzing photography, Acting, Characters, Direction, etc. My favorite movie of all time is Casablanca. The way it was directed, the actors' performance, dialogue, plot, acting, and music make this film a classic masterpiece. I plan to write a lot of information about the film industry in this column, just as my opinion about movies and celebrities. Stay tuned, and make sure to check out my following articles!
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
George Wilson
I'm George, but my friends and family call me Geordie, so feel free to call me whatever you like best. I've been a Football freak since I'm a kid. I remember playing and watching it all the time, which made me grow up and become a football scout for a small club in the Uk. So here I'll share my thoughts about the industry and the players I like the most.
Number of articles: 7
View all articles
Gregg Stebben and Ilya Ponomarev
Gregg Stebben is a journalist. He has interviewed US Presidents Clinton and Bush 41, Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, and many other politicians and newsmakers. He appears frequently on radio all over the US, and has hosted podcasts for Men’s Health Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and others. He is also the author of 19 books, including "White House: Confidential" and "Internet Privacy For Dummies." Ilya Ponomarev is a former member of the Russian Parliament who is now fighting for Ukraine. In 2014, he was the only member of the Russian Parliament to vote against the annexation of Crimea. His new book is titled "Does Putin Have to Die?: The Story of How Russia Becomes a Democracy after Losing to Ukraine," and you can find out more at DoesPutinHavetoDie.com. Gregg and Ilya run a show on Beamz.live.
Number of articles: 11
View all articles
Gregg Stebben and Tomasz Nadrowski
Gregg Stebben is a journalist. He has interviewed US Presidents Clinton and Bush 41, Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, and many other politicians and newsmakers. He appears frequently on radio all over the US, and has hosted podcasts for Men’s Health Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and others. He is also the author of 19 books, including "White House: Confidential" and "Internet Privacy For Dummies." Tomasz Nadrowski spent his early youth under the Communist dictatorship in Poland and he clearly remembers the sound of tanks rolling in the streets and the pungent taste of tear gas. After fleeing Poland, he has lived, studied and worked in Switzerland, Japan, South Africa and the United States. Working in the global commodities industry, he developed risk models that continue to be used in the investment profession to this day. During his career, he has criss-crossed over a hundred countries on seven continents, feeding his interest in world history and geopolitics and gaining fluency in many tongues, including conversational skills in languages of East Asia and Eastern Europe.
Number of articles: 5
View all articles
Gülsün Uluer
I'm an Istanbul-based writer and travel-lover who has visited more than 20 countries on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. For the first half of my life, I was surrounded by numbers and facts. I majored in Mathematical Engineering at university, earned a master's degree in Technology Management, and spent 18 years in the IT industry. In the second half, I prefer to see the world through the lens of words, stories, and possibilities. My main interests are creativity, literature, art, words, different cultures around the world, mythology, and psychology. In my newsletter, Words of the World , I discuss interesting words from different languages in the context of cultural and social facts. In addition, for my column here, Language Nomad, I will write about unknown, intriguing, nudging, heartwarming, and convergent facts and stories about words from different languages.
Number of articles: 1
View all articles
Jane Trombley
Hi, I'm Jane Trombley - a veteran of a jagged career path riddled with pivots. I've had starts, stops, resets - all the stuff that gives life its rich texture. Travel has long been my passion. Writing, however, has been the throughline in my personal and professional life. Some of that texture is described here. My topics arc across my Boomer fancy - specifically, travel and what appears to be aging's interest in me. Writing a column that melds the two - travel and aging - seems perfect. Occasionally I'll riff on life lessons. I have particular expertise from living three score and more years. I couldn't help but pick up a few pointers along the way. Follow me on Medium or my website IG: @3scoreandmore Questions/comments? Please drop a line: notetojet@gmail.com I hope to see you on this journey.
Number of articles: 1
View all articles
Jay Knight
Jay knight is the pen name I have used to write three books. In 2014, I wrote a book entitled The Happy Class which was, for a short time, an Amazon best seller. In 1990, I was a co-founder of Discovery Zone, which made a lot of kids happy. Most of my career has been in helping to start companies and some of that background can be found here.
Number of articles: 11
View all articles
Jillian Amatt
I was very fortunate to have grown up in the beautiful Rocky Mountains in Canada. My parents took me traveling at a young age and it sparked a life long desire in me to explore the world. In 2017 I decided to make traveling my number one priority. My partner and I sold all of our possessions and headed out into the world on a one way ticket to see what we could find. Throughout the years we have met some amazing people and have had many incredible experiences that I love sharing with others through my photography and writing.
Number of articles: 2
View all articles
Jim Jorgensen
I grew up in a small city in Wisconsin and moved to California in 1970 to go to school. Forty years later, I helped start Discover Walks headquartered in Paris. We have employed travel guides in over 1,000 cities around the world. In the meantime, I traveled to 49 states (sorry Alaska) and visited over 50 countries. I have traveled using “Europe on $10 a Day '' as my guidebook. And, I have made trips using private jets. I have become a bit of a lodging snob over time, but hate wasting money on anything. I have eaten street food in almost all 50 of those countries and have been sick from it only once (beach food in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil). I have met, worked, and traveled with some of the most interesting people around. For most of my life, people have asked me for personal travel advice. It is one reason I wanted to do this column. I plan to write not only about current travel and people, but also tell some of the more interesting stories about ‘Traveling Through Life’. As a side note, I wrote a book about happiness in 2014 and have a column based on it here.
Number of articles: 12
View all articles
Julia Giuliani
I've always been fascinated by the glamour of Hollywood, but especially by the actor's and actresses' lifestyles. I've always seen them traveling on private jets, enjoying huge yachts in Sardeña, and going to the best parties in the world, and I wondered if their lives were as perfect as they looked. After many years of thinking about it, I realized that everybody has problems and these celebrities also have many, so I decided to write about them to show people that they are also facing many issues regarding their careers and personal life.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Kaden Thaxton
Hello, I'm Kaden. I am a writer, editor, educator, and world traveler. At 14, I self-published two novels (albeit not very good ones), and it got me hooked on writing. I have since grown to be a travel writer, journalist, activist, copy editor, English tutor, prolific book-reviewer, and so much more. I love seeing, learning about, and experiencing new things, whether that be in a book studying history or on a plane headed to another continent—or both at the same time! As I continue to grow and develop, I want to live life to the fullest, share what I learn, and build community to collectively make a positive impact on the world. In this column, you'll hear about my experiences, lessons, and tips, and about wonderful places around the world that will hopefully inspire you to get out and explore wherever you are.
Number of articles: 6
View all articles
Kristin Henning and Tom Bartel
After a 30-year career in publishing, Tom Bartel and Kristin Henning shed their last publication, their house, and most of their possessions. In 2010, they gave their dog to their daughter and set out on a journey to see the world. Kris and Tom combine a love of culture with enthusiasm for the outdoors. Their travels vary between long stays in such cultural cities as London, Barcelona, Rome, and Beijing, detours to UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and spurts of hiking or biking in Europe, Australia, Asia, or the United States National Parks. Even before taking to the road full time, Kris and Tom were students of the world. They’ve spent months in London going to the theater, a summer in Rome studying Latin, three months in Florence studying art history, and have visited nearly every major museum and church in Europe. They’ve lived in Madrid and Quito while teaching English, and earned their keep housesitting in Spain, Chile, Sydney, and elsewhere. They currently blog about their travels at TravelPast50.com.
Number of articles: 2
View all articles
Lucas Braga
I am Lucas, a Brazilian marketer passionate about sports, especially Football, Travel, and languages. Sports and travel have been part of my life since I was a kid. I remember going to football games with my father and traveling with my family were my favorite things. Growing up, it kept making part of my life, and because of that, I started to learn languages, lived in 3 countries, and visited more than 14. While watching football games and visiting sightseeing, I have been to 25 cities around the globe and still counting. Here I will write and express my opinion about traveling, living abroad, and consuming sports.
Number of articles: 3
View all articles
Luiz Seabra
Hey! It's Luiz writing. I'm a Brazilian economist who loves making great memories from new experiences. I have always had this goal of traveling around the world and meeting new places and people, and that's what I'm doing now. Passionate adventurer, If you are looking for crazy adventures, you found the perfect guy. I also speak three languages and have visited over 20 countries (so far). Here I will write about some of my traveling experiences and some economic content from time to time.
Number of articles: 2
View all articles
Mary Madison
The film industry is my passion. I love to watch from old to actual movies and series. This passion came from my mother, with whom I remember watching movies together on Sunday evenings during my childhood. I feel that I'm passing this passion to my daughter, and she in crazy about horror and romance movies. So you can expect in this column my honest point of view on the new and classic blockbusters from Bollywood to Hollywood.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Mike Armand
I watch football since I'm 6 years old and I'm not planning to stop - even though there are some good reasons to waste my time on something else. My favorite teams are Paris Saint Germain and obviously the French national team.
Number of articles: 2
View all articles
Nirbhay Pherwani
Hi, I'm Nirbhay Pherwani, a Tech Writer and Columnist passionate about all things Android, Kotlin, and Jetpack Compose. I'm here to provide you with insightful articles, tutorials, and deep dives into the ever-evolving tech landscape. Follow along for the latest updates, and to learn more about me, visit my website. Feel free to reach out for questions or collaborations.
Number of articles: 1
View all articles
Olivia Hernandez
I'm a journalist, half Mexican, half American, and my hobby since I'm a teenager has been writing about celebrities. It all began with my love for Britney spears and her life in the 00s(I used to buy all the magazines she was in). Since then, I have always followed what they are doing in their lives and write about it. I will tell you the latest news in the celebrity world. So follow me to keep yourself updated.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Paul Harris
Paul Harris. I'm a physical education professional, marathoner, and passionate about Sports, but I confess that basketball is my favorite. I'm a Lakers fan, By the way. I firmly believe sports are a tool for social transformation, especially in poor communities. It can help change the world in many ways, and my goal is to spread it to as many people as I can during my life. To accomplish that, I've taught sports in a couple of countries for over 20 years. So you can expect to see in this column many articles about how we can use sports to impact people's lives and about my experience teaching it.
Number of articles: 7
View all articles
Peter Rosenwald
The endless and wonderful chaos which engulfs us is my beat. I enjoy bringing a somewhat distaff view of the arts, politics, and random happenings to the subjects I choose to write about. I have difficulty suffering fools gladly and while accepting, illuminating, and speculating on our human foibles, I always try to take a step back of sufficient distance to see their humor and the pathos. Having spent my life building international companies, living in countries as different as the UK and Brazil, writing for the Wall Street Journal, New York Magazine, Rio Times and the Guardian, among others, meeting and enjoying the friendship of a very wide group of vibrant people, my writing is an effort at sharing the wonder of it all.
Number of articles: 3
View all articles
Reece Beckett
Reece Beckett is a film critic, music critic and poet. He has written for Filmhounds, The Indiependent, EveryDejaVu Record's Music Blog, Cinematary, Taste of Cinema and many others. He also published a poetry collection, Portrait of a City on Fire, with Impspired Publishing in 2020. Currently, he edits the Film section at Counter Arts.
Number of articles: 1
View all articles
Saar Ba Khan
My name is Saar Ba Khan. I live in London but as an expat. Actually, there are lots and lots of foreign residents like me in London. To the point where in some areas, particularly in some affluent areas, meeting a Brit, one with a proper British accent and all, is a rare thing. They claim that overall, 1 person in 3 who lives in London is not British. I would venture that in many district, that number is even higher than 1 in 3. So I thought I would tell Londoners what I, as a foreigner, love about their city of London. And what I hate about London too, why not. This will be a series with multiple installments, believe me.
Number of articles: 5
View all articles
Vanessa Waithera
Writing has always been my source of comfort, I managed to find sanity through my words, especially when the weight of motherhood took a toll on me. As a writer and digital marketing strategist, I get excited when creating all sorts of content about motherhood on social media platforms. When I am not writing you'll find me in the kitchen trying to make cookies out of Weetabix for my little one or watching historical documentaries on Netflix.
Number of articles: 19
View all articles
William Robinson
I'm William, and I grew up in Sacramento, California. Since I was a young kid, I've been fascinated by the celebrity world. I used to watch Hollywood movies and the Oscars and imagine the lives of those actors and actresses performing those fantastic characters. Then, when I was 22, I moved to LA to be closer to my idols and follow their daily routine. Since then, I've been writing about their lives, businesses, curiosities, and careers. My goal in this column is to tell you as much information as I know about artists and keep you informed about what they are doing in their careers.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Zawadi Atieno
I'm Zawadi Atieno, the writer behind this column. I'm an experienced traveler who wants to share tips about my trips and make people's lives easier when traveling around the globe. I've been to more than 40 countries and started to write because of my passion for sharing experiences and helping people. Whether traveling alone or with friends, I love having different experiences. It gives you another perspective of the place you are visiting, and you also avoid crowded places. Here you'll see many articles with my point of view about several places, especially in Africa, the continent I visited the most.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Zayera Khan
I am an explorer. Exploring, traveling, and nature coincide with each other. To date July 2023, I have visited 60 countries; as a solo traveler, as a group traveler, with a friend or partner. In some countries, I have participated in volunteering projects in nature, with farming or animals. The activity of traveling, and being a visitor is a part of my identity. An explorer observing new cultures, languages, and customs. I am where the locals are. Experiencing daily life. As I am a curious person, not your average tourist. So I ask questions and like to figure things out. Sometimes I only observe and listen. About myself, I was born in 1974 in Karachi, Pakistan. My parents are Muslim and I grew up in an Urdu and Punjabi-speaking household. When I was 4 years old, we relocated and lived in Nigeria until I was 10 years old. My childhood memories are very fond. We experienced challenges and hardships; being sick with malaria every year. Or that summer when the roof blew away from our house in a tropical storm. At the age of 10 years, we relocated to Lund, Sweden. Learning Swedish and getting accustomed to a new lifestyle. Walking and biking to school, living a calm peaceful life in Sweden. Yet being an outsider. A person slowly adapting to a new culture and environment. I wanted to explore other places in Sweden and moved at the age of 20 to study. I studied Cognitive Science and Interaction Design at the University of Skövde and Malmö. In the year 2000, I started working in IT. Through this path, I ended up spending 7 years in Switzerland from 2001 until 2008. With a year in Amsterdam, Holland, from 2006-2007. Since 2008 I have been based in Stockholm, Sweden. In my professional life, I have continued working in the field of product development, designing new products and services. On my vacations and leisure time, I continue to be adventurous and explorative. I hope to share my adventures and reflections with you. Reflections from life in Sweden and what you as a visitor or traveler may encounter.
Number of articles: 4
View all articles
Zoran Stojković
My name is Zoran Stojković, and I was born in Serbia in 1991, moving to Victoria in 2001. I graduated from UVic in 2015 with a BSc in Psychology and moved back to Europe to complete a MSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology. I've coached tennis for 15+ years and have been supporting athletes for 5+ years as a Mental Performance Consultant. I train athletes on mental performance strategies (being calm under pressure, managing energy, setting clear goals, staying confident) so they perform on demand in major competitions and enjoy life while in the pursuit of greatness. I value growth, and enjoy reading books and listening to podcasts on human development, have produced 2 seasons of a podcast on team culture (see Cultivate your Culture), enjoy watching sports documentaries (fav one is The Last Dance) and stay active in a variety of sports including HIIT training, tennis and bouldering. I spend time with my wife Josipa and dog, Taco in our home in Saanich, BC.
Number of articles: 10
View all articles