Behind the Scenes: What It Really Takes to Report a Story From the Field
A message for my PR partners, collaborators, and future hosts
As many of you know, I recently returned from a multi-week assignment in Bolivia—one of the most beautiful, complex, and culturally layered countries I’ve visited in a long time. My trip was filled with the kinds of stories I love to tell: community-driven experiences, culinary traditions, Indigenous knowledge, and landscapes that make you pause mid-sentence.
But today, I want to talk about the other side of travel writing—the part PR professionals rarely hear about, even though it directly affects how we work together.
Because behind every polished article or perfectly framed photo, there’s an entire ecosystem of logistics, emotions, health, safety, deadlines, and human effort that often goes unseen.
This isn’t a plea for sympathy. It’s an invitation to understand the realities of our world—so that we can collaborate more effectively and compassionately.
1. Freelance travel writers often work around the clock
When I’m on assignment, I’m not just traveling. I’m:
Interviewing guides, chefs, and community members
Taking notes on flights, in cars, at lunch
Shooting photos and videos for social media
Responding to editors in different time zones
Drafting pieces on hotel beds at midnight
Posting social content
Uploading files before Wi-Fi collapses
A “travel day” is rarely a day off. It’s more like a 16-hour shift with altitude, weather, or unpredictable variables layered on top.
In Bolivia, this felt especially true. Between 13,000–16,000 feet of elevation, long drives, and breathtaking (literally) landscapes, every day required focus, stamina, and presence.
2. We depend on hosts more than you might realize
Travel writers aren’t walking into familiar territory. We depend on:
Local guides to interpret culture
Tour operators to keep us safe
Drivers to navigate terrain
Hotels to support our work
DMOs to communicate honestly
In Bolivia, I had a moment where my dependence on my hosts became very real. Altitude sickness hit hard. My oxygen levels dropped. My energy vanished. My husband was admitted to the hospital. He was in critical condition and could have lost his life if he had not received medical attention on time. Meanwhile, I had deadlines waiting in my inbox.
This is where the right partners make all the difference.
Thaki Travel was extraordinary!
They:
Monitored and administered oxygen to us every day - in the cars, at the hotel
Reworked the itinerary on the spot
Helped us descend when I needed to
Secured new flights
Adjusted activities
Made sure our safety took priority over any investment or logistics
This is what genuine hospitality looks like—especially for the press.
3. Health issues don’t disappear when the trip ends
Freelancers don’t have “sick leave.”
When we return home, we immediately juggle:
Jetlag
Post-trip health issues
Follow-up interviews
Photo sorting
Invoices
Editorial deadlines
A mountain of emails
After Bolivia, my body needed recovery and rest—I fell sick, but my deadlines didn’t move. That’s the reality many travel editors and PR teams forget: the work doesn’t stop when the plane lands.
Yet somehow, we still deliver—because we care deeply about telling your story well.
4. This work is a privilege—but also a responsibility
I choose this life.
I love it.
And I wouldn’t trade the privilege of meeting incredible people across the world for anything.
But acknowledging the challenges helps PR partners design better trips and support writers more effectively. It leads to:
More thoughtful itineraries
Built-in rest time
Flexibility for weather/health
Realistic story expectations
Stronger long-term relationships
Ultimately, when writers feel cared for, they produce richer, deeper, more impactful stories.
5. Gratitude to the people of Bolivia
Despite the challenges, Bolivia gave me:
Warmth
Community
Resilience
Care
Beautiful moments
Unforgettable food
And so many stories worth telling
From the women on Sun Island who cooked traditional apathai meals, to the guides who carried oxygen tanks without hesitation, to the founders of Thaki Travel who treated me like family—this trip reminded me why I do this work.
Not because it’s easy.
But because it matters.
To my PR colleagues reading this
Thank you for trusting me with your stories about your destinations.
Thank you for understanding the behind-the-scenes effort.
And thank you for continuing to build partnerships that allow writers and destinations to thrive together.
If you ever want to chat about:
Press trip best practices
Designing FAMs that work for freelancers
How to support writer wellness
Or how to craft better narrative opportunities
I’m always happy to share insights from the field.
Travel may push us to our limits sometimes—but with the right partners, it also brings out our best.
Warmly,
Sucheta
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Call for Pitches:
Always open to pitches as long as they are attention-grabbing. Please take a moment to read my Substack post about what I cover and the kinds of stories I would like to be pitched.
I am traveling to India next month and looking for hosted hotels and experiences in Mumbai, Pune and Goa.
For Khabar Magazine: Southeast Asian restaurants and chefs in metro ATL; cookbook authors, food and drink products (anywhere in the world but available in the US). No “authentic, elevated, inspired by grandma” cooking, please! Always open to pitches
For Georgia Trend Magazine: GA-based culinary trends, new restaurant/ business openings, festivals, products, and really good human interest stories. Always open to pitches. Due Dec 24
For AAA: Summer travel destinations and inspiration, travel planning tips, food and drink, home and family life, wellness, and financial and insurance guidance.
For HuffPost: Open pitches for news, policy, or current trend-centered food, drink, travel, and wellness sections. Due Dec 7
Always check the voice of the publication and that the publication has not already covered your topic before pitching.
