For Immediate Release: Sweet Silver

My first-ever NATJA Award; tight deadline source requests; and more tidbits

Would you look at that … I’m the SUBJECT instead of the RECIPIENT of a press release. I like it!

For the past few months, I’ve been trying to not look at email on weekends. But a couple Saturdays ago, I broke that rule and opened my inbox to check on something minor and could hardly believe my eyes when I saw instead something major: an email from the North American Travel Journalists Association congratulating me on earning a Silver Award for my CNN story about the grave adoption program at the Netherlands American Cemetery.

I screamed so loud my poor husband came bounding down the stairs, terrified something was wrong, as the flurry of words tripped over themselves in my excitement: “MY STORY WON A NATJA AWARD!”

Y’all, I have been at this journalism thing a long, long time, and this is the first industry recognition of real significance to come my way since graduating college, and, well, I am pretty damn proud of it (can you tell?). Not only is the story that won incredibly close to my heart, it feels so validating to know that my work has been recognized alongside that of so many well-known writers and top outlets.

So I can’t resist sharing the above press release that NATJA sent to this year’s winners, encouraging us to fill in the blanks with our names and send to our networks — DONE! (And I have to admit: It’s way more fun being the subject of a press release instead of the recipient.)

In these extraordinarily unsettling times, this is an especially bright spot for me, and I’ll never forget how amazing those first few minutes (well, days) felt after I opened that email. Thanks for letting me savor the sweetness just a wee bit longer.

Source Requests (ASAP)

Both of these are verrrrrry tight, so I’d need responses by Thursday, March 6, at the latest. For these and all pitches, PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND to this newsletter. Send a separate email with the subject line: PITCH: [insert story here] to blanebachelor[at]gmail[dot]com, and keep things short, sweet, and to the point. Thanks!

For Afar, I’m looking to speak to families with children from the US who moved to France, Germany, or Costa Rica about why their adopted particular country is a great fit for families. (I’m good on experts for this one; really just looking for sources who can speak about the above.)

Subject Line: Families Living Abroad

For CN Traveler, I need to speak to travel/aviation experts for tips/insights into how to get a cheap last-minute flight. I’m updating an existing story but will be adding some new copy to it, so will discuss further details via email.

Subject line: Cheap Flights

On Deck

I have a handful of fun trips and assignments on the docket: Norway for a small, eco-forward cruise in mid-March, and two trips to the US, one to Miami in early April and the other to the Catskills in late May (flying into/out of Boston). My time in each place is limited, but if you have any cool leads on stories, send me a quick email (like no more than 200 words) about the key intel, and we’ll go from there. Thanks!

And That’s a Wrap

Daffodils are in full force, but the tulips we planted in our little patch of dirt are hot on their heels.

We have had nearly a week — a week!!! — of spectacularly sunny weather here in the Netherlands, and my Florida girl heart is so happy about that. Spring blooms like daffodils and snowdrops (“They look like white tears, Mama!” the little guy exclaimed on our run in the park earlier this week) are popping up everywhere, the days are noticeably longer, and the worst of winter is well behind us.

And that, my friends, is worth celebrating (as is, ahem, a pretty cool award I happened to win recently — have I mentioned that? ;)

‘Till next time,

Blane