Very Superstitious

An ominous date; a fiery horse; the backstory of a seemingly routine news story

The Lunar Year that started on Feb. 17 marks the year of the Fire Horse, and I am here for it.

I’d planned to get this newsletter out last Friday but then I realized that it was FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!! Dun dun dunnnnnnn!!!

I can all but guarantee that I’m one of the most superstitious people you’ll ever meet. I will walk (or drive or ride my bike) a full mile out of the way just to avoid having a black cat cross my path. If I spill any salt, you best believe I toss a pinch over my left shoulder. I never walk under a ladder or open an umbrella inside. I have a horseshoe propped up near our front door.

No disrespect to Taylor Swift, but I’m not at all a fan of the number 13, either (latest evidence supporting my longtime aversion: Lindsey Vonn was wearing bib 13 when she violently crashed in her Olympic downhill skiing event — in the 13th second of that ill-fated run, no less). The only person who dislikes 13 more than me? My dear mom, who has been known to slide a checkout-lane candy bar across the scanner like an Olympic curler if the total has a 13 in it.

But enough of that nasty number and onto the fabulous February 17 — which marks the Chinese Lunar New Year and, for the first time in 60 years, the Year of the Fire Horse.

I’d planned to get this newsletter out yesterday, but somehow I got sidetracked being productive with all my fire horse energy, ahem. Regardless, here’s what experts in Chinese astrology say could be in store with this powerful symbol at the helm:

• Bold action and movement: Asking for a raise, shifting careers, leaving a relationship that no longer serves you

• Personal independence: Putting up boundaries, sharpening skills, becoming financially independent

• Kicking indecisiveness out the door: As someone who finds it hard to make big decisions, this is a biggie for me. But fire horse energy does not favor wishy-washiness, so it’s time to go with your gut and gallop forward.

Who else is ready to saddle up?

Recently Published Clips

This piece for Afar about VisitDenmark’s reassuring message to U.S. travelers did really well, getting picked up by Google Discover and Apple News — where it was the second story on the Travel home page for a while. I even saw a similar story from People the day after; it was behind a paywall, so I didn’t see it, but I’d bet a dime to a doughnut they used my story as the basis for theirs.

I don’t normally go into this much detail for the backstory of a run-of-the-mill news story, but this one is a little different for a couple of reasons, and I think there’s plenty to learn from how it happened. So let’s dive in.

First, it’s interesting to note that the story didn’t result from a press release; it was an email VisitDenmark sent to its U.S. market of travel advisors and tour operators, which an Afar staffer also was subscribed to (which is how it eventually was assigned to me). The reason it had real news value is that it touched on a key trend — Americans feeling nervous to travel abroad — and demonstrated what VisitDenmark was doing to proactively address that. But again, this was not a news release specifically targeting media — and therein I think lies another important message. This is a shining example of a best practice by an organization (VisitDenmark) aligning itself with a trend not solely for the performative, headline-grabbing potential, but precisely because it was aiming to solve a problem for its demographic — travel agents, and by proxy — US travelers. Tl/dr: engaging in best business practices, which happen to align with broader trends, and not chasing media hits.

Similarly, the only source I interviewed, VisitDenmark’s US marketing manager, Mette Ejlskov Hansen, was a shining example of how I wish all sources replied to an interview request. Hansen was immediately responsive to my email and agreed to a quick phone interview right away (via WhatsApp). When a journalist is on deadline, even for a short news story, I cannot understate the importance of this. Hansen happily hopped on a quick WhatsApp call at the start of the business day in the States (mid-afternoon my time) and provided key context to my piece in an efficient, 15-minute call; no muss, no fuss, no complicated scheduling requests for video calls with multiple stakeholders. She responded to follow-ups quickly via text and provided figures I’d asked for. Without all that, this quick-turn story could easily have morphed into a time-suck headache, and while I know it’s unrealistic to have all interviews and communications run this smoothly, it sure is nice when they do.

And That’s a Wrap!

Who else is obsessed with these wild, wacky Winter Olympics?!? I’ve always loved watching the incredible, superhuman athletes compete in such a spirited environment, but wow, these games are just supercharged with drama: curling controversies; a confessing cheater biathlete; and a more sexed-up-than ever Olympic Village, just to name a few. Riveting, indeed! Who knows what the last four days will hold?

And as the Year of the Fire Horse kicks off, I hope the weeks and months to come are full of the good stuff for all of us.

Giddy up,

Blane