NEW & UPCOMING TITLES
Becca Blond
Growing up in suburban Washington DC, Becca Blond was told by her parents that the family only had one car so they could spend the extra money on month-long summer vacations. Becca grew up exploring the highways and byways of the USA and Canada, camping in national parks and discovering Europe's ancient capitals on a shoestring. These early holidays ignited a desire to experience far-flung lands and cultures that became an obsession as she got older.
During university, Becca spent a semester abroad in Zimbabwe and fell hard and fast for the African continent and all its hidden magic. After graduating from Colorado College in 1999, Becca returned to Africa with her two best friends and spent a few months wandering around Zimbabwe and exploring Zanzibar's fabulous bounty. Although she would have been happy frolicking around Africa forever, dwindling funds sent her home. Becca cried when she unpacked her rucksack and swore she'd work just long enough to save for the next great adventure.
She took a job at a small newspaper in Virginia, where her first story was about a missing white duck named Mr. Peepers. After a year she moved back to Colorado, where she worked at a midsized daily newspaper covering rock stars and homicides. She quit her job in 2001 and spent six months wandering the world with a good friend. Broke and homeless when she returned, she sent an email to Lonely Planet about becoming an author, never expecting a reply. Six months later she was on a plane bound for South Africa, dizzy with excitement, about to begin researching South Africa, Botswana and Namibia for the Africa on a shoestring guide.
Over the last 2-1/2 years Becca has cowritten about 12 guidebooks for Lonely Planet, including portions of Thailand, Canada, Western Europe, Latvia, Tahiti & French Polynesia and the first edition of USA & Canada on a shoestring.
When not on the road, Becca calls Boulder, Colorado, home, where she lives with a very large, goofy dog named Duke and her boyfriend Aaron. With 14,000-foot mountains as her playground, it's little wonder Becca likes to spend her free moments skiing, biking and horseback riding in the surrounding countryside, or simply having dinner and drinks (at a bar or restaurant she doesn't have to review) with friends.
Becca's travel tip: never leave home without a goose down travel pillow. It rolls up into a tiny sac and enables sleep on even the lumpiest or flattest of mattresses.
Becca's favorite destination: southern Africa