Travel Talk is a new Sosauce blog series in which we chat with our favorite travel experts about celebrating the saucy side of travel. With such successful experiences in travel media, we want to highlight their journeys from turning a passion for wanderlust into a profession, their travel plans for 2010, and how they document and share their own travel experiences.

This week we chatted with our friend, Annemarie Dooling who is head blogger for Frill Seeker Diary, a nifty New York City-based blog that covers the latest happenings of the Big Apple – everything from pop culture news to adventure trips. Aside from covering her city’s best activities, Annemarie is a fan of taking road trips with her fiancé, being addicted to online media (she hosted this year’s Social Media Roundtable with Flightpath), and having a good drink with friends. Read our interview below to get to know more about this social media-loving traveler and why she loves what she does.

Annemarie Dooling of Frill Seeker Diary

How has 2010 been treating you so far? Any exciting projects lined up?
2010 has been just fantastic. I’ve been approached with some really exciting projects, like moderating the NYSMRT and speaking at TBEX in June. I’ve also written for Marie Claire and Hotel Marketing, and have started exclusive hotel video tours. And very soon I’ll have an even bigger part in the digital campaigns of travel properties, although I can’t say anything just yet! Most of all, they are all a lot of fun, and I think an important part of doing something you love in life is to do something really fun.

Note: Sosauce just joined the Travel Blog Exchange community! Befriend us at TBEX to stay in touch and be sure save us a seat at this year’s TBEX Conference!

I noticed you go on lots of weekend trips around the northeast. What interests you most about exploring this part of the country?
I spent a few years traversing around Europe and loved it, but I just bought a house and have been engaged for two years. After talking to a lot of friends going through the same life changes, I was inspired to explore the area around my hometown, which happens to be New York City. It’s amazing the range of cultures, from really eco friendly day trips like rural PA, to major cities like Montreal, DC, and Philly. I think it’s important to know where you come from to figure out where you’re going. I continually love Philly and drive up and down I-95 whenever I feel the need for a cheesesteak.

We love this side of town too. If you are looking to book local trips, check out the Sosauce Guide page with information on lodging, dining, budget, and transportation.

Do you think living in such a multi-cultural city as New York influences your desire to travel to similar destinations?
My family came to NYC on a boat from Italy, and they weren’t in the financial position to go back. I was raised by a single mom who passed away too soon. This year I was able to visit Rome for the first time as a traveler. It sounds cheesy but being able to take that same trip, in reverse, for pleasure, and see that side of my heritage was just amazing. This is a trip my mother or grandparents could never have taken, even just to see family. I think my upbringing, coming from such a cultural family, really increased my want to see the world.

We love Frill Seeker Diary as it is a fun read for us New York Travel Geeks. What inspired you to start Frill Seeker Diary and how have you seen it grow since its launch?
When I started Frill Seeker Diary, my goal was to document my travels when I couldn’t be on the road. It just happened to turn out that my New York posts got a lot more attention than all others. Being a native New Yorker and having the access to the events and places that I do is something I sometimes take for granted, but it’s an amazing city full of amazing things, and I’m happy to share these secrets and tips with anyone living or visiting.

With your background in Journalism, how were able to translate your writing career into the new media platform? Were there any challenges you experienced going digital?
I have been exceptionally blessed in my career, for someone who started out at the end of the journo-era. I have an amazing base of friends at publishing houses like Conde Nast and Hearst that gave me access to a lot of freelancing for blogs; that used to be the way to get to print, not the salvation out of it! Because of that, I taught myself HTML, social networking, video creation, and other skills that have really translated into new media producer roles. I think any writer who doesn’t have some of these skills is fooling themselves. There will always be print media, but the possibilities with digital are endless.

You are one of our favorite travelers to chat with on Twitter. How have you embraced social media and travel and how do you see the two benefiting from one another?
Awww thanks! I’m a naturally chatty person and now instead of writing quips on napkins, I’ve started writing them on Twitter. I think it’s been an exceptionally useful skill (and platform) when traveling because descriptions and pictures speak for themselves. Sure, I can come home and write a four-page essay on the art of Brussels for Budget Travel, but I can also take two seconds at Mannekin Piss to snap a twitpic and send it to 4,000 people in a second. It’s a great way to share experiences, find out about amazing trips and places, and figure out where you are going.

Sosauce loves using Twitter as well to connect with the travel industry community. Be sure to chat with us @Sosauce for updates and news on the Travel Geeks, saucy travel articles, and upcoming events.

As host of the NYSMRT, what were some tips you took away from the discussion panel?
NYSMRT was a lot of fun and I was lucky to speak with some informed panelists. Although the main verbal theme was probably “storytelling” or, using your guests’ story as your own, I think there was an underlying theme of authenticity. Stacy, Kim, Meg, and Brian all have unique backgrounds in the industry, and all perform different functions, but one thing that makes them all special is they combine a professional job with personal loves. This interjection of “them” makes everything they do seem more authentic, more honest, whether they are plugging hotels they love, questioning guidebook apps, or scouting down deals. And that’s a lesson I think all of us can take home.

Some prefer to write, others prefer to take photos. What is your favorite way to document and share your travel experiences?
I share. I have to admit although I greatly admire travel photography, I rather keep that snapshot in my mind. And while I think writing about trips is great (obviously), I don’t do it as much as I probably should. But as long as I can have a conversation with someone, and reminisce about a café in Prague, a classic movie theatre in Midtown, or a boutique in Lancaster, I think it’s been worthwhile.

Having now connected to so many travelers online, do you consider yourself a Travel Geek now?
I was probably a geek long before travel (haha). My constant need to be on my iPhone has annoyed many a traveler partner, including my poor fiancé, but I need it. It’s like an extension of myself that lets me video, photograph, and take down notes on the place I’m visiting. I definitely geek-out over that.



Thanks to Anna for talking about her personal travels and social media experience with us on Sosauce. To see what she is up to next, connect with her on Twitter and read what you should be exploring the next time you are in New York at Frill Seeker Diary.com.

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Read more posts by Alisha

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 7th, 2010 at 3:21 PM and is filed under Spotlight, Traveler. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.