Monica Prelle An award-winning outdoor travel writer for over a decadeContributor to TripSavvy for five yearsPublications include Backcountry, Mountain Magazine, and Women's Adventure Experience Monica Prelle is a former writer with TripSavvy. She is as a freelance outdoors and travel writer living in California’s Eastern Sierra Nevada. There, she is a backcountry snowboarder who has climbed a number of high peaks. On most weekends she can be found mountain biking or fly fishing and camping under the stars.After more than six months beach camping and traveling in Mexico, Monica was not ready to get back to the so-called "real world." It was then that she set a goal to become a travel writer, focusing on camping and adventure travel. Since then, Monica's stories and outdoor adventures have been published in various newspapers, magazines, and online publications. These include Afar, Backcountry, Mountain Magazine, REI Co-op Journal, Runner's World, Ski Magazine, Women's Adventure, and VICE Sports.Monica also worked in tourism and hospitality management for more than a decade. Education Monica holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of Southern California. She also has a Master of Literary Arts in Journalism from Harvard University. Additionally, she achieved an Advanced Certificate from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust as well as an Avalanche One Certification from the Bardini Foundation.Awards and Publications2016 Silver Prize for Travel Profile from the North American Travel Journalists Association2014 Bodie McDowell Scholarship from the Outdoor Writers Association of America2012 and 2013 awards for Best Website and Best Feature Photography from the Outdoor Writers Association of CaliforniaBackcountryMountain MagazineOutside OnlineRunner's WorldWomen's Adventure About TripSavvy and Dotdash Meredith TripSavvy, a Dotdash Meredith brand, is a travel site written by real experts, not anonymous reviewers. You’ll find that our 20-year-strong library of more than 30,000 articles will make you a savvy traveler—showing you how to book a hotel the whole family will love, where to find the best bagel in New York City, and how to skip the lines at theme parks. We give you the confidence to spend your vacation actually vacationing, not fumbling with a guidebook or second-guessing yourself. Learn more about us and our editorial guidelines.