5 minutes with.... Stephanie Williams from The Airloom

Everyone loves travel, and everyone loves food. So imagine if you could combine these passions to travel the world sampling the best holiday locations and restaurants the world has to offer?

Not only does Stephanie Williams get to travel and eat for free, but also gets to write about her adventures and share them with the world as founder and editor of The Airloom and a freelance writer.

So what's it really like to live every travel bug's dream? Stephanie was recently kind enough to give us the lowdown on what life is really like for a travel writer.

Q. What made you take the big leap of faith and become a freelancer after working for some of Australia's biggest companies?

A. It was the desire for personal freedom, combined with a bit of luck being in the right place at the right time.

I moved to Sydney and took a short term marketing role with Qantas, but in the back of my mind I felt it was time to give freelance writing a proper crack.

Qantas were launching a new food and wine website, Qantas epiQure, and I challenged the quote they'd received from one of the big guys to manage the editorial…and won! It changed my working life and allowed me to have a stable income, work from home (or while out filing travel stories) and build my black book of freelance contacts.

I'm now a mum of one and find freelancing is the perfect job for this time in my life.

What do you love most about the work you do and working for yourself?

With each story I write I get to learn something new. It could be as small as a local tradition I didn't know about, or as big as something complex and political that has the capacity for change.

I also love that I can work from anywhere and have control over the hours I work and the income I pull.

Being a mum, I sometimes need to work at weird hours, but if I was in an office situation, I just wouldn't be an option.

Many people dream about quitting their jobs and becoming a lifestyle writer. Does the reality match the dream?

Yes and no.

I've had some incredible travel experiences organised on my behalf, which I will be forever grateful for, real life-changing, insider travel experiences.

I've also had my fair share of being trapped on trips with people who I wouldn't choose myself or in situations where I need to "grin and bear it" and respect someone has organised an experience for me in good faith that might not be so great.

There's also quite a bit of uncertainty in life as a freelancer writer, which isn't for everyone.

I think you need to have a bit of a "Pollyanna" view of life (as my partner puts it!), to be able to hope for the best, wish for the universe to deliver things and to be a fairly positive person who doesn't take too much personally.

What has been your favourite assignment so far?

I spent ten days exploring the region that runs along Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia.

I had the incredible experience of swimming with the whale sharks over there. It should be on every Australian's bucket list. The trip was full of amazing snorkelling, beautiful seafood, remote and everchanging landscapes, all in our own country.

Apart from that skiing in Japan is an annual favourite, spending time in Egypt in between uprisings was a highlight and loved a recent assignment to Lord Howe Island.

One of your passions is travelling with a purpose. Can you tell us why it's close to your heart?

I feel strongly about making sure the places I travel to aren't being exploited, ruined or unsustainable. There's the old saying that we're just caretakers of the earth for future generations, so by treating it like we're here for a good time not a long time is just wrong.

Inevitably you can't know the complete back story of every single thing you do, but by doing small things like supporting small local businesses, seeking out operators with a genuine sustainable focus and being respectful to local traditions and people, you'll be doing your small part to help.

Do you have any tips for aspiring bloggers?

Write about what you know and what you're passionate about.

There's no use writing about luxury travel if you're on a backpacker's budget, or travel for singles if you've always got your family in tow.

I've had to diversify recently because I now travel loads with my young son. At first I was hesitant to pigeon hole myself into family travel, thinking it was boring, but I find because I'm writing about it as a someone in the know, my work is stronger and well received.

What is the trick to taking a killer food or travel photo?

My best food photo tip would be using your dining companion's phone for extra lighting. And travel tip would be take a travel buddy – they see things you might not and can help you see a different perspective.

If someone has left their holiday plans a little late can you recommend somewhere they should go?

Road trips are always good for last minute getaways, you can just jump in the car and go for it.

Tasmania is a great last minute destination and around Christmas and New Year is the best time to be there to watch the Sydney to Hobart yachts roll in and get involved in the Taste of Tasmania festival.

What's the best place people can learn more about you and follow your adventures?

You can visit my blog, The Airloom, or follow my travels on Instagram at @stephwilltravel. Otherwise keep you eye out for my byline in inflight magazines and newspapers nationwide. Happy travels!

Words by Stephanie Williams and Daniel Murphy, pictures courtesy of The Airloom

Stephanie Williams Bachelor of Communication (Advertising and Marketing), University of Canberra (2000) Stephanie Williams is a freelance writer, editor, content strategist, and the Founder and Editor of The Airloom. She completed at Bachelor of Communication majoring in Advertising and Marketing at the University of Canberra in 2000. With a passion for food and travel, Stephanie was the founding editor of Qantas epiQure, and contributes to a wide range of publications and media outlets including SilverKris, Jetstar Magazine, Artichoke, Escape Travel, OutThere, TNT Downunder, The Weekly Review, SkyWest Magazine and the Sky Business Channel. You can connect with Stephanie via Instagram and at her blog.