I’ve won a journalism award!

I arrived home from Africa to discover a wonderful surprise waiting in my mailbox: I’ve won a prize from the Society of Professional Journalists. The award is for first place in the “Travel Reporting” category in their Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest for essays and articles published in 2015.

The award was given to an editorial package called “Best Places to Camp in the Northwest,” which was published in the May 2015 issue of Seattle Magazine. Several writers (including me) contributed to the package, and I wrote about camping along the banks of the Columbia River. (There’s more about that trip here and here, if you’re interested.)

Here’s what the Society of Professional Journalists says about the award: “Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Northwest Excellence in Journalism contest, for stories reported in 2015! Award recipients were announced tonight […] The contest covers some of the least populated areas of the United States, some of its most densely populated, and everything in between, including Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Oregon. All proceeds from this contest support the efforts of Region 10 and its active chapters to protect First Amendment freedoms, foster excellence among journalists, inspire young journalists, encourage diversity in our industry, and promote the free practice of journalism in our communities.”

Thanks, SPJ! This article — and my writing — wouldn’t happen without the help of my friends, family, and allies. It takes a village, and I couldn’t be more grateful for mine.