Our team has grown. The topics we cover have expanded to include, among other things, politics, social media, science and technology. You, too, have helped guide the direction of Life with your comments and article submissions.
When I began it was just me writing articles and sorting through submissions. Then the ever lovely Candice Walsh joined as contributing editor. We think similarly, which, I admit, often leaves us distractedly discussing the merits of the latest, most disgusting video on the internet. Most times, though, it’s a thought provoking cocktail party where we’re able to complete each others ideas before deciding on the next drink.
Neha Puntambekar and Nancy Harder — two amazing writers with fabulous ideas and interests — help even us out a bit. They answered our call for help formatting articles and general assistance. Even better, they add their voices to Life with articles about finding peacefulness at home, pets and coming soon, cooking, home renovation, personal mindfulness and more.
Juli Huang has been great support to us helping when we needed last minute details completed for an article. She was part of the Matador Team before Life existed and has now taken to orchestrating our new relationship series called Love In the Time Of Matador. Cheesy title or no, we’re a bit enamored of it nonetheless. Look forward to the first in the series this week, a discussion of open relationships when one part of a couple is on the road.
Finally, the wonderful Nick Rowlands joined us. I admit, when I first e-mailed him to ask if he wanted to be part of the team, I assumed he was too busy. Turns out, busy or not, he wanted in. Shows you the importance of asking even if you think you know the answer.
(I never tire of that pun.)
At first, I found it difficult to get my head around what exactly Matador Life is meant to be.
Life is just so broad. As the section develops, though, I find that breadth translates into the freedom to cover everything from where we originate to where we have settled. We touch on our choices and with whom we’ve decided to make them. We discuss tools to improve life: physical, software, online, emotional or psychological. We open up to make room for articles that connect our travels with home as well as the non-traditional, such as living in your car, nomadic life in an RV or polyamory.
Juli best described us as “a happy discussion balloon floating anywhere it wants in the internet sky, with Matador holding its string and keeping it from floating off.”
The possibilities are endless.
Over the course of these six months, I’ve met many of you through the travel community, through e-mails but mostly through the thought provoking discussions in article comments. From a discussion of positive stereotyping as racism to disagreement on what age, if ever, one is too old for adventure travel, you help me rethink my own view of the world.
For that I cannot thank you enough.
Without you, our community of readers, there would be no reason for us to write, photograph and think. We would have only half the conversation.
Help us decide the direction of the next six months of Life. What articles would you like to see? Of what have you seen enough? Or simply describe for us the role you see Life playing in the greater Matador Network and community.