Janet Fullwood
Janet Fullwood is a veteran journalist with more than 35 years of experience in travel, culture, news, and feature writing. Based in Sacramento, California, she has built a respected career as an independent writer, editor, and destination photographer, specializing in travel, tourism, hospitality, food and wine, outdoor recreation, and skiing. Over the years, she has written for numerous newspapers, magazines, and websites, including her long tenure as travel editor for The Sacramento Bee, where she spent 22 years producing and writing for the paper’s Sunday travel section. She currently works as a freelance correspondent for the San Jose Mercury News and contributes to East-West News Service, while continuing to publish through Janet Fullwood Ink.
Throughout her career, Janet has been known for going beyond traditional travel journalism to explore the environmental, cultural, and community impacts of tourism. Rather than writing simple destination features, she strives to tell deeper stories about stewardship, fragile ecosystems, and the people who live in the places travelers visit. Her extensive travels have taken her to roughly 80 countries, including bucket-list destinations such as Nepal, Antarctica, Micronesia, and Easter Island. In addition to travel reporting, she has also covered hard news, including earthquakes and other major events, bringing both versatility and depth to her work.
Janet studied journalism, English, and anthropology at North Texas State University, now known as the University of North Texas. She remains active in a number of professional organizations, including the Society of American Travel Writers, the Outdoor Writers Association of California, and the North American Snowsports Journalists Association. Even as she jokes about trying to retire, Janet continues to take on new assignments, mentor younger journalists, and pursue thoughtful stories that reflect her lifelong passion for travel and storytelling.
• University of North Texas- B.A.
• North Texas State University
• Bill Muster Awards from SATW
• Multiple Journalist of the Year awards
• Awards for photography
• Awards for writing
• Society of American Travel Writers (SATW)
• Outdoor Writers of California (board member)
• North American Snowsports Journalist Association (NASJ)
• Bay Area Travel Writers
• Volunteer on organic farm (Friday mornings)
• Former Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts volunteer
• Girl Scouts leader (junior high-age troop in Texas)
• Girl Scouts member from brownies through high school
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my journey that started as a bookworm collecting stamps with my father. I would collect these stamps and learn what the flags and coat of arms looked like, go to the encyclopedia and read about them, and find them on a map of the world. It got me really interested in travel. Growing up, my family only traveled from Texas to visit relatives in the Midwest, but when I was in college, I went on a trip to Mexico with a roommate and it just brightened my world. I held multiple jobs for the next two years - waiting tables, working for a newspaper - because I just wanted to go to South America and teach English as a second language. My roommate was from the Panama Canal zone, and when her parents sent her money for graduation, I convinced her not to fly but to take the bus instead. We spent almost a year as $10 a day hippie backpack travelers, and it totally opened my worldview, my life, and my career. That trip on the gringo trail was a big turning point for me. I came back and started writing stories about these places, got a job as a travel editor, and was suddenly being sent on trips all over the world. It was the perfect career for me because I'm pretty ADD and can't be at a full-time job - I needed to be traveling and experiencing different things.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You can build a career you love while also creating a personal life that brings you happiness and fulfillment.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I'm really interested in mentoring younger women coming into this field. With my 35 years of experience, I know the ropes in travel writing and journalism. I really like talking with younger writers, especially about the craft of travel writing. I love going to conferences and talking to other people about it and coming up with some guidelines to spread on to younger people. I've learned a lot in my career about travel writing, and I've read and read and read everybody else's work, so I know who's good and who's not. I had a lot of rules for the writers who worked for me - you can't use the word paradise, stay away from first person, and towns cannot be nestled anywhere. My focus has been on writing about the impact of tourism on fragile cultures and environments, not just straight-on chronological travel stories.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in my field is knowing when to step away, because even when retirement is an option, I still love the work and find it hard to give up something that is so fulfilling.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The greatest journey of my life has been raising my two sons. One of them lives in Switzerland and is married to a French woman, and they have two granddaughters. My other son lives at Lake Tahoe. I got them both started in skiing when they were young, and they are experts now, living the life. I grew up so close to my grandparents, so it's really hard for me now as a grandmother not to be close to my little ones. The 5-year-old is already a wonderful skier - I get videos. I'm proud that I got my kids started at 3 in a lifetime sport. Beyond family, I love horses and had horses for 18 years of my life. I've always been a big skier and hiker, and my favorite kind of vacation is a dude ranch vacation - I've been on about 5 and would like more. In the winter, I make jewelry, mostly beaded stuff, and I like cooking a lot, although cooking for myself now that I live by myself, I need somebody to cook with to do the really good stuff.