Deborah Dennis

• Deborah earned her NAUI scuba certification at age 15, inspired by Jacques Cousteau, and has since logged dives in some of the world's most iconic underwater landscapes, including Fiji's Great White Wall, Tonga, the Sea of Cortez, and the Caribbean—shaping a lifelong fascination with oceans, islands, and immersive travel experiences.
• At 36, during a sabbatical from Apple, she joined an Earthwatch field research expedition in Hwange National Park, tracking black rhinos on foot and via radio collar, an experience that sparked her transition into travel writing and photography rooted in conservation, firsthand reporting, and deep engagement with place.
• Most recently, at 61, she embarked on a six-month, 15,000-mile solo road journey from California to Maine and back in her Airstream with her two dogs, exploring coastal regions, small towns, and natural landscapes across the U.S.—an experience that continues to inform her passion for slow travel, remote destinations, and stories shaped by extended time on the road.

Experience

She began her career in technology and design, spending more than three decades working in research-driven roles at companies including Apple, Autodesk, Visa, and Intel, where she developed deep expertise in observation, analysis, and storytelling for complex audiences. She later transitioned into editorial work, writing and photographing place-based travel stories for her own publication, Travels with Wally, and for outlets such as Only In Your State, with a focus on California, the American West, and immersive outdoor experiences. Her professional background in user research and content strategy shapes how she reports travel stories—grounding them in firsthand exploration, local context, and careful attention to how people actually experience places.

Education

Deborah earned a bachelor's degree in product design from Southern Illinois University with a minor in photography.