Katie Leigh Matthews

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Location
Birmingham, Alabama
School
Samford University
Expertise
Budget travel, Nature excursions, Family trips
  • Katie Leigh landed her first writing gig with StyleBlueprint by submitting a piece about her favorite local waterfall and has been exploring the world in her writing ever since.
  • As a mother of two, she is always looking for budget-friendly travel experiences that will instill in her children a love of nature and a curiosity about and respect for other cultures.
  • Some of her most treasured travel experiences include spelunking caves in New Zealand, a safari in Kenya, and road-tripping her way through ten national parks across the United States.

Experience

Katie Leigh is an Alabama-based freelance writer who enjoys shining a light on the American South's influence on style, culture, and food. As a contributor for StyleBlueprint, she helps locals discover the wonders of her home state, emphasizing worthwhile destinations located in readers' own backyards. Katie Leigh joined Static Media in 2024, and as a contributor to Islands, she has focused on everything from underrated small towns and cities that should be on everyone's bucket lists to travel hacks that make planning vacations easy and stress-free. Katie Leigh is passionate not just about the destination but also the journey. By equipping readers with everything they need to know before they go, she hopes they'll experience the true magic of travel found in those moments you never could have planned.

Education

Katie Leigh earned her bachelor's degree in communications from Samford University.

Islands Editorial Policies

Islands content is created by a team of veteran writers and editors passionate about travel. Outside experts with deep field knowledge sometimes inform our work with additional context and perspectives by way of exclusive commentary. Our goal is to offer readers well-rounded and diverse articles that inform, entertain, and inspire.

Our editors consistently review and update articles to ensure they're providing current, relevant, and useful information. Complete information on our editorial process is available here.

Stories By Katie Leigh Matthews