Mary O'Brien

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Location
Stafford, Virginia
School
University of Hertfordshire, Louisiana State University at Alexandria, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Expertise
Solo travel destinations, Budget-friendly travel, Road trips
  • Mary has lived in seven U.S. states and traveled to 42 — the last eight are on the list!
  • She is a vocal proponent of solo adventures, and the first trip she took by herself was a week in London.
  • Her favorite road trip destinations include the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, Idyllwild, California, and Bar Harbor, Maine.

Experience

Mary's professional writing and editing career began in 2012 when she was tasked with reworking over 3,000 articles and blog posts for dozens of small businesses' websites. She went on to do in-house marketing and communications for two global retailers before writing for Hearst Magazines and editing for LoveToKnow Media. Her work has appeared in Delish, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Best Products, Forbes, and many more. She continues to do brand writing for independent businesses with a focus on women-owned companies, and she enjoys planning trips built around every independent bookstore she can find.

Education

Mary studied theater at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and English at Louisiana State University of Alexandria. She holds a Master of Literature and Culture from the University of Hertfordshire.

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 Mary O'Brien

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