Wendy O'Dea

Photo of Wendy O'Dea
Follow
Location
Los Angeles, California
School
University of Southern California
Expertise
Vacation destinations, Luxury travel, Culture and communities
  • After studying in Asia, backpacking through Europe, and completing a graduate fellowship in Sweden, Wendy paired her graduate journalism degree with her love of travel, turning her wanderlust into words.
  • She loves to share interesting and important cultural stories, particularly about indigenous and underrepresented communities.
  • An adventurer at heart, Wendy has said "Yes!" to hang gliding in Rio, cliff jumping in Greece, ziplining in Whistler, and eating a thousand-year-old egg soaked in horse urine in Mongolia.

Experience

Wendy is a freelance writer who weaves together stories about culture, adventure, and the blissful indulgence of luxury hotels and spas. Born and raised in New York's Finger Lakes region, she planted roots in Southern California, where she raised her daughter (and favorite travel companion). Her work has been published in USA Today, Travel + Leisure, Robb Report, Westways, AAA Explorer, and many other magazines and newspapers. As a writer for Islands, she brings her first-hand knowledge gained from many travel experiences into her research and writing.

Education

Wendy received a bachelor's degree in communications from the State University of New York at Oswego, and a master's degree in journalism from the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California.

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 Wendy O'Dea

Back
Next