Simon Says... Why I Went To Hawaii For Just Three Days In December

The reason was worth spending 12 hours on a plane each way.

Welcome to Simon Says, a weekly newsletter from Rachel Simon all about freelance life—from the inside scoop on just-published stories to advice on how to pitch to what it’s *really* like to leave a cozy full-time gig for the chaotic, unpredictable world of invoicing (jk, freelancing, but IYKYK).

Hi, everyone! After spending last week in Mexico for a friend’s wedding (it was beautiful, everyone cried, I got very sunburned, etc.), I’m back with a new edition of Simon Says!

There are professional and personal updates galore, but heads up — as much fun as it was making a mini crossword for y’all last issue, I just don’t have the knowledge/tools to make them solve-able via this newsletter rather than only as a printout. So, sadly, I’m not gonna include a puzzle going forward, unless any of you have ideas on how to fix the issue that you want to send my way.

However, while there is no crossword in this installment, there is a lot of interesting (I hope?) other stuff I can share. So, without further ado:

Some Stories I Wrote Over The Last Two Weeks

For the first time in awhile, I have plenty to share here:

Ahead of the Euphoria Season 2 finale, I wrote an op-ed for NBC News THINK about how the show’s depiction of teen drug abuse has (thankfully) evolved over two seasons.

For Travel + Leisure, I wrote about my experience trying surfing for the first time in Hawaii last December, which was (spoiler alert) awesome.

Over on Shondaland, you can read my interview with Turning Red director Domee Shi, who’s the first solo female director of a Pixar movie ever (and just a very cool person in general).

Also for Shondaland, I wrote a reported feature on how to take a break from your parents, with advice from experts on what to tell them and why it matters.

And finally, for Daily Paws, I reviewed the ridiculously cozy shag throw blanket that our cat is obsessed with.

(Photo for proof.)

The Inside Scoop

Each week, I’ll pick one story I’ve written (new or old, if needed) and explain how it got from pitch/assignment to publication. This week, it’s the Travel + Leisure story on surfing in Hawaii.

This story came about due to one of the best perks of my job I’ve ever gotten: a free trip to Hawaii!

Back in the fall, a rep for the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Honolulu reached out to offer me an all-expensed-paid visit, in exchange for me writing a story about my experience there. Obviously, I was very down, and so after brainstorming some ideas, I pitched the surfing angle to an editor at Travel + Leisure. She was on-board (pun intended, heh), which was no guarantee; if no editor was into the story, the trip wouldn’t be able to happen, so I was very grateful to get a bite.

In early December, Kurt and I headed to Hawaii (my first time there!), and spent three-ish fast but lovely days at the resort and on the beach. When we got back home, I wrote up the story about our surfing lessons, submitted it to my editor, and… waited. For a long time. Like, two-plus months long. Due to some staffing changes at T+L, the story kept getting pushed back with not much communication, which was frustrating! Thankfully, it finally got published late last month.

I do want to note that as incredible as this opportunity was, free trips like this are rare. Unless you’re a well-known travel reporter, you don’t get these offers very often (if at all), so I’m extremely grateful that I was able to go (and that the resort let Kurt come too, which was super generous and definitely not expected).

Other Work/Life Stuff Of Note

My book has a cover!! I can’t share it just yet, but it looks amazing, and I’m so excited for you all to see it. And reminder that you can pre-order it now (even though it’s naked).

In other book-related news, I have a new author photo (taken by Kurt), which I’m quite pleased with! It feels very ~writerly~ and professional, even though I did have to Photoshop all the cat hair off my shirt afterwards. Oops.

If you’re already thinking about Mother's Day presents (as you should, because it’s coming up fast), you can order a custom crossword puzzle for your mom on my Etsy shop. She’ll love it!

Lastly, on the personal side of things, today marks exactly one month until our wedding! We are both so excited, and while there’s still a ton of little things to get done, everything feels doable and not nearly as stressful as I’d expected. Yay!

Coming Up…

I turned in a few stories this week that I believe should go live within the next few days, but TBD on that.

Also, on Wed 4/13, I’ll be doing an AMA session with Study Hall to chat about freelancing, pop culture, pickleball, and more! Details here.

And that’s it for today! Thanks for reading, everyone, and see you back here next week.

-Rachel