With the soft job market and the challenge of selling a house in this economy, commuter marriages--both welcome and not so welcome--are on the rise. Unfortunately, "the people who are forced into it [often] struggle with it," says Tina B. Tessina, PhD, psychotherapist and author of The Commuter Marriage: Keep Your Relationship Close While You’re Far Apart. "It's been tough, but what I tell people is, 'You do what you have to do.' I don't have the option to break down and say, 'This is too hard to do.'"
About Me
- Although I write quite a bit about travel, food, books, business, and the media, I still consider myself a general assignment reporter and writer. I went freelance so that I could cover the world--no use limiting myself now.
I'm a contributing editor for American Way, the American Airlines magazine, co-write Flyover America, and have also written for loads of other travel, food, book, and general interest magazines. I've also contributed to guidebooks for Michelin, Mobil Travel Guide, and MapQuest.
Ready to put my curiosity, strong reporting skills, and wordplay (or photography) to work for your publication? Send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you.
(Oh, be sure to visit the haiku diaries where I'm living life 17 syllables at a time.)
Executive Travel: Playing Poker Online
March 2008
It started out as a way to amp up his skills. Jeff Snell, the founder and principal broker of Raleigh, N.C.–based Enlign Business Brokers, had heard that online poker would "be beneficial to my career as a professional negotiator. Being able to read and respond and make communication changes in real time is important and, of course, that’s what poker is all about."
Now, just two months later, Snell has become a dedicated online poker player. "When I started, I literally had the little card that said which hand beats which hand, because I knew nothing," he says. But these days, he has even started claiming victory at online tournaments. "They have dozens of tournaments a night, so it's not like you're the World Series of Poker champion—but [in my first win], there were still 899 other people who didn’t get there."
Read the full story on the Executive Travel site.
American Way: All Screwed Up
August 1, 2007
The responses came fast and furious: "Cheap cheap cheap." "You've gotta be kidding me - I drank it in college when I had no money and didn't know any better." "Cheap. Rotgut." And, the hands-down winner for style, “Bring the sangria to the trailer park at 8. We’ll supply the cocktail weenies and Jenga.”
OK, so it was a completely unscientific random email survey. But, there was no doubting the message that, when asked if they were open to buying screw top, also known as Stelvin closures, and boxed wines, many an American consumer is still suffering from a severe 1970s hangover.
But thanks to new technology that has greatly improved both closures, the wine industry is working hard to cure what ails the public when it comes to caps and boxes.
Continental: School's Out
August 1, 2007
Going along for the ride definitely has its benefits. New York University student Erica Swallow figured she had nothing to lose when her freshman-year roommate invited her to attend an information session about a new program the university was starting in Shanghai. Living in China wasn't something that Swallow, 19 years old at the time, had ever expected to do. An international business and marketing major, she had never been outside the United States and spoke barely a word of Chinese. But spurred on by her strong desire for a unique study-abroad experience, Swallow, along with 17 other students, took up temporary residence in Shanghai for the fall semester of her sophomore year.
Want to find out why Swallow--and 1000s of other undergrad and grad students--are going abroad to get schooled in business? Read the rest of the article.
American Way: Jingle All the Way
June 1, 2007
For one week each year, the male half of the Today show's anchor team dashes around the globe, inviting viewers to figure out where in the world Matt Lauer is. But a task far more challenging than Lauer's exausting jet-setting ways rests squarely on the viewers: Just try to keep the series' theme song from sticking in your head. That's called a sonic brand, and it comes courtesy of 615 Music, a company in Nashville that started writing advertising jingles for local companies in 1984 and which now crafts theme music and songs for companies and TV shows in 30 countries.
American Way: Healing Arts
December 1, 2006
There are no velvet curtains or fancy lighting here. The audience is more likely to wear jeans or sweat pants than tuxedos or evening dresses. Yet, for dancer and choreographer Ofelia Loret de Mola, the lobby of Woodhull Medical and Mental Health Center in Brooklyn is one of the best stages in the world.
When Loret de Mola and her husband dance at Woodhull, the couple’s performances do a lot more than ensures miles on spectators’ faces, they’re banking credits toward an innovative health care program called Artist Access. Launched as a pilot initiative in 2005, Artist Access is now a firmly entrenched program that gives New York City artists — from dancers to painters to actors and beyond — an entrée into the world of preventive (and affordable) health care.
Southwest Airlines Spirit: Working Hard or Hardly Working?
November 2006
When Bryan Cole feels overwhelmed by his job's to-do list, he grabs a guitar from a coworker and sets to strumming. This might seem a strange thing to do for a man who makes his living as the national field marketing manager at Clif Bar, a Berkeley, California maker of energy snacks. But it works for Cole. "We're all multitasking and trying to do so many things at once. I reach a point where I almost turn off because I've got so many things on my brain," Cole Says. "I'll stop and say, 'OK, I just need to take five minutes to myself here and get back to only focusing on one of the tasks at hand.' The guitar brings me to a place of focus."
To some employers, that might sound like a nice rationalization for Cole to goof off. But plenty of experts think he's onto something. They argue that time spent not working, even at the office, can help you work better.
American Way: What's in Store?
July 1, 2006
Though a day at the mall might forever leave some shoppers gasping for breath, the ka-ching of cash registers is heralding an experience with less stress--and more success--for most consumers in the near future. "I think we're in a transition now where the consumer is gathering more and more power," says Pat Conroy, vice chairman of the consumer business practive for Deloitte & Touche USA.
Interested in reprinting the story? Send me an email.
What My Editors Say...
- "Jenna's charming wit and outstanding writing style are the perfect complements to her professionalism and dedication. Bottom line: She makes me look good--and that's a tough act to beat. Besides, any freelancer who would risk life and limb by attending trapeze school (and live to write about it) is top-notch in my book."--Chris Wessling, Senior Editor, American Way
- "Jenna is an aggressive, diligent and enterprising reporter with an appealing writing style."--Dan Lippe, Managing Editor, Ad Age Special Reports
- "Jenna's careful reporting, coupled with her desire not to take the easy-way-out and write the same old cliches everyone else writes, makes my life as an editor easier."--Margaret Littman, my editor on projects for MapQuest, Journey magazine, and Mobil Travel Guide
