Editorial Standards & Storytelling Lenses
The Year of April is a travel and culture publication for people who love finding the unexpected. From spooky destinations and whimsical experiences to food, cultural discoveries, and places close to home, I look for the connections that make a place more interesting than it first appears.
My work isn’t organized by country alone. It’s shaped by the way I see the world, the questions I ask, and the stories I discover along the way.
The four storytelling lenses
Whimsy Atlas
The delightful, the unexpected, and the places that make you feel like a kid again. Whimsy Atlas explores themed cafés, imaginative spaces, charming discoveries, and the small wonders that make a trip memorable.
Cool Girl City
The places I’d share with a friend: cafés, shops, music, cultural experiences, and new discoveries that make a city feel alive. Kansas City is home base, but the curiosity travels.
Spooky Passport
Folklore, ghost stories, unusual history, eerie attractions, and the strange details hiding in plain sight. Spooky Passport explores the mysterious while respecting the cultures, people, and histories behind the stories.
The Curious Table
Food as a way into a place. The Curious Table explores what people eat, why it matters, and the stories behind the dishes, bakeries, cafés, restaurants, and culinary traditions that make a destination distinctive.
The thread connecting everything: Globally Layered
I’m based in Kansas City, and I keep finding the world inside it.
Japan shows up in a local bakery. Korean influences appear in unexpected places. A destination abroad reminds me of something I discovered at home.
Globally Layered is the perspective that connects these discoveries. It recognizes that cultures travel, influence one another, and reappear in places we might not expect.
My stories explore those connections without assuming that one place or culture can be understood through a single visit or experience.
My editorial standards
Curiosity comes first
Every story begins with a question. I follow the details, discoveries, and unexpected connections that make a place worth exploring.
Experience with context
I write about places I’ve visited, experiences I’ve had, and details I’ve learned through research or trusted local sources. I aim to distinguish firsthand experience from information gathered elsewhere and to credit the people and sources that help inform my work.
Culture deserves context
Aesthetic appeal can be an entry point, but it isn’t the whole story. I aim to provide context about the history, people, traditions, and meaning behind the places and experiences I share.
Local knowledge matters
I recognize that being a visitor doesn’t make me an authority on someone else’s home. When local knowledge informs a story, I aim to credit the people and sources that contributed to it.
Honest storytelling
I aim to represent experiences, places, and products accurately. I don’t promise that every experience will be perfect, and I won’t knowingly misrepresent what I have experienced or what the available evidence supports.
Partnerships and sponsorships
The Year of April may collaborate with businesses, destinations, tourism organizations, and brands through sponsored content, paid guide placements, advertising, hosted experiences, and other partnerships.
Commercial collaborations are part of how this publication can grow and sustain its work. Paid or otherwise material relationships are disclosed clearly in the relevant content.
Partnerships do not give a business permission to require false claims or misrepresent my experience. Sponsored content is identified so readers can understand the context in which it was created.
For more information, see the Disclosure & Affiliate Policy.
Keeping information useful
Destinations change, businesses close, and practical details become outdated. I make reasonable efforts to refresh guides and correct errors when I become aware of them.
If you spot something that needs updating, please reach out through theyearofaprilblog@gmail.com.
A note to readers
The Year of April is always evolving. My goal is to keep asking better questions, discover new connections, and share stories that inspire people to look a little closer at the world around them.
If you have a correction, a local insight, or a story idea, I’d love to hear from you.