Rough Maps' mission is to inspire our readers to take the road less traveled. The world is too interesting to stick with only the places you already know. With our planet in a constant state of change, it can be a challenge to know where to go and what to do. Through all seven continents, Rough Maps is here to help guide you through the different natural wonders and unique cultures of the different countries across the globe. Whether you choose to stay off the beaten track or on it, Rough Maps is ready to inspire you to pack your bag and head on your next dream trip. We look forward to exploring our favorite destinations together. Happy Travels!
Emilie has been a content writer for Rough Maps since 2024. She holds a BA in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University and has been published in various magazines including Toronto Life and Exclaim. Her favourite topics to write about include food, traveling, health & wellness, and music. Her dream vacation destination is New Zealand and her worst vacation experience was having altitude sickness in Colorado in a sweltering hot hotel with a heating system gone haywire.
Christy Chan is a Vancouver-based writer, editor, and designer. Though her travels are few and far between, she has no shortage of stories to share—trekking the Canadian wilderness, sampling poke along the Honolulu coastline, getting lost in night markets in Taiwan—and her wanderlust will eventually pin her somewhere foreign. Travels aside, if she isn't busy trying to bake the perfect cookie or relearning how to watercolour, she's scouring the nearest library, searching for the next spark of inspiration.
With a fine arts degree from OCAD University under her belt, Megan dips her brush in many creative fields. She’s currently exploring the world of writing, working in niches from fiction to copywriting. Meg is either traveling or dreaming of traveling when she’s not writing for Rough Maps. Her home base is in Canada until the lakes freeze over and she flocks to the beaches in Costa Rica. When the pandemic hit, flights were canceled and she was “stranded” in a deserted tourist hotspot in New Zealand. When she accidentally hogged the iconic lake and mountains all to herself, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience she’ll never forget.
Chase joined Rough Maps as our inaugural employee in 2018, bringing with him a BA in Administrative Marketing from Fanshawe College and a fervent aspiration to become an advertising expert. His love for travel and his writing prowess seamlessly blend, enabling him to share captivating experiences about the wonders of our planet. Chase dreams of visiting Japan to immerse himself in its unique cultural nuances and exquisite cuisine. One of his most challenging travel experiences occurred in Barcelona, where he found himself lost in the downtown core for two hours before ultimately navigating his way back to the hotel.
Farva has been immersed in the world of writing since earning her B.A. in English. In the past, she has written as a freelancer and has even worked on some novels. She enjoys exploring a variety of topics, including relationships, comic books, and global culture. Superheroes—ranging from iconic figures like Batman to niche characters like Morpheus—are some of her favorite subjects. Her dream vacation is a trip to Iceland, a destination that perfectly combines untamed nature with serene relaxation. Unfortunately, she had to postpone her travel plans when a volcanic eruption made some of the best lagoon springs inaccessible. Maybe next time!
Having dealt first-hand in the realm of digital content and media since 2019, David has committed himself to making full use of his BA in History and Political Science (that being an extremely loose definition of the term "full use"). Despite this complete 180, David's passion for writing and observing the world around him has lent itself to a steadfast commitment to producing content about the topics he cares about most: travel and pop culture. If he could travel anywhere, he would choose Finland to experience the Northern Lights, ideally from the comfort of one of those nifty glass igloos. His least favourite travel experience was getting violently ill in Qatar during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he also had the misfortune of witnessing his team lose in epic fashion.
Since the dawn of time, Maria has subjected people to her writing. From silly stories about baseball in her youth to silly stories about cowboys in adulthood, people have been unsafe for years. She brought that love of writing to UTM (U of T’s homely sister in Mississauga) where she spent five years on the campus newspaper, eventually becoming editor-in-chief. Her work has also been published in UTM’s annual journal and one of her short stories placed second in Scribbler’s Dialogue Contest. She believes she’s funnier than she is and would have made her entire blurb Smash Mouth’s lyrics to “All Star,” if only her boss had let her.
Cathy has been a content writer at Rough Maps since 2023. She has a BA in English Literature from the University of British Columbia and has always dreamed of becoming a writer. Her love for reading fueled her passion for writing, and she enjoys writing about topics like pop culture, film, travel, and personal experiences. Her dream trip would be to go to South Korea and her favourite cuisine is South Korean. Cathy's worst travel experience was when, on a trip to Okanagan, BC, her Airbnb was located at the top of a mountain, and a car heading up the same road drove off a cliff and fell into the lake causing the road to be blocked off for over 6 hours (poor driver).
Robbie has been with Rough Maps since 2019, first as a content writer and latterly as Director of Creative and Media. His essays and reports have been published in Maclean’s, Salon, The West End Phoenix and elsewhere. Robbie is a recipient of the Eugene Levy Writing Award, a three-time winner of the York University President’s Prize, and was the Humber Yuk Yuks Standup Champ in 2016. If he could travel anywhere, he’d visit and volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. His worst travel experience was getting lost in Dublin late at night after attempting to outdrink a group of Irish comedians.
From South Korea to Australia, these guys have seen it all. After years of backpacking the world, David, Steven and Landon decided it was time to settle down, but with that came a big decision, how do they keep the travel spirit alive? Merging their passion for publishing and travel with a desire to share their accumulated experiences and knowledge is how Rough Maps was born. After 7 years of hard work , the dream continues and so do the travels! We thank all our readers for their continued support!
We are always looking to add new members to our wonderful team and hear feedback from our readers. Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
