Ever Dream Of Becoming A Travel Writer? Here's How Rick Steves' Protégé Got Started

Cameron Hewitt is well aware of the fact that he got his dream job. He's been a travel writer, photographer, editor and contributor to the guidebooks of Rick Steves' Europe for over 24 years. He's also the author of 2022's The Temporary European: Lessons and Confessions of a Professional Traveler which currently holds a 4.4 out of 5 rating on Goodreads. His travels have taken him to every corner of Europe, where he updates America's most popular travel guides of the continent while also occasionally serving as a tour guide. In addition to being a trusted source for American travelers in Europe, he has come to be known as one of the premier voices in travel writing in the U.S.

Though Hewitt grew up in central Ohio, his parents were travelers, having lived abroad in North England and Switzerland for 4 years. Throughout high school, Hewitt got to take part in a language study program in Oaxaca, Mexico arranged by his father who was a professor at a theological school. This developed Cameron's taste for travel at an early age while also making him fluent in Spanish. After attending college at Ohio Wesleyan University, where he studied German, Hewitt decided to study abroad in Salamanca, Spain, staying with a family there. Though it would take him years to fully pursue the passions he had developed for traveling and immersing himself in foreign cultures, the seeds for his future career had been sown.

After this impactful trip followed by a brief stint in Oregon, Hewitt returned home to Ohio. Here, after a fruitless attempt at substitute teaching, he worked at a local movie theater while also writing movie reviews for his local newspaper, netting $25 an article. Hewitt describes this time period as his "Wilderness Years", feeling lost and without a clue as to how to apply his talents to a profession. But his engagement with his passions would prove beneficial to him in the long run. Though it may have seemed insignificant at the time, these articles would be the only proof he had when it came time to present himself as a writer to a would-be employer, in his case none other than Rick Steves. But that would come later.

While mired in the confusion of those post-college years, Hewitt's love of travel did not dissipate. He decided to take a trip to England's Lake District, near Keswick with his then girlfriend (now wife) using one of Rick Steves's wildly popular guidebooks to lead the way. At the end of that trip and after his girlfriend returned home, Hewitt decided to continue on with a fellow traveler to explore Eastern Europe. The trip granted Hewitt the clarity in his life he'd been seeking. Soon after, he wrote a letter to Rick Steves expressing his gratitude for his guide. In the letter, he also expressed a desire to see more extensive coverage of Eastern Europe in his guidebooks while also asking for a job.

As luck would have it, Rick Steves actually phoned Cameron back. He expressed admiration for his letter while also agreeing on his sentiments toward coverage in Eastern Europe. During the conversation, a casual invitation to Seattle to possibly discuss employment was brought up. At this, Cameron Hewitt packed up his car and headed west. After a follow up call though, it turned out Steves had forgotten entirely about the original call that led Hewitt across the country. He told Hewitt he could still come chat with him if he was in the area. While this could have easily discouraged a person in such a delicate position, Hewitt persevered and hung tight with nearby relatives. He eventually got Steves to not only remember their previous conversation but also secured a job a few months later in his company's travel center.

Hewitt worked in the travel center for two years, becoming intimately acquainted with the company's customer base and every facet of the business. This dedication eventually led to him getting promoted to work with his idols like Steves and Gene Openshaw, a celebrated writer of European culture. Throughout his career, Hewitt also became an authoritative voice in the world of travel writing himself. He is living proof that a burning desire to pursue one's passions coupled with the discipline to put in the work can indeed lead to the career of your dreams. If you'd like to follow Cameron's lead in travel, check out some of Rick Steves' budget-friendly tips for traveling in Europe.