Karen Gardiner

Karen Gardiner is a freelance travel and culture writer from Scotland, currently based in the United States. Her stories have appeared in the Washington Post, National Geographic, BBC and Condé Nast Traveler.

Her first paycheck: “I was a chambermaid at a hotel in St. Andrews, Scotland. I earned about £3 per hour and was paid fortnightly. I saved most of the money for rent for my first flat.”