Back in January, The New York Times published a wishlist of “52 Places to Go in 2017“; yesterday, they announced they’re hiring at least one journalist to, “turn our wish list into an itinerary.” This ultimate foreign (and domestic) correspondent will, over the course of a full year, travel to all 52 spots around the world and document their adventures on social media and beyond.
With a focus on a combination of nowheresville, off-the-beaten-path destinations, established European fantasy trips, and outliers like the South Bronx, the itinerary is a wet dream of worldwide destinations with a few random American neighborhoods and city’s thrown in for good measure. You’ll experience and document car-free French islands, whale sharks, white sand beaches, unpronounceable Cyprus restaurants, gourmet jerk chicken, kaleidoscopic salt lakes, red lechwe, yet unbranded Portuguese villages, surfing hippos and the Idaho glitterati – assuming you take some of the Times’ wishlist recommendations.
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From the Arctic Circle’s suburbs to sprawling Argentinian wetlands, an overlooked corner of Croatia to Nepalese yak territory, the list of locales is more or less as diverse as possible, and notably avoids the inclusion of obvious tourist destinations (Manhattan, Los Angeles, Paris, London, etc., although Madrid did make the cut) with a preference for places the Times can describe in a multitude of ways as “delightfully secluded.” As much as this gig will open the chosen one’s eyes to different countries and cultures, it will also no doubt expose them to a ridiculous quantity of twee and horrifying transit options. Also, so, so, so much good food.
Details on how much of the journey the Times will be paying for are unclear, but a weak Canadian dollar is the cheapest of monetary seductions: Since the destinations avoid most major metropolitan areas, the American dollar can be expected to go a loong way.
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Qualified applicants have to speak English, have some kind of travel writing portfolio, be active on social media, and have media, publishing, or journalism experience.
The job description doesn’t go into the details of your travels beyond destinations, but if you’ll be enjoying what the Times’ finds to be the best offered activities, get ready for the most delicious wine and truffles in the world, resorts, lots of hiking and exposure to extreme poverty and destruction off to the side of your luxurious amenities. Is this trip an opportunity for lots of meaningful volunteer work, a heaping of voyeuristic tourist guilt, or exposure to corrupt political regimes in beautiful corners of the world? Probably a combination! Apply to find out, and get ready to use #megafauna A LOT.
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