farewell
To the extraordinary Wildsam community that has grown these past thirteen years: a thousand thank you’s. I write this note to share my decision to move on as editor-in-chief of Wildsam in the coming weeks. I do so with the fullest cup of gratitude and fulfillment.
Wildsam started as a tiny seed of an idea in my New York apartment in 2012. It was a hunch, a spark, a bet: that people long for meaning in the world. Those first books were a blissful mix of roaming and research. I submerged myself into Nashville, Austin, and San Francisco, then New Orleans, Detroit, and Brooklyn. And onward. Foraging archives, making friends, winnowing lists, yarning the inspiration together, distilling it all down. And the thing took real root. More than a decade of hustle, copy-edits and luck later, I see Wildsam today, wide-reaching, weathered, grooved, a tribute to what it has always been at its core.
I’ve reflected much in the last few months about my work with Wildsam. The sixty-five field guides and thirteen magazine issues, 10,224 pages, and inside—838 interviews, 1,625 historical snippets, 312 town profiles, 2,086 restaurant recs, armfuls of poetry and prose, arcane curio and natural wonders, blue highways and mom-and-pop wisdom. What has all of that been about? Why have I done it?
Where I’ve landed is this: It’s all been a conversation. About where we live and where we go, about our past, about beauty and joy and mystery, about the unexplainable and the lovely. For me, it’s been a way to connect with the world, to see it, to make sense of it, to catch moments of its shimmering light.
The simple truth is that it could not have happened without leagues of support, generosity, creativity, and commitment.
It starts with my Wildsam colleagues, an incredibly talented roster, past and present: Adam, Alan, Allie-Brooke, Annie, Ashley, Ashlee, Becca, Breezy, Brian, Brittain, Calhan, Catherine, Chris, Corey, Danielle, David, Drew, Erin, Hannah, Hannah Grace, Jana, Jax, JJ, Jenna, Jess, Jody, Katey, Kath, Kelsey, Kraig, Lily, Luke, Margaret, Michael, Phil, Sam A, Sam K, Sam S, Scott, Stacy, Stephanie, Tom, Tony, Zach. It’s impossible to measure your collective impact, but I see it like a clear mountain lake, and I am beyond grateful.
To our Wildsam circle of contributors, over 500 writers and editors, more than 250 photographers and illustrators, and literally 1000s of local experts and dear friends of our work: You’ve wowed me over and over and over again with your stories, your photos and artwork, your knowledge about and your love for the places we’ve explored. Wildsam has its glint of authenticity and depth in large part because of your efforts. Thank you.
That spirit of friendship extends even further. It goes into the dozens of brand partners, who’ve supported our work in collaboration, advertisement, and genuine enthusiasm for Wildsam. It resides in more than 2,000 independent shops, mercantiles, museums, hotels, general stores, and beloved bookshops, who’ve put more than a million field guides into traveler hands. And it has continued with our corporate partners at Camping World and Good Sam, who since acquiring our business in 2022 have not only championed what Wildsam has always been, but encouraged us to dream bigger and go farther. To Will Colling and Matt Wagner, and countless others in Chicago, Denver, and beyond, my sincere gratitude for an incredible three years working together.
And to you, the reader: The world is peopled with wonders. It’s been our credo since before our first field guide. It’s been both our compass and our method. I have loved knowing that all over the country, you’ve been on your own adventures, and that Wildsam has been a part of them. And it will continue to be.
Our team is phenomenal, and will excel under the leadership of editorial director Zach Dundas, a cornerstone of Wildsam since October 2019, and Tom Rendell, our director of sales and partnerships. On Monday, we released our wonderfully-timed guide to Western Carolina; let’s get “back to beyond,” as I like to say. Our magazine continues to bring the Open Road ethos to life. The upcoming “Iconic Rides” issue is fantastic. And special projects with Subaru, Vuori, L.L.Bean, and Yeti are waiting in the wings. Keep going.
As my time here winds down, I’m as certain as ever that how we move through the world is vital. Welcome the stranger. Seek out the unfamiliar. Wake up before the sun. Tip the busker. Ask the bartender a question. Turn on the radio. Buy that piece of turquoise. Carry it in your pocket.
It's a joy. Thank you for the journey.
Taylor Bruce