Heather Lea has traveled to over 60 countries — 40 were on a BMW GS during a two-year round-the-world motorcycle adventure with her now-husband, Dave Sears (Trip blog: ridingfullcircle.com). She is currently writing a book about this lifetime adventure and may win an award for taking so long (six years and counting…). Heather has been a freelance writer for over 25 years and a book and magazine editor for more than 15. Aside from GearJunkie, her stories can be found in Overland Journal, Expedition Portal, Canadian Geographic, Kootenay Mountain Culture, and Canadian Alpine Journal. She loves doing anything in the backcountry, including backpacking, four-wheel-driving, ski touring, and climbing. Heather is a Canadian now living in Bellingham, WA, with Dave, and their dog, Daisy (expert mouse-killer).
Education: Social Media and Graphic Design Graduate University of British Columbia, Adventure Tourism and Outdoor Business Management Graduate College of the Rockies
Years of Writing: 25+
Years of Editing: 15+
Certifications: Whitewater Rafting Certification (expired), Certificate in Social Media and Graphic Design, Wilderness First Aid (expired), Industrial First Aid (expired)
The first article I ever wrote was published in a small-town newspaper. I was in my early twenties and the story was about rock climbing. From that point on, I had the confidence (ignorance) to set my sights on becoming a writer. A decade later, I started an arts, culture, and lifestyle magazine called Reved Quarterly (now defunct), in the gorgeous resort town of Revelstoke, British Columbia.
When I had the incredible opportunity in 2015 to ride a motorcycle around the world, I sold Reved to a staff writer. For the next two years, I rode a BMW GS through 40 countries and over 55,000 miles. On the road, I was a contributing writer to Overland Journal and Expedition Portal. My choice to become a writer paid off — I’ve had hundreds of articles published in legit online and print venues. The only problem was, it didn’t actually pay off. I’d often joke I made “tens” of dollars a year.
Switching gears, I used my extensive writing background and connections to pursue an editing career. Here, I found my stride. Although I love writing, my true passion is bringing others’ stories to life. I’ve helped edit books, both fiction and non-fiction, and several articles for online and digital media. Nothing makes me happier, or is more rewarding, than helping authors make their hard work shine. Or, for that matter, zeroing in on a jumbled, messy pile of words barfed all over the page and pulling out the golden nuggets.
My thrill-seeking interests are skiing, climbing, mountain biking, and riding ADV motorcycles. For chill time, I love photography, cooking, gardening, yoga, walking my dog, and playing Scrabble.
