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It’s taken more than a decade of experience, but I finally have a handle on how to make my wine and food reporting trips worthwhile for both my needs as a journalist/father and the desires of the people who’ve requested my attention.
To justify the time spent away from my family (which is disruptive) and writing (which is directly related to income), as well as the uncovered expenses I accrue (which is mostly just gas, as I tend to be well-fed and housed for free), I must schedule these trips as efficiently as possible, with multiple back-to-back visits.