Natalie Compton began her journalism career in 2015 while living in Southeast Asia. She’s since written for national and international outlets, including GQ, VICE, Los Angeles Times, WIRED, Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Playboy, The Independent, Departures, Los Angeles Magazine, and Food Network, among others. Additionally, her photography has been published by USA Today, PUNCH, Edible, and more. The Californian is currently a travel reporter for the Washington Post’s travel destination, By The Way.

Favorite Work

Washington Post – This pandemic, I’m drinking through the souvenir wine I’ve collected since I was 14

WIRED – Inside the Bulletproof Coffee Guy’s New Body-Hacking Gym

Playboy – A normal human’s guide to climbing Kilimanjaro

Washington Post – As if a pandemic isn’t scary enough, I spent the night alone in a haunted house

GQ – Now Is the Time to Go to Antarctica

Washington Post – How to survive 12 hours in an airport

LA Times – This chef is betting that people in Hong Kong will learn to love Mexicali food

Vice: The Best Hangover Cures, According to Japanese Drinkers

Washington Post – Is entirely contactless travel possible? I planned a trip to find out.

GQ – The Best and Worst (Okay, Mostly Worst) Edible Lingerie You Can Buy For Valentine’s Day

Bon Appétit – This Caffeinated Wine Came Way Before Four Loko

LA Times – L.A. Affairs: A romance that began on a plane didn’t survive the landing

VICE: I Tried to Diet Like a Celebrity for the Academy Awards

Washington Post – A Tale of Two Mardi Gras

GQ – Puglia: Where to Eat in Italy’s Most Overlooked Food Destination

Washington Post – 7 lessons I learned while traveling by myself

Full portfolio available here.  

On-air appearances

WJLA interview on new coronavirus testing regulations. January 2021.

CTV News interview on the rise of pandemic travel shaming. September 2020.

WJLA interview on holiday travel advice. December 2020.

KTVU San Francisco interview on flight attendants’ experiences working during the pandemic. August 2020.

BBC World News America interview on the do’s and don’ts of airplane seat reclining. July 2019. 

Radio interviews 

Featured guest on NPR’s It’s Been a Minute with Sam Sanders discussing why flying feels so hard in 2021.

Regular guest on WGN Chicago from covering the rise of pandemic travel shaming, Thanksgiving 2020 travel risks, the return of European travel, among other travel topics.

Repeat panelist for KQED radio San Francisco, with segments on how to fly during the pandemic,  what to consider if you’re ready to travel post-vaccine, and the uptick in bad behavior on flights in 2021. 

Reoccurring guest on SiriusXM’s The Press Pool, covering topics like coronavirus testing for travel, the experience of flight attendants during the pandemic as well as general travel advice and trends.

Guest on Philadelphia NPR’s “Radio Times with Marty Moss-Coane” discussing the return of leisure travel in 2021.

KCRW, LA’s NPR station, program “Press Play” interview following this Wired story on biohacking gyms.

Guest on Peter Greenberg’s “Eye on Travel” discussing new airline route trends, the rise of domestic travel during the pandemic, and more.

KOMO Seattle radio interview on TSA-approved food for your carry-on bag.

KLDR Dallas radio interview on the experience of flight attendants during the pandemic.

Repeat guest on KGO San Francisco radio, covering topics like how to pack during the pandemic and getting tested for coronavirus for travel.

TBS eFM’s “This Morning,” an English-language radio program in Seoul, Korea interview on finding an ethical animal sanctuary.

ESPN podcast “The Right Time with Bomani Jones” segment on tips for cancelling a flight.

iHeartMedia’s “The Daily Dive” podcast interview on getting tested for coronavirus to travel.