It’s kind of weird to have the tables turned on us for a change. We’re used to doing the interviewing around here, not to being the interviewee. But over the summer someone on the editorial staff at NashvilleVoyager Magazine reached out: “…we’re interviewing local entrepreneurs, creatives and community leaders for our Inspiring Stories series.” Would Haunt Jaunts be interested in participating?
I was interested but unsure. What was NashvilleVoyager all about? I went to check out their site and wouldn’t you know it? They had a handy About section to clue me in:
NashvilleVoyager is part of the LA-based Voyage Group of Magazines. Our mission is to promote mom and pops, artists, creatives, makers and small businesses by providing a platform for these hidden gems to tell their stories in their own words.
After reading some of the other interviews, I realized it seemed like a legit enough operation. So I decided, “Sure. Why not? I’ll answer some questions.”
I wasn’t sure Haunt Jaunts qualified as a hidden gem, and what about our origin story? Would others find it interesting to know that cancer is why Haunt Jaunts exists?
There was only one way to find out: say yes and answer the questionnaire when they sent it. Which I did.
Although, sort of like how it’s taken me a moment to share that the interview is now live (which happened on August 31), it also took me a moment to answer the questions. (We spent most of July on the road and I spent the first half of August trying to catch back up once we returned.)
Anyway, I finally got it all sent in, and now here I am letting folks know the interview is live.
In addition to sharing what sparked Haunt Jaunts’ creation, I also talked about roadblocks and risk-taking. They also allowed us —by us, I mean Smalls and myself— to send in up to eight photos that represent our work. If you follow Haunts Jaunts on Insta —or Smalls (yes, he has his own Insta account too!)— you may have seen some. But if not, we picked a few of our favorite images. (Which was hard, because no joke, we have well over 45,000 photos from all our jaunts over the years.)
It ended up getting put in The Trailblazers: Rewriting the Narrative section of their site. You can either click the hyperlink or find it in their menu at the top of their homepage.
Or you can go directly to the “Life & Work with Courtney Mroch” page and give the interview a gander. And if you do, thanks in advance for checking it out!
Check-In
Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to ask me about travel, writing/blogging, story development, traveling with a skeleton…or anything else? Now’s the time to do it!
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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The interview is really good! It’s cool that the hubster gave you the idea for the name “Haunt Jaunts.” Do people ever ask you if Smalls is a real skeleton? Yes, of COURSE he is, but do strangers ask?
Congratulations, Courtney!! So glad to see you being recognized for your perseverance and for contributing to that corner of the world where folks ponder if there are shadows lurking within shadows? 😉
In the case of the, “paranormal,” it is always interesting to hear someone’s backstory. Even with your skeptical persuasion for trying to look for explainable causes, you still had a couple of moments of personal mystery. Those kinds of hallmarks help make the perfect recipe to make a person keep searching.
And, I couldn’t help but laugh as I caught you using the word, “questionnaire,” up above. lol
So happy you shared this story! You deserved this spotlight.
OMG!! THANK YOU for taking the time to check out the interview AND for asking a question!!! AND such a fun one because there is a story there. People ask all the time “What’s up with the skeleton?” Sometimes they nervously joke about, “Good thing it’s not real.” BUT my best friends in FL think I should have some back story about him being real…like a child I can’t part with. BUT, that’s pretty morbid even for me and the last thing I’d want to do is make light of anyone who has really suffered the loss of a child. But in a Seinfeld kind of a way, that would be funny…
LOL! Good catch! I seem to work that word in wherever I go, don’t I? THANK YOU for taking the time to check out the interview, Blaine! And yes…I’m no stranger to “personal mystery” (now THAT, sir, is a marvelous turn of phrase!). Yet…I still remain skeptical. LOL THANKS so much again for sharing in the excitement of all this!