My name is Molly Beauchemin and I’m a writer, photographer, and culture critic who has spent most of her working life living between New York City, Hawaii, LA, and Europe.
I began my career as a music critic at Pitchfork in New York City, and over the course of nearly a decade of writing for millions of readers, I diversified into telling stories about more broad aspects of culture– from travel and health to fashion and feminism. In that span of time, I’ve worked with everyone from Condé Nast and National Geographic to PAPER and MTV. In my work as in my life, I’m a crusader for living well– and I think meaningful engagement with global culture and our own mental health are essential aspects of living well and purposefully in the digital age.
Accordingly, this magazine covers travel and mental wellness because it is about exploring both inner and outer worlds. Both topics free the mind from concern and allow people to see their lives through a happier, more grounded, more meaningful lens. Ultimately, it’s about exploring our quality of life.
Bridging the Worlds of Travel + Mental Health.
I struggle with anxiety, and I founded Grace & Lightness Magazine in response to what I’ve observed as a culture-wide epidemic of chronic stress and anxiety among my peers. From politics to gun violence to the climate crisis, issues of global concern have come to dominate our collective life experience, in everything from news headlines to private conversations.
This is all happening at a time when the technology that addles this stress is ubiquitous, and mental health is rarely ever discussed (let alone prioritized). As a culture, we also seem to be struggling with a collective feeling of burnout with regards to the passage of time. If the Internet has optimized our lives to make modern living easier than ever, then why do we all feel like we never have enough time?
Grace & Lightness Magazine is a vehicle to help people cope– through inspired storytelling, practical life coaching, and easy-to-apply wellness strategy that I have gleaned from working in a fast-paced environment for some of the world’s most prominent media brands. It is also a hub for bespoke storytelling about travel– and beautiful, personally-curated guides to wonder-inducing destinations around the world.
I struggle with anxiety– and I share many of my peers’ concerns over the stresses of our time— but I’ve also made peace with it. I have a crazy schedule that doesn’t allow for wallowing, for one– but I also refuse to allow worry to run my life.
As a woman working in a male-dominated industry, I also have to be doubly on my game and unafraid to tell it like it is. In truth, I have never been happier, or less afraid, to explore the world and give back to it. This magazine is a chronicle of how I manage to travel well while still living a grounded, happy, fulfilling life– and trust me: If I can do it, you can do it.
In my work as a journalist and culture critic, I’ve spent meaningful time with hundreds of doctors, psychologists, wellness gurus, and thought leaders from around the world, who have each shared with me perspective-shifting advice that I chronicle in this magazine.
I’ve also had the privilege of experiencing many of the world’s most beautiful destinations firsthand, and I hope that my insight and recommendations for traveling in this capacity will prove somewhat aspirational. I am super proud of the fact that I visit every single place I write about in this magazine myself. It takes an incredible amount of resourcefulness and hustle to make it work, but I am supremely confident in my travel guides because I only recommend the kind of activities I enjoyed doing myself.
My goal here is to facilitate other peoples’ enjoyment of everything this world has to offer, whether it’s the blissful clarity of an unburdened mind or an actual destination in your life. (To that end: I publish abbreviated insider travel guides on my Instagram, @MollyBeauchemin, as well. Come say hi!)
Above all, I hope Grace & Lightness is helpful for anyone struggling with anxiety, stress, imposter syndrome, dullness, tech addiction, lack of focus, trauma, body dysmorphia, or a lack of inspiration in these confusing times. These are feelings that most people experience at some point in their lives. They are here for a reason, and when taken in stride, they will ultimately make your life more bountiful. (I promise.) So, let’s work on these ideas together. Cheers to your journey, and thank you for following along with mine.
(In that spirit, feel free to email me any time! No question is too big or small. You will always find a home here–and, I hope, a friend.)
Yours always,
Molly Beauchemin
Editor-in-Chief
Grace & Lightness Magazine