Merissa Principe

Merissa Principe spends almost all year in hotels as she searches the world for the best travel, beauty, and wellness trends. She's a freelance travel writer based out of New York City. Her work has appeared in HelloGiggles, Instyle, Travel + Leisure, CBS, and other publications.

After graduating from college in New York City, Merissa lived in Germany for three years, teaching preschool on an army base for the U.S. Government. It was there that her travel addiction was born. When she moved back to New York City, she started her blog, City Girl Riss, citygirlriss.com, for family and friends. Soon after, she landed her first job writing for the travel and lifestyle section of CBS Local. Since then, she has started freelancing for several publications, including HelloGiggles, Instyle, Shape, Travel + Leisure, Yahoo, and more.

When she's not writing for work, she enjoys exploring NYC, relaxing on the beach in the Hamptons, or taking an adventurous trip to an off-the-beaten-path destination. Her travels have inspired her latest business venture, the Roam Candle Co, roamcrystalcandles.com. A vegan crystal candle company designed to help fellow travelers manifest their dream trip.