Pilgrim Magazine publishes place-based, mission-inspired stories that take readers on rich adventures through narrative storytelling. While journeys are at the root of all we do, journeying with purpose, cultural awareness, and compassion are unshakeable values. 

We believe that Pilgrims live their stories, with a deep awareness that there are ever-evolving narratives happening all around us. Pilgrims are people who are curious, observant, and receptive. People who are doing beautiful, meaningful things—who believe in purposeful living. People who not only talk to strangers, but listen to them. People who take the long way and believe that wrong turns are often right turns. People who read and sing and think and create and aimlessly wander and color outside the lines. People who are advocates for fellow humans, conscientious explorations, and Mama Earth.

If you’re interested in collaborating in some way or contributing a piece, say hello: curious@pilgrimmag.com. We’d love to hear your ideas!

Ashley M. Halligan | Founder, Editor, Curator of Stories

Ashley is a writer who’s been living her dream of geographic independence since November 2016 when she left her job as a copywriter at an ad agency and pursued the open road indefinitely. Since, she’s collected an absurd number of passport stamps, driven cross-country with her copilot Jack Cousteau too many times to count, and has been published by a few dream publications like Backpacker and Alaska magazines. She’s also done work for outdoors brands like Patagonia and The North Face, and tourism boards at local, state, and national levels.

Her idea for Pilgrim Magazine was born in the Amazon in June of 2015 after a cosmic journey with Mother Jungle. Three years, five continents, fourteen countries, and far too many roadtrip miles to count later, her biggest dream has finally come true—and she’s accumulated quite a few stories that she cannot wait to share with you.

She’s happiest on the open road, and being lost is her preferred state of mind (unless unexpected sinkholes in the Siskiyou National Forest are involved). She has an affinity for mountains, pinecones, dirty rap, camping socks, paper atlases, striking up conversations with all the grandads, and old-school diners in towns that may not have a radio station but damn sure have soul. While she loves exploring places she’s never been, the Pacific Northwest—Northern Cali in particular—will always be her sacred ground.

If you happen upon her out in the world, you’ll likely find her in sequins or flannel (or possibly both) with a glass of wine and camera in hand, singing out loud and chasing an unobstructed view of the sunset. For a deeper look at Ashley’s journeys and perspectives, read one of her latest pieces,”The Wanderer’s Conundrum.” And, if you’d like, say hello: curious@pilgrimmag.com.

Rachel Keck | Contributing Editor + Curator of Stories

Rachel’s roots trace back to rural Virginia, where dogwood blossoms grow fragrant in springtime and fireflies dance in the waning sun of summer dog days, but she’s found “home” all over—on the road, around the table, in the serendipitous nooks and crannies of this world and in the faces of strangers-turned-lifelong-friends.

She has a soft spot for long roadtrips, variegated playlists and lesser-known locales. She holds firmly to the conviction that adventure is everywhere and stories are, too—sometimes under our very noses or just a hop, skip and a jump across the county line—and it’s become a sort of manifesto of hers to curate more of these types of stories since joining Pilgrim in early 2021.

She’s given words to the realms of education, arts and culture and travel, drawing experience from an assortment of pools—newsrooms and start-ups, freelance endeavors and a stint in the field of human services.

While she’s collected a number of addresses in different corners of the U.S., Rachel is most at home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, with a cup of coffee in one hand and a camera in the other. She cements a new friendship just about everywhere she goes, whether it be a fellow garlic enthusiast at the local grocery store, florists setting up shop at a southern California farmers market or the town mayor, so don’t be shy about saying hello. Drop her a line at: rachel@pilgrimmag.com.