Hi there, I’m Maddy!
Welcome to hello stranger, a blog focused on adventure, paddling, and exploring the beautiful American Midwest. Here, I’m committed to sharing the wonderful adventures hidden throughout the Midwest, and inspiring other Midwest explorers to get outside. Come read about my adventures and join a community of thousands of other Midwest Explorers in Hello Stranger, the newsletter!
I’ve lived and worked as an English teacher in Armenia, worked as a sea kayaking guide on Lake Superior and in Washington’s San Juan Islands, and lived in a handful of small towns along the Great Lakes coasts. My sea kayak expeditions have included a two-week autumn Isle Royale trip, a three-week Apostle Islands expedition as a photography assistant for National Geographic, and a 70 day sea kayaking expedition in British Columbia summer of 2022.
My most incredible travel experience was being surrounded by J-pod of Southern Resident Killer Whales for an hour and a half in the Salish Sea, but a close second was hitch-hiking with truckers to the Iranian-Armenian border to backpack through Arevik National Park in Armenia (they were super nice! also it was not my idea!).
Ranging from personal essays to interviews, my writing has appeared in Scientific American, Barely South Review, Boreal Community Media, and more. My photos have appeared in Country Living Magazine, Lake & Company, and more. For my full publications list, click here. Today, you can find me on the Paddling Magazine editorial team.
For work inquiries, email me at hello [at] madelinemarquardt.com or click the button below to learn more about what I can do for you. For photo licensing inquiries, please email me at hello [at] madelinemarquardt.com.