Editor David Miller with assistant wave-checker, Layla.

Greetings mundo,

Stoke levels are super high across Matador tonight as we’ve just launched a new theme for the entire network. This coincides with a whole new crew of contributing editors, including Teresa Ponikvar , who will be joining me here at the Notebook to bring you the fresh.

Now seems like a good time to reflect. Here’s a brief history:

The Traveler’s Notebook launched as Matador’s first ‘network’ site in back in September 2007. We joined forces with Brave New Traveler at the end of January of 2008. From there our network has evolved into what it is today: 9 sites interconnected through the Matador Community and covering everything travel, culture, and place.

Our original vision for the notebook had two parts:

• To find local experts willing to line out the exact who-what-where-when-why and how of travel. Like How To Travel By Cargo Ship, or How to Convert your Truck to Run on Veggie Oil.
• To offer advice on becoming a better writer, photographer, filmmaker.

That’s still still our mission today, and even after almost 2 years, it still feels like we’re only in the early stages. There are way more waves out there.