Hi, I’m Jamie. I am a writer, storyteller, and lover of interiors, style, travel, and anything that exudes a west coast lifestyle. I was born in the San Francisco Bay Area and I’ve lived in California my entire life. After calling San Francisco my home for nearly a decade, I moved to San Diego in fall 2o23 with my husband where we currently call Cardiff-By-The-Sea home.
I first discovered my passion for travel and photography during a four month-long backpacking trip through western Europe with my best friend in 2013. Our travels by railway, plane and bus took us from Spain to Austria to Italy, France, Scotland, and everything in between. I fell in love with capturing the places we visited, the food we ate, and the people we encountered. I was so struck by wanderlust I visited Scandinavia and Portugal shortly afterward for another five weeks with another bestie.
After graduating from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, I dove headfirst into a public relations career focused in hospitality marketing for travel destinations, hotels, restaurants. For eight years I harnessed my creative writing and passion for the written word to tell stories for media-worthy brands that have been featured in The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Food & Wine, and many more. During this time, I discovered my passion for fitness and found my workout calling in megaformer Pilates at Bodyrok Studio in San Francisco.
In 2021, I became a reformer pilates sculpt instructor with Bodyrok and taught group classes several days a week. While I put teaching on pause when I moved to San Diego, I continue to take pilates religiously and swear by it for improved overall health and wellbeing.
I’ve always appreciated thoughtful interior spaces that feel intentional and homey, and curating my San Francisco apartment was one of my favorite projects during the pandemic. I describe my aesthetic as California casual with touches of modern and vintage pieces. I’m working on bringing my San Diego home to life with a similar vibe.
I dreamt up West by Nature for a few years before I decided to launch in early 2021. This blog is the intersection of my professional experience and personal interests inspired by my California roots and west coast living. West by Nature covers a range of lifestyle topics including interiors, style, recipes, travel, ever-evolving content based on the season, and personal notes.
It means so much that you have found your way here. Thank you for reading! To say hello or inquire about collaborating, please email jamiemaearmstrong@gmail.com.
