A rainy Boston morning set the scene, but the real weather shift happens in the story: an English major boards her first commercial flight to Alaska at 19, discovers how far a duffel and a daring heart can go, and eventually returns to writing through the heat of a private kitchen. We trace Melanie’s winding path from private chef to freelance food-and-travel journalist, and how curiosity—not credentials—became the map legend for every bold turn.
We dig into the messy art of pitching that school didn’t teach well enough, why perfection slowed her down, and how a personal touch can cut through a crowded inbox. Then the narrative dives—literally—into the Galápagos, where a sea lion taught her the power of attention and play, and resurfaces in Iceland with fermented shark, sheep-dung–smoked whiskey, and the kind of hospitality that sticks. Along the way, we unpack travel trends with substance: detours that counter overtourism without diluting wonder, a resurgence of first-person narratives that invite empathy, and multigenerational trips that strengthen family bonds through shared discovery.
Closer to home, Melanie opens a notebook of Boston recommendations that skip the obvious, from a lingering tapa night in the Seaport to a moody Beacon Hill hideaway, thermal cycling sessions in Revere, Mass Audubon’s overlooked greenways, and a Woburn spot hosting a chestnut festival and a $22 three-course lunch. She shares what she seeks on hosted trips, why perseverance is the freelancer’s quiet superpower, and the one dream that keeps resurfacing: flying a fighter jet. If you care about travel that feels honest, food that carries culture and pitching that respects people, you’ll find tools, stories and surprises you can use. Enjoy the journey, then tap follow, share with a curious friend, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Angela Tuell (01:06):
Or undiscovered main streets across the US.
Welcome to me.
Melanie Carden (01:11):
Hey Angela, thanks for having me.
Angela Tuell (01:13):
How are things in Boston?
Melanie Carden (01:15):
It's rainy.
I can't complain though,because we really desperately
need the rain.
So it's a good day for writing,I suppose.
Angela Tuell (01:23):
Oh yeah, it's writing and reading, right?
Melanie Carden (01:27):
Exactly.
Yeah, or cooking, I suppose.
Angela Tuell (01:31):
I wanted to start with, you know, it's really
interesting because your careerhas been both food and travel,
even beginning of a class beforediving into journalism.
Can you share a little bit ofyour background in your career
and what inspired you to pursuejournalism after being a test?
Melanie Carden (01:49):
Yeah, sure.
So back in the day out of highschool, I was an English major,
but I just I wasn't sure howthat was going to parlay in
terms of a career for mepersonally.
So at the age of 19, there wasactually an opportunity to move
to Alaska for an an AmeriCorpsjob.
(02:09):
Oh wow.
So I know it's the first year.
I believe it's the first orsecond year that AmeriCorps
existed.
So I left school to pursuethat.
Um I had actually never been ona commercial flight before.
I'd never flown on an actualplane.
So it was a really bigadventure to pack up my whole
(02:32):
life into a duffel bag and justsort of take off.
And I lived in Connecticut.
So like oh such a long flightfor such a, you know, a green
19-year-old girl, but um, but Idid it.
And it ended up not workingout.
Um, but that flight andadventure changed the trajectory
of my life.
(02:52):
So in my 20s, I worked two orthree jobs at a time, so I could
uh travel all the time.
And I landed a corporate jobthat involved travel, but got
burnt out after about 10 yearsor so.
Um I dreamed of being a chefwhen I was younger, and my
family is like a big foodfamily, so I dedicated some
(03:15):
years to the passion project ofbeing a private chef.
And from there, I startedwriting a food-based newspaper
column and fell back in lovewith writing.
And so eventually at thatpoint, I returned to university
and graduated at the the theyoung age of 45 years old.
(03:36):
So it was a unique and kind ofreally lovely journey that took
a few decades.
Angela Tuell (03:42):
Yes, but you finally got there and it's going
well.
Melanie Carden (03:45):
Yeah.
Yeah, it's been amazing.
Angela Tuell (03:48):
So what was it like though?
Going, I mean, you started whenyou graduated freelancing,
right?
How did how did that go?
Melanie Carden (03:55):
It was like being just thrown into the deep
end of the pool for sure.
Um when I was in school, I hadtaken one of the courses I took
was completely dedicated to theart of pitching.
And that on paper, that soundslike the kind of course that's
(04:15):
gonna really set you up reallywell for the real world.
And yeah, it actually hadcompletely the opposite impact,
um, which I could not haverealized at the time.
So we've spent an entiresemester writing two pitches.
So weeks and weeks devoted toworking out the nuances and
(04:41):
perfecting two pitches.
Like, talk about tapping intoand like just hardwiring in
perfection and having not doneit in the real world, it really
set the tone for every pitchthat I write has to be perfect
down to every nuance, like thetiniest of nuances.
(05:06):
Like and so yeah, when Istarted pitching, it was like I
was getting maybe two pitchesout a week because that's how I
thought it had to be done.
So that was really interestingto me that you know I was so
grateful to go back to school,and in general, it was super
empowering and very helpful.
(05:27):
But that one point, I wouldlike that one course definitely
just it it sent me down a path Ididn't need to go down at all.
So I had to relearn or unlearnall of that for real life.
Angela Tuell (05:43):
That's awful because I would, you know, a a
course like that doesn't usuallyexist.
So that sounds fantastic.
I mean, I've I've talked to somany freelancers that were like,
I didn't know how to pitch, youknow, and now I came out of
school and I tried it on my own.
But then if they teach you thewrong way, that's more harmful
than helpful.
Melanie Carden (06:00):
Yeah, exactly.
I definitely would have beenbetter off, you know, coming in
just really green and figuringit out, I think.
It took me so much longer tolet go of those key takeaways
and those learnings.
But it's eventually I I gotthere, especially after
networking and chatting withother journalists and um, you
(06:21):
know, PR colleagues and soforth.
Angela Tuell (06:23):
So that's good.
That's good.
So what types of stories do youfocus on mostly?
You know, what outlets are youregularly writing for?
Melanie Carden (06:33):
Yeah, so I would say I'm generally a very
curious person.
So I'm always open to a widevariety of experiences.
Okay.
Certainly food comes into play,of course.
And I especially love pursuinguh stories of unique or
meaningful food connections.
So my concentration um at UMasswas food and culture
(06:58):
journalism.
So the deeper meanings andconnections of all things food
and agriculture and foodsystems.
I also love, love, loveadventure-centric travel and
sort of anything off the beatenpath.
And with that, I would say Iwrite a lot for uh Parade
(07:20):
magazine and also New YorkLifestyles magazine, which is a
really lovely print um pub.
And most recently I've beenreally excited to start to do
some writing for the BostonGlobe, and the list sort of goes
on and on, Expedia magazine andand so forth.
(07:40):
So it's been it's been a reallyfun, you know, five or so
years.
Angela Tuell (07:45):
Yes, definitely.
And you recently launched yourown site, right?
Travel and Curiosity.
Melanie Carden (07:53):
Yeah, yeah.
So this has been in the works,as I'm sure everyone says when
they launch their own website orblog.
It's been in the works forever.
I've been like, I kind of thinkof my blog almost like a little
mushroom that I've been sittingon for probably three years.
And um it just sort of has beenthe ideas uh under the
(08:15):
foundation of what I wanted todo, just sort of kept ballooning
upward, you know, and in thatmu mushroom sort of a shape.
And there I sat thinking aboutit and sort of planning it in my
head.
And then in the past year, Imade a promise to myself to dig
in and get it going.
So I think because so much ofmy day-to-day life and travel
(08:39):
goals are tied to the fact thatI'm so incredibly curious as a
human being.
Um, I love trying and learningnew things and stepping out of
my comfort zone and meeting newpeople in new places and
learning the backstories of allsorts of people, places, and
things.
So, really curiosity is thefoundation of the website, and
(09:02):
travel is inherently anextension of that.
Um, so the long-term visionincludes verticals dedicated to
travel content and curiosity anda celebration of all things
Boston, which is where I'mbased, including um like a
monthly Boston and Beyond eventand happenings roundup.
(09:22):
So sort of a glorious mishmashof all curious things that I am
passionate about.
Angela Tuell (09:29):
I love that.
So, since you startedfreelancing and working in the
travel food culture world, whathave been some of your most
memorable stories?
Melanie Carden (09:40):
Well, that's a good one.
Um, I would say that one timeI've been lucky enough to go to
Ecuador and the Galapagos.
I've been to the Galapagostwice and have sailed the
extended uh coastline as well.
And one time when I was in theGalapagos, I was snorkeling with
(10:04):
a group, and most people hadkind of gone around the corner,
if you will, and I was sort of,you know, lagging behind a bit,
and I heard the telltale soundof a sea lion like hitting the
water, you know, jumping intothe water.
And I kind of looked around andI didn't see him right away,
and then all of a sudden, fromlike below my feet, he sort of
(10:28):
like appeared upward, so he wassort of like vertical, and I was
sort of hovering vertical inthe water.
And I mean, Angela, he wasmaybe maybe two or three feet
away from me.
So we're we we've just got thisdirect eye contact, and so he
looks at me.
I've heard people call them thepuppies of the sea, which I
(10:49):
think is very sweet and very,very true because they're so
inquisitive.
So he was very curious, andthen he stared at me for a
moment or two, and then he i iit honestly it was so
incredible, and it's like at aparty when people ask me this
question, it's it's my go-tostory.
So he looked at me and then hedid like a little swoosh in the
(11:13):
water, and then he returned infront of my face, and he looked
at me very sort of expectantly,and I thought, uh uh, oh, I
think does he want me to dothat?
So I did.
I I replicated what he had justdone, and then I came back and
I looked at him and you couldsee you could see him thinking,
(11:33):
and then he did like a secondmaneuver, and this one was more
complicated.
So he did like a little bitmore of a twist or a turn in the
water, and then he again cameright back in front of me and he
locked eyes with me, and I didit.
And we went back and forth likethis for maybe I know it was
(11:54):
crazy.
We did this like three or fourtimes.
In the meantime, of course, I'mlooking around, I'm like, is
anybody seeing this?
Is anybody and that was thebeauty of it.
There is no physical record ofthis whatsoever.
It is solely just thisbeautiful shared moment, and
(12:17):
then he took it up like severallevels, and he went way deep
down into the water, and he dida whole series of things and
came up, and I barely was ableto pull that one off.
And then Angela, and then hedove down and he slipped in
between some rocks, and he hid.
(12:39):
And we were playing hide andseek.
And goodness for all of my dayson this earth, I will like I
had tears like welling up insideof my mask.
It was it was so it was sospecial.
And it's a kind of experiencewhere like, yeah, it it stays
(13:00):
with you in a way that sillysmall things that I guess aren't
that silly.
When I sometimes you put thewrong recycling in in the bin or
something, you know, and you'relike, ah, I'll let it go this
one time, right?
And things like that make you,you know, make you kinda rethink
(13:22):
little oopsies in life likethat.
Like I want to take the bestcare possible of this planet.
Um, and every time I, you know,have a little decision like
that to make, I just think aboutI think about that and I think
about him out there and theripple effect of all the choices
we make in life.
So yeah, yeah, it's it wasspecial.
Angela Tuell (13:44):
Goodness, that's fantastic.
Did you write about it?
Melanie Carden (13:47):
Um, I've um I'm looking for the opportunity to
really showcase it.
I've like I've referenced it ormentioned it in passing, um,
but I haven't yet.
I'm waiting for that, like justthe right place at the right
time to bring it forward.
And to tell it properly.
unknown (14:04):
Definitely.
Melanie Carden (14:05):
Yeah, in all its detail.
Yeah.
Angela Tuell (14:07):
Yes.
Oh, I love that.
That is fantastic.
You also mentioned you'retalking about food a little bit.
You mentioned cricket tacos.
A lot of adventurous is clearclearly part of your story.
Do you have some memorable foodexperiences while traveling, or
is there any food you'd nevertry again?
Melanie Carden (14:24):
You know what's funny is there are very few
foods I don't like.
And unfortunately for me, thetwo foods that I despise are
having their moment right now.
So beets and goat cheese, whichof course people love to put
together.
No.
There is a lot of people likethat.
I don't get it.
(14:47):
I don't get it.
It's I think it tastes likewhat speak smell like.
Speaker 00 (14:56):
So wait, absolutely vile.
Melanie Carden (15:00):
Yeah, I'm like, I think it's just it's so vile.
Um, and so it's very funnybecause sometimes um, well, it's
sometimes awkward because achef will sometimes send out an
emouge bouge, and right now it'suh it's a roll of the dice if
there's gonna be either of thosetwo ingredients.
Um but in terms of likememorable food experiences, um
(15:23):
when I was in the first time Iwas in Iceland, I stayed at a at
a beautiful property, HotelRanga, and the owner is um just
a fantastic, amazing character.
And he's just always like ifhe's around, he's like in the
mix and always chatting withpeople.
(15:44):
And he was so kind and had uhsort of treated some of us to
some fermented shark.
Angela Tuell (15:52):
And I don't know if you're familiar with this in
Iceland.
Melanie Carden (15:57):
Notoriously disgusting smelling and a little
bit difficult for most peopleto sort of stomach and for
people that don't know, telltell how the shark is preserved
or whatever.
So, well, first of all, when wehad it, it's the the amount
that you're given, it'sfermented, it's so it's
(16:17):
fermented shark, and the thestink of it, when they bring it
out, they always have it coveredbecause when they uncover it,
the smell fills whatever theroom is.
And it smells like a cadaver.
I mean it it's vile.
It's just vile.
One of the journalists that Iwas with, a friend of mine,
(16:39):
started actually physicallygagging as soon as he took the
like the dome off of it.
So it was it's definitely anexperience, and you have to like
hold it in your mouth and letyour saliva, like the acid in
your saliva, break it down alittle bit before you try to
chew it.
So but it is a delicacy, and itwas a beautiful like gesture.
(17:04):
And so, you know, we all had alittle bit of shark, but there
was one piece left.
And he announced, hey, youknow, there's one more, and like
who's gonna have it?
And everyone is like kind ofholding their breath, you know.
They um they appreciate thehospitality, but they're not
sure if they're down for anotherpiece.
So I thought, well, you know,he it's such a a kind gesture.
(17:29):
So I went for it and I had theextra piece, and he like he
literally stood up on his chairand announced to the entire like
restaurant that I am a Viking,and he did this with like raised
(17:50):
fists in the air, like aproclamation, a declaration that
I'm a Viking.
And so as hard as it was tosort of stomach, it was
definitely worth it.
Yeah.
That is so but also like sametrip, I actually had a whiskey
(18:10):
that is um smoked in sheep dung.
Angela Tuell (18:15):
My husband bought a bottle of that and brought it
back.
Yeah, I don't know how topronounce it.
Melanie Carden (18:20):
Is it sloky?
Angela Tuell (18:21):
Uh yes, I think that's the S L, yeah.
Yes.
Melanie Carden (18:25):
Um, and it was magnificent.
We had it paired with like ablueberry jam and cheese, and it
it was phenomenal.
Yeah.
Angela Tuell (18:32):
I was so not wanting to try it, but it it was
very good.
Yes.
Melanie Carden (18:38):
You know, it was fun.
Angela Tuell (18:39):
Iceland has some fantastic uh foods like that are
you know, things that youwouldn't normally um think you
were going to try.
So yeah.
Melanie Carden (18:48):
Yeah, it's a it's an amazing.
We did a friend of mine,actually the the friend that I
mentioned um from that trip, sheand I also hiked.
Um they've got like a 34-miletrail in the Highlands, which we
went back to to hike that.
Um, and it's really neat.
Yeah.
So it's a beautiful location,full of adventure and food and
(19:10):
great experiences.
Amazing.
Angela Tuell (19:12):
Yes, yes.
So much uh many of ourlisteners are PR professionals.
So I'd love to know a littlebit about you know what advice
you would give us when it comesto building relationships with
freelancers like you, or what umyou know really makes a pitch
stand out?
Are there common mistakes yousee?
Yeah, let's see.
Melanie Carden (19:33):
Um, first, I would say please be forgiving
with all the constant delaysthrough reply time, which I
think is pretty standard formost people in the industry.
But um I think you know, mostfreelance journalists are
juggling a lot of workflows atonce, you know, as are a lot of
people, but different editorsand pitching and writing
(19:54):
assignments.
So um, you know, sometimes Iknow sometimes I need to work in
a vacuum, if you will, andfocus just on one project at a
time.
So my inbox definitely suffers.
And I would say that aside, Ilove when people bring a
personal touch tocommunications, right?
So email, zoom chat, thingslike that.
(20:16):
If I've connected with somebodyover our shared love of cat
videos, for example, that emailor that pitch or collaboration
idea is definitely gonna uhcatch my attention in the wild,
wild west that is my inbox.
Angela Tuell (20:31):
Yes.
Some great advice there forsure.
Are you seeing any travel orfood trends that you're
especially interested incovering right now or you know,
shifts you're noticing?
Melanie Carden (20:44):
Yeah, um, I could say that's a great
question.
Well, I given the prevalence ofovertourism and like a genuine
need or desire to move towards abetter balance in areas that
are impacted by throngs oftravelers, I think that dupes
and detours are less of a trendand more of a long-term path
(21:09):
forward.
Um, you know, also I would saylast year I saw a big push for
expert-led stories, and I'mseeing that start to give way to
a return to more narrativefirst person pieces, which I'm
personally pretty jazzed about.
So I think it's dovetailedreally nicely.
(21:30):
So those are two things I Isee, and then from a personal
standpoint, I I've been reallyleaning into and just been very
excited about a lot of um likeintergenerational or multi-gen
travel.
(21:51):
I think that sometimes it'seasy as travel writers to lose
sight of um what's so close tohome, right?
So I mean that a lot of timeswe love traveling abroad and
that's amazing, but there'sadventure around every corner,
there's an adventure in the nexttown, and those are important
(22:11):
stories.
And likewise we are always soexcited to you know, to
experience how travel impactsyou as a person and how it can
shift your viewpoints and createempathy.
And you know, similar toadventure being around the other
corner, those kinds of keytakeaways and benefits of travel
(22:34):
can easily come into play inyour inner circle of friends and
family and people that youknow.
I travel a lot with my niece,and she's 22, and it's really
there's something reallyempowering, and there's a sense
of freedom when you'retraveling, and conversations
happen naturally and easily, andthere's like this exchange of
(22:57):
ideas that happens, and it's areally beautiful way to add a
lot of depth to a relationshipand experience things together
and create memories with and itjust flows really naturally, and
I just think that that isreally, really powerful.
So I'm actually loving that I'mseeing more and more of that in
you know, mainstream media aswell.
(23:20):
That is so great.
Angela Tuell (23:22):
How often are you traveling and what do you look
for in a hosted trip?
Melanie Carden (23:27):
I know a lot of um freelance uh writers and
travel writers in general kindof fluctuate.
So this fall I'm staying alittle bit close to home because
I'm working on building out thewebsite and I'm just trying to
stay really focused on that andkeeping it um short trips and
mostly local.
And then um generally speaking,I typically travel, I would
(23:51):
say, twice a month, and that canbe just a variety of regional
or you know trips abroad, andit's a pretty common question
like whether you know what thepreference is between like you
know, group travel or you know,um larger fam trips or
(24:12):
individual trips, and I'm splitright down the middle.
I I really do enjoy both.
I think that there's benefit,unique benefits to either
scenario.
So I'm open to to all and any.
Um I kinda have a try to sayyes to you know to to the
universe, I guess outlook.
(24:32):
So yeah.
Angela Tuell (24:34):
That's great.
That's wonderful.
What are you especially proudof in your career so far?
Melanie Carden (24:40):
I would say in a word, maybe just perseverance.
Um, you know, that might soundoverly simplified, but this is a
tough, it's a tough um, youknow, uh industry.
And so I think that just beingable to stick with it, go with
(25:01):
the flow, and continually putyourself out there, even if you
feel like you are pitching intoa void, I suppose.
Um, you know, that takes ittakes just a lot of kicking
yourself up and dusting yourselfoff over and over again.
And it takes a tremendousamount of creativity and
(25:23):
willingness to network and putyourself out there.
And so, you know, I think thatthat's one thing, yeah, that I'm
definitely proud of is that,you know, through all the ups
and downs of it, I wake up everysingle day and I am genuinely
so in love with what I do and sopassionate about it and just
(25:45):
excited to see what little orbig adventures are sort of
around the corner and who Imight meet that has a similar
shared interest in that.
Yeah.
Angela Tuell (25:55):
That is amazing.
Are there any places that areat the top of your personal
personal travel bucket listright now?
Melanie Carden (26:02):
You know, when I was younger, the word bucket
list, I think, was taken muchmore literally than it is now.
And I think that, you know, thethat COVID really shifted how
we use that word.
And so um, when I think ofbucket list, I literally think
of what are the things that youabsolutely feel like you need to
(26:25):
do um before you move on tosome other realm and leave this
world.
And I've always felt, like Isaid, that there's adventure
around every corner.
So I generally haven't had alist like that.
Um but um I would say this yearI turned 50 and I've been like
(26:46):
delightfully nostalgic aboutwhen I started traveling after
Alaska in my early 20s, andthose trips were solo trips
where you know my friends werestill in college and there was
no, there wasn't the internetbarely existed, so there was
certainly no cell phones, therewas no navigation, there was
(27:07):
nothing.
It was just you and a map and aprinted itinerary.
Um and so I've been lookingback fondly on those trips, and
there's one company that Itraveled with in particular, and
they offer um an experiencewhere you can fly a fighter jet,
and that is the one and onlything I would say that's like
(27:30):
keeps percolating up for me overand over again through
throughout the past couple ofdecades is reconnecting with
them to to collaborate on thatand and do that.
So I would say that, yeah,flying a fighter jet.
Angela Tuell (27:46):
Definitely hope that happens.
Thank you.
Fantastic.
Before we go, I must ask aboutBoston, which of course is one
of your specialties as aresident there and uh writer.
It's such a vibrant city withhistory, food, culture.
What's one, or maybe a coupleif that you love to recommend um
(28:09):
that visitors might miss?
Melanie Carden (28:11):
So I would say everyone is really keen on on
getting um to um experiences inin the seaport area right now.
It's definitely a hot spot andthere's so much going on.
And I would say um Boca Rio,which is like a tapestyle um
spot, is really tremendous.
(28:33):
They have locations in othercities, but they it really is
perfect for a lingering, youknow, tapestyle situation with
friends or family and justordering more plates and more
plates and just going with it.
Um it's gorgeous.
And so I love it there.
(28:54):
I also have been enjoying uh1928 Beacon Hill, which is of
course in Beacon Hill, and thatis a very, very small, sexy,
vibey restaurant with reallyincredible food, gorgeous,
gorgeous, and then a few moreoff-the-beaten path things.
(29:15):
I would say um I have three ifI'm allowed.
So one is actually in Revere,um, which is timber thermal
cycling.
Um, so you know, your hot coldtherapy, um, and they just do it
in a way that's it's just alittle bit unique, it's really
beautiful.
Um, so I think they're kind ofan up-and-coming spot.
(29:38):
I think people forget or don'tthink of checking the mass
Audubon offerings.
They have locations and thingsgoing on like everywhere.
Um, there's a lot of coolinexpensive or free experiences,
you know, easy ways to getoutdoors and enjoy the um the
(30:01):
many green areas of Boston andwaterways.
And then lastly, if you'relooking to stuff outside the
city bounds, there's arestaurant called Sonio in
Wuburn.
They are doing like they'rejust always doing amazing like
stuff.
They've got like a a $22 threecourse lunch and they're doing a
(30:24):
a chestnut festival.
Like a chestnut festival.
Are you kidding?
Like just like gorgeous, youknow, things are always sort of
happening there.
So yeah, I mean regardless ofwhether you want to stay you
know in the heart of the city orsort of bounce around a little
bit, there's just always so muchgoing on, which is again part
of the inspiration for traveland curiosity and you know
(30:48):
including Boston in that in thatin my blog.
So there's just too many thingsI suppose.
Angela Tuell (30:54):
Oh that is fantastic.
I want to visit again now.
So those are great ideas.
Thank you so much.
How can our listeners connectwith you online?
Melanie Carden (31:04):
Yeah I would say um LinkedIn is an easy way and
probably Instagram I'm on thereas travel and curiosity and
there's a little underscoreafter the word curiosity and
it's a little like Martian spaceperson um uh logo and I'm not
(31:28):
on there a ton currently butwith the launch of the of the
blog it's definitely going to bea hot spot row soon.
So those are the two places I'dsuggest.
Angela Tuell (31:36):
Wonderful.
We'll link to those in our shownotes.
Thank you so much, Melanie.
This has been so insightful.
Yeah Angela I really appreciateit.
Thank you.
Have a great day.
That's all for this episode ofMedia and Minutes a podcast by
Communications Redefined.
Take a moment to rate reviewand subscribe to our show.
We'd love to hear what youthink.
You can find more atcommunicationsredefined dot com
(31:58):
slash podcast I'm your hostAngela Tuell.
Talk to you next time
Or undiscovered main streets across the US.
Welcome to me.
Melanie Carden (01:11):
Hey Angela, thanks for having me.
Angela Tuell (01:13):
How are things in Boston?
Melanie Carden (01:15):
It's rainy.
I can't complain though,because we really desperately
need the rain.
So it's a good day for writing,I suppose.
Angela Tuell (01:23):
Oh yeah, it's writing and reading, right?
Melanie Carden (01:27):
Exactly.
Yeah, or cooking, I suppose.
Angela Tuell (01:31):
I wanted to start with, you know, it's really
interesting because your careerhas been both food and travel,
even beginning of a class beforediving into journalism.
Can you share a little bit ofyour background in your career
and what inspired you to pursuejournalism after being a test?
Melanie Carden (01:49):
Yeah, sure.
So back in the day out of highschool, I was an English major,
but I just I wasn't sure howthat was going to parlay in
terms of a career for mepersonally.
So at the age of 19, there wasactually an opportunity to move
to Alaska for an an AmeriCorpsjob.
(02:09):
Oh wow.
So I know it's the first year.
I believe it's the first orsecond year that AmeriCorps
existed.
So I left school to pursuethat.
Um I had actually never been ona commercial flight before.
I'd never flown on an actualplane.
So it was a really bigadventure to pack up my whole
(02:32):
life into a duffel bag and justsort of take off.
And I lived in Connecticut.
So like oh such a long flightfor such a, you know, a green
19-year-old girl, but um, but Idid it.
And it ended up not workingout.
Um, but that flight andadventure changed the trajectory
of my life.
(02:52):
So in my 20s, I worked two orthree jobs at a time, so I could
uh travel all the time.
And I landed a corporate jobthat involved travel, but got
burnt out after about 10 yearsor so.
Um I dreamed of being a chefwhen I was younger, and my
family is like a big foodfamily, so I dedicated some
(03:15):
years to the passion project ofbeing a private chef.
And from there, I startedwriting a food-based newspaper
column and fell back in lovewith writing.
And so eventually at thatpoint, I returned to university
and graduated at the the theyoung age of 45 years old.
(03:36):
So it was a unique and kind ofreally lovely journey that took
a few decades.
Angela Tuell (03:42):
Yes, but you finally got there and it's going
well.
Melanie Carden (03:45):
Yeah.
Yeah, it's been amazing.
Angela Tuell (03:48):
So what was it like though?
Going, I mean, you started whenyou graduated freelancing,
right?
How did how did that go?
Melanie Carden (03:55):
It was like being just thrown into the deep
end of the pool for sure.
Um when I was in school, I hadtaken one of the courses I took
was completely dedicated to theart of pitching.
And that on paper, that soundslike the kind of course that's
(04:15):
gonna really set you up reallywell for the real world.
And yeah, it actually hadcompletely the opposite impact,
um, which I could not haverealized at the time.
So we've spent an entiresemester writing two pitches.
So weeks and weeks devoted toworking out the nuances and
(04:41):
perfecting two pitches.
Like, talk about tapping intoand like just hardwiring in
perfection and having not doneit in the real world, it really
set the tone for every pitchthat I write has to be perfect
down to every nuance, like thetiniest of nuances.
(05:06):
Like and so yeah, when Istarted pitching, it was like I
was getting maybe two pitchesout a week because that's how I
thought it had to be done.
So that was really interestingto me that you know I was so
grateful to go back to school,and in general, it was super
empowering and very helpful.
(05:27):
But that one point, I wouldlike that one course definitely
just it it sent me down a path Ididn't need to go down at all.
So I had to relearn or unlearnall of that for real life.
Angela Tuell (05:43):
That's awful because I would, you know, a a
course like that doesn't usuallyexist.
So that sounds fantastic.
I mean, I've I've talked to somany freelancers that were like,
I didn't know how to pitch, youknow, and now I came out of
school and I tried it on my own.
But then if they teach you thewrong way, that's more harmful
than helpful.
Melanie Carden (06:00):
Yeah, exactly.
I definitely would have beenbetter off, you know, coming in
just really green and figuringit out, I think.
It took me so much longer tolet go of those key takeaways
and those learnings.
But it's eventually I I gotthere, especially after
networking and chatting withother journalists and um, you
(06:21):
know, PR colleagues and soforth.
Angela Tuell (06:23):
So that's good.
That's good.
So what types of stories do youfocus on mostly?
You know, what outlets are youregularly writing for?
Melanie Carden (06:33):
Yeah, so I would say I'm generally a very
curious person.
So I'm always open to a widevariety of experiences.
Okay.
Certainly food comes into play,of course.
And I especially love pursuinguh stories of unique or
meaningful food connections.
So my concentration um at UMasswas food and culture
(06:58):
journalism.
So the deeper meanings andconnections of all things food
and agriculture and foodsystems.
I also love, love, loveadventure-centric travel and
sort of anything off the beatenpath.
And with that, I would say Iwrite a lot for uh Parade
(07:20):
magazine and also New YorkLifestyles magazine, which is a
really lovely print um pub.
And most recently I've beenreally excited to start to do
some writing for the BostonGlobe, and the list sort of goes
on and on, Expedia magazine andand so forth.
(07:40):
So it's been it's been a reallyfun, you know, five or so
years.
Angela Tuell (07:45):
Yes, definitely.
And you recently launched yourown site, right?
Travel and Curiosity.
Melanie Carden (07:53):
Yeah, yeah.
So this has been in the works,as I'm sure everyone says when
they launch their own website orblog.
It's been in the works forever.
I've been like, I kind of thinkof my blog almost like a little
mushroom that I've been sittingon for probably three years.
And um it just sort of has beenthe ideas uh under the
(08:15):
foundation of what I wanted todo, just sort of kept ballooning
upward, you know, and in thatmu mushroom sort of a shape.
And there I sat thinking aboutit and sort of planning it in my
head.
And then in the past year, Imade a promise to myself to dig
in and get it going.
So I think because so much ofmy day-to-day life and travel
(08:39):
goals are tied to the fact thatI'm so incredibly curious as a
human being.
Um, I love trying and learningnew things and stepping out of
my comfort zone and meeting newpeople in new places and
learning the backstories of allsorts of people, places, and
things.
So, really curiosity is thefoundation of the website, and
(09:02):
travel is inherently anextension of that.
Um, so the long-term visionincludes verticals dedicated to
travel content and curiosity anda celebration of all things
Boston, which is where I'mbased, including um like a
monthly Boston and Beyond eventand happenings roundup.
(09:22):
So sort of a glorious mishmashof all curious things that I am
passionate about.
Angela Tuell (09:29):
I love that.
So, since you startedfreelancing and working in the
travel food culture world, whathave been some of your most
memorable stories?
Melanie Carden (09:40):
Well, that's a good one.
Um, I would say that one timeI've been lucky enough to go to
Ecuador and the Galapagos.
I've been to the Galapagostwice and have sailed the
extended uh coastline as well.
And one time when I was in theGalapagos, I was snorkeling with
(10:04):
a group, and most people hadkind of gone around the corner,
if you will, and I was sort of,you know, lagging behind a bit,
and I heard the telltale soundof a sea lion like hitting the
water, you know, jumping intothe water.
And I kind of looked around andI didn't see him right away,
and then all of a sudden, fromlike below my feet, he sort of
(10:28):
like appeared upward, so he wassort of like vertical, and I was
sort of hovering vertical inthe water.
And I mean, Angela, he wasmaybe maybe two or three feet
away from me.
So we're we we've just got thisdirect eye contact, and so he
looks at me.
I've heard people call them thepuppies of the sea, which I
(10:49):
think is very sweet and very,very true because they're so
inquisitive.
So he was very curious, andthen he stared at me for a
moment or two, and then he i iit honestly it was so
incredible, and it's like at aparty when people ask me this
question, it's it's my go-tostory.
So he looked at me and then hedid like a little swoosh in the
(11:13):
water, and then he returned infront of my face, and he looked
at me very sort of expectantly,and I thought, uh uh, oh, I
think does he want me to dothat?
So I did.
I I replicated what he had justdone, and then I came back and
I looked at him and you couldsee you could see him thinking,
(11:33):
and then he did like a secondmaneuver, and this one was more
complicated.
So he did like a little bitmore of a twist or a turn in the
water, and then he again cameright back in front of me and he
locked eyes with me, and I didit.
And we went back and forth likethis for maybe I know it was
(11:54):
crazy.
We did this like three or fourtimes.
In the meantime, of course, I'mlooking around, I'm like, is
anybody seeing this?
Is anybody and that was thebeauty of it.
There is no physical record ofthis whatsoever.
It is solely just thisbeautiful shared moment, and
(12:17):
then he took it up like severallevels, and he went way deep
down into the water, and he dida whole series of things and
came up, and I barely was ableto pull that one off.
And then Angela, and then hedove down and he slipped in
between some rocks, and he hid.
(12:39):
And we were playing hide andseek.
And goodness for all of my dayson this earth, I will like I
had tears like welling up insideof my mask.
It was it was so it was sospecial.
And it's a kind of experiencewhere like, yeah, it it stays
(13:00):
with you in a way that sillysmall things that I guess aren't
that silly.
When I sometimes you put thewrong recycling in in the bin or
something, you know, and you'relike, ah, I'll let it go this
one time, right?
And things like that make you,you know, make you kinda rethink
(13:22):
little oopsies in life likethat.
Like I want to take the bestcare possible of this planet.
Um, and every time I, you know,have a little decision like
that to make, I just think aboutI think about that and I think
about him out there and theripple effect of all the choices
we make in life.
So yeah, yeah, it's it wasspecial.
Angela Tuell (13:44):
Goodness, that's fantastic.
Did you write about it?
Melanie Carden (13:47):
Um, I've um I'm looking for the opportunity to
really showcase it.
I've like I've referenced it ormentioned it in passing, um,
but I haven't yet.
I'm waiting for that, like justthe right place at the right
time to bring it forward.
And to tell it properly.
unknown (14:04):
Definitely.
Melanie Carden (14:05):
Yeah, in all its detail.
Yeah.
Angela Tuell (14:07):
Yes.
Oh, I love that.
That is fantastic.
You also mentioned you'retalking about food a little bit.
You mentioned cricket tacos.
A lot of adventurous is clearclearly part of your story.
Do you have some memorable foodexperiences while traveling, or
is there any food you'd nevertry again?
Melanie Carden (14:24):
You know what's funny is there are very few
foods I don't like.
And unfortunately for me, thetwo foods that I despise are
having their moment right now.
So beets and goat cheese, whichof course people love to put
together.
No.
There is a lot of people likethat.
I don't get it.
(14:47):
I don't get it.
It's I think it tastes likewhat speak smell like.
Speaker 00 (14:56):
So wait, absolutely vile.
Melanie Carden (15:00):
Yeah, I'm like, I think it's just it's so vile.
Um, and so it's very funnybecause sometimes um, well, it's
sometimes awkward because achef will sometimes send out an
emouge bouge, and right now it'suh it's a roll of the dice if
there's gonna be either of thosetwo ingredients.
Um but in terms of likememorable food experiences, um
(15:23):
when I was in the first time Iwas in Iceland, I stayed at a at
a beautiful property, HotelRanga, and the owner is um just
a fantastic, amazing character.
And he's just always like ifhe's around, he's like in the
mix and always chatting withpeople.
(15:44):
And he was so kind and had uhsort of treated some of us to
some fermented shark.
Angela Tuell (15:52):
And I don't know if you're familiar with this in
Iceland.
Melanie Carden (15:57):
Notoriously disgusting smelling and a little
bit difficult for most peopleto sort of stomach and for
people that don't know, telltell how the shark is preserved
or whatever.
So, well, first of all, when wehad it, it's the the amount
that you're given, it'sfermented, it's so it's
(16:17):
fermented shark, and the thestink of it, when they bring it
out, they always have it coveredbecause when they uncover it,
the smell fills whatever theroom is.
And it smells like a cadaver.
I mean it it's vile.
It's just vile.
One of the journalists that Iwas with, a friend of mine,
(16:39):
started actually physicallygagging as soon as he took the
like the dome off of it.
So it was it's definitely anexperience, and you have to like
hold it in your mouth and letyour saliva, like the acid in
your saliva, break it down alittle bit before you try to
chew it.
So but it is a delicacy, and itwas a beautiful like gesture.
(17:04):
And so, you know, we all had alittle bit of shark, but there
was one piece left.
And he announced, hey, youknow, there's one more, and like
who's gonna have it?
And everyone is like kind ofholding their breath, you know.
They um they appreciate thehospitality, but they're not
sure if they're down for anotherpiece.
So I thought, well, you know,he it's such a a kind gesture.
(17:29):
So I went for it and I had theextra piece, and he like he
literally stood up on his chairand announced to the entire like
restaurant that I am a Viking,and he did this with like raised
(17:50):
fists in the air, like aproclamation, a declaration that
I'm a Viking.
And so as hard as it was tosort of stomach, it was
definitely worth it.
Yeah.
That is so but also like sametrip, I actually had a whiskey
(18:10):
that is um smoked in sheep dung.
Angela Tuell (18:15):
My husband bought a bottle of that and brought it
back.
Yeah, I don't know how topronounce it.
Melanie Carden (18:20):
Is it sloky?
Angela Tuell (18:21):
Uh yes, I think that's the S L, yeah.
Yes.
Melanie Carden (18:25):
Um, and it was magnificent.
We had it paired with like ablueberry jam and cheese, and it
it was phenomenal.
Yeah.
Angela Tuell (18:32):
I was so not wanting to try it, but it it was
very good.
Yes.
Melanie Carden (18:38):
You know, it was fun.
Angela Tuell (18:39):
Iceland has some fantastic uh foods like that are
you know, things that youwouldn't normally um think you
were going to try.
So yeah.
Melanie Carden (18:48):
Yeah, it's a it's an amazing.
We did a friend of mine,actually the the friend that I
mentioned um from that trip, sheand I also hiked.
Um they've got like a 34-miletrail in the Highlands, which we
went back to to hike that.
Um, and it's really neat.
Yeah.
So it's a beautiful location,full of adventure and food and
(19:10):
great experiences.
Amazing.
Angela Tuell (19:12):
Yes, yes.
So much uh many of ourlisteners are PR professionals.
So I'd love to know a littlebit about you know what advice
you would give us when it comesto building relationships with
freelancers like you, or what umyou know really makes a pitch
stand out?
Are there common mistakes yousee?
Yeah, let's see.
Melanie Carden (19:33):
Um, first, I would say please be forgiving
with all the constant delaysthrough reply time, which I
think is pretty standard formost people in the industry.
But um I think you know, mostfreelance journalists are
juggling a lot of workflows atonce, you know, as are a lot of
people, but different editorsand pitching and writing
(19:54):
assignments.
So um, you know, sometimes Iknow sometimes I need to work in
a vacuum, if you will, andfocus just on one project at a
time.
So my inbox definitely suffers.
And I would say that aside, Ilove when people bring a
personal touch tocommunications, right?
So email, zoom chat, thingslike that.
(20:16):
If I've connected with somebodyover our shared love of cat
videos, for example, that emailor that pitch or collaboration
idea is definitely gonna uhcatch my attention in the wild,
wild west that is my inbox.
Angela Tuell (20:31):
Yes.
Some great advice there forsure.
Are you seeing any travel orfood trends that you're
especially interested incovering right now or you know,
shifts you're noticing?
Melanie Carden (20:44):
Yeah, um, I could say that's a great
question.
Well, I given the prevalence ofovertourism and like a genuine
need or desire to move towards abetter balance in areas that
are impacted by throngs oftravelers, I think that dupes
and detours are less of a trendand more of a long-term path
(21:09):
forward.
Um, you know, also I would saylast year I saw a big push for
expert-led stories, and I'mseeing that start to give way to
a return to more narrativefirst person pieces, which I'm
personally pretty jazzed about.
So I think it's dovetailedreally nicely.
(21:30):
So those are two things I Isee, and then from a personal
standpoint, I I've been reallyleaning into and just been very
excited about a lot of um likeintergenerational or multi-gen
travel.
(21:51):
I think that sometimes it'seasy as travel writers to lose
sight of um what's so close tohome, right?
So I mean that a lot of timeswe love traveling abroad and
that's amazing, but there'sadventure around every corner,
there's an adventure in the nexttown, and those are important
(22:11):
stories.
And likewise we are always soexcited to you know, to
experience how travel impactsyou as a person and how it can
shift your viewpoints and createempathy.
And you know, similar toadventure being around the other
corner, those kinds of keytakeaways and benefits of travel
(22:34):
can easily come into play inyour inner circle of friends and
family and people that youknow.
I travel a lot with my niece,and she's 22, and it's really
there's something reallyempowering, and there's a sense
of freedom when you'retraveling, and conversations
happen naturally and easily, andthere's like this exchange of
(22:57):
ideas that happens, and it's areally beautiful way to add a
lot of depth to a relationshipand experience things together
and create memories with and itjust flows really naturally, and
I just think that that isreally, really powerful.
So I'm actually loving that I'mseeing more and more of that in
you know, mainstream media aswell.
(23:20):
That is so great.
Angela Tuell (23:22):
How often are you traveling and what do you look
for in a hosted trip?
Melanie Carden (23:27):
I know a lot of um freelance uh writers and
travel writers in general kindof fluctuate.
So this fall I'm staying alittle bit close to home because
I'm working on building out thewebsite and I'm just trying to
stay really focused on that andkeeping it um short trips and
mostly local.
And then um generally speaking,I typically travel, I would
(23:51):
say, twice a month, and that canbe just a variety of regional
or you know trips abroad, andit's a pretty common question
like whether you know what thepreference is between like you
know, group travel or you know,um larger fam trips or
(24:12):
individual trips, and I'm splitright down the middle.
I I really do enjoy both.
I think that there's benefit,unique benefits to either
scenario.
So I'm open to to all and any.
Um I kinda have a try to sayyes to you know to to the
universe, I guess outlook.
(24:32):
So yeah.
Angela Tuell (24:34):
That's great.
That's wonderful.
What are you especially proudof in your career so far?
Melanie Carden (24:40):
I would say in a word, maybe just perseverance.
Um, you know, that might soundoverly simplified, but this is a
tough, it's a tough um, youknow, uh industry.
And so I think that just beingable to stick with it, go with
(25:01):
the flow, and continually putyourself out there, even if you
feel like you are pitching intoa void, I suppose.
Um, you know, that takes ittakes just a lot of kicking
yourself up and dusting yourselfoff over and over again.
And it takes a tremendousamount of creativity and
(25:23):
willingness to network and putyourself out there.
And so, you know, I think thatthat's one thing, yeah, that I'm
definitely proud of is that,you know, through all the ups
and downs of it, I wake up everysingle day and I am genuinely
so in love with what I do and sopassionate about it and just
(25:45):
excited to see what little orbig adventures are sort of
around the corner and who Imight meet that has a similar
shared interest in that.
Yeah.
Angela Tuell (25:55):
That is amazing.
Are there any places that areat the top of your personal
personal travel bucket listright now?
Melanie Carden (26:02):
You know, when I was younger, the word bucket
list, I think, was taken muchmore literally than it is now.
And I think that, you know, thethat COVID really shifted how
we use that word.
And so um, when I think ofbucket list, I literally think
of what are the things that youabsolutely feel like you need to
(26:25):
do um before you move on tosome other realm and leave this
world.
And I've always felt, like Isaid, that there's adventure
around every corner.
So I generally haven't had alist like that.
Um but um I would say this yearI turned 50 and I've been like
(26:46):
delightfully nostalgic aboutwhen I started traveling after
Alaska in my early 20s, andthose trips were solo trips
where you know my friends werestill in college and there was
no, there wasn't the internetbarely existed, so there was
certainly no cell phones, therewas no navigation, there was
(27:07):
nothing.
It was just you and a map and aprinted itinerary.
Um and so I've been lookingback fondly on those trips, and
there's one company that Itraveled with in particular, and
they offer um an experiencewhere you can fly a fighter jet,
and that is the one and onlything I would say that's like
(27:30):
keeps percolating up for me overand over again through
throughout the past couple ofdecades is reconnecting with
them to to collaborate on thatand and do that.
So I would say that, yeah,flying a fighter jet.
Angela Tuell (27:46):
Definitely hope that happens.
Thank you.
Fantastic.
Before we go, I must ask aboutBoston, which of course is one
of your specialties as aresident there and uh writer.
It's such a vibrant city withhistory, food, culture.
What's one, or maybe a coupleif that you love to recommend um
(28:09):
that visitors might miss?
Melanie Carden (28:11):
So I would say everyone is really keen on on
getting um to um experiences inin the seaport area right now.
It's definitely a hot spot andthere's so much going on.
And I would say um Boca Rio,which is like a tapestyle um
spot, is really tremendous.
(28:33):
They have locations in othercities, but they it really is
perfect for a lingering, youknow, tapestyle situation with
friends or family and justordering more plates and more
plates and just going with it.
Um it's gorgeous.
And so I love it there.
(28:54):
I also have been enjoying uh1928 Beacon Hill, which is of
course in Beacon Hill, and thatis a very, very small, sexy,
vibey restaurant with reallyincredible food, gorgeous,
gorgeous, and then a few moreoff-the-beaten path things.
(29:15):
I would say um I have three ifI'm allowed.
So one is actually in Revere,um, which is timber thermal
cycling.
Um, so you know, your hot coldtherapy, um, and they just do it
in a way that's it's just alittle bit unique, it's really
beautiful.
Um, so I think they're kind ofan up-and-coming spot.
(29:38):
I think people forget or don'tthink of checking the mass
Audubon offerings.
They have locations and thingsgoing on like everywhere.
Um, there's a lot of coolinexpensive or free experiences,
you know, easy ways to getoutdoors and enjoy the um the
(30:01):
many green areas of Boston andwaterways.
And then lastly, if you'relooking to stuff outside the
city bounds, there's arestaurant called Sonio in
Wuburn.
They are doing like they'rejust always doing amazing like
stuff.
They've got like a a $22 threecourse lunch and they're doing a
(30:24):
a chestnut festival.
Like a chestnut festival.
Are you kidding?
Like just like gorgeous, youknow, things are always sort of
happening there.
So yeah, I mean regardless ofwhether you want to stay you
know in the heart of the city orsort of bounce around a little
bit, there's just always so muchgoing on, which is again part
of the inspiration for traveland curiosity and you know
(30:48):
including Boston in that in thatin my blog.
So there's just too many thingsI suppose.
Angela Tuell (30:54):
Oh that is fantastic.
I want to visit again now.
So those are great ideas.
Thank you so much.
How can our listeners connectwith you online?
Melanie Carden (31:04):
Yeah I would say um LinkedIn is an easy way and
probably Instagram I'm on thereas travel and curiosity and
there's a little underscoreafter the word curiosity and
it's a little like Martian spaceperson um uh logo and I'm not
(31:28):
on there a ton currently butwith the launch of the of the
blog it's definitely going to bea hot spot row soon.
So those are the two places I'dsuggest.
Angela Tuell (31:36):
Wonderful.
We'll link to those in our shownotes.
Thank you so much, Melanie.
This has been so insightful.
Yeah Angela I really appreciateit.
Thank you.
Have a great day.
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