Media in Minutes

From Private Chef to Globetrotting Storyteller: Melanie Carden's Unconventional Path to Travel Journalism

• Angela Tuell • Season 5 • Episode 20

Share episode

Send us a text

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.

Connect with Melanie at LinkedIN, Instagram or website. 

Angela Tuell:

Or undiscovered main streets across the US. Welcome to me.

Melanie Carden:

Hey Angela, thanks for having me.

Angela Tuell:

How are things in Boston?

Melanie Carden:

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:

Oh yeah, it's writing and reading, right?

Melanie Carden:

Exactly. Yeah, or cooking, I suppose.

Angela Tuell:

I wanted to start with, you know, it's really interesting because your career has been both food and travel, even beginning of a class before diving into journalism. Can you share a little bit of your background in your career and what inspired you to pursue journalism after being a test?

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, sure. So back in the day out of high school, I was an English major, but I just I wasn't sure how that was going to parlay in terms of a career for me personally. So at the age of 19, there was actually an opportunity to move to Alaska for an an AmeriCorps job. Oh wow. So I know it's the first year. I believe it's the first or second year that AmeriCorps existed. So I left school to pursue that. Um I had actually never been on a commercial flight before. I'd never flown on an actual plane. So it was a really big adventure to pack up my whole life into a duffel bag and just sort of take off. And I lived in Connecticut. So like oh such a long flight for such a, you know, a green 19-year-old girl, but um, but I did it. And it ended up not working out. Um, but that flight and adventure changed the trajectory of my life. So in my 20s, I worked two or three jobs at a time, so I could uh travel all the time. And I landed a corporate job that involved travel, but got burnt out after about 10 years or so. Um I dreamed of being a chef when I was younger, and my family is like a big food family, so I dedicated some years to the passion project of being a private chef. And from there, I started writing a food-based newspaper column and fell back in love with writing. And so eventually at that point, I returned to university and graduated at the the the young age of 45 years old. So it was a unique and kind of really lovely journey that took a few decades.

Angela Tuell:

Yes, but you finally got there and it's going well.

Melanie Carden:

Yeah. Yeah, it's been amazing.

Angela Tuell:

So what was it like though? Going, I mean, you started when you graduated freelancing, right? How did how did that go?

Melanie Carden:

It was like being just thrown into the deep end of the pool for sure. Um when I was in school, I had taken one of the courses I took was completely dedicated to the art of pitching. And that on paper, that sounds like the kind of course that's gonna really set you up really well for the real world. And yeah, it actually had completely the opposite impact, um, which I could not have realized at the time. So we've spent an entire semester writing two pitches. So weeks and weeks devoted to working out the nuances and perfecting two pitches. Like, talk about tapping into and like just hardwiring in perfection and having not done it in the real world, it really set the tone for every pitch that I write has to be perfect down to every nuance, like the tiniest of nuances. Like and so yeah, when I started pitching, it was like I was getting maybe two pitches out a week because that's how I thought it had to be done. So that was really interesting to me that you know I was so grateful to go back to school, and in general, it was super empowering and very helpful. But that one point, I would like that one course definitely just it it sent me down a path I didn't need to go down at all. So I had to relearn or unlearn all of that for real life.

Angela Tuell:

That's awful because I would, you know, a a course like that doesn't usually exist. So that sounds fantastic. I mean, I've I've talked to so many freelancers that were like, I didn't know how to pitch, you know, and now I came out of school and I tried it on my own. But then if they teach you the wrong way, that's more harmful than helpful.

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, exactly. I definitely would have been better off, you know, coming in just really green and figuring it out, I think. It took me so much longer to let go of those key takeaways and those learnings. But it's eventually I I got there, especially after networking and chatting with other journalists and um, you know, PR colleagues and so forth.

Angela Tuell:

So that's good. That's good. So what types of stories do you focus on mostly? You know, what outlets are you regularly writing for?

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, so I would say I'm generally a very curious person. So I'm always open to a wide variety of experiences. Okay. Certainly food comes into play, of course. And I especially love pursuing uh stories of unique or meaningful food connections. So my concentration um at UMass was food and culture journalism. So the deeper meanings and connections of all things food and agriculture and food systems. I also love, love, love adventure-centric travel and sort of anything off the beaten path. And with that, I would say I write a lot for uh Parade magazine and also New York Lifestyles magazine, which is a really lovely print um pub. And most recently I've been really excited to start to do some writing for the Boston Globe, and the list sort of goes on and on, Expedia magazine and and so forth. So it's been it's been a really fun, you know, five or so years.

Angela Tuell:

Yes, definitely. And you recently launched your own site, right? Travel and Curiosity.

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, yeah. So this has been in the works, as I'm sure everyone says when they launch their own website or blog. It's been in the works forever. I've been like, I kind of think of my blog almost like a little mushroom that I've been sitting on for probably three years. And um it just sort of has been the ideas uh under the foundation of what I wanted to do, just sort of kept ballooning upward, you know, and in that mu mushroom sort of a shape. And there I sat thinking about it and sort of planning it in my head. And then in the past year, I made a promise to myself to dig in and get it going. So I think because so much of my day-to-day life and travel goals are tied to the fact that I'm so incredibly curious as a human being. Um, I love trying and learning new things and stepping out of my comfort zone and meeting new people in new places and learning the backstories of all sorts of people, places, and things. So, really curiosity is the foundation of the website, and travel is inherently an extension of that. Um, so the long-term vision includes verticals dedicated to travel content and curiosity and a celebration of all things Boston, which is where I'm based, including um like a monthly Boston and Beyond event and happenings roundup. So sort of a glorious mishmash of all curious things that I am passionate about.

Angela Tuell:

I love that. So, since you started freelancing and working in the travel food culture world, what have been some of your most memorable stories?

Melanie Carden:

Well, that's a good one. Um, I would say that one time I've been lucky enough to go to Ecuador and the Galapagos. I've been to the Galapagos twice and have sailed the extended uh coastline as well. And one time when I was in the Galapagos, I was snorkeling with a group, and most people had kind of gone around the corner, if you will, and I was sort of, you know, lagging behind a bit, and I heard the telltale sound of a sea lion like hitting the water, you know, jumping into the water. And I kind of looked around and I didn't see him right away, and then all of a sudden, from like below my feet, he sort of like appeared upward, so he was sort of like vertical, and I was sort of hovering vertical in the water. And I mean, Angela, he was maybe maybe two or three feet away from me. So we're we we've just got this direct eye contact, and so he looks at me. I've heard people call them the puppies of the sea, which I think is very sweet and very, very true because they're so inquisitive. So he was very curious, and then he stared at me for a moment or two, and then he i i it honestly it was so incredible, and it's like at a party when people ask me this question, it's it's my go-to story. So he looked at me and then he did like a little swoosh in the water, and then he returned in front 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 do that? So I did. I I replicated what he had just done, and then I came back and I looked at him and you could see you could see him thinking, and then he did like a second maneuver, and this one was more complicated. So he did like a little bit more of a twist or a turn in the water, and then he again came right back in front of me and he locked eyes with me, and I did it. And we went back and forth like this for maybe I know it was crazy. We did this like three or four times. In the meantime, of course, I'm looking around, I'm like, is anybody seeing this? Is anybody and that was the beauty of it. There is no physical record of this whatsoever. It is solely just this beautiful shared moment, and then he took it up like several levels, and he went way deep down into the water, and he did a whole series of things and came up, and I barely was able to pull that one off. And then Angela, and then he dove down and he slipped in between some rocks, and he hid. And we were playing hide and seek. And goodness for all of my days on this earth, I will like I had tears like welling up inside of my mask. It was it was so it was so special. And it's a kind of experience where like, yeah, it it stays with you in a way that silly small things that I guess aren't that silly. When I sometimes you put the wrong recycling in in the bin or something, you know, and you're like, ah, I'll let it go this one time, right? And things like that make you, you know, make you kinda rethink little oopsies in life like that. Like I want to take the best care possible of this planet. Um, and every time I, you know, have a little decision like that to make, I just think about I think about that and I think about him out there and the ripple effect of all the choices we make in life. So yeah, yeah, it's it was special.

Angela Tuell:

Goodness, that's fantastic. Did you write about it?

Melanie Carden:

Um, I've um I'm looking for the opportunity to really showcase it. I've like I've referenced it or mentioned it in passing, um, but I haven't yet. I'm waiting for that, like just the right place at the right time to bring it forward. And to tell it properly.

unknown:

Definitely.

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, in all its detail. Yeah.

Angela Tuell:

Yes. Oh, I love that. That is fantastic. You also mentioned you're talking about food a little bit. You mentioned cricket tacos. A lot of adventurous is clear clearly part of your story. Do you have some memorable food experiences while traveling, or is there any food you'd never try again?

Melanie Carden:

You know what's funny is there are very few foods I don't like. And unfortunately for me, the two foods that I despise are having their moment right now. So beets and goat cheese, which of course people love to put together. No. There is a lot of people like that. I don't get it. I don't get it. It's I think it tastes like what speak smell like.

Speaker 00:

So wait, absolutely vile.

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, I'm like, I think it's just it's so vile. Um, and so it's very funny because sometimes um, well, it's sometimes awkward because a chef will sometimes send out an emouge bouge, and right now it's uh it's a roll of the dice if there's gonna be either of those two ingredients. Um but in terms of like memorable food experiences, um when I was in the first time I was in Iceland, I stayed at a at a beautiful property, Hotel Ranga, and the owner is um just a fantastic, amazing character. And he's just always like if he's around, he's like in the mix and always chatting with people. And he was so kind and had uh sort of treated some of us to some fermented shark.

Angela Tuell:

And I don't know if you're familiar with this in Iceland.

Melanie Carden:

Notoriously disgusting smelling and a little bit difficult for most people to sort of stomach and for people that don't know, tell tell how the shark is preserved or whatever. So, well, first of all, when we had it, it's the the amount that you're given, it's fermented, it's so it's fermented shark, and the the stink of it, when they bring it out, they always have it covered because when they uncover it, the smell fills whatever the room is. And it smells like a cadaver. I mean it it's vile. It's just vile. One of the journalists that I was with, a friend of mine, started actually physically gagging as soon as he took the like the dome off of it. So it was it's definitely an experience, and you have to like hold it in your mouth and let your saliva, like the acid in your saliva, break it down a little bit before you try to chew it. So but it is a delicacy, and it was a beautiful like gesture. And so, you know, we all had a little bit of shark, but there was one piece left. And he announced, hey, you know, there's one more, and like who's gonna have it? And everyone is like kind of holding their breath, you know. They um they appreciate the hospitality, but they're not sure if they're down for another piece. So I thought, well, you know, he it's such a a kind gesture. So I went for it and I had the extra piece, and he like he literally stood up on his chair and announced to the entire like restaurant that I am a Viking, and he did this with like raised fists in the air, like a proclamation, a declaration that I'm a Viking. And so as hard as it was to sort of stomach, it was definitely worth it. Yeah. That is so but also like same trip, I actually had a whiskey that is um smoked in sheep dung.

Angela Tuell:

My husband bought a bottle of that and brought it back. Yeah, I don't know how to pronounce it.

Melanie Carden:

Is it sloky?

Angela Tuell:

Uh yes, I think that's the S L, yeah. Yes.

Melanie Carden:

Um, and it was magnificent. We had it paired with like a blueberry jam and cheese, and it it was phenomenal. Yeah.

Angela Tuell:

I was so not wanting to try it, but it it was very good. Yes.

Melanie Carden:

You know, it was fun.

Angela Tuell:

Iceland has some fantastic uh foods like that are you know, things that you wouldn't normally um think you were going to try. So yeah.

Melanie Carden:

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, she and I also hiked. Um they've got like a 34-mile trail 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 great experiences. Amazing.

Angela Tuell:

Yes, yes. So much uh many of our listeners are PR professionals. So I'd love to know a little bit about you know what advice you would give us when it comes to building relationships with freelancers like you, or what um you know really makes a pitch stand out? Are there common mistakes you see? Yeah, let's see.

Melanie Carden:

Um, first, I would say please be forgiving with all the constant delays through reply time, which I think is pretty standard for most people in the industry. But um I think you know, most freelance journalists are juggling a lot of workflows at once, you know, as are a lot of people, but different editors and pitching and writing assignments. So um, you know, sometimes I know sometimes I need to work in a vacuum, if you will, and focus just on one project at a time. So my inbox definitely suffers. And I would say that aside, I love when people bring a personal touch to communications, right? So email, zoom chat, things like that. If I've connected with somebody over our shared love of cat videos, for example, that email or that pitch or collaboration idea is definitely gonna uh catch my attention in the wild, wild west that is my inbox.

Angela Tuell:

Yes. Some great advice there for sure. Are you seeing any travel or food trends that you're especially interested in covering right now or you know, shifts you're noticing?

Melanie Carden:

Yeah, um, I could say that's a great question. Well, I given the prevalence of overtourism and like a genuine need or desire to move towards a better balance in areas that are impacted by throngs of travelers, I think that dupes and detours are less of a trend and more of a long-term path forward. Um, you know, also I would say last year I saw a big push for expert-led stories, and I'm seeing that start to give way to a return to more narrative first person pieces, which I'm personally pretty jazzed about. So I think it's dovetailed really nicely. So those are two things I I see, and then from a personal standpoint, I I've been really leaning into and just been very excited about a lot of um like intergenerational or multi-gen travel. I think that sometimes it's easy as travel writers to lose sight of um what's so close to home, right? So I mean that a lot of times we love traveling abroad and that's amazing, but there's adventure around every corner, there's an adventure in the next town, and those are important stories. And likewise we are always so excited to you know, to experience how travel impacts you as a person and how it can shift your viewpoints and create empathy. And you know, similar to adventure being around the other corner, those kinds of key takeaways and benefits of travel can easily come into play in your inner circle of friends and family and people that you know. I travel a lot with my niece, and she's 22, and it's really there's something really empowering, and there's a sense of freedom when you're traveling, and conversations happen naturally and easily, and there's like this exchange of ideas that happens, and it's a really beautiful way to add a lot of depth to a relationship and experience things together and create memories with and it just flows really naturally, and I just think that that is really, really powerful. So I'm actually loving that I'm seeing more and more of that in you know, mainstream media as well. That is so great.

Angela Tuell:

How often are you traveling and what do you look for in a hosted trip?

Melanie Carden:

I know a lot of um freelance uh writers and travel writers in general kind of fluctuate. So this fall I'm staying a little bit close to home because I'm working on building out the website and I'm just trying to stay really focused on that and keeping it um short trips and mostly local. And then um generally speaking, I typically travel, I would say, twice a month, and that can be just a variety of regional or you know trips abroad, and it's a pretty common question like whether you know what the preference is between like you know, group travel or you know, um larger fam trips or individual trips, and I'm split right 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 say yes to you know to to the universe, I guess outlook. So yeah.

Angela Tuell:

That's great. That's wonderful. What are you especially proud of in your career so far?

Melanie Carden:

I would say in a word, maybe just perseverance. Um, you know, that might sound overly simplified, but this is a tough, it's a tough um, you know, uh industry. And so I think that just being able to stick with it, go with the flow, and continually put yourself out there, even if you feel like you are pitching into a void, I suppose. Um, you know, that takes it takes just a lot of kicking yourself up and dusting yourself off over and over again. And it takes a tremendous amount of creativity and willingness to network and put yourself out there. And so, you know, I think that that'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 every single day and I am genuinely so in love with what I do and so passionate about it and just excited to see what little or big adventures are sort of around the corner and who I might meet that has a similar shared interest in that. Yeah.

Angela Tuell:

That is amazing. Are there any places that are at the top of your personal personal travel bucket list right now?

Melanie Carden:

You know, when I was younger, the word bucket list, I think, was taken much more literally than it is now. And I think that, you know, the that COVID really shifted how we use that word. And so um, when I think of bucket list, I literally think of what are the things that you absolutely feel like you need to do um before you move on to some other realm and leave this world. And I've always felt, like I said, that there's adventure around every corner. So I generally haven't had a list like that. Um but um I would say this year I turned 50 and I've been like delightfully nostalgic about when I started traveling after Alaska in my early 20s, and those trips were solo trips where you know my friends were still in college and there was no, there wasn't the internet barely existed, so there was certainly no cell phones, there was no navigation, there was nothing. It was just you and a map and a printed itinerary. Um and so I've been looking back fondly on those trips, and there's one company that I traveled with in particular, and they offer um an experience where you can fly a fighter jet, and that is the one and only thing I would say that's like keeps percolating up for me over and over again through throughout the past couple of decades is reconnecting with them to to collaborate on that and and do that. So I would say that, yeah, flying a fighter jet.

Angela Tuell:

Definitely hope that happens. Thank you. Fantastic. Before we go, I must ask about Boston, which of course is one of your specialties as a resident there and uh writer. It's such a vibrant city with history, food, culture. What's one, or maybe a couple if that you love to recommend um that visitors might miss?

Melanie Carden:

So I would say everyone is really keen on on getting um to um experiences in in the seaport area right now. It's definitely a hot spot and there's so much going on. And I would say um Boca Rio, which is like a tapestyle um spot, is really tremendous. They have locations in other cities, but they it really is perfect for a lingering, you know, tapestyle situation with friends or family and just ordering more plates and more plates and just going with it. Um it's gorgeous. And so I love it there. I also have been enjoying uh 1928 Beacon Hill, which is of course in Beacon Hill, and that is a very, very small, sexy, vibey restaurant with really incredible food, gorgeous, gorgeous, and then a few more off-the-beaten path things. I would say um I have three if I'm allowed. So one is actually in Revere, um, which is timber thermal cycling. Um, so you know, your hot cold therapy, um, and they just do it in a way that's it's just a little bit unique, it's really beautiful. Um, so I think they're kind of an up-and-coming spot. I think people forget or don't think of checking the mass Audubon offerings. They have locations and things going on like everywhere. Um, there's a lot of cool inexpensive or free experiences, you know, easy ways to get outdoors and enjoy the um the many green areas of Boston and waterways. And then lastly, if you're looking to stuff outside the city bounds, there's a restaurant called Sonio in Wuburn. They are doing like they're just always doing amazing like stuff. They've got like a a $22 three course lunch and they're doing a a chestnut festival. Like a chestnut festival. Are you kidding? Like just like gorgeous, you know, things are always sort of happening there. So yeah, I mean regardless of whether you want to stay you know in the heart of the city or sort of bounce around a little bit, there's just always so much going on, which is again part of the inspiration for travel and curiosity and you know including Boston in that in that in my blog. So there's just too many things I suppose.

Angela Tuell:

Oh that is fantastic. I want to visit again now. So those are great ideas. Thank you so much. How can our listeners connect with you online?

Melanie Carden:

Yeah I would say um LinkedIn is an easy way and probably Instagram I'm on there as travel and curiosity and there's a little underscore after the word curiosity and it's a little like Martian space person um uh logo and I'm not on there a ton currently but with the launch of the of the blog it's definitely going to be a hot spot row soon. So those are the two places I'd suggest.

Angela Tuell:

Wonderful. We'll link to those in our show notes. Thank you so much, Melanie. This has been so insightful. Yeah Angela I really appreciate it. Thank you. Have a great day. That's all for this episode of Media and Minutes a podcast by Communications Redefined. Take a moment to rate review and subscribe to our show. We'd love to hear what you think. You can find more at communicationsredefined dot com slash podcast I'm your host Angela Tuell. Talk to you next time