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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 or website.