Where are you based?
I'm based in the foothills of Los Angeles.
What topics and places do you cover?
I love writing about outdoor adventure and have covered wellbeing for more than 15 years. But truth be told, I'm interested in it all, from wildlife watching to cultural immersion to food and wine. As the parent of a young adult on the autism spectrum, I'm also passionate about making travel more accessible and inclusive for all.
What outlets do you usually pitch (and write for)?
I contribute to AFAR, Robb Report, AAA Westways and Explorer, the Los Angeles Times, Reader's Digest, Washington Post, BBC, and Time magazine.
Are you in-house or freelance (or both)?
I'm currently a freelance writer. I also work on corporate content and communications programs part-time to support my passion for travel writing. I'm currently looking for new clients in destination marketing and hospitality if there are teams out there that need help finding and developing their best stories.
What is your approach to press trips?
FAMs and individual press trips are necessary given the declining pay in travel media. I enjoy both individual and group travel. However, when it comes to FAM trips, I prefer small groups of writers from diverse outlets so we're not competing, as well as some flexible time built into the itinerary for independent exploration or research. Story assignments pre-trip can be hard to come by. However, I do want to feel very confident before going on a trip that there's a story there that my editors will like.
What are your professional pet peeves?
I am annoyed by the ageism and ableism I see in the travel industry, particularly in outdoor adventure. I dislike it when outlets don't take stories from hosted travel, but also don't pay writers' travel expenses to report a good story. And like most other writers, I can't always guarantee coverage from a specific outlet before going on a press trip.
In your past professional life, you were …
I was a staff writer at the Los Angeles Times for ten years covering everything from food and wine to real estate development. After that, I worked as an editor-at-large for a fitness chain, and at a bank to the stars, handling PR and launching their digital magazine and weekly newsletters.
Where would you like to return to?
There are so many countries that I have barely scratched the surface of – Canada, Costa Rica, France, Italy, and Mexico. However, I had such a fantastic time with my family driving the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland, I'd really like to return. And now that I'm scuba certified, I'd like to go back to Belize to dive.
What's on your bucket list?
I'm interested in visiting the Scottish Highlands where my mom's family hails from. I'd also like to get out in the English countryside and have always wanted to take a Nile River cruise in Egypt. Turkey, Japan, Portugal, Argentina, South Africa, and Columbia are also on my list, as well as the coastal American South.
Where do you travel for fun?
When I travel with family, we usually take road trips to national parks or hit California's Central Coast. We also hit up state parks for camping in our little mini trailer. When I get together with friends, we like to go on adventure retreats, get a vacation rental and enjoy a nice view and lots of conversation, or hit a spa for a little pampering.
Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is …
This is by far, my favorite topic to discuss on FAM trips. Everyone seems to have some crazy stories. Mine, knock wood, are fairly mundane, involving mid-trip flight cancellations or severe weather delays, food poisoning, and trips that were not exactly as billed in the invite.
What advice would you give your younger professional self?
I was very ambitious and didn't have a great work-life balance early on. I would tell young Melinda to slow down, travel more, and advocate more for what you need.
What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on?
I feel very lucky to travel as much as I do and would love to find a way to shift all my work to tourism and hospitality. It's endlessly interesting and after working with other industries, I can safely say travel people are the best!
How best should people contact you?
You can contact me via my email address on my TravMedia profile here.
