Award winning, Latina, healthy, special diet and green living and travel expert, cookbook author, media spokesperson, holistic nutritionist, plant based vegan chef and television personality, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton is a respected figure in the world of healthy lifestyle as well as special diet cooking and nutrition. With a highly acclaimed cookbook and travel show to her credit, Carolyn has traveled the world for her show, site and brand as well as to offer her services as a health and nutrition expert, recipe developer, writer, speaker, consultant and media spokesperson. She is frequently quoted in national media and regularly appears on television and radio programs sharing healthy recipes, travel tips and all things healthy, green and happy living.
The Healthy Voyager show was born in 2005 in order to be an entertaining resource for people like her, that found traveling difficult due to dietary restrictions as well as for those who wanted to keep healthy, green and fit while away from home. As of 2006, she has traveled and dined healthily, all while documenting it all on film for the Healthy Voyager Web Series and growing the Healthy Voyager brand. While travel is still very much the flagship of the brand, The Healthy Voyager is a one-stop-shop for all things healthy and green living from travel and recipes to fashion and relationships, parenthood to health and green news and everything in between.
1. What got you into travel writing?
Actually, I launched my travel show online before beginning my travel site. I began in 2006 on my own as a way of creating a show that I could hopefully pitch to networks. Since back then videos were much more difficult to produce, I launched my first blog on blogger as a way to share information and recommendations with my audience on a much more affordable and less time-consuming platform.
2. What’s the most challenging part of being a travel journalist for you?
Scheduling! Some travel schedules are incredibly taxing. Long days trying to cram in as much as possible in short periods of time on not-so-great sleep. It’s not as glamorous as people think nor is it easy.
3. What is one thing [equipment or personal item] you can’t go without on the road?
Too many to name haha! My laptop, phone, tripod, vitamins, protein powder, haha it’s a long list of must-haves for me.
4. What’s your most unusual and/or memorable travel experience?
Too many to count but I guess the first international trip I took with my show was pretty epic. I was invited to feature Virgin Unite’s humanitarian project in the Masai Mara to bring water and build dorms for a Masai school. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience not only as a new travel show host and producer but also because I got to spend a week in the African bush with Richard Branson and go on daily safaris.
5. How did you learn about NATJA and why did you join?
On a group press trip several years ago I met a NATJA member and looked into it after I returned home. I loved the idea of being a part of a travel community so I joined, no brainer!
6. What is the best piece of advice you could give to a rookie travel journalist?
Take it easy, be yourself and do what you love, whenever you want. It’s not a race or a competition, just travel, enjoy and create, the rest will follow.
