Food Guru Travel Guide existed before the Appalachian Trail ever entered my life.
The name came from the way I already moved through the world—thinking about food not just as something to eat, but as something to understand. I was always curious about where ingredients came from, how they were grown or produced, why certain flavors worked together, and how the layering of taste, texture, and timing could transform a simple meal into something memorable—into alchemy.
I am a thinker by nature. I love getting absorbed in ideas, turning them over slowly, and learning from the perspectives of others. For me, intellect lives in curiosity, not certainty—and food has always been one of the ways I explore the world.
When the Trail Reflected It Back
When I later found myself on the Appalachian Trail with my husband, that same relationship with food naturally followed me there.
Out on the trail, food becomes more than fuel. It’s morale. It’s comfort. It’s connection. I was the one thinking through meals, talking about flavors at camp, and helping turn whatever we had into something grounding after long days.
Somewhere along the way, Food Guru became my trail name.
It was the trail name that chose me. It was something that reflected back who I already was.
Food as a Teacher
My food experiences run deep, as they do for most of us.
I think about why one dish stays with me while another fades.
Why certain flavors spark emotion.
Why memory attaches itself to a meal, a table, a place.
Some of that curiosity was shaped early—by kitchens where ingredients came straight from the earth, where flavor was built patiently, and where food was treated as something to pay attention to.
Food teaches us how meaning is built—quietly, over time.
Complexity, Made Accessible
I love taking complexity and breaking it down—then recreating it as simply as possible.
I believe that:
- complex flavors should be attainable
- beauty doesn’t require exclusivity
- meaningful experiences don’t need perfection
- use what’s available
Use the good china—or don’t.
Burn the fancy candles on a random Tuesday.
Have your friends over even if you didn’t have time to tidy up.
Some of the best meals happen because someone says, “Come anyway.”
Travel Without the Gloss
The same philosophy carries into travel.
Try the place that doesn’t look fancy from the outside.
Eat where the locals linger.
Follow curiosity instead of plan.
The most memorable meals and moments often come from the places you almost walked past—the ones without curated perfection, but full of life once you step inside.
A Guide, Not an Authority
Food Guru Travel Guide isn’t about telling anyone how to eat or where to go.
It’s about encouraging exploration—of food, of place, and of ourselves. It’s about trusting that richness doesn’t require ceremony, and that joy doesn’t need permission.
Don’t wait.
Taste now.
Go now.
Gather now.
What connects you with memories?
The Food Guru: Food, Travel, Photography = Life 