Meet Melody Pittman | Co-owner Travel the South Bloggers, Wherever I May Roam, Southern Travelers Explore conference

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melody Pittman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melody, what do you attribute your success to?
Hard work, dedication, and integrity seem to be the trifecta for being a successful player in the travel blogging/influencer world. Of course my age doesn’t hurt either. It seems the public may be more apt to take the word for someone 50+, which is a great thing to us approaching middle age and still being relevant in our worksphere.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I created my first blog when I became an empty nester and moved to a different state for the first time in 44 years. My second came a few years later after realizing that the areas I loved best could be well-represented there. I branched off to write for some online and print publications, worked countless hours daily, seven days a week, for years to build a following, and as cliche as it sounds, the rest was history. My daughter and I currently host an annual travel conference which is catching on big in the industry. It is so enlightening and speaks to our hearts watching the relationships blossom between writers and destinations (or brands) we have brought together in our Southern Travelers Explore (#STE) event. The thing that sets us apart is that we truly care for the success of our fellow bloggers and the #STE family we’ve curated and created over the past 3 years. Giving a darn about someone, both personally and in their success, is something both Taylor and I are proud to excel in.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Now that I’m a full-time RVer, that could be challenging since we don’t stay in one place very long. I would take them to our part-time home in Boquete, Panama. We would eat and drink in the town’s local restaurants, as well as host and attend dinner parties with our expat friends there. We would take a coffee tour and I would make coffee drinkers out of them because we have some of the best coffee in the world in the mountains. We would probably go on a bird-watching hike along the Pipeline Trail in search of the resplendent quetzal, ride to the top of Volcan Baru National Park (11,398 feet), walk into town and learn about the indigenous population, and visit the incredible flower gardens, including the stunning fairgrounds. On Tuesday, our guests would be in for a real treat as we visit the Tuesday Market, shop for unique jewelry, gourmet foods, clothing, books, and such, and then maybe have a beer-tasting at Boquete Brewing Company. Perhaps later in the week we would go to the Panamonte Inn for live music, beef carpaccio, and strawberries & cream, then head up to the beautiful Valle Escondido for a rejuvenating spa treatment.
On Friday, we would take a road trip to Volcan, a cool mountain town in the Tierras Altas District an hour away. There, we’d shop for the best fruits and veggies in the whole country, have lunch at Fanny’s Terrace Bistro, drink excellent coffee and watch the horses at Janson’s Coffee House (and finca), and then hold a sloth and play with the howler monkeys at Raquel’s Ark.
Weekends are for entertaining and volunteering. We will feast, frolic, and then give back to the community as we help with the monthly spay & neuter clinic sponsored by Amigos de Animales, an organization we have come to love in the last 8 years and think the world of.
Our weeklong trip would be a vacation for the heart, mind, and soul.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My oldest daughter, Taylor, has been my business partner for six years. We are an awesome team and I could not do the things I do without her filling in the pieces, keeping me on track, doing the things I don’t particularly like, and being my biggest fan. I also have an amazing network of friends, namely Sara Broers and Howard Blount who are always the first to pat me on the back or pick me up off the ground. I am blessed to have an amazing network of friends, followers, and tourism board reps.

Website: https://www.whereverimayroamblog.com and https://travelthesouthbloggers.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wherever_i_mayroamblog/ and https://www.instagram.com/travel_thesouth/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melody-pittman-59143010b/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/melodytravels

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whereverimayroamblog and https://www.facebook.com/travelthesouth

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqx9-3i6z2W13SJylOfR1-A

Other: Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@whereverimayroamblog