Meet Shawnie Kelley | Author, Travel Expert, Food Educator

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

Hi Shawnie, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I’m unsure how much you want me to write, but I can expound on any of these points. I have written 5 travel guides and history books, dozens of travel and food-focused magazine articles, and own a culinary and cultural travel company, Wanderlust Tours, that leads small boutique tours through Europe, Great Britain and parts of the US. I also teach cooking classes at The Mix, Columbus State’s recreational cooking program.

www.wanderlust-tours.com

1. Relationship-driven:
During the past 15 years, I have written several books, started a travel company, Wanderlust Tours, and presently teach cooking classes,. They are all very different types of jobs, but I believe the relationships I have forged over the years have been vital to my success. Whether it is chefs and restaurateurs, hotel groups, business owners, clients, or students in my cooking classes, I try to create an environment with the right people that has longevity. This is both a professional and personal philosophy.

2. Surrounding myself with POSITIVE, successful, supportive people.
This often stems from my first point about relationships., where some professional contacts have become friends. I have met amazing people through networking and maintained these connections over the decades. Positivity is key in my relationships with people. I am naturally a positive person and appreciate similar energy from others.

3. Saying “yes” which sometimes translates to taking risks and putting myself out there.
My philosophy is to say “yes” to any interesting opportunities if it makes sense. This has led to an organic evolution of my career over 20 years. Saying yes to writing jobs, speaking engagements, fundraising events, or private cooking classes has sometimes challenged me or forced me outside my comfort zone, which stimulates growth. I have historically packed in as much as I can to my schedule (as I see fit) and this has led to so many cool experiences both professionally and personally.

4. Work-Life Balance
I am grateful that I CAN say no to things when they impact my schedule or aren’t of interest. I appreciate being able to work from home these days, aside from teaching cooking classes, but I have full autonomy over my schedule. The freedom to work in a non-traditional way has helped our family life to flourish. Being present for our kids’ school and sporting events and having the flexibility to write or teach as needed has been life-changing.

5. Following my heart and channelling things that inspire me into my writing and teaching. As a writer, I derive inspiration from many different places— a blazing sunset, a conversation with friends, an unforgettable bite of food, or a solitary run. Sometimes I seek it out, but most times inspiration finds me. Fifteen years after publishing my first book, it is easy to recognize the evolution of my writing style, yet my passion for history, culture, and cuisine continue to form the basis of all of my work. I write the way I travel — fully immersed, as authentically as possible, and a little off-beat. And my writing philosophy is to write what I know.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I consider myself a Writer, Travel Expert, and Food Educator

I have lived in Columbus, Ohio since 1997 and have called Upper Arlington home since 2002. I studied Art History at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, The Ohio State University, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

I am a travel and food writer who has published five books, including all three editions of the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus®, Discover Cape Cod, and It Happened on Cape Cod. I’m currently writing a femme-focused journey through France titled, “The Woman’s Guide: France” and “America’s Grand Dames: Historic Hotels 1769-1969..” Over the years, I have contributed 100+ food, history, and travel-related articles to both national and international magazines.

For four years, I studied and worked in France, Scotland, and England as an architectural historian, during which time I traveled extensively throughout Europe. This began as a research fellowship at the University of Edinburgh, which allowed me to study medieval sculpture. I then worked for Historic Scotland and Historic England (English Heritage) researching religious sculptures from castles, cathedrals, and monasteries throughout England and France. My work helped to photo-document collections of architectural elements, statues, and in-situ carvings and put them into historical context.

When I got back to the States, these travel experiences led to the founding of my boutique travel company, Wanderlust Tours. We specialize in private, small-group tours through Europe and Great Britain. The itineraries are a culmination of all the professional and personal travels I did while living abroad, combined with my passion for art, architecture, and regional food.

As a food lover, I am particularly interested in regional culinary traditions and how food connects us with a culture and with each other. My philosophy is to support local food and small businesses, women-owned when possible- both at home and abroad. Cooking classes, market tours, and local tastings are key components of my Wanderlust Tours itineraries. Over the years, I have taught travel seminars, global cooking classes, and speaking engagements about culture and food topics.

Drawing on decades of travel and taking cooking classes around the world, I channeled these culinary experiences into creating a series of global cooking classes that I have taught for the past 15 years. Aside from writing, I am presently a Chef Instructor at The Mix, Columbus State’s recreational cooking program. I teach hands-on classes ranging from global cuisines like Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese to technical classes like beef Wellington, soufflés, and handmade pasta.

Travel, food, and writing have become fully realized in all parts of my career.

Some of my best times are just exploring the world, sniffing out regional food, writing about spas, afternoon tea and golf, and adventuring with my fun little family: Dan, Madalyn, and Gabe. I hope the Insiders’ Guide will expose Columbus as the international capital city it is becoming!

These are three philosophies that I feel are fully intertwined in my work:

WRITER
As a writer, I derive inspiration from many different places— a blazing sunset, a conversation with friends, an unforgettable bite of food, or a solitary hike. Sometimes I seek it out, but most times inspiration finds me. 15 years after publishing my first book, it is easy to recognize the evolution of my writing style, yet my passion for history, culture, and cuisine continues to form the core of all of my work. I write the way I travel — fully immersed, as authentically as possible, and a little off-beat.

My writing philosophy: Write what I know.

TRAVELER
‘I wander to find myself.’ Our Wanderlust Tours motto and my personal mantra were formed while living in France and the U.K. and while traveling extensively through Europe for work. One of my favorite parts of traveling is to just stroll around and absorb the atmosphere. Never know what you will find! This act of organically wandering has led to some wonderful discoveries and introduced new food, people, and customs into my world. Embracing the local cultural landscape, scenery, and food makes travel so much richer.

My travel philosophy: Explore. Experience. Engage.

FOOD EDUCATOR
What I find equally alluring about writing and cooking is the ability to take a bunch of individual ingredients or words and meld them together into a final product. Both are artistic and subjective; the outcome might be successful or a total bust; people might love it or hate it; but when all is said and done, something has been created. A book from disparate words or a meal from single ingredients — in my world, these two processes are mirrors of one another and are inextricably intertwined.

My food philosophy: Food is Love

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.
I wrote the Insiders’ Guide to Columbus’ 3rd edition, which serves as a relocation guide, and travel guide for visitors and locals alike. It includes several staycation ideas, top 10 lists of restaurants, top attractions, and suggestions for family fun, shopping and parks and rec.

I would suggest the top attractions, COSI (Columbus Science Center) and the Columbus Zoo and Zoombezi Bay Water Park to friends with families. Or take the kids to PINS to play duckpin bowling and arcade games.

As for dining, we would hit up some of the Columbus Classics like LIndey’s, The Refectory, Barcelona, or The Top or one of the newer essential eateries like Agni, Veritas, or The Sycamore. I love when it surprises someone to learn how diverse Columbus is, so I direct those folks to the “immigrant food corridors” along Morse Road, Bethel Road. and SR 161 where there is an abundance of authentic Indian, Vietnamese, Mexican, Thai, and a variety of African restaurants.

For a fun staycation, I recommend a few nights at the Junto Hotel in Franklinton, where it’s walkable to a few fun breweries, Land Grant and Brew Dog, The Junto has a fun “Gear Garage” from which guests can rent equipment like kayaks, scooters, games, and polaroid cameras. Across the street is Gravity, a year-round entertainment complex that offers keg curling and ice bumper cars in the winter and pickleball and basketball courts in the summer. Also walkable are the National Veteran’s Memorial Museum and COSI Science Center. If the timing is right, you can take an easy walk across the bridge to catch a show at the Palace Theatre.

If a friend is staying through the weekend, I’d take them to the nationally acclaimed Worthington Farmer’s Market, and register for a Columbus Food Adventures tour of one of the neighborhoods. We’d go on a walk through Columbus’s charming historic district, German Village to look at the cute houses, get macarons at Pistacia Vera, and cocktails on Lindey’s patio or at Law Bird, and hit the Book Loft, one of the country’s largest independently-owned bookstores.

We’d spend an afternoon walking through the Short North Arts District, gallery hopping, and shopping, ending with drinks at the urbane, sophisticated Mandrake cocktail lounge on the roof of the Moxy Hotel.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shout out to my partner Dan Ralley (the Assistant City Manager for the City of Hilliard), whom I have been able to count on for so many things peripheral to writing this book, including lending an editorial eye and insights to Columbus business and government, taking photos, shoulder massages, making meals, and entertaining the kids while I write. He is my Renaissance Man and hero! I dedicate this to my fun little family, Dan, Madalyn and Gabe, who are always up for an adventure, exploring new places, and are very good eaters!

Many years ago, I learned a friend was coming to work in Columbus and attempted to purchase a travel guide for her, but there was none to be found. After corresponding with The Globe Pequot Press, it was determined I would write Insiders’ Guide to Columbus. This project remains special to me for many reasons, but mostly because it was the first comprehensive travel guide written about the very deserving capital of Ohio. I would like to thank the publisher for investing in a much-needed third edition,

Website: https://wanderlust-tours.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawniekelley/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawniekelley/

Twitter: https://x.com/shawniekelley

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShawnieKelleyWanderlustTours

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=e1HGOCdUSPFV_kFXGm46_A

Image Credits
Photo 1: Globe Pequot Press, book cover
Photo 2,4,6,7,10: Shawnie Kelley
Photo 3: Dan Ralley
Photo:5: Tommy Tucker
Photo 8,9: Sherri Noll