Welcome to “TravMedia's Travel Writer of the Week," where we highlight an active journalist or editor within the TravMedia community. We have so many amazingly talented, successful and inspirational professionals in our midst — let's meet Carla Grossetti...
Q. Where are you based? Woolooware, in Sydney's Sutherland Shire. Or Woola-where as I like to call it as nobody knows where it is. It's a five-minute bike ride from the beaches in Cronulla.
Q. What outlet do you write for? Who is your audience? What are your travel specialties? I write for Travel + Luxury, delicious. Explore, International Traveller, Australian Traveller, Escape, Signature Luxury, Time Out Sydney, Good Food. I'm endlessly curious. I'm drawn to food, culture, cycling and the small interactions that make a place feel real. I like to tell stories that go beyond the sun lounger and fluffy bathrobe, that get to the heart of the place.
Q. What is a professional pet peeve? Food waste. Being on a famil and having too many meals booked back-to-back is unsustainable.
Q. In your past professional life, you were … Journalism is all I have ever done. I skipped university and went straight into the newsroom, taken on as a bright-eyed cadet off the back of my HSC English results. It was like coming home. It's all I have ever known and travel has always been part of my remit.
Q. Where would you like to return to? Japan, Morocco, Mexico, Chile, Hawaii and Indonesia.
Q. What's on your bucket list? Antarctica. I'm also manifesting a trip to Europe this year as my eldest son is doing a semester at university in Prague. I'm thinking of a river cruise or a cycling tour through France.
Q. Where do you travel for fun? One of the reasons I love to travel is to find the joy – no matter how harrowing it gets. Travelling through Rajasthan in a third-class train carriage in 40+ heat was unforgettable, not despite the discomfort but because of it. The interactions we had with endlessly kind, generous and curious locals turned that long scorching journey into something very memorable. I also travel with a finger puppet. Interacting with a young baby or toddler and making them laugh is a sure-fire way to win a few hearts.
Q. Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is … Taking a sleeping pill on a train through the guts of Mexico, then being jolted awake by federales prodding us with machine guns. We were the only passengers left on the train and they found a literal tonne of drugs hidden under the seats in our carriage. Instant cold sweats.
Q. What advice would you give your younger professional self? Trust your gut instinct. Always.
Q. What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on? I like to have a bit of free time to explore while on a group famil to find stories beyond the itinerary. The best travel stories are often the experiences that aren't planned. Like stumbling across a vegetarian ceremony in Thailand where devotees cut themselves with swords and sharp objects. Getting lost looking for a hat in a market in Nicaragua. And finding the way to New Orleans heart by learning to cook its best-loved dishes.
Q. How best should people contact you? Email carla@carlagrossetti.com is best and a clear subject line always helps. If I've done a call-out on TravMedia, always include links to images, which saves time. I'm also okay with people picking up the blower.
