Michele Peterson is an award-winning freelance Toronto-based travel writer, editor, blogger, social media consultant, fundraiser and founder of the A Taste for Travel blog. With more than a decade of experience creating compelling content for print, web and mobile platforms, Michele has proven expertise in bringing stories to life.
These skills have also been harnessed for social good. In her work as a fundraising professional, she’s raised over $10 million in funding for Canadian and international NGOs for causes ranging from defending environmental justice to fighting poverty through microcredit, health and education. She began her career in the world of finance where, as vice-president Investments, her team achieved a record-breaking $750 million in annual sales.
After a volunteer assignment with the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO), Michele left the corporate world for the non-profit sector, serving as a consultant in Bolivia, Honduras, Russia, Guatemala and Canada. She also studied travel writing at the University of Toronto, Ryerson University and the Taos Summer Writers Workshop in New Mexico. She loves writing about the unexpected and unusual whether it’s coca leaf readers in Bolivia or snorkelling with beluga whales in Hudson Bay.
When she’s not researching a story, she divides her time between Toronto, Mexico and a ramshackle ranch in San Vicente (Guatemala). Her A Taste for Travel blog features food, recipes and experiences from Mexico and Guatemala. She’s married to “el chapin” her Guatemala-born husband who knows how to swing a lasso, rope a steer and make great guacamole.
A passionate foodie and adventurer, she specializes in writing about Mexico, the Caribbean and sun destinations. A Contributing Editor at Taste & Travel magazine and travel news columnist at Fifty-five Plus magazine, her work has appeared in more than 100 print and online publications including British Airways, the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, The National Post, Dreamscapes, Air Canada OnAir, Westjet Up!, Ottawa Wedding, Eva Air, MSN.ca, About.com, AOL as well as several book anthologies.
Her popular travel blog, A Taste for Travel, offers an insiders look at food, drink and sun destinations. Click the image below and you’ll be taken to the blog directly.