Hi! I’m Melissa, and I'm passionate about discovering new places, hiking trails, and photographing nature.

My first book, 75 Great Hikes Seattle, was published in 2017 by Moon Travel Guides. In 2018, my husband, Onur, and I relocated to the Bay Area and my work has since been published in Modern Hiker, Weekend Sherpa, and The Mercury News. To gain a deeper understanding of California’s natural wonders, I became a Certified California Naturalist in 2021. If I’m not hiking, then I’m probably studying maps and seasonal trends, mapping routes on CalTopo, following weather patterns, and experimenting in the kitchen.