Emily Matchar

Emily Matchar is a freelance journalist and travel writer. Since 2007, she's traveled the world researching and writing guidebooks for Lonely Planet. In the line of duty she's hot-wired a pickup truck, ridden up a Mexican volcano on a horse with a wooden saddle, and eaten at 13 different Memphis barbecue joints in 36 hours (not recommended).

A native of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Emily studied English and Spanish at Harvard University. After graduating, she hightailed it back down South to spend the next three years keeping tabs on local government as a reporter with Raleigh's The News & Observer. Now, when not working on a guidebook, she writes for travel, adventure and food publications like Outside, Gourmet, CHOW, Babble, Forbes, Away, BBC History, Gastronomica, AOL Food and others. She's currently at work a new website about North Carolina food and a novel (not food-related!).

See her professional writing at www.emilymatchar.com or read her sporadic travel and food bloggings at www.eatinghighonthehog.blogspot.com.