Melissa Roberts
I’m a planner. It’s in my bones; it’s my job. At Black Tomato, I take care of all things digital – anticipating digital change, keeping our channels fresh, and optimising content. Try as I may to be a spontaneous, ‘free spirited’ doesn’t seem to be on the cards for me.
Perhaps, when I was 18 and travelling through Southeast Asia fuelled on wide-eyed naivety, not knowing where I’d be sleeping at my next destination had an allure. Now, you’ll find me thoughtfully researching and planning every aspect of my trip. City break in Copenhagen? I’ll find the best pastries and smorgasbords. Hiking through Yosemite National Park? I’ll have all the important trails mapped. Beach holiday? I’ve already worked out the best sun lounger to grab. The best thing about planning, however, is that it makes venturing off the path most-trodden even more rewarding. There’s nothing better than knowing I researched all the ‘best’ options and then stumbling upon something that never made the pre-travel checklist – a Danish studio where you can see the ceramicists working as you browse. A secret trail around Yosemite’s Mirror Lake. Maybe I’ll never fully relinquish the plan, but I think it does us all good to get a little lost sometimes.
'The best souvenir I've ever had'
A closer look at the USAI’ll go to great lengths for good music. The furthest they’ve taken me is to Eau Claire, a small town in North Wisconsin. The most important thing you need to know about Eau Clarie – indeed the only thing I knew when I travelled there – is that it’s the home of my favourite musician: Justin Vernon of Bon Iver. Naturally when he announced he was hosting a festival there, I booked two tickets and convinced my friend that travelling to this town on the banks of the Chippewa River would be worth it.
Upon arriving in Eau Claire, we realised we were putting a lot of faith in the unknown. Thankfully this faith was rewarded. We spent the weekend sleeping under towering pines, venturing through woodlands; following our ears to find hidden stages with secret performances. We stood, in the rain, holding each other as the crowd soaked in new songs we’d never heard before. I never understood total contentment until this. Even now, as I close my eyes I’m back under the shade of those trees, lying in the grass by the river. The best souvenir I’ve ever had.
Take me there
“Many companies brag about offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But with Black Tomato it’s not hyperbole”
“Black Tomato are one of the coolest things in the world. Don’t even try and live without them”
“Black Tomato is a super innovative company where the sky is the limit for their clients”
“Black Tomato prides itself on meeting customers every minor need or desires”
“Black Tomato is the choice provider of mind-expanding holidays”
