TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview

Welcome to the first-ever episode of “TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview”!

Recently, I came up with the idea to feature a different Travel Blogger every month on the TAU blog. I thought it would be fun to meet different members of the travel community and learn more about them and their blogs.

So, I tweeted my idea to see if anyone would be interested and a lot of people wanted to participate. Seeing how many people replied, I decided to do 3 people per post so that more people can be part of the monthly series.

Each person will have to answer 10 questions about their blogging journey and travel experiences.

Here are our three Travel Bloggers for this month’s episode of “TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview”: Will Conway from Baggage Claim, Emma from Forever Lost in Travel, and Hannah from Hannah on Horizon.

Baggage Claim

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Hey there! I host the Baggage Claim podcast: travel stories no one tells. They’re these gritty little short tales – 10-20 minutes long, and sound designed to feel like you’re in the place with me. Each one has a purpose and a point, and they’re designed to be powerful and thought-provoking (and, every once in a while, a little funny). I used to work in political technology and, before that, I was in political campaigning directly. I realized somewhere along the way that I just wasn’t in love with the life I built for myself, so I quit my job, bought a one-way plane ticket to Colombia, and just… started over. In these times of Coronavirus, I live in Montreal with my incredible girlfriend, Fanny.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your blogging journey?

I’m really a storyteller at heart, and my deepest concern in this world is human empathy, compassion, and authenticity. I don’t think it takes a lot to convince folks that those things are curiously absent from the modern dialogue. My writing and my podcast are all designed to tackle travel through the lens of bringing people together and finding the stories people need to tell to contribute to a more empathetic and compassionate world.

3. What is your number one blogging tip you can give new travel bloggers?

Just go! I spent so much time nit-picking myself and obsessing before I launched. Now, I realize I was living in the land of hypotheticals. You’ll learn so much more by doing – by failing and succeeding publicly, hearing feedback, and growing with humility.

4. What is your number one travel tip?

Don’t over-plan. I spent about three days deciding what to do, where to stay, and how to handle my first trip. By a month later, I was winging it. Honestly, it feels better and more authentic that way.

5. What is your favorite destination so far and why?

 I have such a soft spot in my heart for both Colombia and Chile. There’s something about the authenticity of the culture in those places that I love, and I can’t let it go. I also road-tripped the coast of Chile with three backpacker friends, and it’s a memory I’ll never forget.

6. What place is on the top of your Bucketlist and why?

I desperately want to bike across Europe. As in, feet in the Mediterranean in Greece, as far north as Estonia, and then across to Portugal. Don’t ask me why – it’s just stuck in my head.

7. What are three unique items you cannot travel without?

A passport helps. In all seriousness, a buddy lent me a copy of One Hundred Years of Solitude before I went to Colombia. I read that book while I was on a dilapidated old ferry inching down the Amazon River about two months later (after putting it off for a while). I fell in love with that book – with that way of being. It’s a huge text and the world has Kindles, but I think that book is going to be with me on every trip going forward. On a more practical level, a portable phone charger and flip-flops go further than I ever could have imagined.

8. What is your favorite food that you have tried on your travels?

I had an alpaca steak in Cusco that I just can’t explain. Unreal.

9. What is the best souvenir you have ever brought back?

I bought my parents a hand-carved chess set in Peru for maybe $15 US, and it’s exquisite. But honestly, I pulled a piece of bleached coral from a reef on a Caribbean island off the coast of Colombia. There was something tragic about it – some sign of a time before we humans just let loose on the environment. Anyway, that piece of coral is still in my bag.

10. Do you have any product, course, podcast you want to tell us about?

I’d love for folks to check out the podcast: Baggage Claim. Black and yellow logo. It’s ad-free and always will be – just little travel stories. Text UNICORN to (332) 877-9540 and I’ll send you the link to your preferred streaming platform.

Also, I’m building a community of people on Facebook who care about using travel to grow as empathetic, authentic humans. You can join that community here.

Forever Lost in Travel

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

I’m Emma, a travel blogger from the beautiful city of Vancouver, Canada. I work full time and blog on the side. My day job is also in travel so the two go nicely hand in hand. Travel really is my number one favorite thing to do. I’m also a big foodie so love to try different foods as I travel or even at home. This year I also got into hiking in a big way since I was unable to leave Canada to travel. 2020 gave me a great reason to explore my own country and closer to where I live. I even managed to complete a 60km multi-day hike through the interior of British Columbia.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your blogging journey?

I started my blog in the summer of 2018. It all started because I was on a work trip experiencing a new travel destination and met a few people who were there to write about it for their blog. They were being paid to write about this amazing experience and I thought, why am I not doing this? I had my blog up and running within the month. Since then I’ve worked hard on my travel blog every day and have built it up to something I am really proud of. And while I’m a way off of it being my full-time job, it’s really fun to write about something I love to do so much.

3. What is your number one blogging tip you can give new travel bloggers?

Without a doubt, my number one tip is to resist the urge to compare yourself to other bloggers. It’s easy to do and wonder why someone is getting an opportunity you aren’t, or why their numbers are going up and yours are still much lower. But everyone gets there at their own pace and everyone has something different to offer. Stick with it and be proud of what you’re doing. Celebrate the small wins.

4. What is your number one travel tip?

After years of trying to fit as much into a trip as possible, I definitely recommend taking some time to relax while traveling. Don’t plan everything to the minute, make sure to leave a day free without any activities, or set aside a morning or afternoon to just be lazy and take advantage of the hotel amenities. You won’t benefit from travel if you don’t get a chance to sit back and soak it all in sometimes. 

5. What is your favorite destination so far and why?

This is such a tough question, there have honestly been so many places I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to visit. My favorite city I would say is Riga, Latvia. I visited in December 2019 and fell in love with the place. It was cold, it was snowing, but the architecture was stunning, the people were so welcoming, and it was a great budget destination, unlike many other European capitals. My favorite country so far though would have to be Thailand. It’s beautiful, so diverse, the food is amazing, and the people are incredibly friendly. From relaxing on a beach to snorkeling and even hanging out with elephants for a day, it was just one dream come true after another. 

6. What place is on the top of your Bucketlist and why?

This question is just as difficult as my favorite destination. As a travel blogger, my bucket list gets longer quicker than I’m able to cross places off it. The number one spot constantly changes, but currently it would have to be Greece. After a few months of colder than average weather in Canada, I’m starting to dream about somewhere hotter so cruising around the Greek Islands sounds pretty amazing right now. I’ve wanted to visit Greece since I was a kid. I’m interested in the history, the food, and the unique islands that just look so photogenic I can’t wait to explore them myself.

7. What are three unique items you cannot travel without?

I’m a chronic over-packer so this list could get out of hand quickly. But if I had to narrow it down to the more unique things I would have to say:

• Bagnet – possibly my favorite drunk internet purchase. I have a few of these things but it’s basically a really strong magnet that clips to your purse, so you can hang it on any metal surface. It’s great for keeping your purse off the ground when you travel either in bathrooms, in restaurants, or on transit. 
• Hooded neck pillow – A lot of people have found neck pillows to be a game-changer for flying or long-distance travel, but I take it one step further with this hooded version. The generously sized hood falls over my eyes, so I can cozy up and block a lot of the lights and try to catch some sleep on the plane.
• Re-usable straws – These things go everywhere with me whether I’m at home or traveling. Instead of using throwaway plastic straws or dealing with no straw being offered, I carry my own metal straws in a little carry case complete with cleaner. Tall ones for drinking soda in a restaurant or short ones for cocktails in a bar, either way, I’m covered AND saving the environment.
  

8. What is your favorite food that you have tried on your travels?

So much good food! I love to try new food when I travel. I think one of my favorite dishes, even though it’s super simple, is mango sticky rice in Thailand. The coconut milk and fresh fruit make this dessert tropical and refreshing, but the rice makes it a filling treat. I would almost consider walking back to Thailand to be served one of those beachsides with a refreshing cocktail.

9. What is the best souvenir you have ever brought back?

I try to limit the number of souvenirs I buy now. I used to buy a lot of stuff that would sit in a drawer and never see the light of day. So now I always try to buy more practical things. Decoration for the house, an item of clothing or a picture of my favorite place, even some local snacks. I did however live in China for two years and one of my favorite things I bought was this unique incense burner shaped like praying hands where the smoke comes out of the top. I still use this all the time over 10 years later. 

10. Do you have any product, course, podcast you want to tell us about?

Last year I started making items with old maps. I love maps, they’re all so interesting looking at the places I’ve been to or the places I’ve wanted to go. And especially old maps where place names might have changed. Plus, no one uses a paper map anymore, so it feels like a simpler time of travel to plan by getting out an atlas. I make my own gift tags using old maps and sell them on my site. Perfect for a travel-themed wedding, party favors, or birthday gifts.

Hanna on Horizon

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

My name is Hannah. I am 31 years old, and I live in Sacramento, CA. I am a full-time graphic designer at a nonprofit, and my blog is my little side project.

2. Can you tell us a little bit about your blogging journey?

I actually started off as a beauty blogger in 2014 up until recently. I fell in love with travel writing and blogging a little bit after writing about my trip to London and Paris with my husband. I did some travel posts here and there before, but my niche was always beauty before I shifted more towards lifestyle and travel. I love it, and I only wish I switched niches sooner, especially as I get older and realize how priceless your memories are. 

3. What is your number one blogging tip you can give new travel bloggers?

Don’t count out local travel, especially in a pandemic world! We’ll be seeing a lot of travel bloggers share awesome content about their hometown, that we would otherwise overlook in favor of luxurious beach getaways or cosmopolitan cities. It will give your readers an “aha, I’ve never thought about going there but I’ll consider it” moment.

6. What place is on the top of your Bucketlist and why?

Japan! My husband and I were kinda talking about going in 2020 before this pandemic. But he is slowly becoming more hopeful about this year going in the right direction and we might plan to go in 2022.

 7. What are three unique items you cannot travel without?

1. Not necessarily unique, but my medications. I have lupus and take quite a handful of medications. There is NO way I can travel without them! I’ve even had nightmares about boarding a plane and realizing I forgot to bring them! I could say a pill cutter before I realized that I can break my pills in half with my fingernail.
2. My contact lenses, the case I store them, and the solution to keep them moist!
3. A portable phone charger, of course!

8. What is your favorite food that you have tried on your travels?

I’ve gone to Italy in 2013 with my mom, and I’ve always loved Italian food…so hands down, I absolutely loved the food in Rome. A few of my favorite things in Rome were: the pasta, pizza, fresh clams, hotel breakfast buffet, gelato, and arancini balls! 

9. What is the best souvenir you have ever brought back?

Does bringing my boyfriend (now husband) as a fiance back count? He proposed to me in Central Park, NYC in 2015. It was totally unexpected (but hoped), and a moment we will never forget!

10. Do you have any product, course, podcast you want to tell us about?

N/A (yet)

Those were our 3 participants for this month’s episode of “TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview”. Make sure you check out their blogs and follow them on their social media!!