TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview Ep.3
Welcome to the third episode of “TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview”!
Recently, I came up with the idea to feature 3 different Travel Bloggers 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.
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”: Jenna from The Peculiar Adventurer, Cassie from The Hag, and Elizabeth from The Fearless Foreigner.
The Peculiar Adventurer
1. Tell us a little bit about yourself
Hi there, my name is Jenna and I live in Milwaukee, WI where I write for my job as a copywriter and for fun on my blog, The Peculiar Adventurer. In my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors, eating tasty food, and binging the latest streaming series with my husband and two black cats, Libby and Lana. Ever since I was a little girl I had a fascination with all things weird. This trend continues today and you can often find me listening to true crime podcasts, reading macabre books, or road tripping to a nearby spooky locale.
2. Tell us about your blogging journey
My blogging journey officially began in 2016 when I created a site on Blogger. I wrote about everything under the sun and had a really terrible URL(pinkandpurplemakesunicornbabies). A few years later I made the swap to WordPress.com, however, I didn’t realize that to use all of the nifty plugins that the site had to offer WordPress.org was really the place to be. Spent a few years on WordPress.com, once again using a terrible URL(my full first and last name…), but made the swap to WordPress.org when I decided to get more serious about my blog.
I don’t have a huge following by any means, but that’s ok. I enjoy blogging and if I can eventually gain notoriety or make a few bucks off of it that would just be the icing on the cake.
3. What is your number one blogging tip you can give new travel bloggers?
I recommend writing your articles in such a way that they’re useful to your audience. Instead of writing a piece focusing exclusively on your experiences during your travels rethink it and write the piece in a way that is beneficial to the reader. Think things like destination guides, the top 5 things to do in (insert city name), the best restaurants in (insert city name), etc.
4. What is your number one travel tip?
My number one travel tip is to take advantage of services like Airbnb. I love using Airbnb because it’s typically cheaper than staying at a hotel and you can fully immerse yourself in your destination. I always book a place with a kitchen too so that we can eat breakfast and cook a few meals at “home” to save some extra cash.
5. What is your favorite destination so far and why?
My favorite place that I’ve been to so far is Berlin, Germany. From the history and museums to the laid-back culture and general weirdness, Berlin is a destination that I thoroughly enjoyed and can’t wait to visit again.
6. What place is at the top of your bucket list and why?
Alright, this is kind of dark, but Los Angeles is at the top of my bucket list due to all of the terrible true crime cases that have unfolded there. The Black Dahlia murder, the Manson murders, and the spree killings of Richard Rameriez are just a few of the highly notable tragedies to take place in the city. Of course, that’s not the only thing that Los Angeles has to offer, I also want to do traditional touristy things like visit Universal Studios, walk the Hollywood Walk of Fame and partake in a trashy TMZ bus tour.
7. What are three unique items you can’t travel without?
Crystals or some sort of good luck charm (woo woo, I know)
Headphones for podcasts
A pair of stuffed sharks that my husband and I like to photograph in random places during our travels
8. What is your favorite food that you have tried on your travels?
It doesn’t take much to please me, the best food that I have had on my travels is currywurst from Curry on the Wall in Berlin. Pair this with an ice-cold beer and I’m in paradise. For more information on Berlin, check out my Discover Berlin blog post.
9. What is the best souvenir you have ever brought back?
We have a couple of rocks that we brought home from Sedona, AZ. They were still hot when we landed back in Wisconsin a few hours later. That place is seriously magical, so it’s cool to have a little piece of AZ here at home.
10. Do you have any product, course, or podcast to promote?
Nope!
The Hag
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Cassie from Cassiethehag.com. I am a solo traveller, blogger, and writer. I left my birth country the UK at the age of 27, and three years later I’m still abroad. Currently, I’m working full-time in Auckland for a sustainable energy company – I hold a Working Holiday Visa and occasionally teach English online. As a solo traveller, that does mean I haven’t seen any friends or loved ones in well over a year, but it seems that’s par for the course this year. No complaints.
2. Can you tell us a little bit about your blogging journey?
I have been blogging for three years, almost exactly! Before this, I’d actually just taken a year off social media! Thankfully, the travel community was very welcoming and I got used to making some online friendships very quickly. I have since met and travelled with some of these talented people in real life.
I actually started the website because I was worried about spending so much time alone on my travels (I’m a socially anxious introvert) and knew it would be reassuring to have an online community I could chat with, who also understood what I was going through.
While starting out as a ‘solo female travel blogger’, my mental health conditions such as PTSD and depression made it hard to relate to the stories of ‘empowering’ women explorers ‘living their best lives.’ I began speaking out about my experiences and that’s how I found my niche in travel and mental health.
I now also blog about neurodiversity, such as dealing with sensory overload while travelling and ADHD Q&As. Currently, I’m using my platform to promote a Diversity in Travel series featuring some fantastic bloggers from around the world.
3. What is your number one blogging tip you can give new travel bloggers?
Don’t feel like you have to be anyone but yourself. You don’t have to look a certain way or enjoy any particular kind of activity, or only eat at the ‘right’ sort of restaurant. If you’re a travel blogger, so many people will tell you that you travel ‘wrong’ or that there is a better way to do it.
But no matter who you are, someone out there wants to hear how YOU travel, because they have been searching and hoping to find the creator who they can relate to. Yes, listen to expert’s advice surrounding SEO, and work on your abilities to create awesome content, but don’t do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable just because it’s viral. Find a balance that works for you.
It’s totally normal for it to take time to find your voice, though. It took me about a year until I realized that I didn’t need to pretend to be an adventurous empowering female traveller. And when I became truly honest about my struggles, that’s when I really found my community.
4. What is your number one travel tip?
Listen to yourself and work out what your mind and body needs while on the road.
Something I wish I’d realized from the beginning was that the ‘best’ way to travel is just about as much about feeling happy and *actually enjoying yourself* as it is about *doing very impressive things*.
By this, I’m really referring to mental health. I didn’t give myself enough down days to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling (I get burn out from my neurological conditions) and that put me into a really bad place. Now, as much as I love challenging myself and going on hiking adventures, I also appreciate how much more I will enjoy them when I have downtime in between.
5. What is your favorite destination so far and why?
For working abroad – Sydney, Australia
For backpacking – Java, Indonesia
And for having a special place in my heart – Wales
6. What place is on the top of your Bucketlist and why?
South Island, New Zealand, has been on top of my ‘bucket list’ for twenty years. With the borders closed, I may not be able to go this time around before my friends get in. Since I can’t drive due to my conditions, and it’s my all-time dream trip, I can’t get around without mates.
(And please don’t respond to my undisclosed condition by reminding me buses exist. Cuz I ain’t stupid. And that’s kinda ableist. And I will be forced to steal all of your potatoes, ‘kay? Are you ready to live a sad potato-less existence? You have been warned.)
If I don’t make it down there before my visa expires, I will save up to come back and do it just the way I intended and it’s going to be beautiful.
7. What are three unique items you cannot travel without?
Packing cubes or everything would get dirty whenever I spill a dozen different snacks in my bag.
A hoodie because a) planes are cold and b) I need to feel cozy and comforted sometimes
Earphones and downloaded Spotify and Calm app playlists for every occasion. (Hiking! Sleeping! Relaxing! Eating noodles alone while listening to podcasts and avoiding eye contact with strangers!)
8. What is your favorite food that you have tried on your travels?
The vegan temple food in Japan was NEXT LEVEL and I miss it so much! Because vegan variations of Japanese food abroad just ‘veganise’ the more conventional meat dishes, I haven’t found it anywhere since.
Also, street food in Malaysia and local restaurants in Sri Lanka. I love having a different variety of small curies to taste on my plate AND yes, I love a bit of spice.
9. What is the best souvenir you have ever brought back?
Since I have to travel light, I don’t actually have any souvenirs. Just my photos.
10. Do you have any product, course, podcast you want to tell us about?
I have an ebook of short stories coming out in late June, loosely based on my difficulties connecting with people as an anxious, neurodivergent human throughout my twenties. (Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or my newsletter for updates… or just DM me!)
For now, you can head to my Diversity in Travel series. From detailed advice to bloggers about how to be more accessible and inclusive in your content, to interviews and guest posts offering insights on a diverse range of travel experiences, I am really excited about this ongoing series.
If any of this content peaks your interest, I would be so thankful if you check out my blog at Cassiethehag.com or follow me on Instagram @cassiethehag
The Fearless Foreigner
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
Hi, I’m Elizabeth. I grew up in Wisconsin, USA, and went to college in Minnesota. After I earned my degree in elementary education I spent several years teaching in a public school in NYC before moving abroad to live and teach in Moscow, Russia. Following my year abroad I decided to travel and blog full-time. I still do some online teaching on the side, but I have been a digital nomad ever since!
2. Can you tell us a little bit about your blogging journey?
I started blogging when I was living abroad in Russia during the 2017 – 2018 school year. My blog, The Fearless Foreigner, started as a way to share what life was like in Russia. As I was able to travel a lot during school breaks I quickly fell in love with travel writing. I decided to give travel blogging a try as a full-time career. I now write about a wide range of destinations in Europe, South America, and North America. Thanks to Covid I have been spending a lot of time in Atlanta, GA the past year. I have gotten to know the city well and have enjoyed writing a lot about Atlanta.
3. What is your number one blogging tip you can give new travel bloggers?
My biggest tip for new bloggers is to learn about SEO early. If you plan to monetize your blog you will need to understand and write posts that are optimized for google. I knew nothing about SEO for the first year of my blogging journey. I have had to spend a lot of time re-writing and updating old posts.
4. What is your number one travel tip?
As a solo traveler, my biggest travel tip is to follow your gut. The more you travel the more you will develop this instinct. You will be told so many times that this place or that place is unsafe. In reality, there are safe and unsafe areas everywhere. Something bad can happen in your own home, but some of the most memorable moments can also happen in areas that are claimed to be unsafe.
5. What is your favorite destination so far and why?
I really love Buenos Aires, Argentina. The city reminds me of a Latin NYC, which is also one of my favorite cities. Buenos Aires feels like a warmer, cheaper, and calmer version of New York. The cost of living is low for an American. There is a lot of culture, great food, and friendly locals. Argentina is also full of beautiful, but diverse landscapes.
6. What place is on the top of your Bucketlist and why?
There are so many places I want to visit. I don’t even know where to start! One place that has been at the top of my list for a while is Patagonia in southern Chile and Argentina. I had a trip planned, but unfortunately was injured and had to cancel it. I have been looking forward to going back another time.
7. What are three unique items you cannot travel without?
I travel with a foam roller and a travel yoga mat. No matter where I am in the world I do foam rolling exercises every night. Also, I so fit in a lot of workouts. I also don’t go anywhere without snacks. I always love trying the local food, but you never know when there is going to be a delay or a late arrival when food isn’t readily available.
8. What is your favorite food that you have tried on your travels?
This is another super tough question for me as I am a big foodie. The steak in Buenos Aires may be at the top of my list. I love how steak isn’t just something people eat in the country, it is a passion and part of the culture. It doesn’t hurt that it is much cheaper than in the US either!
9. What is the best souvenir you have ever brought back?
I collect keychains. I have hundreds of keychains from different cities, museums, attractions, and other places around the world. Some of the most special ones are the ones made by locals. I purchased one from a lady in Chile who lived on a farm that was only accessible by water. We had to kayak to her house and she served us a true farm-to-table meal!
10. Do you have any product, course, podcast you want to tell us about?
I do personal traveling planning. Clients fill out a form where they answer questions such as: where do you want to go, what are your interests, what are your accommodation preferences, etc? Based on their answers I create a customized itinerary that can include daily plans, accommodation recommendations, flight options, and more.
This was TAU Presents: Monthly Travel Bloggers Interview Ep 3. for this month! I hope you enjoyed it!
Check out the previous interviews:
