With WiFi reaching the remotest of regions and wanderlust as infectious a condition as ever, travel blogging is becoming even more of an option for those who wish to travel and earn. With the rise of blogger numbers, the quality of content is unparalleled with stunning locations, skilled photography and informative, entertaining writing. It’s not hard to see why travel blogs and social media profiles are more popular to follow than ever, and one that is growing more popular everyday is the tale of the Two Drifters, Amy and Nathan.
Their Two Drifters blog covers what it’s like to travel and to travel as a couple. Filled with fantastic stories, adorable anecdotes and useful tips on both travelling and blogging, it’s not hard to see how someone could easily while away a few hours jumping from post to post and stunning photo to stunning photo.
So, tell us a bit about yourselves
We’re Amy & Nathan, couples travel & lifestyle bloggers at Two Drifters. We’re full time location-independent workers, working 100% online. In addition to blogging and photography, Amy works as a copywriter and Nathan as a copyeditor. We’ve been together since 2011, when we first met (traveling,of course!) in a hostel in Edinburgh, Scotland. We were married in 2016 and currently reside in New Hampshire.
What made you decide to start a blog?
We decided to start our blog Two Drifters in 2012. We were in the midst of a long-distance relationship. Amy was studying for her Master’s degree in Scotland while Nathan was traveling in Thailand. We were both off having adventures, but we thought writing about them would help bring us closer together. We worked on the blog on and off for a few years before getting more “serious” about it in 2015.
What’s your funniest memory of travelling together?
We laugh all the time, so it’s tough to remember the most humorous memory of all! One of the funniest, can-you-believe-this-is-happening moments was when were road tripping across Australia. We were living out of a campervan and driving across the remote areas of Western Australia. We’d bought a solar camp shower that was supposed to heat up during the day to give you a warm, toasty shower in the evenings. Well, this did not happen. During our drive, not only did it fail to heat up, the water slowly leaked everywhere in the back of the van. We had no shower facilities at our campsite either. Instead of letting another day pass as dirty backpackers, we decided to help each other shower, by taking turns pouring freezing cold water over each other’s heads from a small water bottle. It was freezing, hilarious, and definitely a moment we were forced to put aside all of our pride! It definitely brought us closer together as we shivered, shampooed, and laughed.
How does travelling as a pair compare to solo travel?
Amy hasn’t done as much solo travel as Nathan, but we both do enjoy it. There’s an exciting freedom to being on your own and the chance to go and do pretty much anything you choose is liberating and fun. Yet, we absolutely adore traveling as a couple. We wouldn’t give up the opportunity to strengthen our bond and make memories hand in hand. When we travel, we’re blessed to be sharing some of the most amazing moments of our lives. It’s awesome.
What tips do you have for maintaining a great blog and online presence on the go, and further what has been your experience of the online travel community?
It is certainly tough to blog as you travel, and you quickly realize that travel has become your business. Accepting that (and enjoying it) is part of what makes travel blogging rewarding and allows you to do a better job of maintaining your blog on the road. Beyond that overarching idea, it’s vital to be consistent and have a routine. Working roughly the same hours every day keeps us on track and helps us to accomplish our goals. Also having a specific schedule for our social media posting helps too. When you’re running Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and more, it’s almost impossible to keep up with it all! We’re working on creating a more regular posting schedule to maximize our efforts more easily.
The online travel community is great! We’ve connected with tons of travel bloggers online and met up with many in real life. In a lot of ways, travel blogging is still a burgeoning field (though it seems quite highly saturated!). It’s nice being connected via Facebook groups and other networks to help and support each other along the way. We’re all figuring things out, and there’s a deep community of bloggers who are incredibly kind and helpful.
How does collaborating with Brands affect your content, and what has been your favourite Brand to work with so far?
We love collaborating brands to help us connect with products or experiences that fit our lifestyle, or which we may not otherwise have access to. We made a choice early on to only work with brands that fit our travel or relationships niches. Otherwise, we’d be doing our audience a disservice. Now, when we collaborate, we ensure first and foremost that what we’re doing will deliver some sort of value to our audience, whether that be inspiration, entertainment, or introducing them to a super useful and innovative product. Sometimes, we just like to share things we love!
Our favorite brand to work, aside from many great hotels and tour operators, with has been QALO (@qalo). We partnered with them to show off their silicon wedding bands, which are perfect to wear during hiking, exercising, or working with your hands. This was such an ideal brand for us to partner with, because Two Drifters is an intersection of love and travel, and as a married couple, this product allowed us to talk about both!
There’s a lot of couples and individuals out there trying to break into the world of travel blogging. Certainly the biggest tip we can offer is to create something that sets you apart. Blogging and social media aren’t just about numbers, but about the quality and depth of your content. Keep creating awesome and comprehensive content that is different than what’s out there. Be innovative, explore new places and new angles, and really focus on delivering excellence at every level.
Through better resources, blogging platforms and the popularity of online social media channels, the potential for someone to become a self-made travel blogger is growing ever higher. While some still need to supplement their income with freelance work, as the Two Drifters explore in their posts on how to travel and earn, modern living is allowing more and more to work remotely – very remotely. Clearly it is not a light undertaking, bloggers need to be an expert in a variety of areas to produce top quality, professional content (but audiences nowadays expect nothing less), however the online travel diary is proving as popular as those first volumes of exploration hundreds of years ago. Our fascination with travel and new places has continued, but our accessibility to information and stories grows more everyday.
