When travel goes sour…

Travel is everything wonderful and exciting…that is, until you get sick–

To wrap up the summer season, we chose to explore bits of Central and Eastern Europe, flying to the sunny shores of Croatia at the very start of August. Two flights and a long bus ride got us to Split, where we checked into a guesthouse adorned with bright magenta flowers and succulent green grapes. We were quickly greeted by the blazing heat of the Adriatic Coast, and we made it a top priority to swim in the sea whenever we could. (That is, after all, why we chose to visit Croatia is August!) We rode a boat out to the surrounding islands, indulged in fresh seafood and gelato (that immediately began melting down our fingertips as soon as we were handed the cone haha), and took a day trip into Bosnia and Herzegovina (Herzegovina, to be specific, since we were visiting the Southern half of the country– Mostar and Kravica Waterfall)!

We then rode a bus back down to Dubrovnik, where our guesthouse overlooked the stone glory of Old Town and the lush island of Lokrum. Dubrovnik was where we found our favorite local swimming spot. It was a simple rocky shore with a built in ladder, but it was home to the most refreshing turquoise blue waters and lively sea creatures of all kinds. (I found a HUGE spotted sea hare in the waters!) We spent hours watching the underwater world go by (perks of traveling with snorkeling gear) and listening to the bells of the nearby church ring.

There was one special evening, when the entire city was drenched in egg yolk yellow, where we went ziplining up on Mount Srd. The golden light and the beauty of the mountains and the sea made us feel so grateful to be alive, and after a heavenly sorbet sunset, the world fell blue. It’s crazy how quickly a scene can go from the warmth of the late afternoon sun to the coolness of night, just with the drop of the sun.

While in Dubrovnik, we took a day trip into Montenegro, visiting Perast, Kotor, and Budva, and we also took a ferry over to Lokrum Island to see the peacocks! The peacocks were brought to the island by the Austrians when they owned in, and they’ve been living there since. It was so funny to see wild peacocks just roaming about hahaha.

When travel turned a bit sour…

Everything was wonderful and going to plan UNTIL…we flew over to Romania, our 30th country. It had been two and a half years since I got food poisoning on a trip, so it was about time I got it again haha. It’s inevitable, especially when we travel as much as we do, and I always try to remind people that food poisoning can happen in ANY country around the world! I don’t want my food poisoning experience to reflect poorly on the food in Romania at all, because it really could’ve happened anywhere. Chad and I ate the exact same things, and I was the only one who got it, so it could’ve just been my own stomach acting up after such a long and tiring travel day! (Pictured above is me, clutching onto a Romanian electrolyte drink for dear life, after vomiting seven times in a row and sitting on the toilet for an entire night haha.)

Romania is actually known for having exquisite dishes with delightfully fresh meats, veggies, and cheeses, and Chad and I can both agree that the food really was out of this world. Once I got better, I couldn’t stop eating their perfectly light pastries and drinking their flavorful soups!

We were drawn to Romania for their castles, specifically Peleș Castle, and that castle was, by far, the most enchanting and spooky castle we’ve ever visited! From the spiraling wooden staircases, to the colorful stained glass windows, everything held such intricate details and craftsmanship. The paintings were both ethereal and ghastly at the same time, looking as if the figures just might peel off the canvas and float about the castle like a haunting ghost. Melodies of a thundering organ played throughout my head as we walked around, and all in all, it seemed like we were exploring a real life haunted mansion.

We also visited Bran Castle, the castle that inspired the setting of world-famous Dracula, but after visiting Peleș Castle, nothing could quite compare to that level of magnificence haha. We did enjoy the folklore and legends of Bran Castle, though! To end our big three-week trip abroad, we left the big cities for the countryside and stayed in a peaceful guesthouse in the small town of Viscri.

This last trip really got to both our physical and mental health. A lot of the times, when we don’t physically feel well while traveling, our mental health goes down with it. There’s always the mental pressure (completely from ourselves, as small business owners) to go out and film, even if we’re under the weather, because we (1) spent the money to travel all the way there, and (2) need continuous content for our channel and income. I probably shouldn’t have filmed a food tour while battling food poisoning, but I found myself pushing myself to do it, because I couldn’t bear the thought of NOT filming it after spending several days researching the best foods to try Romania. It’s also hard to let go of our best performing type of video (the food tours), because our business depends greatly on them to reach new viewers.

These are the kinds of thoughts that often run through our minds as we try to balance owning a business of our own. Our livelihood completely depends on the content we create, and the mental pressure to perform (even when sick) is always there. I always feel nervous talking about these struggles, because I never want to come off as complaining, especially because we are both endlessly grateful for the job we’ve created for ourselves. But, I think it’s important to also share the behind-the-scenes that aren’t picture-perfect and all things rainbows and sunshine. It’s often times the harder moments that connect us closer with others who also share similar struggles or understand the difficulties of being self-employed.

That being said, the Romanian countryside was extremely healing for the both of us. We spent days reading our books to the sounds of birds and livestock grazing open fields, and evenings delighting in farm-to-table meals by a valley of majestic horses. It was so healing for our bodies and our souls, and we will always cherish those wonderfully slow days in Viscri with all our hearts.

Believe it or not, we are flying right back to Europe this upcoming weekend (!!!!!)–

Not to worry, we are enjoying two full weeks of rest from that last trip, and we’re feeling strong (both physically and mentally) again! Normally, we never plan trips abroad this closely together, and especially not when we’d be flying right back to the continent we JUST came from haha. But, an opportunity that we simply couldn’t pass up came our way.

We have been invited to return to Germany this September by the National Tourism Board of Germany! They reached out to us over the summer and asked if we’d be interested in exploring Wiesbaden, Cologne, Dusseldorf, and the Rhine Valley, and of course, we said “yes!” This is our very first time working with a tourism board, and our very first time earning an entire trip abroad for free (on top of getting paid)! So, this is a pretty big deal for us as small business owners and creators. It almost feels equivalent to getting a job promotion or a big salary bonus in the corporate world haha.

In the same way that others would feel nervous-excited about a new promotion, we feel the same way about this sponsored trip. I think it’s just in our nature to always question whether our work (filming and video editing skills, commentary, and overall personalities) is good enough to execute the job, but we have to remind ourselves that they chose to work with us after seeing our videos. So, there must have been something in there that was good enough for this National Tourism Board to select us as the lucky content creators to visit their country in 2024! It’s an honor to have been chosen, and we will do our very best to present their country well (which shouldn’t be hard to do AT ALL, because Germany is AMAZING)!

New travel videos on YouTube–

Our Cape Cod vlog: We camped at the tip of Cape Cod near Provincetown and enjoyed some much needed time by the ocean. Here is the link to the video.

Our Boston vlog: We spent 48 hours experiencing the best of Boston with fantastic food, historic tours, and incredible city views! Here is the link to the video.

So, where are we heading next?

Like I said, we’re heading back to Germany next, and this 12-day trip will be our last trip abroad until December (when we’ll fly back out of the country for our group trip to Taiwan)! It will be nice to spend the remainder of the fall season at home in the Blue Ridge Mountains, as we watch nature shift from earthy greens to fiery oranges. We will be hosting a number of friends from near and far during this fantastic season, and we can’t wait to share our home with other loved ones from around the world!

We have already started prepping our home for autumn, with flower beds spilling reds, oranges, and purples out on them. Apples have been picked for pies and strudels, and notes of cinnamon and brown sugar are wafting around our home as I type. We’ll be celebrating the Autumn Equinox (on September 22) with a seasonal feast and a day off for reflection and self-care. (We’re actively building in more days off to avoid future burn out and to give us both more time to do things we love aside from work!)

As for our channel, you can expect to see our New York City vlog next, followed by videos from our trip to Croatia! We hope August was a good month for you, and if it wasn’t, not to worry. September is a blank slate! Make it whatever you want it to be, and remember to carve out some time for yourself! :)

MOST SINCERELY,

Claire (and Chad)