Today’s interview is with Susan McNulty, a travel blogger at The McVagabonds, and a friend of mine. We met during our AmeriCorps VISTA year, and now she and her husband are adventuring in Europe after completing a long road trip from Seattle to Pittsburg!! In this interview, Susan shares about some of her travel and blogging journey so far, one of her ongoing Europe bucket list items, and the best advice she’s ever received.
Name and Blog:
Susan McNulty, half of The McVagabonds!
Fun fact about you:
I love food, both eating and cooking it. I love it so much that I decided to go to culinary school a few years ago, and trained at The Art Institute in Pittsburgh. I have a dream to one day eat my way through France.
Funner fact:
I’m working on getting to all four “corners” of the United States, a list that I made up a couple of years ago after moving to Seattle. I’ve been to Bellingham, Washington (top left); San Diego, California (bottom left); The Everglades, Florida (bottom right). Once we get back to the States next year I hope to make it up to NE Maine to get to all four points!
Funnest fact:
My husband and I are currently on our longest trip together: travelling around Europe for six months! We love to explore new places and have since the day we got married, but this is by far our biggest endeavor to date. We’re using it as a trial run to hopefully spend part of the year travelling from here on out.
What do you think has been essential to your success as a travel blogger?
I’m quite new to the blogging game, so I’m only just now starting to hit my groove. I think I’ve started having little milestones because I’ve been treating it like a job. Every day I have a certain amount of time set aside to write and edit posts, upload photos and reach out to other bloggers via comments. I think it’s been good in many ways, especially with helping to find my voice as a blogger.
What was something that surprised you about blogging?
How much I’m enjoying it! I’ve kept a journal since I was young, so I’ve always had a record of things that have happened in life. But with blogging, my journaling is taken to a whole new level. I’m able to add photos and include more facts and history. Plus I’m able to share my experiences with friends and family which they appreciate, especially when we’re abroad.
If you had to describe your blog in 6 words or less, what would you say?
A collection of adventures and memories.
Who or what inspires you?
I think travelling, and all of the people I’ve met along the way, inspire me. There’s a big world out there, full of people so different from myself. I love meeting new people and learning from them. They inspire me to be a better, kinder and more conscientious person.
What is your all-time favorite bucket list item (of yours or someone else’s)?
I have an ongoing bucket list item for our time in Europe: eat one pastry in every city we go to and document it. Before we left Pittsburgh a dear friend of mine told me I had to eat a pastry in Paris all by myself, no sharing with my husband. The idea not only stuck with me but it grew from there! It was the first item on my European bucket list and by far my favorite – who doesn’t love pastries?
If you aren’t doing anything related to travel, what are you doing in your free time?
I’m an avid reader, so I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting books. I love going into second-hand shops and finding new-to-me books that have a history of their own! I’m also obsessed with my dog, who stays with my parents when we travel. We go for walks, try out new dog parks and area always on the lookout for new doggie recipes.
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
Always say yes to the next adventure, no matter what it is. Don’t be afraid of life! I’ve been living by this philosophy for the last couple of years, and it’s been working out pretty well so far!
Readers: Join me in thanking Susan for sharing her time, stories, and advice with us! If you want to learn more about her, check out her blog The McVagabonds, with all the links to the usual social media sites.
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