Bloggers & Influencers Laid Bare... Introducing Kiwis Fly The Coop

As part of a new series, "Bloggers & Influencers Laid Bare", I will regularly feature some like-minded bloggers, influencers or other inspiring creatures who I love to follow and feel you need to know!

The people I speak to here might be fellow travellers, house-sitters or others who have decided to make real changes to their life, breaking away from the rat-race to live their passions.

Linda & Scott aka 'Kiwis Fly The Coop'

To start this series, I was incredibly grateful that Linda and Scott who are, 'Kiwis Fly The Coop' readily agreed to lay themselves bare with answers to my questions.

I first connected with Linda and Scott on Instagram and love following their travels through their photos and keeping up to date with them and their inspiring and entertaining stories on their blog.

Linda and Scott describe themselves as 50-somethings who decided that they wanted a, 'passport full of stamps, rather than a house full of stuff'.

Determined not to live with regrets they have set out to see as much of the world as they can.

So, rather than me tell you any more about them - I think you will gain so much more from reading their words about their lives, experiences and some of their tips and hints that you might find helpful (particularly about panty liners!)...

Q & A With Linda And Scott From Kiwis Fly The Coop

When did you begin your travels and your blog?

Our two year overseas travel adventure started on 19th February, 2017.

The date sticks in my mind vividly... it is like your wedding anniversary, family birthdays or other life changing events.

It was so nerve wracking and such a huge decision to make that I will always remember that date!

How would you describe your life now and the type of travelling you do?

We always planned to do house-sitting between our travels. We enjoyed house-sitting so much that we now fit our travels in between house-sits.

Our travels are always on the adventurous side (well, for a couple of 50-somethings!).

We love to keep as active as possible so we try to work this into our travel plans and where we go.

Our preference for accommodation is guest houses, home-stays and B&B's... We like to refer to it as 'flashpacking'!

We have also stayed in hostels but in private rooms, with or without our own bathroom. I like my peace and quiet too much.

As well as this we have stepped outside our comfort zone and travelled on sleeper buses and trains which are a great experience... occasionally!

Which parts of the world have you travelled to so far and why these?

We have mainly kept our travels to the Asian countries. We love their cultures, people and food and it is also easier to keep within our travel budget.

We did spend two months in Italy and France. This completely blew the budget (and the waistline) but OMG, what experiences we had.... Totally worth it!!

What has been your best travel experience to date?

Our best travel experiences are those that money just can't buy.

It is spending time with local people, in their own environment, joining in on their celebrations and that overwhelming feeling of being welcomed without any expectations of anything in return.

One example of this was spending time with a family at the back of their tent at the Pushkar Camel Fair in India.... Completely spontaneous.

Linda & Scott in India

...and worst travel experience?

The worst travel experiences we have had would be where we did not feel welcome or were made to feel uncomfortable.

This causes us to feel uneasy with our surroundings, with the potential for things to deteriorate. We had such an occasion in Sandakan, Borneo.

Which destination have you felt most at home in?

We still hold a passion for Vietnam. We have returned to this country 4 times now and feel that there is still more to see and do. Although the culture is a world apart from our own, it has become a comfort zone for us and a place that we feel we could always return to.

Is there a destination you would not return to?

We know that it is on a lot of travellers 'bucket list' but for us, we have no inclination to return to India.

We are grateful to have had the experience to see a part of this country but the challenges outweighed the highlights for us and there are other places we would rather focus on.

Who inspires you?

It has actually been other travellers who have been the most inspiring for us. Like-minded people who share their experiences, what they have learned and what they have seen.

This certainly covers all age groups - from the backpacking teenagers to the more mature traveller. It makes us feel that we are not alone in what we are doing.

We have learnt something from everyone we met on the road.

What three things would you not leave home without, no matter where you are going?

Okay... to be blunt - Panty Liners!!

Also a universal power adaptor with USB ports and our Keen's hiking sandals.

Which two famous people from anytime in history would you most want to travel with?

Sir Edmund Hilary - a Kiwi hero!

Sir Edmund Hilary - because he is so down to earth, he never gave up even amidst personal tragedy and he loved the Nepalese / Tibetan people (and he's a Kiwi!).

Anthony Bourdain - just imagine some of the places you could eat with him by your side. His passion for travel and food would be right up our alley.

Do you have any advice for someone in your situation who is starting out and considering travelling?

To make the decision for long-term travel you will always find many reasons why you want to or should do it but many people will focus on the reasons why they shouldn't.

This will stop you in your tracks and this is why many people cannot follow through with their dreams.

Keep your eyes on the prize and remember that there will always be hurdles to get over before you can embark on the journey of a lifetime.

It is worse though to look back on life and say, 'I wish I had, I should have, I could have...'.

... and any tips for someone venturing into the world of blogging?

Make sure you do it for the right reasons.

We personally do not do it for the notoriety, the followers or compliments. Our main focus for spending all the time on blogs and vlogs is so that we will never forget where we have been, what we have seen and what we have experienced.

Secondly, we do it so that it might help other people like us.

We keep our blogs informative and factual with a little bit of our own personality thrown in. Other blogs have helped us in the past and we would like to think we have helped others in some small way.

Thirdly, don't expect many of your friends, family or acquaintances to read or be interested in your blogs or travel. Don't take it personally - apparently this happens a lot.

What is next for Kiwis Fly The Coop?

Our two years are nearly up and we are heading back to the motherland (New Zealand).

We have designed and had built an off-road caravan in Australia which is being shipped to NZ and we are going off-the-grid.

There are still so many places in NZ left to visit and experience.

We will also still be house and pet sitting as we go and we're very excited to share some of our home country off to the rest of the world!

Any final thoughts?

People wait all week for Friday, all year for summer, all their life for happiness......

We travel.

We don't stop playing because we grow old - we grow old because we stop playing.

Wow....!!!

I don't think I can add anything to those inspiring words...

Just to say a huge thank you to Linda and Scott from Kiwis Fly The Coop for their time in sharing their experiences, advice and thoughts. I know I will be following them keenly to see where life takes them next throughout New Zealand!

Ensure you are also following Linda & Scott:

Website / Blog: www.kiwisflythecoop.com

Instagram: @kiwisflythecoop

YouTube