Latest / Fit for Hiking / Ep. 83 Balancing Work + Travel: Life of a Travel Creator with Sarah from Adventuring Eyes
Transcript
- Hi, my name is Brady and I'm a longtime fitness professional and Midwest girl turned mountain living hiking addict. And combining my knowledge of fitness and passion for hiking, I've helped hundreds of women get lean and strong for the trails. Think of this as your one stop shop for both education and inspiration on all things female wellness, trail talk and adventure. Hiking, female metabolism, motherhood, nutrition, travel and fitness are all topics you'll hear discussed here. If you are outdoorsy and active, looking to level up your health, unlock your potential, and become inspired to live your most vibrant life, you're in the right place. You're listening to the fit for Hiking podcast. Hello and welcome back to the fit for Hiking podcast. Today we have a special guest on our show, Sarah, who you may have seen on Instagram on her couples account. Adventuring eyes is an outdoor creator and world traveler traveler who also happens to be an optometrist. She and her husband share travel tips, experiences, and other fun adventures in a relatable way to help others get out and do the same while still working demanding jobs. So welcome to the show, Sarah. Thank you. Thank you for having me. Yeah, I'm excited for this conversation. I really wanted to kind of chat about just the realities of like balancing like the work lifestyle plus. Just doing all the things, saying yes to adventures. Um, and what that balance has looked like for you. And, and now that you've kind of veered more towards content creation. So if you could just tell us a little bit about your background and kind of what got you first into outdoor adventure and travel? Yeah. So, um, I'm originally from Florida, so very different, like outdoor adventure over there. Um, so I didn't even climb a mountain until I was like, in my 20s. Um, Miles, my husband, he grew up with five siblings, and he would always see, like, these big camping trips, because obviously traveling with that many people on a plane is hard. Yeah. Um, so an RV and would go camping, like, every year. So in college he was like, do you want to go camping for a week? And I was like, absolutely not. Um, but I thought about it and he convinced me a little bit more. And then we went to the Smoky Mountains. We went for a whole week, and we just camped, and it was like the best trip of my entire life. So, um, that kind of just changed everything. And I was like, wow, this is so fun. So yeah, I feel like the Smokies are a good, like, gateway drug for people who want to, like, get into the outdoors because you're, like, exposed to the mountainous areas. But it's a really good option for people like in southern states or in the Midwest. We always went to the Smokies growing up because I was in Indiana, and it was like a six hour drive or something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, we drove from Florida, so it was like ten hours, I think. Yeah. Um, but yeah. And we hit like some spots in Georgia and it was so fun. We hiked every day and I was like, I just want to do this all the time. Yeah, I love talking to other people who also did not grow up in this stuff. And it's become a big part of their, like, life and identity in adulthood. So when did you guys move to Colorado? So we moved to Colorado in 2020. So like four and a half years. Um, so before that we were living in Florida until I went to optometry school there, so. Oh, I think you froze. There we go. Okay. Um, so I went to optometry school in Florida. That was four years. But the last year of optometry school, we have something called externships where we get to work like, um, three months at a different location. So I purposely chose, um, out of state location so we could travel more. Um, so that is kind of when we really started, like traveling and hiking. Um, we had taken a few trips while I was in optometry school, but the time is just so limited that, um, you know, once we were done, we could do a lot more. Yeah. So you were kind of ready to get out and do more because your schedule opened up a little bit. Yeah. Okay. And so that's when you guys made the move to Colorado. Yeah. So I did have inbetween there. I had a residency in Boston for a year. But then like we knew we wanted to move to Colorado. So that was always our goal. We just had to like, wait till the timing was possible. Yeah. Um, so for a while you were doing like the weekend warrior type of thing while working as an optometrist in Colorado, correct? Yes. Yeah. Okay. And so how long were you doing? Both. So I was doing both pretty much since I started working optometry, because I was so excited to be in Colorado that I just wanted to explore, um, because my brother lives here. So we had visited like ten years prior. Um, and it was always like, as soon as I finish school, I am going to move to Colorado and we're going to have like the best life. And we were just like, okay, we need to explore as much as possible. So we kind of went kind of hardcore about it. Um, so we would do like we would leave after work on a Friday drive like five hours to Utah, um, or like somewhere else in Colorado. We would not only explore Colorado, but all the surrounding states as well, and then come back like Sunday night, um, and then go to work on Monday. So we did that for, I think maybe two years. Um, and so I start until I started gaining some traction on my Instagram. Um, and then I was able to drop down to four days a week at, um, as an optometrist and that, like, opened up a whole new world for weekend road trips. Yeah. Um, I was like, wow, this is so much time. Yeah, it's it's funny. Like when you first. I was the exact same way when I first moved to Colorado. It was like, just opened up the floodgates of opportunity where I was like, okay, there's not only just Colorado that we can explore, but there's all of these surrounding states that are actually like, like to get to Wyoming to like the snowy range is only like two hours. And to get to Utah is like five hours. And there's just so much opportunity within driving distance that it's it's hard to even find a weekend where you want to stay home because there's just so much to see. And smaller, especially when you're not used to it. Like I had never seen sand dunes before and like 3 to 4 hours away, there's like the biggest sand dunes in North America. I think it's just crazy, like the opportunity here. So I feel like we don't do that. We are a little slower now, but we were definitely really, really excited when we first moved here. And so yeah. Okay. So when did you start to realize that you didn't want to necessarily work in optometry long term and kind of transitioned to more of the creator side of things? Yeah. So I feel like I it was like impossible for me to continue doing both just because I started my Instagram in 2021 and it grew kind of quickly. But, um, you know, it started gaining traction, I would say in 2022 is when we started working with a lot more brands and things like that. So I was balancing both, um, pretty well. And then 2023, it just kind of like exploded in the amount of trips that we would go on for work for Instagram. Um, and, you know, the brand. So it was basically like I was working two jobs in 2023. And, um, it was like one of the most fun years of my life, but also just like the most exhausting because I was still working full time. Yeah. Um, so I it's like I and I just love both. So I didn't want to give either up. But then I was like, this is not healthy. So I kind of was forced to decide, um, and the cool thing about optometry is it's so flexible. So, um, I can work fill in, like for doctors who are on vacation or anything like that, um, pretty easily. And it's like you can take time off and then just go right back into working. So, um, content creation is not really like that. You can't really take a break from content creation and come back just like normal. So, um, you know, I do love both, but right now, content creation is just so fun and like, one of my biggest passions. So it was kind of like a natural progression, I would say. Yeah. And so Miles is still working his standard job, but he has pretty good flexibility to work remotely and everything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So he's been 100% remote since even before the pandemic. So because he's a software engineer. So that has been amazing just for our travels. He can kind of work anywhere in the world. His company is even. It's not even in the US. So, um, yeah, it just works out really well for us. Yeah. It's pretty amazing how many opportunities there are now. Even if you do work a corporate job or a standard type of career to still like be flexible and work from anywhere and like those opportunities, I feel like that just wasn't a thing. Even like, you know, for our parents or even like ten years ago, honestly, like things have changed so much and there's a lot more opportunity to be kind of vagabonds while still working a full time job. Yeah, I almost feel like even the generation after us, it's almost like they're making it a requirement before they even consider working somewhere, which I think is awesome because because I feel like that kind of how Europe is already. So we're kind of trending more that way with our society. But yeah. Um, yeah, I feel like that was one of the hard parts about optometry is like it was not flexible at all. Like maybe I could have continued to work another job if it was a little bit more flexible. But, um, like, I had to take off time in advance, like four months in advance, which was just kind of impossible with our schedule. Um, and I obviously couldn't work remote either, so. Yeah. Yeah. So for a while, you were doing I mean, you're still doing a little bit about Tommy Tree, but for a while you were like, really in the throes of traveling a ton while working that full time. So what would you say your top tips are for traveling and still being able to create an adventurous life while working a demanding job for, like, just the average person? Yeah. Yeah. Um, I would just say prioritizing it is huge. Like, if you don't prioritize it, then it's just not going to happen. So, um, like I said, maybe we went a little bit too hard. You don't have to do that. But, um, you know, it's pretty easy to take off a day here and there around holidays and then just go on a road trip. It doesn't have to be expensive. We used to sleep in our car all the time. Yeah. Um, we just had a little setup. Something super basic. Um, and, you know, there's cheap Airbnbs, but just kind of, you know, if you are really passionate about it, you'll kind of find a way to make it work. Um, and honestly, like, now we've traveled so much and we've stayed at like the most luxury hotels. And I think car camping is just as fun. So it's like, you don't really have to make it fancy. Um, you know, obviously both are amazing, but I think just getting out there however you can and that's going to be different for everybody. Yeah. For sure. Like when I first moved to Colorado, I was in my early 20s and I like was not making that much money at all. And yet I was doing something every single weekend, like going to a different state or driving several hours away. And really the biggest cost was just gas money, because, yeah, I was always camping or sleeping out of my car. So I feel like it's not necessarily always true that you have to spend a ton of money, you know, to be adventurous. Yeah, you'll have to be more selective. Like you're probably not going to be able to purchase a ton of plane tickets. Um, and you'll have to, you know, be okay with like, staying at campgrounds or sleeping in your car, things like that. But you can to do and see so much like that, as long as you don't mind, like roughing it a little bit. Yeah, for sure. And those are like some of our best memories too. And it's funny because even now, me and Miles talk about, like, we spend more money when we're just at home not doing anything rather than like traveling because hiking is free and like, you can really do it on a budget. Um, so yeah, I think just kind of like getting over the mindset that it's super expensive or super hard or just kind of embracing the parts that are hard, um, like, it might be a little tiring, but the memories are so worth it. Yeah, I think you're so right, too, about just the intentionality. Like, you can have months that go by and you don't do anything except, like, work and then go home in the evening and then, like, kind of sit on your couch all weekend. And before you know it, all these all this time has passed and you haven't done anything out of the norm. Or if you just like, plan for these like little mini adventures once a month or something like that, then like you're going to have so many more memories to look back on at the end of the year for sure. Yeah. So when traveling now, obviously when you're traveling, you're also kind of working, um, since you're doing content creation and working for brands. So how do you prioritize the work portion on those trips? Do you find it hard to, like, still enjoy the travel, or do you feel like you have a good balance with that? Um, I think I don't find it hard to enjoy just because I genuinely love taking content of where I go. Like, even if it wasn't work, I would still be doing it. Um, it can be hard. So in 2022, I think we worked with like maybe 15 tourism boards that year. Um, so for those who don't know, like tourism boards basically pay you to visit a destination and then promote, um, and sometimes we'll license photos to them or, and do like social posts, blogs, things like that. Um, so that was just so many trips in a row where often they have strict itineraries where they tell you, like, okay, you have to be at lunch at this time, you're doing this hike and then, you know, be at this activity now. Um, so that is a little bit hard when it's so many in a row. So then in 2023, I just became super intentional about doing like more personal trips in between those work trips. Um, because, you know, I never want to get to the point where I'm not enjoying it and where I don't want to pick up my camera, because that's why I started it. Um, so I think I'm just super intentional now about like, what I take on. We do a little bit less tourism boards, but only if it's like super aligned with us. And then, um, you know, definitely more personal trips as well. Yeah. I think the key there too, is like you mentioned, that you would be doing you would want to be like getting that footage anyway, because I think a lot of people go into. Content creation or wanting to build a brand just because they think it'll be like super easy, or they'll just get to like, travel and do all these things all the time, when in reality it actually is a lot of work. There's a lot of deadlines. You have to produce these specific deliverables, and it really isn't for everybody. Like I find that I don't really love that side. Like Instagram has been really great for my business in some ways. Um, but it's not really like the content creation side of things is I went through is my passion the way that you feel. And so I realized through some of those experiences that like, wow, I really don't love the like work portion of like having all these deadlines and the pressure and like having to get these perfect shots. So it's just something you kind of have to learn of, like, is this actually for you? Or do you just like the idea of it because it's yeah, like really glamorous and everything. And some people love some people get into it and they're like, hmm, that's really not for me. Mhm. Yeah. I think it looks very attractive on Instagram for sure as well. And a lot of people don't talk about like the behind the scenes. Um, but even like, I try to post some behind the scenes, like there's a really beautiful shot that I posted recently, and Miles was like standing in knee deep ice cold water for like 20 minutes to get the shot. So it's like some people just don't want to do that. And we were doing that even before we were getting paid. So it's like, yes, makes sense. But it is a lot of work. And having, you know, if the condition if it's raining and you need sunshine for a brand shoot like it is stressful sometimes and there's so much that goes into it, um, you know, so many emails back and forth, I'm sure, you know, um, but you really have to love it. I think I probably work a lot more than I did. Um, now, I think, but it's just, you know, my work in life kind of overlap a little bit more, and it's truly like what I'm most passionate about. So, um, I definitely wouldn't say it's for everybody, though, so you should really. You know, it's hard. Because you don't really know until you try it as well. So I've decided that it's better for my marriage that we don't take on a ton of brand partnerships, because Gene and I do not work well together. We've realized when it comes to like when especially when there's like a lot of pressure around like strict deadlines. And we have with us and like there's always something chaotic happening and like she's having a lockdown, there's bad weather. We have to get the shot like today because like, my husband works full time. So, you know, we can't just like go out on a random Tuesday. Yeah. To get content we need. Especially when it's, you know, mountain based and like you need to be in a specific area to get a specific shot. Um, so yeah, definitely, if people saw the behind the scenes of when we try to do this stuff, they would be like, no, no, that that looks so miserable. Yeah, yeah, it really is a lot of work. So what would you say some of your health and self-care practices are while traveling since you do so many trips a year? Yeah, yeah. I think, um, this year I definitely had to learn to prioritize that. Um, so this year I actually had some issues where I like, I can pass out randomly, basically. Um, so I have it's autonomia. Yeah. So it's called dysautonomia. It basically my body just has a little bit of trouble regulating blood pressure sometimes. Um, so essentially that means that I just have to take super good care of myself, or I can either pass out or, like, come close to pass me out. I don't really pass out that often. Um, but when you feel like you're going to pass out, it's still sucks. Yeah. So basically I have to just, you know, get a lot of sleep, get tons of water. I have to have, like, daily electrolytes, any, like a high salt diet. So that all can be really hard to keep up with when you're traveling. And I, when I have slipped up, I have felt horrible. And I'm like, I just can't do that again. So I think, like, I've kind of been forced to prioritize my self-care and my health, um, which is really something everybody should be doing. But you don't really think about it until you know you're forced to. So, um, that's definitely like been one of my priorities this year. And going forward, we'll definitely continue to be. Um, so do you find it hard to be in a movement routine when you're back home, despite getting to do so much just like outdoor activity on your trips? Um, I think that we make it a priority to go to the gym when we're home. Um, but it can be hard if we have a lot of trips back to back. All of a sudden it'll be a month that goes by and I'll be like, oh, I haven't done legs in like a month. Yeah. So then I come back and try to do what I was doing before and I'm like, oh no, that's not going to work. So I think having, you know, I'm still working on it. It's always a work in progress. But, um, it does kind of set you back a little bit to not be able to do it super consistently. But I still think like as long as I'm being active on the trips, like hopefully I'm staying pretty healthy. Um, and then I always try to eat healthy, like just in general, mostly just because I feel the best that way. Um, but that can be hard sometimes in other countries because I don't eat meat and I also don't really eat dairy. So, um, certain countries, like the bread will be the only thing I can eat, and then it's like, that's not very healthy. Um, so, you know, I think that I always that's pretty rare, but, like, if it's a group trip or like a press trip or something, there's definitely been like some instances where I've just, like eating bread all day because there's nothing. Um, but yeah, that was that is more rare. And I try to avoid it. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like when we were in the van and like the height of our travel. It was interesting because I think a lot of people have this assumption that if you're traveling a ton, like you just are not going to be able to stay fit, like you're not going to be able to stay on top of routines like that. But it's so true that like just being outside, being active, hiking, even just walking helps maintain. Like studies have shown that. Like, you're so much less prone to muscle loss, even if you're not doing like weight bearing activity, if you're just like walking a couple of miles a day. Um, so it doesn't have to be like gym workouts all the time to still be, like, staying active and prioritizing your health. Yeah, definitely. I almost feel like it's harder for me to stay the same, like, amount of active as on my trip sometimes, just because it's like I'm not going to be walking for hours every day at home. Um, so I feel like it's easier for me to do strength at home and cardio when I'm traveling. Yeah, that's a great balance to go. Yeah. Yeah. So we don't really talk on this podcast much about like Instagram side of things. I don't think we actually ever have done an episode that really like talks about Instagram growth or like that side of things. But for someone who's maybe wanting to start or grow a page within a niche that they're passionate about, whether it's outdoors, hiking, travel, whatever else, how would you recommend just getting started with that? Yeah. So I would say like the number one thing is just, um, consistency. So you know, posting consistently is like probably 90% of it, I would say, um, and at least at the beginning. And then the other part is just like being authentic about it and just finding like, what you can offer people in a unique way. Um, and I feel like everybody has something unique to offer. So, like, you don't need to copy anybody, just really it should be like, what is closest to your heart, what you're most passionate about. And like, that is going to be so much more authentic. And I really think people can tell, um, and then you're going to be happier posting stuff that you absolutely love. So you really don't need to, like, do what everyone else is doing. You just need to, like, find your unique voice and, um, be consistent about it. And then your people that are also interested in that are going to find you eventually if you just keep posting over and over. So, um, I think that's like my biggest advice. Obviously there's a lot that goes into it besides that. Um, like there are certain like little tips and tricks for like creating viral videos and stuff, but, um, that's just kind of my philosophy on it. You know, I'm not really wanting to like, want to create like a ton of viral content. I kind of just want to, like, create a community that likes the same stuff as me. Um, and that's kind of always been my goal. So, yeah, I heard someone say, like, you need, especially in the beginning, but always pretty much like post without like a desired outcome as much as possible. Like it's hard sometimes to separate like the metrics from, like what you're doing. But if you are obsessing over that stuff, like you're not going to be able to do it with authenticity, and you're also not going to enjoy it because it's inevitable that you're going to have like 80% of your stuff will, like, not get shown very much or you'll feel like it's flopping or whatever, especially in the beginning. But even still, like later in the game, that's still just for sure. Okay. And so if you can't separate, like how your performance is from like the enjoyment in the process, then it's just it's not going to be fun for you and like, you'll just and then. Yeah. And then when it's fun it's a lot easier to be consistent I would say. Um, so yeah, I think that's huge. Like just not focusing on the numbers obviously. Like analyzing what your audience is responding to best. But um, just kind of like. You know, trial and error is a big one as well, like experimenting. I love to do that. Um, and just kind of seeing what works and what people like. Um, but yeah, there's no need to, like, be so hardcore about the numbers and kind of lose the authenticity and the fun of it because I think that does. Then it's like a cycle where it affects your performance. So. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so I'm curious what your top trips were that you went on this year because you guys did a lot of really cool stuff. How would you say your top few experiences were this year? That's so hard. But, um, I think, I mean, you know, this one, but the Guatemala hike, the volcano Akita nanga was, like, amazing. Just seeing an active volcano. Um, we've never seen that before, so we've just never experienced anything like that. Um, and then Alaska, we went to Alaska, which was one. I mean, we might actually to Alaska last year. And I think I would just I mean, I would love to spend months there because there's just so much and, um, even, like anywhere we've been in the world, like when we see glaciers, we've seen a lot of glaciers. But I'm like, nothing like really comes close to Alaska. It's just like, so massive and like, wild and untouched and like, it's not super commercialized. It feels like, um, so it's just like a place that you can really go to, like disconnect and experience nature and, um, yeah, I just love it there. And I want to go back every year. That's the one thing we did. We saw bears too, for the first time. Yeah, yeah. The wildlife just looks absolutely amazing. And so one that I need to get to, but I feel like I'm gonna want to go for, like, an entire summer. Yeah, it's hard to leave for sure because, you know, you barely did anything, but. Yeah. Well, awesome. Thank you so much for coming on. Where can listeners connect with you and find you? So it's at adventuring I's on Instagram. And then we do have a blog that we post on. Um, sometimes and not just adventuring eyes.com. Perfect. And we will link those in the show notes so you guys can connect with Sarah and Myles and check out their adventures. Thanks again for coming on and and for having me. Yeah. All right, you guys, I'll chat with you in the next episode. Thanks for tuning in to this episode of the fit for hiking podcast. As always, I hope it leaves you feeling inspired and informed on how to take your health and adventure into your own hands. For more content like this, be sure to follow along with my daily posts at Ponytail Underscore. On a trail that's ponytail underscore on a trail. You can also stay up to date on my new episodes being released at Fit Underscore for hiking, and find more free resources at Pony Tail on a trail.com. Happy and healthy trails.