Twin Perspectives

In the final episode of Season Two of the Twin Perspectives Podcast Series, we answer all of your random questions. From a debate on how many knickers you should pack for a holiday through to an intense discussion on whether we'd rather be a Smurf or a Moomin, Season Two ends of a high.

We've dedicated this week's podcast to those experiencing travel anxiety. 

After five years of travelling regularly with anxiety, we like to think ourselves as something of experts in navigating the minefield (when anxious) of airports, public transport or new destinations far from home. 

This podcast covers the tactics, which we've honed over the years, that can ease both the thoughts and physical symptoms associated with travel anxiety.

In this week's podcast, we reflect on our first TTT Tour to Morocco.

A whirlwind five days exploring both Marrakech and the Agafay desert, our first TTT Tour with Intrepid Travel, exceeded all our expectations. From an organic cooking class in the Moroccan countryside to a sunset camel ride along the hills of the stone desert, we couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable first tour. What made it even better? The group of inspiring women we got to share it with.

In the episode, aside from discussing the sights and sounds of Morocco, we also reflect on one of the most commonly asked questions when booking a group tour: "Is travelling in a group of strangers really for me?" As two introverts, we discuss how group travel has changed us for the better, providing us with some of the most rewarding friendships and travel experiences to date.

In this week's episode of the Twin Perspective podcast series, we leave the confines of our desk and head to the slightly intimidating offices of The Independent, to meet travel writer and presenter, Simon Calder. Having been fans of his work for as long as we can remember, meeting and interviewing Simon was a true highlight of our travel blogging 'career'.

A former mathematician, Simon is a man with an uncanny ability to reduce the subject and trends of travel into digestible bite-size facts. For example, did you know that it'll now take someone earning the national minimum wage just a morning's work to buy a cheap flight to Europe? Or that in its heyday, printed travel content would equate to four telephone directories worth of paper from just the weekend supplements? No, neither did we.

A man of almost limitless travel knowledge, our hour with Simon was a fascinating one.

In this week's podcast, we review our January adventures. From experiencing our first ever cruise around the Caribbean with P&O, to a luxury ski trip to Tignes, we discuss the highs and lows of our latest adventures. 

In this week's episode we talk about whether it's still possible to become a successful travel blogger in 2019. Answering the questions posed to us over on our Instagram account, we reflect on what it takes to launch a popular blog/social media account in an already oversaturated online world.

Over the hour long episode, we cover the following questions:

Our final musings? It is more than possible to build a successful travel blog or social media account in 2019 but it requires a personalised approach. With millions of blogs or Instagram accounts offering pretty pictures or "top tips" on visiting Barcelona, it's showing your personality and vulnerability that will essentially help you find your tribe.

In this episode, we attempt to round-up the last four months of travel. From LA to the German Christmas markets, we reflect on what was a rather crazy blur of travel in the final quarter of 2018. Aside from selecting a few tales from each trip, we also discuss the reality or "behind the scenes" of what was happening to us more personally in terms of mental health during this time. 

Recorded on NYE 2018, we also discuss our plans for 2019 and how giving something of value in the New Year is high on our agenda.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've had several small triumphs in terms of Twins That Travel accolades. These include a piece of BBC press and the coveted 'blue tick' verification on Instagram. Two pieces of news, which to most on the outside world, would seem like great achievements. Indeed, we were initially elated with both pieces news - sharing both with friends and family - before finding ourselves quickly slipping into a common spiral of self-doubt. You see for us, and a further 70% of the population according to a recent survey, we suffer from a chronic case of Imposter Syndrome.

Having blogged about it previously, Imposter Syndrome is something that can often dominate our thought process when navigating the self-employed path of travel blogging. Sometimes unable to see things objectively, many of our blogging triumphs are marred by a chronic fear that we'll soon be discovered as well, frauds. The blue verification tick on Instagram only exasperating this thought process last week, with my initial presumption being that there had been a terrible mistake. After all, it's the Kim Kardashians of the world that get a blue tick, not two small-fry bloggers from Milton keynes.

In this podcast episode, therefore, we discuss Imposter Syndrome and how it affects us in our day-to-day lives as travel bloggers. As something that can worm its way into any part of your life, we delve into some of the coping strategies for those struggling to shrug of their self-imposed fraudulent status. From steering clear of the comparison trap to admitting you don't know everything, we explore the tactics we can employ to help keep feelings of self-doubt at bay.