Gemma and Craig of Two Scots Abroad are the exact type of travelers you hope to find on the road! They are fun, adventurous, and knowledgeable. Together, this traveling couple has been to six continents and they are not slowing down. Gemma and Craig love the outdoors, gigs and festivals, and partying (although admit to slowing down a bit with the partying since hitting 30!). Their blog is a great mix of fun and informative, the perfect inspiration for planning your next adventure!
These two have different personalities, yet seem to travel incredibly well together. Gemma is the planner, who makes sure to plan for all possible scenarios that could arise while traveling. Craig loves bikes and festivals and comes across as a totally laid-back traveler.
When we read their blog, we had to interview them. If you are thinking of traveling together as a couple, we definitely recommend checking these guys out!
Want to know more about Gemma and Craig and their adventures? Read more in our interview below and connect with them here on Backpacker Travel and their Facebook page.
BT: We love that your blog inspires people to “make travel happen.” Why do you think this is so important? What has travel added to your lives?
Gemma: I first put on a backpack at the age of 19 to inter-rail around Eastern Europe with two friends for three weeks. I loved being surrounded by new cities and meeting new people and I’ll pretend to try new foods but that didn’t come until later.
Making travel happen comes from the belief that anyone can move from their armchair to the airport or train station at least. There’s a misconception that traveling is expensive and for the privileged. During the summer holidays, I don’t go away, I end up spending more lunching and socializing in Scotland. Craig and I are both pretty positive people with just do it attitudes so when we first met we both agreed to save hard and get out of Scotland for a while. We saved £20k, took an 18-month career break, and traveled around the Americas and Europe.
BT: What is the best part of traveling as a couple?
Gemma: Having someone to blame when things don’t go according to plan! Craig is fun to be around (unless hanger strikes), I’m very grateful I get to trip with him.
BT: How do you balance your different tastes and personalities as individuals while on the road together?
Gemma: The business, Two Scots Abroad, helps. I squirrel away in front of the laptop writing articles, while Craig makes music on his phone. It’s healthy to have hobbies and downtime away from each other when you live in each other’s pockets. Dinner time is often tricky, Craig is pretty picky. He hates Thai food and that’s my favorite! We are not very food compatible. We just make sure we research a few options before wandering aimlessly, starving, and ready to attack! Personality-wise we are both upbeat, tend to see the positives in situations and like a giggle. I’m a panicker and he is chill though, big difference in how we plan!
BT: With so many choices out there, how do you pick the places you want to travel to?
Gemma: We have an ever-evolving list of things we want to do! We’ve still not made it to Iceland, other people’s trips there has been the pull for me. I also love their view on gender equality.
For our ‘big trip’ we kicked off in New Orleans but Austin was our first plan. We wanted to go to South By Southwest in March then Craig chose Machu Picchu so Peru was next. Bolivia made sense since it was next door but everyone told us how amazing Colombia is so we flew up to Bogota for 3.5 weeks. It lived up to the hype. Beautiful people as well as locations.
We both wanted to visit Cuba, this is actually the hardest country I’ve backpacked around. We had major travel burnout and the hustle was annoying. It was time to slow the trip down so we settled in Canada for six months. It was refreshing to have a base and all of the B.C nature on our doorstep.
We then headed back to the States and eloped in Austin after our second South By Southwest. The following six months were dictated by money. We headed to Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Romania then Spain and finally Portugal.
We’re flexible, we’ll pretty much go anywhere that isn’t ridiculously expensive. I think most travelers possess that quality too.
Thank you for featuring us and the kind words! I hope that we inspire your readers to make 2018 the year that they make travel happen!
Great to read about your story and thanks for taking the time to chat with us