Meet Melinda from Mel on the Go
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Say hello to Melinda from Mel on the Go!
HI! I’m Melinda and my blog is Mel on the Go. I live full-time on a 46′ sailboat with my husband and cat. We want to sail the world and are currently in the Caribbean. I blog about sailing and what we see and do along the way.
How Long have you been blogging for? Why’d you decide to start a travel blog?
My husband and I ran a neighborhood blog for almost 10 years. I started my own personal blog in 2016 when I embarked on a solo travel adventure.
I went to Colombia to volunteer and started the blog to document what I was doing and to keep my mom from worrying about me too much! I kept posting for every trip after and once we moved on the boat it was established.
Do you have any tips for new travel bloggers/Aspiring travel bloggers?
Lists. If you are an excel user, spreadsheets are great.
I keep lists of blog topic ideas, social media shares to do, photos to take and upload, and more.
This way when I don’t know what to work on for the blog, I can check my to-do lists and complete something that needs to be done.
What’s one thing you wish you knew before you started traveling?
That you can do it cheap no matter where you go as long as you are flexible. Go to Iceland in the shoulder season, not the summer, for example.
You may not get as much sunlight, but the campgrounds won’t be charging as much or at all.
Couchsurfing is great – you can stay cheaply and meet locals. So many people don’t travel because they think they can’t afford it and that is untrue.
Why do you love to travel?
I love meeting people from very different cultures doing the same as people at home: caring for their families and trying to make the world better for them.
Travelling makes you realize that we are all the same; some, like me, were just lucky to be born in a safer place.
What’s your best and worst travel experience?
Best is our current trip! We are living on our sailboat traveling where the wind takes us (and where we are allowed entry).
The worst was when I was alone in Nicaragua and left my wallet in a taxi. Fortunately I had a backup stash of cash and a credit card back in my room but I cried that day and felt sorry for myself.
Then I brushed myself off and enjoyed a self-guide tour of Esteli!
Do you prefer solo travel or traveling with other people? Why?
I prefer traveling with my husband. I have done the solo thing, and while I love the freedom, I get lonely. It’s nice to have my partner with me to share the experience.
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever been to? Why?
The Galapagos islands. I love animals and nature, and all of it is protected. We are hoping to return to our sailboat and will happily follow all of the requirements to keep it protected.
What’s your biggest travel tip?
Do it even if it scares you! So many of the things I now love to do I was terrified of beforehand. Scuba diving, sailing, solo travel, staying in a hostel alone: I was scared, but I did them.
And the experience each time was so rewarding. If you’re tempted to try something new, do it! Obviously do your research and evaluate the risks.
Is there one specific thing you like to do, see, or buy in every place that you visit?
I like to hike the highest hill. Here in the Caribbean, it means climbing volcanoes no matter the weather or the state of my shoes LOL.
I used to collect fridge magnets but living on a boat you don’t want magnets messing with your compasses so we collect the flags from each island/country we visit.
Is there one particular food that you’ve tried while traveling that you loved? What food was it and why do you love it so much?
Conch! Very popular in Bahamas. I loved the conch salad and stew. Unfortunately, conch is being overfished and may soon not exist. It is delicious though!
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All photos used throughout this post are taken by Melinda from Mel on the Go.
