MalandMaverick - traveling with intention
Melanie and Gehrig are a married couple who started a travel blog titled, “MalandMaverick”. Read about their adventures below.
equilibreyaum: You guys are so cute together! Can you tell me about your love story and who made the first move?
MalandMaverick: Gehrig made the first move! We met on the track team at Auburn University. I had no idea he liked me. When he asked me out, I thought he wanted to hang out as friends. I actually stood him up 3 different times. But in the end his persistence and cooking skills paid off because I married him!
e: It looks like your blog started in 2016, what inspired you?
MM: We made the effort to start traveling more that year. When we would get home from trips our families would always ask for pictures and about what we did. We decided the blog and social media would be the best way to share the trips with them!
e: What is the meaning behind the name?
MM: We wanted the blog name to be our names without being our names. I gave my name to the barista at Starbuck's and received a cup with Mal written on it. We decided to go with it for my nick name because we thought it was a cool play on Mel (Mal = spanish for bad. Very cool right?) We landed on Maverick after thinking about G's personality. He's a trailblazer or at least he likes to think he is.
“The yellowstone blog was the most fun to write because it was such a jam packed trip. We experienced 15 hours of daylight, which is crazy to think about. We were at the park from 9 am to 9pm. The lighting was great all day so we came back with some amazing pictures.”
e: People always say that traveling with a significant other is a great way to get to know one another. What was your first trip like together?
MM: I'm not sure if this was our first trip together but it was without a doubt the most memorable of our early trips. We went to London in February of 2016. I learned alot about Gehrig on that visit. First and foremost that he refuses to ask for directions. We argued about which customs line to get in for 10 minutes. We proceeded to wait in the wrong line for a full hour before Gehrig would let me ask for help.
e: I notice bible quotes along your website and Instagram, how does religion play a part in your blog?
MM: We are both believers in Christ. We also use our blog to glorify him. We pray over what we should share that may draw others near to the Lord!
e: Your blog contains plenty of tips for travelers, what's something you always forget to pack when you take a trip?
MM: Snacks, Snacks and Snacks. Never underestimate the power of a few crackers at the end of a long travel day. He says I get very hangry.
e: You've done hiking, diving and surfing excursions. Did you both know how to do these activities beforehand?
MM: Gehrig almost always has some experience in the outdoor activities we do. I on the other hand am almost always a novice. But we have fun with it. I get joy from watching him have the time of his life. I end up having a blast because he is too. Next on our list of outdoor activities is snowshoeing.
e: You mentioned Hawai'i, Roatan and Banff as some places you'd love to visit year after year. What are some other places that make the list?
MM: San Diego for sure. The weather is always perfect there. Especially on Coronado!
e: How many trips did you guys take in 2018? Which trip was your favorite/least favorite?
MM: We took 14 trips together this year. Wow. I can't believe it was that many. My favorite was our trip to Banff in the spring! We went ice hiking. Our least favorite was our day trip to Niagara Falls. We just weren't that impressed with the atmosphere in that town.
“One of our goals for 2019 is to change the way we live our lives. To be more intentional with how we spend our money, with how we spend our time and what we are investing our hearts in.”
e: How do you find time to travel so often?
MM: We both have 11 days of vacation a year which is typical for folks in corporate america with under 5 years of experience. So we just commit to going somewhere on the weekends. We typically work holidays so we can use that vacation time at another point in the year.
e: Which blog was the most fun to write?
MM: The yellowstone blog was the most fun to write because it was such a jam packed trip. We experienced 15 hours of daylight, which is crazy to think about. We were at the park from 9 am to 9pm. The lighting was great all day so we came back with some amazing pictures.
e: Tell me about your writing process - how long does it take you to write a blog and how do you decide on what to write about?
MM: The trip reviews are pretty easy to write. We try to give recommendations on where we stayed, what we ate and what we did. We break up those categories with pictures. Gehrig loves being behind the camera and he really does have a great eye. What we talk about outside of the trip reviews is a little bit tougher. But I think we've found a topic we are as passionate about as traveling. You can expect to hear more about living with intention from us in 2019!
e: Your photography is gorgeous! How do you decide which photos will make the cut for the blog?
MM: We always try to pick the shots that are crystal clear. Beyond that we look for shots that are meaningful to us (we had to work to get the shot or something funny happened while taking it).
e: What are your plans for the blog this year?
MM: One of our goals for 2019 is to change the way we live our lives. To be more intentional with how we spend our money, with how we spend our time and what we are investing our hearts in. The blog will definitely share what we mean exactly by living with intention and how we are changing our outlook on life. We will still share all of our trips and pictures for sure!
e: Thanks for sharing this guys! Looking forward to seeing where you travel next!
To visit the MalandMaverick blog, click here.
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