For McCool Travel’s 105th travel interview, I am happy to present Carol Cain of Girl Gone Travel. Although I have followed Carol like fah-evah on social media, I did not meet her until this past October, at the TBEX conference in South Florida. Then our IRL paths crossed again last month when we were on the same Fathom cruise to Dominican Republic.
Carol Cain‘s bio:
“Carol left a career in public relations before venturing into the world of travel blogging in 2008. She spent several in the Dominican Republic, where she lived before returning to NYC for college. Because her father works in the hospitality industry on the island, Carol spent much of her time growing up traveling and staying in hotels and resorts. She wouldn’t know how much this had influenced her till she started travel blogging. Her writing has earned her awards and recognition from travel industry leaders and her work has been featured on online sites such as Expedia Viewfinder, Huffington Post Travel, and Forbes Travel Guide. Carol can be heard at industry conferences and events speaking on ways to improve brand and blogger relationships as well as raising awareness for increased diversity in media.”
Carol Cain – Girl Gone Travel
Hometown…
Born in Brooklyn, NY but my home is now in beautiful Maplewood, NJ.
Always in my luggage…
My camera, a book, and a notepad to jot down ideas, thoughts, and impressions I might want to incorporate in a story.
3 favorite home-away-from-home places…
- Mexico
- Ireland
- Montana
A favorite travel memory is…
Road tripping through Italy with my family. I would say road tripping anywhere with my family is a highlight for me.
3 favorite travel brands…
3 money-saving travel tactics I use are…
- make use of fare alerts of booking sites when planning your trip
- join hotel loyalty programs and some benefits (such as free WiFi) kick in right away
- when traveling solo you are more likely to be considered for upgrades on flights
3 ways that I have fun while traveling are …
- practicing the local language if other than English is spoken
- eating something new
- getting eating tips or must-see advice from the cabby or hotel cleaning staff and going for it
8 word (or less) travel mantra…
“I’m not fearless, I just hate being afraid” (I created this mantra to help me get through my insecurities in travel and in life)
favorite non-travel website …
In Jennie’s Kitchen; Emmanuel Lubezki;
most memorable souvenir …
The US $2.00 amber ring my husband bought at a gift shop on the beach in Dom. Rep. to propose to me while we were on vacation there.
favorite cheap eat …
New York City pizza. Hands down.
recent discovery …
Acadia National Park. So much beauty so close to my home!
I am fortunate to have met …
The list is endless, so here is the short one: Barbara Weibel encouraged me to stop writing in the 3rd person and take ownership of my voice. Matt Villano challenged me as a writer and pushed me to speak confidently from the heart. Maria Bailey is a powerhouse in the online space who has always been an incredible cheerleader. The team at Lauren Davidson PR gave me my first professional travel opportunities and recognized my travel writing by awarding me with the Residence Inn Mom award (2012) I have been the only blogger to receive this honor. Spencer Spellman is an amazing friend, but also recruited me as an Expedia Viewfinder writer, a team that I have loved being a part of for 3 years now. The many bloggers in the mom blogging/parent blogging community. They embraced me and my work long before the travel writing community even noticed me. BlogHer, Type A, and Blogalicious professional conference leaders gave me my first speaking engagements and recognized me as a valuable voice in travel long before I was Opening Keynote at TBEX. The many travel writers and bloggers who have become allies, friends, and inspiration.
I would like to meet …
Mexican Photographer Mara Sanchez Renero. I love her work, but I am also in awe of the fact that she is a celebrated FEMALE LATINA in a traditionally white, male industry.
Thank you so much, Carol, for taking a few minutes to share your travel inspiration and tips.
Follow Carol Cain and Girl Gone Travel on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and her Website.
McCool Travel presents tips from travel experts in our 5 Minutes travel interview series—featuring travel industry giants, super frequent travelers, and adventurous persons. Check out McCool Travel’s previous travel interviews. Previous 5 Minutes post: Ashlee Tuck.
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It was a pleasure reading about Carol’s achievements and journey.
I am loving this series. Going and catching up on the previous ones I missed now 🙂
∞ © tanvii.com ∞
Thank you, Tanvi. You may find friends in some prior interviews. 😀
Inspiring interview! Acadia is still on my list and I’ve lived in New England my whole life!
You gotta get to Acadia.