INFLUENCER OF THE MONTH: CAROLIN PILLIGRATH

Introducing…. Carolin Pilligrath.

Carolin Pilligrath is the founder and face behind Breathing Travel, a blog for female eternal traveller souls and frequent and long-term travellers. Born and raised in Germany, she left her home country in 2014 with the plan to travel the world and figure out how to make money online and travel indefinitely. “When I left Germany, my goal wasn’t to become a blogger, but I rather wanted to become a freelancer and build websites for other people. So I took some courses, built my own site and then did it for clients successfully for a while. Over the years, I have worked across all areas of digital marketing and finally got stuck at social media management.”

Fast forward 5 years, Carolin has travelled to over 30 countries. She now lives in Australia and is based on the Gold Coast. “Travel is the heart and soul of what I do and love. Now I have a beautiful home base in my favourite country on earth, in Australia. Looking back, I was such a restless soul that it really took a special place to sweep me off my feet and make me stay for a while longer. Living on the Gold Coast is like living in paradise and I enjoy travelling a bit slower and more conscious these days.”

Find travel inspiration for your next holiday by checking out Carolin at breathingtravel.com

Carolin’s favourite road trip destinations

• The Great Ocean Road: I have driven this road a number of times now and every time I loved it more! It’s such a wonderful part of Australia. That feeling when you leave Melbourne behind and hit small surfy towns like Torquay, spot koalas in the trees in Otway National Park and finally seeing the impressing 12 Apostles. I even spotted a tiger snake here! It’s simply a stunning combination of small towns, nature and wildlife!
• Portugal: When I got the opportunity to travel through Portugal for two weeks in a campervan, my answer was “hell yes”! Arriving into the coastal town of Porto, I was already in love with the pretty tiled houses, walking along the river banks and stuffing my face with delicious Portuguese pastries. And that was just the beginning. Portugal is the perfect place for a road trip in Europe and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.
• Darwin to Perth:I had the best time travelling in a campervan all the way from Darwin to Perth. If you love nature and a lot of it, this trip is for you! Think crystal clear waters, white-sandy beaches without a single soul, watching the camels on the beach in Broome, visiting stunning national parks like Karijini and the Ningaloo Reef. Bring some time for this one and you will not regret it! Even better if you have a 4WD and can go off-road!

Carolin’s road trip must haves

• Pre-downloaded playlists: A road trip needs music! So don’t make the same mistake as I did and download some playlists (or take a CD if your can has a player), because once radio reception is gone, you’ll have to jam out the tunes yourself!
• USB cord/charger: To charge your mobile devices and keep the playlist going! Also handy if you need Google Maps which sucks a lot of battery.
• Snacks: If you don’t have a fridge, also take a cooler bag if going outback. I like to take fresh fruit, some crackers with hummus, nuts, dried fruit and nutrition bars.

Tips for people renting a car/camper

• Make sure to check if a second driver is included or incurs an extra charge.
• Double check what’s included in the insurance. Sometimes rental stations also offer extra insurances you don’t need, because they are already included with your credit card for example.
• Inspect the car thoroughly before taking it and let the staff know about anything you pick up that hasn’t been listed on the pre-inspection sheet!

The photo Carolin is most proud of…

This is totally not an easy question to answer! I have so many shots from all around the world but will share a little story about the picture I am sharing.

I remember so clearly, it’s like this happened just yesterday. In November 2017, Mount Agung on the island of Bali erupted while I was living in Canggu for a while. Thousands of people were evacuated and the island was enveloped in a very interesting and special atmosphere. When do you ever get to see a volcano erupting with your own eyes? Not every day! That day, I spend some time driving through the rice paddies near where I lived and as the wind shifted, Mount Agung could be seen spitting out smoke. Awe-inspiring!

Tips on how to become an influencer

Building a blog is such a journey in itself. When I started in 2014, I had no idea how to build and maintain a website, my first posts were not the greatest either, but I was passionate about it all and just gave it a shot. So if you want to be a blogger, a social media influencer, or whatever you want to call yourself, you just need to get started. And then keep at it. Don’t expect brands to knock at your door overnight, it takes a bit of time and putting yourself out there. And always over-deliver and give more than you would get back – this is how people you connect and work with will remember you!

You can find Carolin on Instagram at @breathingtravel

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