Wanderlust
My job? Travelling to the world’s luxury destinations. But there are downsides...
MODEL mother Siobhán McCauley has turned her love of travel into a jet-setting job of sorts.
Along with her husband Byron and toddler son Mason, the young family stay in some of the best hotels in the world for free and are sometimes even paid to do it thanks to their travel blog.
So far the young family have visited Cancun, Aruba, Zimbabwe, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Santorini, Mykonos, Venice, Zanzibar and Dubai.
‘We are simply enjoying the perks of travelling the world and staying in the world’s most luxurious resorts for free, with the added bonus of being paid on occasion to promote brands and resorts on our blog and Instagram,’ said Siobhán.
And while she works with her father while in Ireland, every four to six weeks she and her photographer hubby pack their bags and head away for their second life.
But it’s not all sunny beaches and seaside snaps, as documenting their travels is quite a bit of work.
Siobhán has built up a blog and associated social media pages called They Wanderlust, where she documents a litany of destinations.
Industry experts say the highest profile social media personalities and bloggers can charge anywhere from €500 to €5,000 for a single
‘Filming all day isn’t easy with a screaming baby’
Instagram post. However, the pay depends entirely on the personality’s profile.
Siobhán has 17,200 followers on her Instagram page.
Born to a Sri Lankan mother and an Irish father, travelling is in Siobhán’s genes.
‘I was born in to a life destined to travel the world. My mom is Sri Lankan with French roots and my father is Irish, but I was born and raised in Zimbabwe.
‘My parents instilled the importance of travel to us when we were growing up, it being the key to an education like no other.’ Siobhán met her Zimbabwe-born husband in Dublin and they quickly bonded over their shared love of travel.
The pair got engaged in Cape Town after dating for only three months.
The family have just been chosen this year as the face of Aqua Vila
Reef resort in the Maldives. But as with every family with small children, travelling is not all sun and smiles. She suggests that a life of exotic holidays can often be a chore.
‘Lowlights are being stuck in airports, Mason teething during many trips, sleepless nights from jetlag, Mason not sleeping well and tension in our relationship from all the work we have to do at the resorts.
‘Taking the perfect photos and filming all day isn’t easy in blistering heat with a screaming baby.
‘We have to manage social media and admin on a daily basis after the trips.
‘That’s the biggest misconception of my lifestyle and job.
‘People mistake my life to be glamorous and easy. In reality it comes with great sacrifice and serious hard work, especially as a mother. We have also invested a lot in to the blog, from camera equipment, drones and even in travel itself.’
Having now spent one year blogging, Siobhán said it had been an incredible journey.