In March 2022, Claire Zhu and Peter Ovendorf give up their jobs in company finance and got down to journey the world. Greater than a 12 months later, they’re nonetheless on the street. As soon as they hit that 12 month mark, they determined to pivot to full-time journey bloggers, because of their rising TikTok account, @claireandpeter, which has 300,000 extremely engaged followers and the place a lot of their movies routinely cross the 1 million views mark.
Self-described introverts, Zhu and Ovendorf have constructed their platform on a foolish, enjoyable, and budget-conscious strategy to seeing a few of the biggest locations on the earth. “We handled it as a passion at first, and it by no means stopped,” Zhu tells City & Nation over Zoom from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, about creating content material. Their TikTok account, she says, “is stuff we get pleasure from watching—the very lighthearted, foolish movies. Possibly we’re not intellectuals, however that is the content material that we get pleasure from watching. So why not make that type of content material?”
Forward of what’s sure to be one other summer season of main journey for influencers and common of us alike, T&C chatted with Zhu and Ovendorf, higher often called simply Claire and Peter, about their TikTok fame, their journey recommendation, and the place they’re headed this summer season.
What made you to resolve to give up your jobs and journey the world?
Claire Zhu: Again in 2020, once we have been working our company jobs and every little thing went distant, we ended up taking a street journey throughout the nation. We have been dwelling and dealing from Charlotte, North Carolina after which we determined to drive to Colorado. It was a mixture of that little journey—simply having a lot enjoyable on that journey and feeling so free and so adventurous—and discovering journey bloggers, those who traveled full time. It was then that the seed was planted for us.
We sat on the concept all through the remainder of COVID. Summer time of 2021, we nonetheless could not go wherever, so we ended up doing one other street journey throughout the U.S. whereas working distant—we have been type of saying saying ‘Can we nonetheless need to do that? Was it only a section that we wished to journey, or was it for actual?’ We liked it; it was by no means a section. Lastly in March of 2022 we have been capable of take the leap and give up our jobs to go for it.
As self described introverts, how did you begin making your movies and determining what resonated along with your viewers?
Peter Ovendorf: I am going to say that Claire does like 99% of the movies. I am going to pitch concepts, however I am an accounting background, so my concepts aren’t….we see issues very in a different way. Claire is the engine behind what everybody sees. Once we did our street journey and began our account, if somebody have been to scroll down on our profile—
CZ: Do not scroll down!
PO: We taught ourselves pictures. It is very couple-y images, lovely landscapes, and us holding fingers.
CZ: Which is clearly so not us…
PO: You may most likely rely on one hand occasions we have used our digicam once we’ve been touring. It is all been on Claire’s iPhone.
The couple in Norway.
CZ: We have been each in company finance previous to this. It was a really black-and-white trade, there’s not a ton of creativity everyday. We knew we loved taking images, we knew we favored making movies, and we took a number of inspiration from different creators on-line from the beginning. That rapidly changed into me simply making movies for enjoyable. It began off with us making movies that we thought we needed to make inside just like the journey area of interest. In a short time, we have been each like, hm, that is probably not us, we should be us, we need to be us.
We pivoted absolutely to creating what we thought was humorous, posting no matter we wished, and probably not considering an excessive amount of about it. That is what we ended up working with, and what we do to today. We began out simply doing what we thought we needed to do and what everybody else was doing and rapidly simply determined, okay, no, we’re simply gonna do it our personal manner.
Are there sure issues as you are touring—whether or not it’s sights you are seeing or meals you are consuming—that do not translate to social media?
CZ: Essentially the most lovely landscapes you’ll ever lay eyes on, no person cares! Actually no person cares. It is so ironic—
PO: It is the toilet [stories], and the stuff that does not go as deliberate on the travels that individuals will join with, and latch onto. These are the movies that can stand out. Individuals care extra about our lavatory points than a good looking sundown someplace.
CZ: We’ll nonetheless share [the sunset], as a result of once we’re trying on the most lovely panorama we have ever seen, we wanna be like, ‘Oh my God, you do not perceive how lovely that is!” However the general curiosity isn’t there.
On the flip aspect, are there stuff you’ve seen on-line that do not ship in particular person?
PO: Tlisted here are at all times moments the place it is the Instagram verse actuality factor.
CZ: There’s locations the place you present up and it is simply packed… within the excellent Instagram, you are solely gonna see one particular person within the shot. Or, someplace appears loads smaller than it’s, or there’s one angle of the situation that everybody takes a photograph of, however they do not present you want each single like different facet of it.
PO: However I believe content material as we speak does a greater job of capturing the realities of locations than it did possibly like 5 years in the past, when it was simply the aesthetic Instagram picture. Now, what individuals can eat offers a greater expectation of what a spot could entail.
CZ: All of it contributes to the entire expertise; for those who get someplace and it finally ends up being not what you anticipated, that is nonetheless a part of the vacationer expertise. We take every little thing for what it’s and revel in it and have time.
Touring in your finances, what’s one thing that you simply at all times discovered that was definitely worth the splurge?
PO: Any excursions or actions we did, we did not remorse spending cash on these type of issues.
CZ: If there have been any guided excursions the place you possibly can’t actually do it by yourself—the place you need to pay to affix a tour or rent a information, these at all times ended up being so price it. The native guides simply make your expertise essentially the most unbelievable factor ever, and also you get to attach with somebody new. These have been by far essentially the most enriching experiences and value each penny.
For individuals who wish to do an analogous kind of journey, what what can be the primary recommendation you’d give them?
CZ: While you’re leaving on a visit, it is really easy to overthink every little thing—from packing to your plans, whether or not planning a month out or a 12 months out. I might say: One, there’s every little thing you might presumably want all over the place else on the earth. So far as packing, you completely don’t want what you assume you may want. You most likely do not want it, and for those who do, you are gonna be capable to stroll downstairs to the 7-Eleven and seize it.
And two, so far as planning, it is necessary to keep in mind that having flexibility, not having each single element deliberate out, permits you to go on adventures that you wouldn’t anticipate. It permits you to meet individuals and drift. The issues you do not plan for are at all times essentially the most memorable. Additionally, the issues that go incorrect are additionally essentially the most memorable! It is necessary to embrace the ups and the downs of journey.
How are you packing for therefore many alternative climates and places?
Their packing tip: all of the layers, plus puffer coat.
CZ: We have now each local weather lined apart from the acute chilly, due to course, you want heavy layers for that. The best way we packed is only by layers. I can layer up a tank, a brief sleeve, an extended sleeve, a jacket, a fleece, my puffer if I wanted to, and that will care for just like the coldest of the chilly that we would wish. In relation to just like the blazing sizzling climate, like now in Malaysia, we simply put on shorts and a tank. It comes all the way down to layering; we’re not gonna look extraordinarily trendy in any respect with all of our loopy garments.
PO: We additionally selected locations [based on weather], hitting them in shoulder season or like when it was heat, so we’d keep away from locations going to if it was winter in that nation.
Is there one thing that you’ve discovered indispensable in your travels?
Anker Transportable Charger
PO: I can consider one: A conveyable charger energy financial institution. That has been useful so many occasions.
CZ: We at all times carry it on us! The second factor is an effective down jacket, like a puffer jacket, and rain jacket. You do not understand how priceless they’re till the climate sucks after which your day is ruined if you do not have these issues out.
As we’re approaching one other summer season of mass journey, how are you two dealing with like crowds of vacationers?
CZ: The easiest way to mentally strategy it’s: There’s gonna be crowds and there is nothing you are able to do, so that you may as properly embrace it. Say you are watching the sundown in Santorini and it is simply utterly packed; simply embrace the truth that there are one million individuals, possibly take a video of the group to recollect it. It is arduous to keep away from, particularly if you are going to Europe. We’ll be in Europe, so we’ll positively be seeing the crowds.
PO: A common rule is for those who’re an early morning particular person, attending to spots at dawn means you are gonna have much less crowds.
CZ: Total, simply planning forward and being a little bit bit extra diligent about planning excursions, reservations, ferry tickets, et cetera. Not doing it day of like we do!
What are your summer season journey plans?
Like many others, Claire and Peter are headed to Greece this summer season.
PO: We have now a fast, layover cease over in Dubai. Then we will Kazakhstan for nearly two weeks.
CZ: We met a woman on Instagram, she stored on messaging us saying come to Kazakhstan. She stated it sufficient occasions the place we’re like, okay, sounds good. She lives in New York, so she’ll even be assembly us there.
PO: So we’re hanging out together with her, going tenting together with her household, which will likely be a very cool expertise. Then we will Greece for a month, we’ll be part of the crowds there. We’re beginning in Athens, and the unfastened plan as of now could be to island hop, do three days in a bunch of various spots.
CZ: Then we’ll be again within the U.S. very, in a short time for 3 days, however then after that, we’re heading to Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. So hopefully much less crowds there!
This interview has been flippantly edited and condensed for readability.
Emily Burack (she/her) is the information author for City & Nation, the place she covers leisure, tradition, the royals, and a variety of different topics. Earlier than becoming a member of T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish tradition website. Comply with her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram.
