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Though not all who wander are lost, the coronavirus pandemic has upended international movement and kept a globe-trotting American couple stateside for the first time in years — but they say it has given them a unique perspective.
Kelly Castille and Kody Workman run the popular account Positravelty on Instagram, documenting their glamorous adventures of full-time travel for their 200,000 followers. While the COVID-19 outbreak has put a pause on the couple’s exotic excursions (and forced them to rethink their social media strategy), Castille and Workman are staying positive from their temporary new home base in Michigan.
Kody Workman and Kelly Castille, pictured, run the popular account
Positravelty for their 200K followers.
(Positravelty)
In conversation with Fox News, the travel bloggers discussed how the outbreak is affecting their longer-term plans and day-to-day life. Plus, they shared tips for satisfying incurable wanderlust, if you’re feeling stir-crazy at home.
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FOX NEWS: How have you been affected by the global outbreak of the novel coronavirus?
Kody Workman: Since the outbreak, our plans for both travel and social media have been postponed entirely. We are actually starting this year with a clean slate, because everything that we had lined up, such as work, shoots and trips …even our upcoming move has been put on hold.
The travel bloggers discussed how the outbreak affected their longer-term plans, how their daily life has changed and how to satisfy incurable wanderlust if you’re feeling stir-crazy at home.
(Positravelty)
After our most recent project in Mexico, we went home to visit our families in the U.S., making it our first Christmas at home in years. We had actually planned to stay in Louisiana (where Kelly is from) through February to relax, and then we had big plans to travel [America] together for the first time, including Utah, California and Oregon.
[Then] COVID-19 hit the states hard, and everything had to be canceled. The time frame we had planned and scheduled had us leaving early April to Bali, a move we have been waiting to make for almost a year now, but we had to postpone it to May 1… a date that is now also not seeming likely.
“Since the outbreak, our plans for both travel and social media have been postponed entirely,” Workman explained.
(Positravelty)
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Kelly Castille: The worldwide travel restrictions have had a huge effect on our plans and have made us completely stationary for the first time since we met each other back in October 2017. Before the pandemic, we had already decided to take a small break from social media in early February, utilizing our time home to be with family and friends, catch up on editing, tackle our U.S. adventures, and get everything ready for the move.
We made an executive decision after the outbreak, [and] the restrictions and the stay home orders, to extend our social media hiatus and reevaluate our focus for the year… but we are getting ready to reappear, fresh with new inspiration and creativity — just without the “travel aspect,” for the time being. We have so many ideas in the works and we are very excited to share our new content.
The global travel restrictions have made the couple “completely stationary” for the first time they met in October 2017, said Castille.
(Positravelty)
FOX: Where were you when the health crisis hit?
Workman: I flew to Michigan at the start of February to spend some more time with my family before the move and Kelly came in late February to join me, helping me finalize things before our U.S. trip was to begin.
Just about the time we were planning on heading out, the [coronavirus] news started to get more serious and we never left Michigan. When we decided not to take the domestic trips, Kelly actually booked a flight back to Louisiana; however the outbreak in New Orleans had gotten so bad that flights were being canceled. New Orleans went under full lockdown and Kelly decided to just stay in Michigan until it was safe to get back home.
The change of pace doesn’t upset Workman, who said it feels “amazing” to be spending time in just one place with his partner.
(Positravelty)
FOX: After seeing so much of the world together, how does it feel to be stationary?
Workman: Honestly… it feels amazing! We haven’t had a “home life” in years and we have never had one together. We have been cooking, working out, watching movies, playing board games, sleeping in, and it all feels so nice.
Castille: Especially for me, it has been wonderful to have permanence, routine and stability back after not having it for so long. But we are definitely starting to get a bit stir crazy, and can’t wait until we can get back out into the world.
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FOX: Do you have any advice for travel enthusiasts who can’t wait to get back out?
Castille: The best way to satisfy wanderlust when you are incapable of going anywhere is to start doing research. The world is so expansive and the options are endless. Start planning future trips, watch some documentaries on countries you have never seen before, and find some hidden gems of your own. Give yourself a lot to look forward to!
“The best way to satisfy wanderlust when you are incapable of going anywhere is to start doing research. The world is so expansive and the options are endless,” Castille suggested.
(Positravelty)
FOX: How have fans reacted to your social-media hiatus?
Castille: We get direct messages daily, from people all over the world, asking us why we disappeared and if everything is alright with us. We can’t really put into words how much these messages mean to us and we love everyone that reaches out. It’s a great reminder of the love and kindness that exists in the world and our followers always brighten our day. We are better than ever, safe, and healthy. And we can’t wait to be back very soon!
