JetsetChristina Q&A : Everything you ever wanted to know about me

Hey guys! So this week, I had so much fun answering so many of your questions on our Instagram Stories Q&A about travel & life that I thought we should make this a whole blog post! Enjoy! And keep asking me more questions in the comments and I can add them to this post!

Q: What camera equipment do you use?

A:

Q: Top three honeymoon spots – beaches preferred. Where would you jet set to?

Jetset Christina: the Maldives, Bali, and the Amalfi Coast.

Q: What makes you happy?

JetsetChristina: So many things! Sunshine, new places, bikinis, family, Kenny, champagne, sunsets, a perfectly ripe avocado, packing for a trip, vacations, Friends, your guys’ dm’s and emails telling me you booked a trip because of my blog!

Q: Where did you grow up?

JetsetChristina: A small town called Orinda, California! and I’ve been a beach addict ever since I was born.

Q: How do you get to travel to all of these amazing places, do you get paid for it?

JetsetChristina: I do! I started my travel blog over 5 years ago, while working a corporate 9-5 job and always funding my own travels. I’ve ALWAYS been a traveler, and a blogger (even before the blog, I was the one constantly feeding my friends recommendations for their travels, and always loooved travel photography) I just didn’t know I could do it all for a living yet. Over time, I started building an amazing group of travel lovers (YOU GUYS!!!), especially on instagram, and tourism boards and luxury travel brands around the world started to notice and reach out to work with me.

These days, I’m lucky enough to create content for amazing brands and destinations that I love, which helps support my travel around the world. I’m living proof that hard work pays off and that you CAN do what you love, every day.

Q: We are going on our honeymoon in June but can’t decide where to go. There are so many great places! How do you choose?

Jetset: It completely depends on the type of couple you and your hubby-to-be are! I ranked my top luxury honeymoon resorts in the world here, and talked about how much honeymoons actually cost here, which is a great place to start. If I were going on a honeymoon tomorrow, I would have the hardest choice deciding between the Maldives, Bali, and the Amalfi Coast.

Q: Where do you go and how do you stay on top of learning how to grow your own business?

JetsetChristina: I surround myself with incredible people. Everything I’ve learned about entrepreneurship and running my own business I have learned from other entrepreneurs. Being an entrepreneur is so different than being in the corporate world. This blogging and influencer industry is often called “the Wild West” and for good reason – nobody really knows what they’re doing – we’re all just DOING. We’re learning so much every day and figuring out what works. Owning your own business is like being a part of any start up – you can take big risks, and you can learn on the fly. I’ve always been someone that enjoys that ‘figuring it out’ process, so running my own business in an industry where there’s really no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to do it fuels my creativity and passion in finding MY way.

I also love podcasts and books on other biz owners’ journeys (all entrepreneurs and wantrepreneurs should check out the How I Built This Podcast, and read Shoe Dog – by the founder of Nike immediately!) I relish the opportunity to learn from such similar entrepreneurial personalities in very different industries. It really makes you realize how nonlinear every successful person’s journey is. And it reminds you to JUST. KEEP. GOING.

Businesses don’t get built overnight. They get build through a ton of hard work, a lot of challenges, a ton of persistence, patience, and above all PASSION. No one’s journey is like anyone else’s, so if you can just remember every day who you are, who your brand is, who your ideal audience is, and what you can do for them to add value to their lives, then you’re in a great position for success.

Q: If you could only bring one thing on a trip what would it be?

JetsetChristina: My swimsuit.

Q: How did you get into designing swimsuits?

Jetset Christina: I grew up a competitive swimmer my whole life, as well as a beach addict, and always had a swimsuit drawer overflowing with 50-100 suits at all times (seriously guys, I have a problem).

These days, I live in swimwear pretty much 24/7/365 (you can always find out about my latest bikini obsessions on this blog post), so I have always dreamt of designing my own swimwear line, taking all that excess swimwear knowledge and all my opinions on how swimsuits should be made, and putting them to use – creating a product unlike anything else out there!

As far as actually turning that dream into a reality, I’m very lucky that my boyfriend, Kenny Flowers, already was running a very successful men’s swimwear brand (Kenny Flowers), so when it came time for them to expand into women’s swim, they didn’t have a choice – I was determined to be the one to do it! So I’ve worked with their factory in Colombia over the past year to turn the designs & ideas in my head into actual beautiful suits that fit better than anything I’ve ever had in my thousands of suits I’ve worn in my life! AND I’M SO EXCITED TO LAUNCH THEM in just a few weeks! Stay tuned to my instagram to know as soon as they go live!

Q: It’s so hard to find long torso one pieces. Would love y’all to include one in your swim collection!

Jetset Christina: Stay tuned all my long torso’d and tall ladies! This is a problem Kenny Flowers and I are very excited to be solving this Spring.

Q: How do you stay so fit while always traveling?

Jetset: One of the perks of not having to sit in a desk all day anymore! I make it a point to keep active every day – whether that’s working out, hiking, biking, kayaking, swimming – anything that breaks a sweat and keeps my body moving. I don’t believe in restricting myself from the things I love AT ALL (like desserts, bread and champagne!!!) so I balance it all out with a healthy, active lifestyle.

Q: Do you miss home?

JetsetChristina: All the time! Being a travel blogger full-time means a lot of time away from my friends and family. But I consider so many places around the world “home” now, and I’m lucky to be able to experience the world with my boyfriend, who travels with me. I miss my family and friends to death when I’m traveling so much, but I make it a priority to visit as many as I can (and LOVE when they come and visit me in Bali or on trips!)

Q: What is the best budget-friendly travel spot?!

Jetset: Mexico! Still one of my very favorite countries in the world.

Q: I love your Bali blogs! We’re honeymooning in Bali – out of all the places you mentioned, where should we stay?

Jetset: My favorite hotel for honeymooners right now is probably this one. There’s something about Ubud that is just soooo romantic and peaceful – the ideal post-wedding oasis.

Q: Going to Bali for the first time in September. What’s the one thing I MUST do in Bali?

Jetset: Uluwatu! and a sunset at Single Fin.

Q: We are going to Bali in June for my birthday but can’t decide to stay in Seminyak or Ubud! Help!

Jetset: Ubud!!!! It’s pure magic.

Q: What is the best beach you’ve ever been to?

Jetset: The private island sand bank in the Maldives off the coast of Six Senses. You can book a day trip there through the hotel and you and your group get dropped off there for the day with a beach chair, umbrella, and a cooler. It feels like your very own private deserted island and it’s incredible. Unlike anywhere else in the world.

Q: What is the best travel credit card? Amex platinum, Chase Sapphire Reserve, both, or neither?

A: Amex Platinum is the best travel credit card out there – the Centurion lounges are the best in the world and they have the BEST food. I’ve run into quite a few of you in these lounges so if you ever see me in one definitely come up and say hi!

*Also, if you’re interested in the Amex Platinum – go through the links in this blog post to apply. I’ve partnered with The Points Guy to give you guys the very best benefits and most points for applying for the card!*

Q: What country have you been to that has surprised you the most
JetsetChristina: Cambodia, hands down.  I write more about it in this Cambodia Travel Guide blog post, but the history, the culture, the beauty of this country, along with the absolute genuine kindness in its people and their resilience and determination, add up to easily one of the most remarkable travel experiences I’ve ever had.

Q: Where is your favorite place in Europe

JetsetChristina: Ravello, Italy. Specifically the view from THIS hotel. And really anywhere in the Amalfi Coast.

Q: Where are you planning on traveling this year?

JetsetChristina: I’ll be ‘home’ in Bali for a couple months this Spring. I love to base in Bali inbetween travels because it is a perfect place to get the more business-side of Jetset things done, like writing! It’s such a creative hub of entrepreneurs, I always feel my best there.

Big trips planned so far this year already include the Phillippines, Borneo, the Greek Isles, Venice, Paris, France, Jamaica, Napa, California and lots more in the works.

Q: What photo of yours went viral and catapulted your career?

JetsetChristina: I don’t think I ever went ‘viral’. I’ve been blogging since 2013, and instagramming since 2015. I, like most brands, haven’t built my audience overnight – I’ve built it slowly and carefully through many years of hard work, and gaining trust from people on giving them quality travel recommendations here in this blog! I’m very proud of the brand we’ve built! That being said, I do remember my first photo to ever be featured on Travel & Leisure – this one above from Dubrovnik! My caption creativity was seriously lacking, ha! But hey, we all start somewhere.

Q: What’s your favourite beach destination?
Jetset: THE MALDIVES

Q: Any advice on adjusting to 10+ hour time changes quickly so you don’t sleep the whole trip away?

JetsetChristina: Tons of tips on fighting jet lag in this blog post here! But SLEEP as much as you possibly can on the plane. I swear by Zzzquil gummies for every long flight I go on. They’re pure melatonin (so no drugs) and they taste so good and work so well!

Q: How do you manage so much travel?

A: I think I just have the travel gene! Traveling so much doesn’t exhaust me – it brings me to life! My schedule is pretty crazy – but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m constantly dreaming up and planning my next destination. But, inbetween all the flights and jet lag, I definitely think it’s important to have a sense of home (to stay sane!) so no matter where I am – I try to make everywhere around the world my home!

I’ll stick to a routine as much as I can and I’ll always pack my favorite things from home for longer trips (I never forget ghiradelli chocolate and popcorn because they are two of my favorite foods and I can never find either abroad!) I always tell friends coming to visit me in Bali to bring a thing of Ghiradelli chocolate chips – and a bottle of California chard – it’s the best gift you could ever bring me since these are my favorite things and the things we can’t get over there!

Q: Which experience shouldn’t be missed in a Cartagena visit?

Jetset: Exploring Old Town, Isla Baru, and dancing the night away at La Movida. Check out all of my Cartagena recommendations here!

Q: Best time of year to visit Colombia? I am not into humidity.

JetsetChristina: Depends where you’re headed! Cartagena is pretty humid year-round but it’s not too bad! Less so around February/March time and most humid around November. Medellin on the other hand is inland and known as “La Primavera Eterna” – the eternal Spring! It’s never humid, and pretty much always a really nice temp of 70ish.

Q: Do you have any suggestions on what to do in Sydney, Australia?

JetsetChristina: So many Sydney travel tips!! Check out my full blog post The Ultimate Jetset Guide to Sydney here.

Q: When you went to Sydney, did you travel anywhere else in Australia? Any recs for other cities to see?

Jetset: I went to Hamilton Island! Highly recommend getting the Great Barrier Reef! There was a huge typhoon when I was there in April, so I unfortunately couldn’t snorkel, but I got to hang with the koalas at my hotel. 

Q: What’s your favorite animal?

JetsetChristina: Dolphins. I’m obsessed with these beautiful ocean creatures.

Q: What’s your favorite city? Favorite chocolate? And favorite Netflix show?

Jetset: Cape Town, brownies (fresh baked – I have a secret recipe – and I only use ghiradelli, of course), and FRIENDS ( I have it on alllll the time)

Q: How can I do what you do?

JetsetChristina: Persistence. Patience. Passion. One of my favorite Steve Jobs quotes is “You can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking back.” For me, those dots were my passion for traveling, my passion for journalism and writing (I was a journalism major at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), and my passion for marketing and advertising (my 9-5 job was in brand marketing). Today, I’m using all of those things with Jetset, and continue to build on them every day. My advice to anyone looking to do what I do, or pursue any side hustle of theirs & turn it into a business is to JUST DO IT. Don’t look for shortcuts. Embrace the journey. And have fun.