Meet Robyn Dirk | blogger

We had the good fortune of connecting with Robyn Dirk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Robyn, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Immersing myself in a different culture and traveling to new countries have always fascinated me. This world has so much to offer, and I have been extremely lucky to have
made my dream a reality. Thus far, I have traveled to 42 countries, taught abroad in China
and Malaysia, and got married in Italy. I didn’t anticipate my passion would grow into a
business, but life is always full of surprises.

My husband and I started Two Empty Passports, our travel website, to share our
experiences and love of travel. And we recognize the difficulty of planning a trip at the end
of a hard work week. We want to make it easier for others to plan their trip, whether that be
a dream vacation, romantic honeymoon, or weekend getaway.

Additionally, I have multiple health conditions, including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue
syndrome and POTS. Traveling with these conditions is not easy, nor is finding information
online for specific destinations or activities.

Our goal with Two Empty Passports is to provide useful, inspirational, and relevant travel
information for all travelers. Our website is geared to help those who work full-time, enjoy
slow travel, live with chronic pain and fatigue, or struggle with mobility. We want to make
travel planning easier and provide readers with realistic itineraries and travel tips, no matter
the travel style, or destination.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?

What sets me apart from others in the travel blogging industry is perhaps my journey and motivation for starting my blog. Travel has been intertwined with who I am and how I define myself for as long as I can remember. However, learning to live and travel with multiple health conditions has not been a piece of cake. Pain dictates much of my life, and I have had to learn how to pace myself and respect my body’s limitations.

Through trial and error, I learned what my body can handle while traveling, and I believe my experience can help others plan a more successful vacation. It’s challenging to find relevant information on certain destinations if you travel with chronic pain and fatigue. I have learned how to make travel easier for myself, and I want to share my advice with others.

I truly believe that just because you live with chronic pain, fatigue, or a chronic illness, does not mean you can’t explore this amazing world. My goal is to inform, inspire, and motivate others, so they too can achieve their dreams of travel.

It took a lot of self-exploration, persistence, and hard work to get here. But I have always been positive and a fighter. I want to help people and believe our travel website can do that. I had no idea that this dream of mine would amount to this, but it has, and I am so thankful!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

One thing I love about Arizona is that we can enjoy the outdoors no matter where we are. It surprised me how many National Parks I could drive through, visit, and enjoy without going on a huge hike!

So, I would start our weeklong adventure with a visit to the Saguaro National Park. Everything about this park captivates me, from the endless beauty to the towering cacti to the peace available just outside the city. We would spend the day wandering the park, then head back to Tucson for a delicious dinner at Guiseppe’s Ristorante Italiano. They make fantastic pasta that reminds me of our time in Italy.

I love art, wine, and amazing views, so Sedona would be next on my list. A couple of days to relax, wander the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, and enjoy a wine tasting or two. And of course, you can’t miss Red Rock Country. There are easy trails there, and you don’t need to go far to appreciate the beautiful views.

Finally, I would head up to the Yavapai Lodge and stay close to the rim of the Grand Canyon. We loved our stay and would return in a heartbeat. You are close enough to the park to watch the sunrise or set over the canyon.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First and foremost, I can’t imagine being where I am today without the unconditional love and support of my husband. He has been my pillar of strength for over eleven years now,
and I can’t imagine doing this without him. Not only do we travel the world together, but he
knows and understands my health conditions and the physical limitations that come with
that.

He believes others will benefit from my first-hand experience of living and traveling with
chronic pain and fatigue. Now, we have created our travel website together and are so
excited for this next chapter in our life.

My other source of inspiration has been my amazing massage therapist, and dear friend
Lisa. Over the decade, she has picked me up in more ways than one and keeps my physical
and mental health in check. Her unending encouragement and love help sustain me when
times are tough and build up my confidence to follow my dreams.

Website: https://twoemptypassports.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2emptypassports/