The Journey of Savi and Vid: From Classmates to Global Influencers

Travel brings joy for all of us; we dream of it from a young age, those unforgettable trips with our parents on LTC, our first train, flight, or bus. Even the memories of visiting our hometowns for festivals or family gatherings bring a smile. But as an adult, work life takes over, and time for travel often slips.
Is it just the privilege of the rich to explore the world? Are such adventures truly out of reach for the rest of us? Savi and Vid, the travel couple behind Bruised Passports, assure us otherwise. Their story shows and teaches the power of passion, planning, and a love for exploring.

Who Are Savi and Vid?

Savi and Vid are high-school sweethearts who turned their passion to travelling and got into a lifelong commitment to each other while exploring the world. They met as teenagers, dated for several years, and eventually got married. Today, they’re known as BruisedPassports on Instagram, an account for travel that started as a passion project and evolved into a full-time career. After more than 15 years of travelling and visiting over 100 countries, Savi and Vid have built a community sharing their love for discovering new places, cultures, and stories.
Their journey to fame didn’t happen overnight. For seven years, they travelled and gathered experiences, but it wasn’t until later that they began uploading to share their adventures on social media. After which, they’ve received numerous awards, featured on major news channels and delivered TEDx Talks about crafting a life of dreams. Bruised Passports isn’t just about travel, it’s about finding happiness, questioning conventions, and focusing on the good in life.

Exploring with Bruised Passports

Savi and Vid have a unique approach to travel, they prefer offbeat destinations, local experiences, and the thrill of showing us hidden gems. They explore forgotten streets, local cuisines or spend hours searching for one perfect croissant. Luxury accommodations, romantic experiences, and fine dining hold a special place in their travels.
Travel is more than just sightseeing for them, it’s cultural immersion, talking about the beauty of regional customs and appreciating what each destination will offer. They encourage us to see the world focusing on positivity and ignoring the negativity that often weighs us down.

Sustaining a Life of Travel: How Did They Make It Work?

While their lives may seem like an endless vacation, Savi and Vid work hard to sustain their travel lifestyle. Both are from middle-class backgrounds, they both put in years of education and saved to make their dreams take life. In 2015, after saving for nearly a decade, they left their jobs to focus on travel blogging full-time. But this isn’t just about fun and adventure; they work around the clock to maintain Bruised Passports, often spending more than 10 hours a day writing, photographing, answering reader questions, and managing social media.

How do they make money to keep their travels going?

• They publish articles and photographs in publications. So far, they published in BBC Good Food, National Geographic Traveller, and The Huffington Post.
• From TEDx Talks to travel seminars, Savi and Vid frequently share their story at public events.
• Partnering with brands allows them to earn through product reviews, sponsored posts, and social media consultations.

All earnings fund their next adventure. They choose to travel over houses, cars, or other luxury goods.

A Peek into Their Personal Lives

Savi and Vid’s versatility brings Bruised Passports to life. Savi loves cooking and finds it therapeutic (especially during stressful times). Vid is a foodie who’ll never say no to a meal, he loves Thai cuisine and everything cheesy.
Savi’s calm & happy demeanour keeps things light while not afraid to stand up against stereotypes and traditional ideas. For Vid, a coffee aficionado, mornings won’t start without freshly roasted Colombian beans.
While they bring humour and heart to their work, there are challenges, too. They share their lives online, handling intrusive questions about income or more personal details. Sometimes they handle it well, though feel viewers shouldn’t ask those questions.

Practical Tips and Inspiration from The Pros

Savi and Vid did not start travelling to make it a career. They were already global wanderers visiting around 50 countries before they launched Bruised Passports. Their faith, prioritising experiences over material possessions. What is their advice for those dreaming of a life on the road?

• They saved for 8 years to fund their initial travels and avoided relying on debt.
• They embraced a location-independent work model, allowing both to earn as they travel.
• As skilled writers and photographers, both shared the expertise to turn passion into profit.

More Interesting details of Savi and Vid:

Q) What’s their favourite country?
A) Vid’s favourite is Iceland for its landscapes and photography spots, while Savi loves Peru for its vibrant culture and friendly locals.

Q) What are their least favourite destinations?
A) Savi feels Egypt is overhyped, and Vid found Guayaquil, Ecuador, a bit unsafe.

Q) How do they manage visas?
A) They plan six-month legs of travel and arrange visas either in London or Delhi.

Q) What’s their camera equipment?
A) Predominantly use a Nikon D610 with four lenses.

Favourite Travel Quotes?

• Vid’s: “They deem me mad because I will not sell my days for gold, and I deem them mad because they think my days have a price” Kahlil Gibran
• Savi’s: “When our eyes are graced with wonder, the world reveals its wonders to us. The quality of our looking determines WHAT we come to see.” John O’Donohue.

In their book Bruised Passports, Savi and Vid talked about the highs and lows life threw at them, offered practical tips for travellers and advice on brand building, financial planning and navigating post-pandemic travel. The book is both a travel guide and an inspiration.
For Savi and Vid, travel is a way to discover the world and live intentionally as planned. Through Bruised Passports, they created a virtual family, bringing people along on their journeys and encouraging others to embrace positivity, adventure, and happiness. Their journey teaches patience, hard work and courage. For you, me or anyone for that matter, it is never impossible to create a life that blends passion and profession and who knows, maybe you will be the next one to bruise your passport.

Follow @bruisedpassports for unique and inspiring travel content.

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