Interview With Yashy Murphy, Mommy Blogger And World Traveller

How many of you would pack up your life and head out on a 148 day trip through North Africa and Europe with your spouse and two kids under the age of 6? I know it’s not something that had ever crossed my mind but this is exactly what Yashy Murphy from Baby and Life is doing right now. We caught up with Yashy as she and her family were making their way across Croatia.

Tell me a little about yourself.

I was born in Colombo but I grew up in Dubai, Bahrain and Karachi. I went to college and university in the U.S, U.K and Australia so I’ve always considered myself a third country kid until I came to Toronto and have called it home for nearly 12 years. My husband and I met during our MBA and we now have two young kids. We’re always exploring and constantly on the hunt for tasty dishes, delicious drinks and the company of good people. Professionally my background is in beverage alcohol marketing but my husband and I also own a digital and social media company and I’m also a travel writer and family lifestyle blogger. I like juggling a lot of things as you can see, it’s what keeps me semi-sane and gleefully happy.

How did you get into blogging?

I was at home with a nearly 2 week old and I was completely bored at home because all she did was sleep. One afternoon my brother convinced me that I should start a blog to share our upcoming travels to Europe and India with a 2 month old and that since I was doing a lot of research, I should use my marketing background to share my learnings. He got the site up in a couple hours, helped me with a logo and there it was! Little Monkey and the blog turns 6 at the end of this year. I just started sharing the adventures and mishaps and haven’t stopped doing so.

You have two young kids, tell us about them and how do you balance blogging and mommy life?

My husband and I have a 5 year old daughter and 3 year old son who, like kids typical their age, can be squeeze-your-cheeks-off cute one minute and an absolute jerk the next. As far as balance goes, I think there’s a couple factors. I decided a long time ago which aspects of my life I was fine letting go of (my wardrobe is nothing like it was and I switched to a flexible model where my career was concerned). In addition, I couldn’t have the life I want without Chris’ support. He’s a hands-on dad and we’re both very lucky to have family and friends around us who are quick to help and swing by when we need.

Would you describe yourself as a mommy blogger or a travel blogger?

Umm… both? I can be both, right? I’m a mix of a bunch of things in real life and on the blog!

Right now you’re on a 148 day trip through North Africa and Europe with your husband and kids, where did the idea for this adventure come from?

Growing up I moved often due to the nature of my dad’s work and so when I realized that I had been in Toronto for waaaaaaaaaay too long, it freaked me out. I had been mentioning this idea to Chris for quite a few years but it was only last September when he was ready. Things lined up with our consulting business, the kids not being in grade 1 yet and timing was just right so we dived right in.

Tell me about the planning process that went into this trip?

It was minimal to be honest. We didn’t want to over plan anything and knew we’d like to explore Spain but not much else. In fact, we only bought our flight tickets on the 28th of March and flew out on April 5th. Until then we spent two months trying to rent our place out and had no idea where we’d start our journey. We booked a return flight so we knew we’d be heading back home on August 30th but everything in between as been decided on the fly.

Where have you been since the family left Toronto and what country has been the most memorable thus far?

We started in the South of Spain and then ducked into Morocco before exploring the north of Spain. From there we drove around the South of France before entering Germany and making our way to Amsterdam. Our 90 days in the Schengen area was done so we came to Croatia to finish off our last few weeks before we have to head to the U.K to catch our flight back to Toronto at the end of August. There have been some great spots; We LOVE Spain and Morocco totally captured my heart.

I have two kids myself and I couldn’t imagine going on a 148 day trip with them when they were young. What’s your secret for maintaining your sanity? 

Beer. Wine. Cocktails. I kid! Sort of. Seriously, it’s the attitude of going with the flow. This is a long trip and we knew we didn’t want much structure. There are numerous times in a day when the kids drive us absolutely crazy (our 5 year old is acting like a teenager right now!) and they will act that way no matter where we are. We might as well be somewhere “different”! By the way, I’m not all that sane.

What advice would you give to parents with young kids who want to start travelling with them?

Don’t be afraid, travel with kids isn’t that bad! You can always start with a local trip and work your way to the bigger ones and you can always bring the grandparents or aunts/uncles along for moral support on that first trip. The earlier you start travelling with young kids, the easier it is as infants are super easy to travel with, I found

What would you tell someone who wants to start travel blogging?

JUST DO IT! That said, take the time to get your website on a good platform where you can see your stats from the very start. Many start on free sites to “test the waters” and then plan to switch but I say do it right from the start. Also, network from the very beginning and put out good content without worrying about what others might think or say. Your audience will find you once you put yourself out there.

What’s next for the Murphy clan?

We’re not sure but for now we’re super excited to head back to the comforts of home and are looking forward to re-connecting with friends and family as we continue to explore the Toronto food and drink scene!

I want to thank Yashy for taking the time to answer our questions and to also wish her and her family a safe journey. You can usually find Yashy and her family hanging around on the internet on her blog, Twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook

Permanent link to this article: https://www.goatrotichronicles.ca/interview_with_yashy_murphy/

5 comments

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  1. I love how you have traveled all over even before you became an adult. I never started travelling until I was an adult. Travelling with kids makes things interesting for sure.

  2. Love your pictures, super. Traveling can bring us the joy of meeting new culture and new learning about other people. Who ever has the choice of traveling is blessed

    1. This is so true!

  3. A very interesting read and well written. Always good to hear experiences of other bloggers.

    1. Especially bloggers who are on an epic trip like this one.

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