Travel Crush Tuesday: Wunmi & Sophia
Photo: @thrifywithacompass and instagram
We're back with another installment of Travel Crush Tuesday! This week we're giving you double the wanderlust with self proclaimed BFF budget travelers Wunmi and Sophia. This duo, known on IG as @thrifywithacompass, travels the world bringing new meaning to girl power. We just love their fun, carefree style, and dope photos.
Tell us how you got started as travel buddies.
Oh boy. Where to even start! We have been best friends since meeting in college and we quickly realized we didn’t want to pull out hair out when we traveled together. Some friends, you love them, but you just should never travel with them! Luckily that was not the case with us. From our early trips together, we were great as travel buddies—same love for experiencing new cultures, same meal schedule (all the snacks, please), and same desire to travel as often as our full time jobs allowed. Growing up with immigrant parents who often held three jobs just to get by, we also shared a similar appreciation for travel, as it was not a luxury we got to do growing up. We started seeing the world when we could afford it ourselves. When we ultimately decided to start a travel blog, we knew we wanted to inspire women who looked like us and show them that travel doesn’t have to be financially out of reach.
What has been the most memorable trip you two have been on? What made it so special?
We’ve definitely had some great adventures over the years, but the memory that stands out the most is our trip to Belize. Zip lining in the jungle, snorkeling with sharks, and Mayan Ruin tours all in one trip! It was a trip where we felt completely immersed in the culture—from appreciating the authentic Belizean food, to pushing ourselves to adopt the language. The people there are beautiful, welcoming, and vibrant.
What do you love most about traveling as a duo?
We are super fortunate to have one another to travel with. It’s nice to have someone you can count on when you’re looking to embark on a new adventure. We also tend to feel safer when we travel together versus traveling alone. Lately we’ve been traveling as a pack of 4, because we’ve allowed our boyfriends to tag along on our trips. Two best friends quickly became four best buds, and we have a lot of fun together.
How would you describe your travel styles?
Ahh we love this question! Both of us like to pack a lot of neutrals because we rarely check a bag, and neutrals allow us to mix and match a bit. Wunmi’s style is pretty sporty chic. She rocks a lot of cropped hoodies, converse, and full body jumpsuits. Phi Phi can usually be found wearing ripped jeans, a cute tank top, and a baseball cap. Although there is a huge height gap between us, we tend to wear the same size top, which doubles our wardrobe on trips. The best!
What is one piece of advice you'd give for being a good travel companion?
One piece of advice we’d give for traveling with another person is to give each other some space, when needed. It doesn’t matter how well you get along with someone, eventually they are going to get on your nerves. Create moments on your trip where you can be by yourself for a little bit. Maybe you wake up early and go for a walk around the Airbnb. Or maybe you listening to a podcast during your layover. It doesn’t have to be for very long, but we’ve found this to make all the difference on our trips together.
Where can folks find you other than instagram?
In addition to our Instagram, we also have our travel blog thriftywithacompass.com where we share tons more budget travel tips, full trip itineraries, and our favorite adventures.
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