Meet Islander Maggie Martinez
Maggie Martinez // @chiimpu
Tell me a little about yourself and your brand?
Hello! My name is Magdalena Martinez but everyone calls me Maggie. My nickname is Chimpu that stands for “chimpuda”, which means a person whose hair is always unbrushed; I truly dislike doing my hair. I am from a small town called El Troncon, Durango Mexico. I am a Registered Nurse and currently employed at UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill North Carolina. In my free time I love to write on my blog, workout, work on self-love and create content to share. My focus is on positivity, self-development, and helping others. I am excited about starting a youtube channel to take my overall social media platform to a higher level!
How did you get into travel blogging/writing?
When I was little I had a diary and just like many other girls I loved writing about my day, feelings, etc. I started my blog back in 2015 but took a long break due to nursing school being so challenging on me. Ironically, I began to travel as an escape during school holiday breaks as a way to relax, and get my mind away from studying. Afterward, I resumed blogging and began to travel even more. It was never a planned thing, it sort of just happened.
You and your Husband travel as a couple for work and pleasure. What are the things you need to take into consideration when traveling as a couple?
Teamwork, and being flexible. My husband takes care of all the metro station details, directions, transportation, and driving while I take care of all the bookings, tickets, safety details, and communication. It is crucial to give each other the space to do what we love while traveling; he loves to ride around and cruise while I enjoy walking around and getting lost. So we compromise, while I walk around, grab a coffee, read a book, etc, he cruises around and does his thing. We then meet up and are able to enjoy each other’s company even better. Taking the time to do things we both enjoy is key.
What’s your go-to travel tip you always give people?
I give many tips but the most important one is to submerge yourself in the moment and quit trying to find the “perfect place.” While in Santorini everyone kept asking where the best place to see the Oia sunset was. These “perfect places” were very crowded and had no privacy. As we were rushing to chase the “perfect place” with tons of other people, we stopped in the middle of the road and decided to enjoy it right then and there; on top of an old abandoned building with donkeys crossing by. You make the travel experience, don’t focus on seeking out what all the other tourists are doing and seeing.
If you could only ever visit one more place in your life, where would it be and why?
My hometown, El Troncon in Mexico. It holds my childhood memories, my brother and grandmother are buried here. It’s where I dreamed big as a little girl of whom I may become, where my mother struggled to feed us, and where I learned at a very young age that life was not easy. The delicious food, the welcoming people, and its peaceful environment. For me, the simple life will always win over a five-star hotel in Paris.
When you travel, and have a precise destination, do you plan all the trip details, or start “an adventure”?
Both, I plan the important stuff such as transportation, luggage fees, hotel, buy tickets online, research things we may face while there that could throw our trip upside down if not prepared, keeping safe is my #1 priority. Once all the main details are settled I make a list of food choices such as coffee shops, cocktail bars, breakfast places, etc. While we are out and about we pick from the list or simply go with the flow. I will say it varies, if I go to a small town I go with the flow for mostly everything but if in a big city I try to plan a little more for time efficiency.
How do you distinguish yourself and your photos/videos from the many travel influencers on Instagram?
By being my raw self. There is no one like me on this planet and that is my gift. I truly LOVE posting, sharing, and answering questions. I feel like I am so diverse that everyone can identify themselves with something and although I am micro compared to the big “influencers” I am aiming for the stars and one day will have a large following.
What has been your most rewarding travel moment?
There have been two; when we walked up the Eiffel Tower in Paris and I saw that look in my husband’s face; one of his personal dreams was to see the Eiffel Tower. The journey to get to that point in our lives was not an easy one. The second one has to be in Capri, Italy riding a scooter around the island with my arms wide open feeling the fresh breeze and my husband honking the little scooter as we both yelled of pure joy.
What are you most looking forward to after quarantine? Any travel goals?
YES!! I had to cancel two trips due to the pandemic and I am looking forward to traveling again. It was something to look forward to for occasions such as my birthday. We plan to do a trip to Tulum, Mexico to just unwind and enjoy life, us, and our hard work. I am also planning to go to Peru, take a solo trip, go to Hawaii, Bora Bora, and of course, explore more of my beautiful Mexico. I don’t think I will ever stop planning trips!
Do you think you found your passion in life?
I have, my passion is to help others. This reciprocates in various forms; my nursing career that is centered around helping those whose health is declined, blogging by sharing what has helped me achieve my life, sharing health tips so people can achieve their health and fitness goals, and actually helping those in need such as kids and elderly. My life revolves around helping others, the reason I want to grow my social media platform so I can reach and thus help more people.
What made you become an Island Ambassador?
The whole vibe behind it, it’s the first brand ambassador program I chose to work with. I researched the company and fell in love with how it gives back to the community, how it helps people of the East coast connect with each other and the fact their product is clean and free of nasties. Their marketing is very appealing and my love for the ocean made it an easy choice! Plus I love a good day at the beach with a nice cold beer next to me.
What is your favorite thing about Island Coastal Lager?
The taste! I did not used to be a beer drinker but after trying ICL I loved it. It's refreshing and light two things in a beer I always look for. Once I let my husband try it and he said it was very good, I knew it was a true winner.
Last question, what is one thing you want people to know about you?
That I am a simple girl just living out her dreams and will never stop dreaming big.
