I recently was given the chance to interview the travel sphere’s up and coming self-love advocate, curvy model, and blogger, Sondra Holtz. Sondra’s blog and Instagram account give visitors the perfect combination of travel inspiration, self-love advice & guidance, and bomb photos. Trust me, you’ll want Sondra’s bright smile and kind words to add some sparkle to your feed ASAP. 

Let’s get to know the woman behind Curves and a Carry On, Sondra Holtz! 

Meet Travel’s Up and Coming Self Love Advocate and Plus Size Travel Blogger: Sondra Holtz

Chubby Diaries: Where are you based?

Sondra: Currently in Atlanta, GA but thinking of a move to Sarasota or Tampa, FL!

Chubby Diaries: Describe the moment you caught the travel bug.

Sondra: I finally had time and money to take my first trip in 2014 and went to Hawaii…and I haven’t stopped planning and going since!

Chubby Diaries: Has travel always been a central part of your life? If not, how did you make the change? 

Sondra: I never originally thought I’d have the time, money, or opportunities to travel. I didn’t take my first flight until 2005! But it was important to me to see the world and get outside of my own surroundings and I made sure I always budgeted and planned to make that priority a reality!

Chubby Diaries: What was your motivation for starting your travel blog?

Sondra: I have gained so much insight and perspective from seeing the world, and it changed my life. I wanted to share those destinations and experiences with others to encourage them to go find that same inspiration and beauty for themselves!

Chubby Diaries: How does social media play a role in your career?

Sondra: I’m really fortunate in that social media allows me to build and connect with people like me, but also allows opportunities for travel to find me! Collaborations I could never have dreamed of came from social media exposure!

Chubby Diaries: What do you hope your audience will get from your content? 

Sondra: I hope you’ll see you don’t have to be rich to explore. Start at home, and work your way out into the world. I hope my content shows my community that humanity holds so much more wonder and beauty and excitement than we could have ever imagined-and it makes you a better person.

Chubby Diaries: Where do you find inspiration?

Sondra: Inspiration is everywhere. The crazy thing about America is that most of what we know and love is derivative of all those who made their way here to build this country….so we can see pieces of places we want to visit all around us, all the time. 

Chubby Diaries: How often do you travel outside of work?

Sondra: Pre-Pandemic, my goal was to get to 3 states and 3 countries per year, minimum.

Chubby Diaries: What is your proudest moment of this year?

Sondra: I took a leap of faith and moved to Atlanta! I needed a fresh start in a completely new place, so I left my home town and went for it!

Chubby Diaries: What will travel look like for you in 2022? 

Sondra: I’m hoping 2022 feels a little safer to travel long term and longer distances. I’m happy exploring my new city for now and finding ways to safely travel domestically, but I can’t wait to get back to Florence and finally see Spain! My boyfriend is Portuguese, and I’m hoping we can visit his home country so he can show it to me, too!

We hope you enjoyed getting to know Sondra Holtz with us! Let us know what you enjoyed most about the interview in the comments. 

Are you interested in getting to know more about our favorite travel creators? Check out our blog!