November 8, 2024

Plus-size Travel with Blogger Jeff Jenkins of Chubby Diaries

Group of travelers posing indoors beneath leafy trees, wearing Day of the Dead face paint and floral crowns, with casual clothing and smiling expressions during a cultural experience in Oaxaca.

Jeff Jenkins is an award-winning content creator and travel journalist, also Founder of Chubby Diaries and Co-founder of Black Travel Alliance, and has sat on The Points Guy Advisory Panel. He has created a community that encourages and motivates plus-size people to travel the world.

Jeff is helping plus-size people and Black people feel represented in the travel industry. In this episode, we talk about his blog, Chubby Diaries, and his three pillars of inclusion including accessibility, comfort, and community. Jeff talks about how important it is to see people like himself traveling, in order to encourage other plus-size and Black people to feel welcome to explore the world.

We discussed tips for plus-size folks when traveling, how to prepare for a trip, and how to feel comfortable in the outdoors! We even discussed what airlines will give plus-size folks a free extra seat, and some essentials like bringing your own seatbelt extenders, plus-size wet suits, and what outdoor brands have plus-size backpacks.

Most importantly, Jeff talks to people “where they are right now,” as most of the content on the internet is focused on weight loss, rather than how bigger people should feel comfortable traveling now!

Jeff has been featured in several notable publications such as Forbes, New York Times, Washington Post, Google, Travel Noire, Essence, Travel + Leisure, Lonely Planet, Texas Monthly, Outdoor Retailers, and The Point Guy. He helps people travel the world no matter their size through community, branded content, and motivational talks. You can expect 100% authenticity, transparency, and lots of fun. He has a skill of drawing out big dreams in people and every time you are around him you can expect to enjoy yourself! Jeff’s enthusiastic personality, charisma, and contagious big smile makes him one of a kind!
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In this episode of The Millennial Travel Podcast I discuss with Jeff Jenkins:

Travel tips for plus-size people
What destinations are doing a good job of being inclusive for plus-size travelers?
What are some challenges that black people face traveling? How can we be more sensitive?
Jeff’s role with the Black Travel Alliance
Financial literacy when it comes to traveling and people can invest in themselves

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The Millennial Travel Podcast Rapid Fire Questions I ask Jeff Jenkins:

Favorite restaurant in the entire world?
Favorite country in the world?
One thing you couldn’t travel without?

Resources from Chubby Diaries:

Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Spotify, or Youtube.

You can find all the links and past show notes on millennialtravelpodcast.com

Direct support for The Millennial Travel Podcast comes from The Millennial Travel Guidebook: Escape More, Spend Less, & Make Travel a Priority in Your Life.

Looking for more great content? Check out The Ultimate Guide to Solo Travel.

AUTHORS

Matt Wilson

Matt Wilson is the co-founder and CEO of Under30Experiences, a group travel company for young adults, and the author of The Millennial Travel Guidebook: Escape More, Spend Less, & Make Travel a Priority in Your Life.

He has spent over a decade designing, operating, and reviewing group trips around the world, with a focus on travel safety, logistics, and real-world risk assessment for young, solo, and first-time travelers. His experience includes extensive travel throughout Latin America and Europe, as well as hands-on work vetting destinations, local partners, accommodations, and transportation providers.

Matt regularly evaluates destinations using practical criteria that go beyond crime statistics including infrastructure, medical access, transportation reliability, and group dynamics which informs the travel safety guides he writes and updates based on recent travel.

He is a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and approaches travel the same way he approaches training: prepared, disciplined, and aware of risk without being ruled by fear.

Matt remains actively involved in reviewing itineraries, assessing safety considerations, and creating destination guides for Under30Experiences, with the goal of helping travelers explore the world confidently, responsibly, and with intention.