My Darling Passport
My Darling Passport is a travel and lifestyle blog that chronicles colorful adventures, fashion finds and latest must-haves. I focus on creating travel guides, sharing vacation tips, writing hotel and product reviews and sharing my current obsessions in the lifestyle space. I hope you find some inspiration here!
I’m Caitlin, the girl behind My Darling Passport. I live in New York City and am an alumna of Fordham University and Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. I absolutely love exploring faraway lands and sharing my experiences, photographs and advice with readers.
My love of traveling started at a young age. In high school my parents decided to take a trip to Chile to visit a family friend, and I asked to plan the trip! I spent hours online researching the best itineraries, finding the most charming hotels and looking up local restaurants. That desire to explore and craft the perfect vacation has never left. In college I studied abroad in Seville, Spain, an experience that further shaped me as a traveler and as a planner.
I started My Darling Passport in 2017 with the goal of marrying my love of journalism with my love of travel. I hope My Darling Passport inspires you to book that trip and have an adventure. I believe there is nothing more rewarding or enriching than leaving the comfort of your home and experiencing a new land, a new culture, a new cuisine. I hope My Darling Passport educates and informs you. I pour everything I have learned on past trips into my travel guides, I add secrets and first-hand tips to my Instagram guides and I carefully research my hotel and destination reviews. I hope My Darling Passport encourages you to connect and share your own stories and your own travel advice.
Disclaimer: All opinions are my own. My Darling Passport is part of several affiliate advertising programs. If you click and/or make a purchase through certain links on this site or any related social media platforms, I may make a commission from it. Sponsored posts will always be disclosed and all images are property of My Darling Passport unless noted.
Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 24, 2024
This Privacy Policy describes Our policies and procedures on the collection, use and disclosure of Your information when You use the Service and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.
We use Your Personal data to provide and improve the Service. By using the Service, You agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy has been created with the help of the Free Privacy Policy Generator.
Interpretation and Definitions
Interpretation
The words of which the initial letter is capitalized have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or in plural.
Definitions
For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:
Account means a unique account created for You to access our Service or parts of our Service.
Affiliate means an entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a party, where “control” means ownership of 50% or more of the shares, equity interest or other securities entitled to vote for election of directors or other managing authority.
Company (referred to as either “the Company”, “We”, “Us” or “Our” in this Agreement) refers to My Darling Passport.
Cookies are small files that are placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website, containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.
Country refers to: New York, United States
Device means any device that can access the Service such as a computer, a cellphone or a digital tablet.
Personal Data is any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
Service refers to the Website.
Service Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of the Company. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by the Company to facilitate the Service, to provide the Service on behalf of the Company, to perform services related to the Service or to assist the Company in analyzing how the Service is used.
Third-party Social Media Service refers to any website or any social network website through which a User can log in or create an account to use the Service.
Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Service or from the Service infrastructure itself (for example, the duration of a page visit).
Website refers to My Darling Passport, accessible from http://www.mydarlingpassport.com
You means the individual accessing or using the Service, or the company, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Service, as applicable.
Collecting and Using Your Personal Data
Types of Data Collected
Personal Data
While using Our Service, We may ask You to provide Us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally identifiable information may include, but is not limited to:
Email address
First name and last name
Phone number
Address, State, Province, ZIP/Postal code, City
Usage Data
Usage Data
Usage Data is collected automatically when using the Service.
Usage Data may include information such as Your Device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g. IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Service that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.
When You access the Service by or through a mobile device, We may collect certain information automatically, including, but not limited to, the type of mobile device You use, Your mobile device unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, Your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data.
We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Service or when You access the Service by or through a mobile device.
Information from Third-Party Social Media Services
The Company allows You to create an account and log in to use the Service through the following Third-party Social Media Services:
If You decide to register through or otherwise grant us access to a Third-Party Social Media Service, We may collect Personal data that is already associated with Your Third-Party Social Media Service’s account, such as Your name, Your email address, Your activities or Your contact list associated with that account.
You may also have the option of sharing additional information with the Company through Your Third-Party Social Media Service’s account. If You choose to provide such information and Personal Data, during registration or otherwise, You are giving the Company permission to use, share, and store it in a manner consistent with this Privacy Policy.
Tracking Technologies and Cookies
We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Service and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyze Our Service. The technologies We use may include:
- Cookies or Browser Cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a Cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, You may not be able to use some parts of our Service. Unless you have adjusted Your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our Service may use Cookies.
- Web Beacons. Certain sections of our Service and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).
Cookies can be “Persistent” or “Session” Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser. Learn more about cookies on the Free Privacy Policy website article.
We use both Session and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:
Necessary / Essential Cookies
Type: Session Cookies
Administered by: Us
Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with services available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the services that You have asked for cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those services.
Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies
Type: Persistent Cookies
Administered by: Us
Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website.
Functionality Cookies
Type: Persistent Cookies
Administered by: Us
Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember choices You make when You use the Website, such as remembering your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter your preferences every time You use the Website.
For more information about the cookies we use and your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.
Use of Your Personal Data
The Company may use Personal Data for the following purposes:
To provide and maintain our Service, including to monitor the usage of our Service.
To manage Your Account: to manage Your registration as a user of the Service. The Personal Data You provide can give You access to different functionalities of the Service that are available to You as a registered user.
For the performance of a contract: the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or services You have purchased or of any other contract with Us through the Service.
To contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application’s push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted services, including the security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.
To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, services and events which we offer that are similar to those that you have already purchased or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.
To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests to Us.
For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about our Service users is among the assets transferred.
For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and to evaluate and improve our Service, products, services, marketing and your experience.
We may share Your personal information in the following situations:
- With Service Providers: We may share Your personal information with Service Providers to monitor and analyze the use of our Service, to contact You.
- For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of Company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another company.
- With Affiliates: We may share Your information with Our affiliates, in which case we will require those affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include Our parent company and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that We control or that are under common control with Us.
- With business partners: We may share Your information with Our business partners to offer You certain products, services or promotions.
- With other users: when You share personal information or otherwise interact in the public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside. If You interact with other users or register through a Third-Party Social Media Service, Your contacts on the Third-Party Social Media Service may see Your name, profile, pictures and description of Your activity. Similarly, other users will be able to view descriptions of Your activity, communicate with You and view Your profile.
- With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.
Retention of Your Personal Data
The Company will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Personal Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.
The Company will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period of time, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of Our Service, or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer time periods.
Transfer of Your Personal Data
Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at the Company’s operating offices and in any other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to — and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the data protection laws may differ than those from Your jurisdiction.
Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by Your submission of such information represents Your agreement to that transfer.
The Company will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organization or a country unless there are adequate controls in place including the security of Your data and other personal information.
Delete Your Personal Data
You have the right to delete or request that We assist in deleting the Personal Data that We have collected about You.
Our Service may give You the ability to delete certain information about You from within the Service.
You may update, amend, or delete Your information at any time by signing in to Your Account, if you have one, and visiting the account settings section that allows you to manage Your personal information. You may also contact Us to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that You have provided to Us.
Please note, however, that We may need to retain certain information when we have a legal obligation or lawful basis to do so.
Disclosure of Your Personal Data
Business Transactions
If the Company is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.
Law enforcement
Under certain circumstances, the Company may be required to disclose Your Personal Data if required to do so by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g. a court or a government agency).
Other legal requirements
The Company may disclose Your Personal Data in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:
- Comply with a legal obligation
- Protect and defend the rights or property of the Company
- Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service
- Protect the personal safety of Users of the Service or the public
- Protect against legal liability
Security of Your Personal Data
The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, We cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Children’s Privacy
Our Service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If You are a parent or guardian and You are aware that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, please contact Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, We take steps to remove that information from Our servers.
If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, We may require Your parent’s consent before We collect and use that information.
Links to Other Websites
Our Service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Us. If You click on a third party link, You will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit.
We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third party sites or services.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page.
We will let You know via email and/or a prominent notice on Our Service, prior to the change becoming effective and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this Privacy Policy.
You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, You can contact us:
By email: caitlin@mydarlingpassport.com
By phone number: 716.908.2425
Frequently Asked Questions
I use a Sony a7R II. The two lenses I alternate between are 50mm and 28mm. This blog post goes into depth about my gear, and I share recommendations for a beginner.
I edit my photos in Adobe Lightroom, using the desktop version. I really rely on Lightroom to take my photos “to the next level” and recommend that any blogger or photography get a subscription to the desktop version. There is also a mobile version but I find the functionality to be better on desktop.
My biggest piece of advice is to just START! Analysis paralysis is a real thing, and if you get stuck on how to start you never will. The beginning will be bumpy but learning as you grow is key. Watch YouTube tutorials, join Facebook groups for bloggers and make connections with others in your industry. This blog post has lots of advice on starting a blog.
Travel has always been incredibly important to me. I spent a summer in high school in England, and studied abroad in Spain in college, and found those experiences to be extremely transformative. I also found myself seeking out unique spots and “best things to do” while on my travels, and then giving that advice and my recommendations to friends and family. I love turning people onto great destinations and experiences, and knew I wanted to do that for a larger audience, so I started a blog and Instagram. It was a huge learning curve but I stuck with it and have grown it over the years.
I have a traditional 9-5 in addition to my blog. I went to college and graduate school and working in a traditional corporate setting was important to me. I’ve learned a lot from working in the corporate world that has helped me to be successful in the blogging world. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to successfully manage doing both throughout the years.
My background is in journalism and television news. I went to undergrad at Fordham University where I majored in Communications and History. I interned each semester at different news organizations- WFUV Radio, NBC, CBS and ABC. After college I got my master’s degree at Columbia University, Graduate School of Journalism. I worked at NBC for a few years, before pivoting into PR and growing my blog.
The main ways I make money from my blog are through brand collaborations (a brand will pay me to promote their product/service on one of my platforms), freelance writing (I’m a freelance travel writer for other media organizations) and affiliate marketing (when someone makes a purchase through a link I provide I make a small commission, at no extra expense to them).
It’s not easy to grow a following on Instagram, but with persistence and dedication it’s possible! My biggest tips are to create high quality content (buy a real camera and learn how to use it, get Lightroom to edit and provide value in your image and captions) and engage a lot (commenting, liking and DMing others in your industry and people who may be interested in your content). It will take a lot of time- patience and hard work are key here.
Ollie is my three year old Mini Australian Shepherd. I take her on trips as much as I can. You’ll see her make frequent appearances in photos!