Instagram via Positravelty Kelly Castille and Kody Workman
Kelly Castille and Kody workman, the famous travel bloggers behind Positravelty, are at the center of controversy after one of their recent photographs was branded “risky” and “irresponsible,” according to Instagram.
Positravelty posted its first photo on May 6, 2018, while the two were in Mirissa, Sri Lanka. It received 653 likes. Since then, Kelly and Kody’s following has ballooned to more than 164,000.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Kelly and Cody Both Quit Their Jobs to Travel
“It is so often that we find ourselves overplanning, running head first into an overbooked schedule,” Kelly and Kody wrote during their visit to Bocas Del Toro, Panama. “When you love the work you do it can consume you, so you must find time to completely separate, to breathe and regroup.”
According to Acanela Expeditions, the two both quit their jobs in the United States to pursue a life of travel and excitement. The site says Kody quit his job and has since become a staff instructor for the Instructor Development Course (IDC) for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and a successful travel-based photographer. Kelly quit her job to travel solo and met Kody on her journey. Now, Kelly and Kody are a pair of well-established travel bloggers who share their experience and advice via social media.
“These islands are such a special place for us, always reminding us to slow down, and we feel so lucky to have them as our home away from home. Where is home for you?” Kelly and Kody asked their followers.
2. The Couple Has Traveled to 31 Countries Together
According to Acanela Expeditions, after meeting “the love of her life” while traveling solo, Kelly teamed up with Kody and the two have since traveled to 31 countries, all documented on Positravelty.
The gorgeous couple can be seen in tropical locations like Bali, Panama, Philippines, and Tanzania, among other places. They have also shared snaps from colder climates like Austria, Hungary, Poland, Nepal, and Bolivia.
Kelly and Kody have so much travel experience that they are now ready to lead a group, according to Acanela Expeditions. The two brand ambassadors will be leading about a dozen adults to a handful of destinations in the North African country of Morocco for one week during the spring of 2020.
3. The Two Bloggers Posted a Controversial Photograph on Instagram
“Behind the masses of those that wish to watch you lead a quiet and sedentary life is an open, unlined canvas,” Kelly and Kody wrote on August 28, 2019. “We urge you to take a chance, to push past barriers of negativity and oppression of self fulfillment and paint the picture of who YOU want to be.”
The two shared an exciting photo on Instagram after a hike to Laguna Humantay, a beautiful lake located in Cusco, Peru. Kody can be seen holding Kelly in mid-air as he sits on the edge of a cliff overlooking the water.
“Never let yourself be beat down for living your life by those too afraid to live their own” the couple continued. “There is a difference between risking your life and taking a risk at having one. We know which side we would rather be on, do you?”
More than 13,000 people liked Kelly and Kody’s photo on Instagram, and more than 1,000 people left a comment. Some praised the couple for their fearlessness and creativity while others called the stunt “selfish,” “risky,” and “irresponsible.”
“I think your phots and travels look marvelous but goodness me, these photos put OTHER people at risk and I’m not taking those who want to copy you but the first responders who would have to put their lives on the line should your photo go horribly wrong,” Helen commented. “That’s the real selfishness of all this. It’s not your safety I’m concerned about in the slightest but the safety of others.”
“It’s all about attention seeking,” Judy wrote. “Gives us nothing about the country they are traveling in. A real travel blogger/instagram account is about the place, not yourselves. Be honest.”
4. Kelly and Cody Have Been Criticized for Their Photos Before
“Only you can know your body, feel the space around you and understand your capabilities,” Kelly and Kody wrote on April 2, 2019. “We would all do well to remember this, knowing that not every action, style or path we witness through others is or should be, replicated. At the end of the day we are to hold ourselves accountable for the decisions that we make.”
Kelly and Kody have taken criticism before over another photo which was similarly called “risky” and “extreme.” In this photo, Kody can be seen literally holding Kelly’s life in his hands while they were visiting Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Kody stands tall at the edge of an infinity pool holding Kelly’s arms while she hangs over the edge.
The two kissed for the camera and held the pose and, while the post received international criticism, it racked up 43,000 likes and almost 3,000 comments.
Wayan Palmieri said “exactly the tourists Bali does not need.”
5. The Adventure-Seeking Couple Believes Everyone is Responsible for Their Own Actions
According to several posts on their Instagram page, Kelly and Kody believe that everyone is in charge of their own actions. They insist that all of their poses are safe and responsible.
“As we have said in the past, photography is our creative outlet. We have never put ourselves in danger for our photos and we never will,” the couple told Fox News.
The couple also told the outlet that they ignore the negativity left on their page, adding that account is about creativity, photography, kindness, perspective, and positivity. Kelly and Kody said that the way people interpret their photos is irrelevant to them.