The Instagram ‘influencer’ couple, who recently attracted criticism after asking their followers to pay for their holiday, have announced they’re quitting social media… for a while.
Catalin Onc and his wife Elena Engelhardt, who post on their Another Beautiful Day account, recently created a GoFundMe page so their followers could donate money to pay for their next trip – a bike ride from Germany to Africa.
According to the Instagram post, the funds will pay for: ‘the bike and gear, food and accommodation (when needed), internet and SIM cards in every country to keep you up to date, insurance, emergencies.’ They also needed the funds right away ‘for preparation as well as throughout’ the trip.
Catalin also revealed his mother works two jobs to fund his lavish lifestyle, writing in a now-deleted comment: ‘At this very moment, my mother is funding us, she works two jobs and has not much herself. We didn’t ask her for money but she loves that she is able to help.’
However, the fundraising didn’t quite go to plan for Catalin and Elena, and rather than the show of support – and the €10,000 – they received a fair bit of criticism instead.
The married couple have now announced a hiatus from social media, telling their 40,000 followers they’re going for a walk instead of a bike ride.
The post, alongside a picture of Catalin’s ‘Look Within’ tattoo, said:
And with this post, I will step away from social media for a little while. I mentioned that I’ll be doing the hardest thing I’ve ever done mentally and physically, soon.
Here it is.
I am going on a walk.
I will walk as long as I possibly can.
No sleep,
No social media,
No distractions.
Just me and my brain out there.
This first came to my mind in the Himalayan mountains, where I got to experience what my mind, body and soul are capable of.
Now I’m going to take it even further.
I am ready to face whatever is buried deep inside me.
Naturally, the comments were mixed, with one person writing, ‘Try walking to a job interview,’ while others hoped the walk would make them ‘wake up’.
The pair’s GoFundMe page is still active however, having raised €347 of their €10,000 goal, at time of writing.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.