From YouTube Boyfriends to LGBTQ Travel Connoisseurs

Based in Portland, Oregon, husbands Matthew Schueller and Michael Lindsay are bloggers and content creators and YouTube stars who have become experts in the field of travel.

Sharing their stories and experiences, the couple brings audiences the best of the best in LGBTQ travel destinations, tips and hints, and advice from local guides. Not only do they hope to inspire people to travel, but they want to provide all the necessary information one will need for the best trip of their life.

“Overall, I want people to see that there is life beyond just where they are at,” Lindsay says. “I like to share our travel experiences with people and talk about it with them. A lot of people want to know if it’s safe for gay people to go here or there. We may have more exploring to do in that realm, but I hope we are offering people some good advice.”

“I also hope people take away hope from our content,” Schueller adds. “I go back to high school, being closeted, thinking there was nothing beyond where I was at. I didn’t know if there was a life beyond high school for me. I felt very closed off and secluded, in a very dark place, but being able to go online and see other people post content or pictures, it gave me hope. I was given a glimpse into their lives, and I could see there was something more out there in the world. There was something beyond my current circumstances. That helped me move forward in life, so I hope our content does the same for others.”

In addition to travel, Lindsay and Schueller allow fans into their daily lives as individuals. They are now in the process of growing a family, owning their first home, and advancing in their respective careers. Lindsay is applying to a postdoctoral program to specialize in pediatric dentistry, while Schueller is applying to new-grad residency nursing programs.

The two first met in 2014 over YouTube.

“Matt posted a video of his coming out story in 2013 and posted a response video a year later encouraging other people to post their coming out stories,” Lindsay recalls. “I had been following him for a few months because I had just gotten into the LGBTQ YouTube blogging sphere. I came out that previous November in 2013, and I wanted to post a coming out video. 

“This was now April or May, and I saw this as my little jab to get it done. I filmed it that night, posted it as a response, and he saw it the next day. A couple days after that, I felt like we had a lot in common and I wanted to chit chat and talk. He was also a little bit cute. So, I messaged him on Facebook, and he immediately responded with his number. Then we started Skyping after that.”

A week later, Lindsay purchased a plane ticket to visit his future husband in Seattle. 

“He arrived three weeks later; I picked him up from the airport, and we basically started dating from that day on,” Schueller says. “We have never expressed our feelings towards each other up until that point because we were both skeptical about meeting somebody that we just knew from YouTube.”

“It was very much 90 Day Fiancé,” Lindsay jokes. “If you conceptualize it, it sounds so weird, but it didn’t feel weird at that moment.”

The couple got married in June 2018.

Together, through trials and tribulations, they have continued to grow and showcase their lives in hopes of inspiring others around them, regardless of their personal lifestyles. Hoping life never settles, Lindsay and Schueller look forward to continuing their travels while sharing more of themselves with the world on their day-to-day journey through life. 

Looking back, the two always think fondly of all their travel experiences, but one of their most unforgettable trips was when they visited Mount Rushmore while moving Lindsay to Schueller’s then-home in Nebraska. 

“We got out of the car to go take pictures in front of Mount Rushmore, and we were so excited,” Schueller says. “We took some selfies and were like, ‘Cute, yay, boyfriend, love it.’ We got back to the car, and I asked Michael for the keys. He said he didn’t have them. They were locked in the car. So, we called AAA and waited around two hours. It all worked out fine, but I think because it was very early on in the relationship, we’re like, ‘OK, panic. We have a conflict; how are we going to handle this?’”

Unfortunately, like the rest of the world, Lindsay and Schueller had to put a halt on their adventures thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they discovered a new appreciation for their now-home state of Oregon during these unprecedented times. 

“We did a lot of local travel,” Schueller explains. “We went on hikes and got to experience a lot more of our state. It felt homey and cute.”

No matter where they end up, Lindsay and Schueller cannot wait to immerse themselves in the culture and try the local cuisine. They have several destinations on their bucket list including New Zealand and India, and they look forward to visiting these countries soon.  

Because money is tight for millions of people, they can also provide tips on how to travel with a limited budget. 

“What’s amazing about travel is how people of all walks of life make it work,” Lindsay says. “If finances are tight, pre-planning is super important, so you don’t end up in a situation where you have a surprise credit card bill at the end.”

“Traveling on a budget sometimes can lead to even better and culturally rich experiences compared to traveling in luxury,” Schueller adds. “Some of my fondest memories while traveling have taken place because of the people I’ve met at hostels. Sharing a room with a few strangers might not sound like the most ideal circumstance, but it saves so much money while traveling. You can stay in places closer to city centers, and some of the strangers can often become great friends. 

“Michael and I stayed at a hostel in downtown Copenhagen when we got engaged, and we still keep in touch with some of the people we met there. After Michael proposed to me, we celebrated by attending a bar-hopping tour with the hostel and, honestly, had one of the best times of our lives. I think it was about $20 to join the tour. Not bad for one of our fondest memories!” 

Stay up-to-date and connect with Lindsay and Schueller by visiting MichaelandMatt.com and follow them on Instagram @michaelandmatt and their YouTube channel, “Michael & Matt.”  

Photos Courtesy of Chris Rice and Matthew Sherman