One of the tricks to being able to travel is making sure you have enough money to do it. It’s less expensive than you think but some form of income is still going to be handy! Sometimes this might involve an existing skill you have or sometimes you develop new skills that can be used anywhere you go.
Jenna and Micah Kvidt are Minnesota natives who in the last twelve months have made the world their oyster. Through their website www.wanderthemap.com they’ve been everywhere from Iceland to Japan and large parts of the US and Canada as well. They have developed their skills to the point where Micah earns a living as a freelance photographer and videographer while Jenna supplements their income through her online Etsy store. Like many others they gave up their corporate jobs to travel and haven’t regretted it since
You can follow their travels at http://www.instagram.com/wanderthemap http://www.youtube.com/wanderthemap and on their pinterest and Facebook pages as well
What I learned from Jenna and Micah’s interview:
To many a comfortable lifestyle in Corpus Christi Texas would sound like retirement bliss and for Anita and Richard Oliver it had its benefits. Anita was still working as a pharmacist while Richard had retired and enjoyed his mornings walking or catching up with friends. They had the typical house with the typical toys – but something was missing.
3 years ago they made the decision to sell up or giveaway most of their possessions except the house and start travelling. After working their way through much of central and South America they travelled to Europe where they fell in love with the Algarve region of Portugal.
We caught up with them back in Corpus Christi where they were housesitting while waiting for their Portugese visas to be come through.
You’ll find their blog at http://noparticularplacetogo.net
What I learned from Richard and Anita:
Today’ interview is longer than our normal but I think you’ll agree it’s worth every minute.
Just over 4 years ago Talon Windwalker was dealing with depression and his 9 year old son was battling with anxiety. He had become disillusioned in the US and felt the education system wasn’t providing his son with what he needed.
Together they embarked on an adventure that has seen them travel through 6 continents and share the sort of father and son experiences that few others would have had.
We spoke with Talon housesitting in England where we discussed the pros and cons of travel and the opportunities that self-schooling can provide a young boy which traditional education doesn’t.
Their story is inspiring of what you can do with children when you don’t conform to the norm. You can find out more here at their blog http://1dad1kid.com
What I learned from these two travelers:
One of the issues facing perpetual travelers and those wishing to become global nomads or expatriates is “where do I make some money?” Well there are lots of options available online but if you’re into a more traditional form of work and don’t mind giving up some of your privacy then being an au pair or child carer could be the perfect option for you.
Today we talk to Roisin Grace about her experiences of being an au pair in Paris, the do’s and don’ts of being an au pair and where you can start if you’re wanting to become one.
You can follow Roisin’s blog at http://roisingrace.com
What I learned about being an au pair:
Being a perpetual traveler is one of the new ways to see the globe but 30 years ago it was more a rarity – and even more of a rarity for a single woman to be doing it on her own.
For Leyla Giray Alyanak travel was in her blood. Her parents and grandparents were all expats and she grew up on the move. When the time came to make the decision to end her journalism position and take to the road it was probably no surprise to anybody.
30 years on this multi-national citizen has settled in to France as her home but the urge to travel is still strong and she will again be hitting the road ready to use her multi language skills to help traverse the globe.
We hope you’ll enjoy today’s interview where you’ll discover how travel has changed and Leyla’s opinions on what a modern day traveler would need to do if they want to follow in her shoes.
Leyla is indeed one of the grandmothers of modern nomadic travel. You’ll find her blog and e-book at http://blog.women-on-the-road.com
What I learned from speaking with Leyla:
If your image of the typical house-sitter is a cat loving baby boomer than think again. Laura and Tanbay are two twenty somethings travelling the world and enjoying it without the cost of accommodation.
A chance search for how to live rent free led them to discover the art of minding houses and three years later the two young people have enjoyed many parts of the world while living on minimal costs.
Their adventures have taken them from Australia to the Azores. We caught up with them both in Germany where they were visiting friends and family between housesits.
You can follow their adventures and grab a copy of their e-book: Housesitting in Australia; A Guide for First Time House-sitters at their website http://www.travellingweasels.com
What I learned from speaking with Laura and Tanbay:
So you’re looking at heading overseas and want to set up an online business, maybe a travel blog, to bring in a little money. Trouble is you don’t know the first thing about website building, affiliate marketing, and have never run a Facebook ad in your life. No problem!
The good news is you don’t have to know it all. There are well qualified people with the expertise to do all the technical stuff you don’t know so you can focus on the more important parts, namely sunning yourself on the beach and having a good time!
Today we talk with Sam Patton an outsourcing expert who explains what outsourcing is, why you should use it, how you can use outsourcing both to help with an online business and the personal aspects of your travel plans, and he shows you some cool tools you can use to make outsourcing easier for you if that’s the way you’re planning to go.
If you want to know more about outsourcing and how to get started you can contact Sam through his website www.savetimeoutsourcing.com . He has a great little report on 77 things you can outsource from your business and your life at www.savetimeoutsourcing.com/task-list
What I learned from speaking with Sam:
Travel can be tough if you go against the norms of society. You left the career path you had lined up to do what? You’re travelling the world with two kids under 5…are you nuts??
You could listen to others…or you could do what you knew was right for you. For Billy and Scarlett Thomas the standard well-worn path of get career, have kids just didn’t feel right.
There motto is “have kids, will travel” and indeed they do! Since leaving the United States 3 years ago their young family have journeyed through much of Europe, and Central and South America discovering what people and life has to offer along the way.
Today we talk with the Thomas’s during a break catching up with family in Utah (they are about to head to Japan for six months). During our talk they discuss the expectations that society can put on you as a graduate and as parents, and how what they have done have helped both them and their children grow. They also discuss education options for children when travelling and how you can combine travel with running a bricks and mortar business back home.
You can follow their travels on Scarlett’s blog http://dancingontheground.weebly.com and talk with Billy about running a bricks and mortar business remotely at www.highergroundlearning.com
What I learned from speaking with Billy and Scarlett:
Do you live to work or work to live? This is a question Margo Eggeling finds herself asking more frequently after her experience of living in Heidelberg Germany. Her time away has provided her and her husband with fantastic memories, great photos and an ever expanding group of friends in all parts of the world – but the question of what she wants to do with her life is now foremost in her mind.
A child of the American university system who has to date followed the corporate line Margo has recently returned from her expat experience looking for new adventures. With her husband, a former accountant with KPMG, they are now ready to embark on the next stage of life’s adventures – a one way ticket to Bali is already booked with no clear cut plans of where they will head to next.
We spoke with Margo about her experiences of Germany, how cheap and easy travel is around Europe when you’re based there, the true experiences of Heidelberg beyond the tourist regions and how her experiences have changed her priorities in life.
If you’re keen to find out more you can contact Margo through her blog http://www.theoverseasescape.com
What I learned from speaking with Margo:
Facing death is the ultimate motivation to revisit your life’s purpose and ask yourself whether what you are doing is truly making you happy. For Barbara Weibel that challenge came to a head in 2007 when, dealing with lymes disease, she realized her corporate life was making her richer but leaving her feeling empty inside.
She hopped on a plane to Vietnam writing the story of her journey while away. Upon returning to the US she discovered that over 1200 people had found her journey worth reading and with that as her motivation she embarked on a permanent travel lifestyle that has taken her to 60 countries over the past 9 years.
Barbara has become one of the world’s biggest travel bloggers and has proven that a single woman in her 50’s can travel the world safely with the right attitude. Her saying “Faith and fear can’t live in the same place” has been her source of comfort along her journey.
We caught up with Barbara in Croatia where she shared her insights into how she lives her life and why the American dream is not delivering on its promise.
You can follow Barbara’s journey at her popular blog www.holeinthedonut.com . If you’re looking to send a picture from your own journey Barbara offers $1 e-postcards of her travel photos. Barbara is a strong supporter of charities in many of the countries she visits and you can support her work with an e postcard from her many travel photos at www.holeinthedonut.net
What I learned from speaking with Barbara:
It’s a long way from California to the west coast of France, especially if you’ve never visited before. Daniele and her husband Mike made the big move after Mike got a job opportunity in the French city of Biarritz, one of the surfing capitals of Europe.
Although something of a culture shock Daniele has so far enjoyed the tradition – swapping the business suits of her former life as a lawyer for the running shoes as she enjoys a more relaxed lifestyle in France.
Today we talk with Daniele as she discusses the culture shocks of France, how travelling opportunities have opened up from her new European base, and why the French have mastered the art of living in a way that is both challenging and refreshing to enjoy.
You can follow her and what’s happening in Biarritz at www.lexpatblog.com
What I learned from Daniele’s interview:
What do you do if you’re a stand-up comedian who has just lost his day job and your artist girlfriend has also lost hers? You move to France of course! Today we interview Tommy Barnes who with his girlfriend left London 5 months ago to get away from the rat race and stress of big city life.
They moved to the Auvergne region of France and have embraced the contrast between their old London existence and what small village French life has to offer. They have even dispelled a few myths about the French way of life that the English have stereotyped the French as having. To many their existence may seem precarious – Tommy has spent his days writing a book he hopes to publish while Rose looks to sell her sculptures, and they currently are surviving on redundancy money. Despite this however they are happier, healthier, and with their recent commitment to buy a house in the Loire valley, they are now determined to make France their long term home
We caught up with Tommy one beautiful summer’s morning. You can follow his hilarious stories about life in the French countryside at http://thomasprinceoffrance.blogspot.com.au
What I learned from Tommy’s interview:
If you’re keen to live the expat life but overseas travel and cultures are not for you then why not consider being an expat traveler within your own country? Lots of people are doing it and todays travelers are no exception. Chuck and Lori Ros are combining the best of overseas travel with the chance to see more of the United States and they’re using a multiple of methods to cover the cost of their adventures including swapping work for travel, housesitting, house swapping and some very affordable one way cruise deals we’ll share with you on the show!
They are loving their new life and don’t see themselves going back to the old one anytime soon. If you want to hear more about their new lifestyle and how you can enjoy the benefits of your own country affordably as an internal traveler then listen to what they have to say.
You’ll find out more on their blog at www.chuckandlori.com
What I learned from speaking with Chuck and Lori:
If you’re in need of some heart repairs would you be comfortable with having it done in another country? For many people the thought of this would seem terrifying – but as an expat living in Colombia Michael Kershaw was able to relax confident in a medical system he knew would look after him.
Colombia is fast developing an excellent reputation for both medical and dental care and medical tourism is on the rise. Michael’s hospital visit was covered under his medical insurance with no out of pocket expenses and considerably less hassle and better care than he received in the US.
In today’s interview Michael talks about medical care in Colombia from his first-hand experience plus shares the journey that brought in there and why his life is so much richer for the experience of relocating from the United States. He dispels many of the myths surrounding the safety in Colombia as well and explains why it should be on your radar if you’re looking for an expat location to move to.
You’ll find more about Colombia, and the best places to get a good coffee, on Michael’s blog at www.michaelandgraciela.com
What I learned from speaking with Michael:
Colombia is a country that has been struggling to throw off its history of civil war and drug crime. A country that was well off the radar of travelers even 10 years ago has undergone something of a transformation. The capital Bogota offers good living at an extremely affordable price with an ever growing expat community.
Today we talk with Karen Attman, a US native who has spent the last 19 years living in South America, initially in Venezuela and for the last 3 years in Bogota, her husband’s native city.
In today’s interview Karen shares her experiences of Bogota, its affordability and why it is no longer the crime enclave that people have associated it with in the past. If you’re interested in visiting Colombia or relocating there then you’ll find plenty of useful tips and suggestions in this chat with Karen.
Being an expat doesn’t have to mean leaving your old life behind. An increasing number of people are enjoying the benefits of their home life while spending a significant portion of the year in other locations – and you don’t have to be a retiree to do this.
Jen and Jay Kerwood are Toronto natives who have spent the last 3 northern winter living in Cancun, Mexico. They spend around 8 months of the year there, returning to Toronto during the summer months when the weather is more settled.
Jen and Jay aren’t the baby boomer generation either – they are able to combine a portable worklife with the opportunity to travel and enjoy the best things that Mexico has to offer.
We apologize for the internet quality on this interview.
So what do you know about Korea? In my case not very much. I certainly wasn’t aware that I could leave my wallet on a public bench and have a better than even chance of getting it back! But this is just one of the many pleasant surprises I found out during my conversation with Dain and KJ Leathem, two expat kiwis who have been living in Korea for the last 12 years.
Today they share with us many of the insights to Seoul that only a local would know, including how keen Korea is to attract international students and why they are able to get their extended education at a cheaper price than in the west, plus why Korea is fast becoming a hub for medical tourism as well.
It’s a long way from Edinburgh Scotland to the heart of Hong Kong; not just in distance but also in contrasts. For Joanna Claire an opportunity to shift with her employer was too good to turn down and she made the move in early 2015. So far the experience has been wonderful for her making new friends and giving herself the perfect starting off point to explore much of Asia.
Joanna sat down for an interview with us and shared her perspective of being a young woman in one of the world’s largest business hubs. Here’s what she had to say
You can follow her blog at http://www.b-hongkong.com
What I learned from speaking with Joanna:
Getting a gun pointed in your face is often an experience that would cause many to catch the next bus out of town but for Andrew Creelman he hasn’t allowed it to faze his enjoyment of living in Brazil.
Andrew has lived and worked in Sao Paulo as a teacher for a number of years. Initially from England he worked in Japan until a chance beer with a friend one night let to a spur of the moment decision he hasn’t regretted.
Andrew shares with us his experiences of living in Sao Paulo, the good and the bad, and why the longer he spends there the more he feels at home. He talks about the influence the people of Sao Paulo has had on him and how he is richer from the experiences he has had there. He runs his own English teaching business and shares his knowledge on this area along with his suggestions on dealing with Brazilian life through his blog www.whataboutsaopaulo.com
What I learned from speaking with Andrew:
Children can stop you from travelling – or it can be the very reason to be doing it. Today we talk to a couple who have certainly been leading an international lifestyle and have two very international children to show for it.
Matt and Hannah Curtis have spent the last two years living in Okinawa, a sub tropical island south of the mainland of Japan. Although a Japanese island it sits closer to Taiwan than it does to Japan. Since their arrival the Curtis’s have come to love the island and their people and are firm believers that you’ll get as much from a place as you’re prepared to put into it.
Raising children in a different culture can be a challenge and it doesn’t come without it’s downsides including proximity to family, but the pluses have been worth it. They believe both they and their children are richer for the experiences and today they share some of the challenges of living in another culture, and how it can affect your children in a positive way.
If you want to follow what the Curtis’s are up to and find out more about their travels follow their blog at http://funflyingfour.com
What I learned from speaking with Matt and Hannah:
One of the great advantages of the internet is the ability to create a portable income, one that isn’t time dependent and one you can earn from anywhere in the world. In fact if you’re an expat with a story to share that very fact could be a source of income in itself. If you’re looking for a means to earn some online income as an expat then blogging could be an option for you.
Today we talk to Yeison Kim and Samantha Wei who are enjoying the good life in Costa Rica. Samantha is from the United States and started their blog just on 3 years ago. They are currently getting around 80000 website visitors every month and now earn an income of around $US5000 per month from their blog.
We spoke with them about how to set up a blog, some mistakes they made in getting started and what options are available in monetizing a blog if you hope to go down this line. They share the secrets that have helped them get their blog to the point of being a source of income they can now comfortably live off while enjoying the pleasures of Costa Rican life.
If you’re interested in knowing their tips then listen to today’s show. These guys are very transparent about what they do and how they monetize it and you can get all the details including website traffic and monthly income on their website at www.yeisonkim.com or follow their stories from Costa Rica at http://mytanfeet.com
What I learned from speaking with Yeison and Samantha:
It’s never too late to become an expat and its certainly never too early. Sometimes a moment happens when you realize that the life you’re living isn’t what you want to do anymore. For Rika Purdey it was one lunch time sitting in the cubicle of her office in downtown Vancouver where she practiced as a para legal secretary. She took one look at the stressed out housewives sitting around her and made the decision that she didn’t want to be still sitting where they sat when she reached their age.
She had booked a holiday to the island of Roatan in Honduras not expecting it to be anything other than a break but four years on she has made it her home and is reveling in her new career as a dive instructor on the island.
In todays interview Rika shares the good and the bad of Roatan and the steps you will need to go through if you plan on getting residency like her – plus you’ll discover why she’s picked up the nickname of the Honey Badger!
You can get more information on Roatan from her website www.cubiclethrowdown.com
What I learned from speaking with Rika:
Love Mexico? Happy to live in million dollar homes for free with the housekeepers and gardeners while the owners are away? If this sounds like the lifestyle for you then you’d better listen to today’s show. Jason and Deidre enjoyed a six figure corporate income in Kansas City but they were stressed, unhappy and never had any money left at the end of the month. The passing of a friend made them realize that life didn’t go on forever and that waiting for retirement was not the best way to live their lives.
3 years ago they packed up and moved to Mexico, spending a year renting before getting themselves into the housesitting game and they haven’t looked back. They regularly get more houses to sit than they can handle, especially from repeat clients, but are still driven by a desire for a new experience.
Click the podcast link to listen to the Mizes sharing their inside tips of Mexico housesitting. You can follow them in more detail at their website http://awolamericans.com
What I learned from speaking with the Mizes:
Not everyone chooses the expat lifestyle but there are few who regret it once it’s happened. The global economic crisis put paid to Susanna Perkins plans to stay in the US and she was forced with her husband to find a more affordable location. A one week reconnaissance trip and they were off. Although Susanna wouldn’t recommend the speed of her transition the experience has proven wonderful as her husband and her settled into small town life making friends along the way.
Susanna has put her experience to good use. She has shared her experiences and knowledge via her website where she has her free e-book on finding your ideal expat income.
You don’t have to be seeking a warmer climate to make an expat move. Michael Long and his wife had been enjoying the warmth of Tampa but decided that life had more to offer them elsewhere. Michael had experienced life as an expat in Thailand as a younger man so knew the experience of a shift wouldn’t phase him. With his wife having US and Panamanian citizenship it seemed the obvious place to go.
15 months on Mike has been enjoying the experience but forewarns other expats that although Panama does offer a good life and he’s happier than in the US there are a few things people need to be aware of before making the shift. In todays interview we give a brief introduction to an expat living in Panama City. If Panama is on your horizon you’ll want to listen to Michael before you go any further