Many of our interviewees have become accidental permanent nomads, starting off on a gap year with no plans then deciding to become a fulltime traveler. The next issue is always then income – how to fund the new lifestyle in place.
Chris Stevens had completed a degree on photography back in England before he decided to head away. While traveling through Australia he met up with a guy who had built a successful travel blog who showed Chris how he could build his own online business. He had already trained as a surf instructor and had been earning an income doing that while traveling around. With the benefit of his photography training, surfing instructions and his new established blog Chris was soon able to sustain himself in a variety of ways on the road.
We caught up with him in Vietnam where he shared his story of travel, how he measures his costs and the different ways he can make a living while on the road.
You’ll find Chris at http://www.epicgapyear.com http://www.backpackerbanter.com
What I learned from talking to Chris:
Back in 2007 Ian Clavis was working in IT in London. The Liverpool native was becoming tired and bored with city life in England and when a friend suggested he could get a position teaching English in China Ian jumped at the chance.
7 years on Ian has made a home for himself in Chengdu, China a large city of over 10 million people near the border with Tibet where he has a Chinese wife and the recent addition of a young son.
I caught up with Ian to discuss life as an expat in China and were surprised to find a country that was far more lenient with foreigners than what I had expected.
If you’re interested in moving to China check out Ian’s blog at https://ianclavis.wordpress.com or you can listen to his podcast where he offers advice on living in China at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/tic-china/id1048429938
What I learned from Ian:
In 2008 Tomislav Perko had it all. A successful stockbroking career in his home town of Zagreb, Croatia saw him eating in fine restaurants, wearing fine suits and living the good life. It was perfect – until the financial crisis saw him lose his and his families investments and left him deeply in debt.
He had been offering couchsurfing space to travelers including Josh Cahill and their inspiring stories of traveling for little or no cost got him thinking – could he travel the world with no money?
Eventually he took the plunge heading off on a 5 year odyssey which included sailing the Indian Ocean and surviving on an average of $10 per day. His adventures gained him attention including the opportunity to Ted Talk, and he has now gone onto to sharing his stories with audiences around Europe.
You can find out more about Tomislav at his blog www.tomislavperko.com
What I learned from Tom:
One of the most fascinating things with interviewing travel bloggers as part of our show is that you discover a world that you never knew existed before – the further you go in the more people you find and you start to discover a whole community existing below the level of normal everyday life.
At the heart of that community is Tbex – the travel blogger exchange. Tbex is not an organization but a series of three events held each year across North America, Europe and Asia where travel bloggers and advertisers can meet, learn and network with each other to further build their blogs and their business relationships.
From a beginning of 200-300 attendees just a few short years ago Tbex now has around 800-1000 attendees at their events. We caught up with Mary Jo Manzanares Conference Director for Tbex (and an avid travel blogger herself at http://www.travelingwithmj.com ) to find out more about how it operates and what travel bloggers and those starting out need to know if they wish to attend.
You can find out more about Tbex and their event schedule at http://tbexcon.com
What I learned from talking with Mary Jo:
Living an expat lifestyle doesn’t always mean having to leave the country (we’ve coined the phrase inpats especially for people who become nomads at home). For Heath Padgett the boredom and long hours of a sales job proved too much. Soon to be married, his fiancée Alyssa and he hit upon the idea of having an extended honeymoon through all 50 States with the mission of doing one days work in a job in each state. They decided they wanted to film a documentary about their journey and before they knew it had a sponsor onboard and were drawing the attention of CNN, Business Insider and Fox News.
12 months on we caught up with Heath to discuss his adventure, their upcoming documentary Hourly America and the myth of work that still pervades much of society – that being busy is the answer to everything.
You can check out Heaths website and the upcoming launch of his documentary at http://www.heathpadgett.com
What I learned from talking with Heath:
You’ll love today’s interview with Stephenie and Tony Harrison. In 2013 these guys hit the road for an undetermined length of time relying on savings they had made during the previous 3 years. (Tony had been a graphic designer while Stephenie was completing research for her degree in neuroscience). 12 months into their journey they knew they wanted to travel fulltime – Tony could pick up work doing graphics and designing websites but what could Stephenie do?
Recognizing her skills in research they discovered an opportunity in Google adwords and Stephenie has now firmly established an online business that she never could have imagined when they left. As she loves to say – you don’t need to see the whole staircase to climb the stairs!
You can find out more about their adventures and online businesses via their website http://www.20yearshence.com
What I learned from speaking with Tony and Stephenie:
The economic crisis of 2008 was a catalyst for so many of our interviewees to up sticks and hit to road. Lainie Liberti’s marketing business worked with green entities and non-profit organizations who were among the first to feel the pinch. With her business struggling and her 9 year old son Miro not enjoying his school environment Lainie decided they would hit the road for a 12 month adventure through South America.
8 months into the trip they both realized they were loving it enough to continue but savings were starting to dwindle and Lainie knew she needed a more permanent means of educating Miro. She discovered unschooling and became an instrumental advocate for children being world schooled from the environment in which they travel.
8 years on she and her teenage son are still loving their South American adventure. We caught with Lainie in Mexico where she shares the experiences of what made her hit the road and how their unique partnership and approach to education has provided Miro with an environment in which to thrive.
You can find out more about their adventures at their travel blog http://www.raisingmiro.com and learn more about the world of unschooling at http://projectworldschool.com
What I learned from this interview:
Heading: Raising My Kids in Rural Romania
If you want a simple life there can be few places better to move to than a village in Romania. For Alyson Long and her family of two young boys frustration with the education system led her to take her eldest out of school and, with the families new found freedom, they set about a world travel adventure using their savings of $20,000.
After the first year which saw them sidetracked to the United Kingdom for family reasons they eventually visited Romania, which they promptly fell in love with. They are using it as their new found base and are in the process of purchasing a property while Alyson’s husband tops up the coffers periodically with temporary chef work in London.
We caught up with Alyson where we discussed the benefits of living in a Romanian village and how she brings up her children in an unschooled environment
You can check out Alyson’s blog at http://worldtravelfamily.com
What I learned from this interview:
We’ve discovered yet another way to make money on the road – temping. Alyson’s husbands skills as a chef sees him as a man in demand and he can pick up some short term work pretty much as he likes. The Long family use this as a good reason to visit London and replenish the coffers before heading off on a trip. Living in rural Romania keeps the costs down and means he doesn’t need a fulltime job to sustain their lifestyle
There are two types of expats – those who move to another country but retain their current lifestyle and live very much within an expat community as they had back home. Then there are those for whom moving is a chance to embrace a whole new way of life and effectively become a local. Molly Piccavey is definitely the later.
She has spent the last 18 years living in Spain, firstly in Barcelona and now Granada where she is largely welcomed as a local. In this interview Molly shares her experiences of living in Granada, why so many expats move home again and what she feels expats need to consider before moving abroad
You can follow her journey and life in Granada at her blog http://piccavey.com
What I learned from this interview:
So often we see examples of people who don’t travel simply because they wont permit themselves to. In this day and age many people have jobs that will let them hit the road – two such examples are Evo Terra and Sheila Dee. Evo’s work as a digital strategist (and Sheila’s as an instructional designer) gives them complete freedom to work from anywhere, and with their child now of adult age they saw no reason to stay at home.
In January 2015 they headed off covering much of Western Europe before heading down under via Thailand, China and Vietnam. We caught up with them in Australia where they shared their definition of what opportunistic travel is all about. As part of their strategy the two don’t rely on any one source of income, running their own podcast and receiving funds through their crowdfunding site on Patreon where they offer supporters postcards in return for patronage.
You can follow their journey, listen to their podcast and support their postcards at www.shevo.wtf
What I learned from talking with Evo and Sheila:
For Al and Shelly McCullough boredom with their current situation was the catalyst for a move to Panama. Shelly’s job wasn’t proving challenging enough and Al was looking for more satisfaction in life. They had explored Panama in 2012 and decided it would be the perfect starting point for their adventures.
They sold up everything, downsized and hit the road in 2014. 15 months on they have explored Panama, and Nicaragua and have discovered the benefits of housesitting when we caught with them in Panama City. Al in particular has gained a lot of satisfaction from his new found career as a writer and blogger.
You can follow their adventures, see the fun side of living in Panama and get their advice on downsizing and moving away (along with their e-books) at their blog http://panamadude.com
What I learned from speaking with Al and Shelly:
Most people would love to take a year off and experience another culture. The reality is however few give themselves permission to do it – especially where there are three young kids involved.
For Michelle and Keith Damiani a one year experience for their family in Spello, Italy was something they had planned for prior to having children and saw no reason to change their plans once the kids arrived!
In 2012 they embarked on a one year journey that became more than just covering distance – it was a trip that affected every member of the family deeply – providing both Keith and Michelle with a new perspective on life and their children with increased confidence from taking on a new challenge and coming out the other end as winners.
We caught up with Keith and Michelle to discuss their experiences, why they chose to put their children into Italian speaking public schools, how Keith handled the hospital system after a short bout of pneumonia and the secrets to coping with returning home at the end of the journey.
You can catch their journey at Michelle’s blog http://michelledamiani.com where she has written a book “Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center”
What I learned from talking to Michelle and Keith:
If you’ve ever traveled for any period of time you know that you will need some form of technology with you. Whether it’s a means of communicating with home, a device for checking the internet, a power adapter that can charge your phone or a means of completing your work.
Technology has advanced hugely in the last few years and thing you would never have carried 20 years ago are now a stable part of your luggage. That presents problems as well, as sometimes it’s a question of what should you take.
Today we talk with Dave Dean of www.toomanyadapters.com about what you need when hitting the road, whether your mobile phone is good enough for photographs, what size laptops give you the most power to weight ratio and what he carts in his luggage to get his work as a travel blogger done.
For more information check out the website or Dave’s book Hammocks and Hard Drives
What I learned from speaking with Dave:
In this global world more and more children are being raised in cultures that are different to their passport – figures show that there are over 4 million children being schooled in international schools and the number is growing.
Although both from Australia Craig and Lorraine Eldred met while teaching in China several years ago and have spent the time since as international teachers, also working in Vietnam and Dubai along the way. As expat teachers with over 13 years’ experience overseas Craig and Lorraine are in the unique position of giving their perspective both as parents and as teachers at an international school in the UAE.
We caught up with them in Abu Dhabi, where they shared their thoughts including Lorraines perspective as a woman living in an Arabic man’s world.
You can follow Craig’s blog at https://eldredofarabia.wordpress.com
What I learned from speaking with Craig and Lorraine:
There’s a book inside almost everyone and in Virginie Carmichael there was several! The Quebec native and her boyfriend Chris Lippi are building their own publishing empire once step at a time as they look to travel the world.
Virginie has released 6 novels on Amazon so far while finding time to travel through South America and Eastern Europe. Chris’s skills lie in web development which has helped fund their lifestyle to date and he is soon to launch an app to help new authors get their books to a wider audience.
We caught up with them both between journeys back home in Canada. To follow their journey go to http://farmboyandcitygirl.com or check out Chris’ new app at http://booksproutapp.com
What I learned from speaking with Virginie and Chris:
If you think you don’t have enough money to set off traveling then you’re going to enjoy todays show. Ted and Jen Avery sold up all their home possessions and vehicle raising $11000 in the process and hit the road back in 2012 using the funds to sustain themselves through Central America and beyond. For Ted it was a big move, particularly as he’d never left Canada or taken a flight before 2010!
After a period of time in Sydney, Australia during 2013 where Jen studied and the pair put in a claim for residency, they again hit the road.
We caught up with them in Florida where they shared the secrets to finding vehicles for nothing, how they downsized their life, why the Galapagos islands are easier (and cheaper) to get to than you might think and how airline mistakes can be the source of unbelievable deals if you act quickly.
What I learned from Ted and Jen:
In today’s interview we catch up with Sean and Jen Boyle who left the sunny San Diego area in early 2014 to hit the road. They’ve have since covered much of Central America and Southern Europe and have recently arrived in Thailand. They don’t believe in roughing it but have comfortably kept to an annual budget of around $US40-$US50000 during the last 12 months.
We caught up with them to discuss Air BNB (where they book 80% of their accommodation) and the pros and cons of house-swapping.
You can follow their journey (and try some of the delicious recipes they have included) at their blog http://venturists.net
What I learned from speaking with Sean and Jen:
What do you do when you’ve left University with a degree in Theatre? Travel the world of course! For Chris Walker-Bush staying at home in rural Australia wasn’t an option – and when a friend suggested teaching English in Korea might be a career move Chris decided it was time to start traveling.
After a further stint teaching English in China Chris found himself in the unique position of helping an African safari company develop their business in the Asia region and he has since been on over 20 safaris in places such as Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.
We caught up with Chris during a visit home to Australia where he discussed his travels and how they have helped him deal with depression. You can follow his journey (and his upcoming 2016 climb of Mt Kilimanjaro) at http://www.aussieontheroad.com
What I learned from speaking with Chris:
A travel agent, an English teacher, a horseriding instructor and now a copywriter. When it comes to making a living on the road Stacey Kuyf has done it all.
The kiwi traveler left New Zealand over 5 years ago and has lived and worked in a variety of countries showing that you don’t need a clear plan in place to start traveling the world. She has always managed to find something she can turn her talents towards and her life has been richer for the experiences she has enjoyed along the way.
We caught up with her in Guatemala where she has been spending the last 7 months and had the opportunity to discuss some of her more interesting working experiences including teaching in China (without a degree), setting up her copywriting business and what she loves about Guatemala.
You can follow Stacey’s journey at http://onetravelsfar.com or contact her via her copywriting business at http://kuyfcopywriting.com
What I learned from Stacey’s interview:
There’s more than one benefit to having a second passport. Canadian expat Yvonne Ivanescu has used her Polish heritage to enjoy an extended stay in Belgium where she has been completing a Phd – for a very affordable price!
Her tourism course has cost her a total of 800 euros having completed her original degree in Canada and adding on a masters thanks to some hands on experience in Chile.
Yvonne has benefitted from the opportunities of being an international student but her passion for travel has seen her visit much of South America. In our interview we discuss responsible tourism, living in Chile and travel safety which is an area dear to her heart.If you're interested in studying affordably overseas then you'll want to listen to this interview.
You can follow Yvonne’s travel journeys at her blog http://undertheyewtree.com
What I learned from Yvonne’s interview:
There are lots of reasons why people don’t travel; jobs, money, children, health. We’ve managed to make myths of most of them with the interviews we’ve done so far… but the one we hadn’t found an answer to was pets…until now!
Andrew Matheson and Alison Cornford Matheson are a Canadian couple who have spent the last 10 years living in Belgium where Andrew had a corporate position. Inspired by friends they decided they needed a life of less stress and more travel – but with two mature cats how would they manage?
The solution for them was long term RV’íng ( motorhomes) which provides them with transport, cheap accommodation and a home for their pets. With estimated costs of around 20000 euros per year (around $US22000) they get to see much of Europe for considerably less than the cost of staying in Belgium or returning to Canada.
We caught up with them both 4 months into the journey where they share the mistakes they made getting started, where you can stay for free and the benefits of traveling slow (plus the fun of two cats in a confined space!). You can follow their journey via their website http://cheeseweb.eu where they have just released their book on how to appreciate food in Belgium http://cheeseweb.eu/foodie-guide-brussels-local-tips-restaurants-shops-hotels-activities/
What I learned from talking to Andrew and Alison:
If hitchhiking through Iran, joining the Arab spring or camping (accidentally) in a minefield in Bosnia sounds like your idea of fun then you’re going to love today’s episode.
Growing up as a West German living in East Germany was a strange experience for Josh Cahill. The wall had fallen but much of East Germany was still stark and oppressed. He felt like the odd one out and developed a desire to explore the world and discover the realty of things for himself.
The 29 year old has been on the road now for 7 years exploring many exciting places along the way – in fact he often makes a point of seeing the places that the media will often tell you not to go to (Kabul, Afghanistan anyone?) and his experiences have always been enjoyable.
We caught up with Josh in China where he is currently teaching English and he shared his experiences of life there (including how to get around the internet restrictions) , how couchsurfing works for him, and much of the wonderful journeys he has had so far. His website http://www.gotravelyourway.com details much of his journey.
What I learned from talking to Josh:
Here’s a question for you… if you could travel the world or spend the equivalent on a one bedroom apartment in Harlem which would you do? For architect Norbert Figueroa it was no brainer decision.
Having become addicted to travel the Puerto Rico native spent 18 months building up his blog while downsizing and cutting costs ahead of his trip.
Over the last 4 years he has visited 95 countries on his mission to see every one of the 195 countries recognized by the United Nations – his biggest challenge will be getting to Antarctica!
We caught up with Norbert where he shares how to get started as a worldwide wanderer, some of the good and not so good experiences of being on the road and how he lives his travel lifestyle for less than $US20000 per month.
You can check out his blog at http://www.globotreks.com where you can find his book The Ultimate guide to Travel the World.
What I learned from speaking with Norbert:
To many, being a BBC producer sounds like the dream job. It certainly gave Dave and Carmen Allan-Petale a good bragging story at cocktail parties. But deep down, neither of them were happy with their high flying career jobs in London. While at a seminar in Portugal, the two Aussie natives heard some travel bloggers talking about their lifestyle and it ticked all the boxes…could they do it too?
With some savings to their name, they headed off 2 years ago to start their journey. They’ve travelled through North and South America, the Caribbean and a good chunk of Asia, saving money along the way…yes you heard me right, these two make a living while copywriting along the road and are able to live comfortably on around US$2000 per month! You’ll enjoy their sense of humor on this interview, and can find out more about their travels on their blog www.double-barreltravel.com where they have recently launched their book “ Make Your Travels Appy” where Carmen reviews 50 of the top travel apps that can save you time and money while you travel. (Check out the book here on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0166JPL8E )
What I learned from speaking with Carmen & Dave: