Welcome friends!
In 2017 My boyfriend Robin and I decided to make a dream come true. My whole life I’ve been curious, adventurous soul. I’ve wanted to see the world and its beauty with my own eyes. So, Robin and I, who also has a passion for travel and is a seasoned globetrotter himself (definitely part of our draw to each other), set out to explore and experience this world together.
Most people ask us how we do it. Honest answer is we were fortunate to be able to live well below our means and save, save, save. How we saved? We ate in while others ate out. We brought our own lunches to work. We sold most of our stuff. We walked or took public transportation more often. We tried not to waste anything and use up everything we already had in the cupboards. Let’s just say we got really creative and sometimes it was better than others… But, it was fun, and we were working towards a goal. Finally, we most importantly were able to have the support of our families to help take in some of our stuff including my parents who are watching our sweet, forever puppy while away. No small task for sure.
In the end it all worked out and we hit our funding goal of $60,000. To me, this is a LOT of money and this journey can definitely be done on less. We are backpackers, but I won’t pretend that we are hard up for cash because that would be a lie (obviously). However, we don’t need a lot and our accommodation usually reflects that. We also prefer to eat like the locals and in many of the countries that we visit this is the cheapest (and best IMO) way to eat. However, we love to scuba and are willing to pay for it and other fun activities. After all, this is the trip of a lifetime for us. We also are self-proclaimed foodies and are willing to pay for a nice wining and dining experience where in Europe often asks us to dish out much more than we would in Southeast Asia, North Africa or Mexico and Central America. “When in Rome,” I suppose.
Another important aspect of our lives and traveling is how to reduce our impact on this beautiful world which we are grateful to inhabit. When it comes to traveling, it’s not exactly the eco-friendliest thing you can do. In fact, in many ways it’s one of the worst, as I see it. We try to balance this by making a difference where and when we can, and I hope to write more about this in my blog to advocate others to change their daily habits as well. This precious life and planet are gifts and we should treat them well. We try to do this by lessening our plastic use and lowering our carbon impact when possible and helping others coming to realizations that I’ve had on the way.
I rewrite my biography on month 8 of hopefully 12, and I want you to know this is this best thing that has ever happened to me as a person, partner and fellow citizen of the world. I would recommend to everyone to get out there and explore this planet. I’m not saying it’s easy or without sacrifice or that you even need to quit your job. But, I do think everyone could use to step outside their own bubble and comfort zone once in a while.
To my friends and family that read this blog, thanks for being interested in our lives and journey and we love the support and community away from home. Much love!
Natalya