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A New Way Of Thinking About Traveling With Purpose
It is not how many places you visit, but how deep you go in each place you visit. It is not just traveling, it is...
A New Way Of Thinking About Traveling With Purpose
About 4 months ago, Taran and I came across each other. Our journeys intercepted in Thailand, at The Mindfulness Project, one of the most insightful and enriching adventures during my travels so far. The invite to write this guest post came at our last day at the project, which was coincidently the same, when I asked him to sign my MLA flag I carry along the way, where all of those I cross paths with leave their mark.
Now you may wonder, as everyone else does, what is a MLA? And that is the reason I am writing this post today, to introduce you a new concept of traveling with purpose.
But before I get there, let me give you a bit of background on how it started. For years I had been living on autopilot. Most of my decisions were more of a reflection of society, family and friends, rather than what I truly wanted for myself. Basically, I was mostly doing what I should, rather than what I wanted, not paying much attention to my intuition and inner voice. Decisions went from the area of study I chose, the universities I applied for, the master I finished, to the first and only company I worked for. And all those years I kept feeling something was not quite right, something was missing, there was no sense of realization, and there were only very few moments of true happiness, which kept being delayed to a distant future. Fortunately, almost 3 years ago I started questioning myself. I wanted more. I wanted to be happy at every moment of my life. And that, I believed, I would find by living fully by my purpose in the now. I listed a few options. Change jobs, change company, go back to study or… travel! I did apply for other jobs and other companies, I did check different PhD’s and also MBA’s. But none of them were appealing enough, neither had I thought they would bring me an answer to my quest. So, I was left with traveling. However, just traveling by itself was
also not attractive enough. So I slept on it. And one night the idea came. I am going to do a MLA, ie. a Master in Life Adventures.
The idea is simple: to travel the world whilst developing new skills and competencies and exploring and leveraging passions and talents. Whereas when studying I would have to fit the program, when doing a MLA the program would fit me, my desires, my needs, my questions and my objectives. The MLA would be fully owned by me and, therefore completely tailored to myself. An amazing opportunity to get inspired, to learn and develop and to meet people all over the world. And a little, or actually big hand in finding my purpose.
And, because of the stigma that still exists about traveling for long periods of time, especially in my home country, I wanted to show the world how beneficial, how enriching and how important traveling with purpose can be. That is why my dream is to transform the MLA concept into a certification, available to all. A certification that comprises of quality and that gives confidence to people wanting to travel with purpose, empowering them to fly and to flourish. This idea is work in progress at the moment and, for now, I am trying to prove the concept by being the first to officially do a MLA!
So, 8 months ago I finally quit my job. I didn't ask for a sabbatical, which I could have done. I just quit. I wanted to have time and space to explore. I wanted to go back to play, like when you are a child. I wanted the same flexibility, the same freedom. I wanted not to know what I was going to do next (the most frequently asked question I get). I wanted to allow any new opportunities that could come along.
I started by listing the adventures I always wanted to live but had never had the chance, the skills and competencies I wanted to develop and the countries I had always dreamed of visiting. And then, in January this year, I bought the tickets and in March I was taking off to India to begin my adventures with a 2 week yoga and meditation retreat at the Phool Chatti Ashram in Rishikesh. Breaking out of my auto-pilot and getting grounded were the objectives. I had never done yoga before, in fact, for years, I thought I hated it... I used to say out loud I was not interested in slow sports, as I would ignorantly characterize yoga. But I was willing to give it a chance with my MLA and it actually sounded like a good start. Far was I from realizing I would fall in love with the science behind yoga and make it a daily practice throughout the rest of my trip. Something I would have never realized without my MLA.
Admiring the Ganges River from Phool Chatti Ashram, Rishikesh, India
Getting certified in yoga and meditation from Phool Chatti Ashram, Rishikesh, India
Visiting The Beatles Ashram, Rishikesh, India
After one month in India, stopping at New Delhi, Rishikesh, Agra and Varanasi, I headed to Nepal to learn construction skills with All Hands Volunteers, helping to rebuild schools after the earthquake. Soon I realized heavy construction was not my thing. And the MLA is also that, trial and error, sense checking, answering questions. But I still loved the experience and getting to know the amazing people dedicating their time to such a great cause. Also because, for me, what matters the most are not the things you do, but whom you do them with.
Working day at All Hands Volunteers, Thulo Packar, Nepal
Resting day at All Hands Volunteers, Thulo Packar, Nepal
Exploring the local culture, Backtapur, Nepal
After 1 month in Nepal, stopping at Kathmandu, Thulo Packar, Backtapur, Patna and Pockara, I headed to Thailand to get immersed in permaculture and Buddhism at The Mindfulness Project. There, I would be developing different skills such as gardening, cooking, natural products making, teaching, yoga and meditation. And, again, getting to know beautiful people, from all over the world, with very different backgrounds and inspiring life stories to share.
Teaching English with The Mindfulness Project, Khon Kaen, Thailand
Saying farewell to The Mindfulness Project community, Khon Kaen, Thailand
After 3 weeks in Thailand, stopping at Bangkok, Hua Hin and Khon Khaen, I headed to Myanmar. This time, just for the purpose of visiting and getting inspired by the breathtaking landscapes and local culture. The MLA is also that, allowing the time and space to explore and get inspired by the beautiful places our earth has to offer.
Exploring hundreds of temples, Bagan, Myanmar
Getting inspired with painting like landscapes, Inle Lake, Myanmar
After 12 days in Myanmar, stopping at Mandalay, Bagan, Inle Lake and Yangoon, I headed to Bali, Indonesia. There, I used Work Away to find a hospitality volunteer job, where I could learn about the business, for which I always had an interest but never had the opportunity to experience. For 2 months I volunteered at an eco-guesthouse and yoga studio in Canggu, working directly with the general manager, supporting in strategy, marketing and human resources. I had the unique opportunity to dive into the business and to see most of my recommendations being implemented while I was still there. My remaining time in Bali was used for traveling around the island, exploring the delicious cafes, surfing and practicing yoga and meditation.
Shooting at the most photogenic beach in the world, Pandawa Beach, Bali, Indonesia
Going for a board meeting, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Fueling my working day, Cafe Organic, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
Celebrating life through practice, The Practice, Canggu, Bali, Indonesia
After living for 3 months in Bali, stopping at Canggu, Uluwatu and Ubud, I headed to Australia, where I am traveling at the moment along the New South Wales coast!
Celebrating Father’s Day with one of my host families, Sydney, Australia
Overlooking the Opera House, Sydney, Australia
Petting a kangaroo for the first time, Pambula, Australia
Overlooking one of the thousand beautiful beaches along the coast, Newcastle, Australia
Making it to the most easterly point of the Australian mainland, Byron Bay, Australia
"It is not how many places you visit, but how deep you go in each place you visit."
For the past 6 months, by developing different skills and competencies, by exploring and leveraging my passions and talents and by meeting so many extraordinary and inspiring people, I see myself closer to realize my purpose. And, because of that, I have shifted around my itinerary and, instead of literally going round the world as initially planned, I will return to the places which will support me the most in that mission. Because the MLA is not structure, it is flexibility. It is not rules, it is freedom. It is not a collection of adventures, it is a journey. It is not how many places you visit, but how deep you go in each place you visit. It is not just traveling, it is a transformational experience on the inside that reflects on the outside.
Thank you for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about the MLA concept so, together, we can bring it to life.
You can follow my MLA journey at www.masterinlifeadventures.com
@catarinaholstein and @mla.haveyounoticed.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Latest Articles:
What's Going On!? - My Current Situation
Yep that's right, I'm hoping to head to the land of the..
What's Going On!? - My Current Situation
So its been a while since there was an update on here, and a lot has happened in the last few months.. My travels in Thailand lasted 3 months in the end and I bloody loved it! I took a 2 week trip over in Cambodia which was mainly a visa run, but I thought it would be rude not to explore while I was there.
I made a real connection with Thailand and can definitely see myself returning to explore some more and hopefully meet some friends I made there who have decided to live long term in the country!
While I was living on Koh Phangan for a month I had my first incident that required a hospital trip in the whole of my 2 and a half years travelling! I tripped on some razor sharp coral and cut my foot really bad, it then got infected and I spent 3 days in hospital getting stitches and eating some really nice food, I actually didn't want to leave! Good job I had some insurance..
Check out some more photos from Koh Phangan here!
Thailand also saw the end of mine and Hannah's relationship, which you may have guessed if you follow any of my social pages. We were both drifting in different directions with what we wanted to do with our life's, but we will never forget the incredible memories we made while exploring Australia and we are still buddy's :)
When my funds finally dropped to the point of needing to work again it was time to head home. It was awesome to see my family again after a year and a half since the last surprise visit, check out that video here! I also made a point of trying as hard as I could to see as many friends as possible, its always the way when you've been away for so long that people have changed or don't hang around with the same groups, but Ive had a right laugh with the ones I have seen :D
Since being back in the UK I've been to the summer solstice at Stonehenge (an all night party amongst the sacred stones), been to 3 awesome festivals and taken part in a 75 mile cycle around the Isle Of Wight for charity! Its been awesome :)
I've also managed to secure a job, nothing special but it will give me the means to save up enough for the next adventure..
And so that brings us to the next part of this update which is my future plans. すばらし！！
はい わたしわのけいかくわにほんにいくことです!!
If you cant understand that, then here it is in English.. My plan is to go to Japan!! Yep that's right, I'm hoping to head to the land of the rising sun in the first quarter of 2018, my plan is to get a working holiday visa and live there for a year. This is something I am extremely excited about as I have been a bot obsessed with Japanese culture for a while now and I've been (attempting) to learn the language for almost 2 years!
Thank you to everyone who has followed my journey so far, its been awesome to share the adventures and inspire people to visit the places I've been! I hope you will stay with me for the next journey :)
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Latest Articles:
Police Arrest Topless Females At Stonehenge - Equality Fail (NSFW)
It seems it was all a bit too free spirited for the group of policemen watching over, as they proceeded to..
Police Arrest Topless Females At Stone Henge - Equality Fail (NSFW)
Being back in the UK for the next 6 months has started at an awesome time of the year! Its festival season here and the weather is good (for now). One of my favourite annual traditions here is to go the the summer solstice which marks the longest day of the year, it is a free event that is held at the historic Stonehenge site in the south of England.
The party usually starts in the car park with people from all walks of life coming together for an all night party of drumming, singing, dancing, chanting, creativity and much more..
In recent years the security has stopped people from taking alcohol into the main area, meaning that lots of people spend the evening with their car speakers pumping out music while pre-drinking in preparation for the sleepless night ahead.
The security this year was stepped up in light of recent incedents in the UK..
This is one of the only times the public are allowed to go up to the stones and touch them for free, every other day of the year tourists pay about £15 just to walk around a set path about 20 or so metres away from the stones!
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As the night progressed and the morning light started to bring in the longest day of the year many people sat and awaited the coming of the sunrise.
Construction of Stonehenge began in the year 6900 (yes, I'm using the Human Era calender! In which we are currently in the year 12,017).
The sun starts to rise and hundreds of people gather on the far side of the stones to grab a snapshot of the red haze through the gaps.
People practice all their interests here without judgement, I was really impressed by the effort this girl had gone to for the night so I asked for permission to take a photograph, she completely ignored me and continued to recite her book..
As the sun rose in the sky, people danced to the drumming of a Hare Krishna group, smiles were abundant and it seemed nothing could shake the mood..
But it seems it was all a bit too free spirited for the group of policemen watching over, as they proceeded to single out a couple of females who had no tops on and arrest them!
It seems odd that in today's society and even more so at an event such as the summer solstice that these females were handcuffed and carted off behind closed doors for taking off their tops, while countless men who did the exact same thing were free to do so..
The above photo has got to be my favourite of the night, the smug look on this gal's face knowing she is only moments from being arrested!
What are your thoughts?
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Latest Articles:
The Mindfulness Project - An Experimental Community
If you're interested in trying something a little different from the usual backpacking routines then you're gunna want to check this out..
The Mindfulness Project - An Experimental Community
After hearing about The Mindfulness Project in Thailand through word of mouth while I was backpacking around Australia, I knew I had to investigate. When I finally got to Thailand I checked their website and booked myself 10 days at the retreat (the minimum amount of days they require you to pay for on arrival) costing me only 2000 baht.
By staying at this place you will be a volunteer, you pay 200 baht a day for the yoga and meditation lessons and work a few hours in the morning in return for your bed and food.
The work includes a whole range of things from gardening to web design, work is usually from around 9am until 1pm. Working days are usually 4/5 a week with 1 free day and 1 Buddha day every week, sometimes you will spend the day creating and celebrating if anyone is having a birthday.
Each morning starts at 5:30am with one of the volunteers gently waking everyone up with the projects gong, then begins 1 hour of yoga followed by 1 hour of meditation which you are free to sleep through if your not in the mood.
During the morning meeting, anyone who is leaving (or is having a birthday) will sit in the centre of the circle, this is followed by a big group hug! If your not into that kind of thing then your not forced into it, but I do recommend just giving it a go and seeing how much joy it can give you.
Food is prepared twice a day, breakfast and lunch, then the leftovers are eaten for dinner. All the food is either vegetarian or vegan and volunteers are free to come up with whatever they want using what's in the kitchen if that is your daily job.
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During my stay at the project I took part in a monthly visit to a local school to help teach English to the students, if you get the chance to help out during one of these visits don't hesitate as they are limited to around 10 places (the retreat usually homes around 30 volunteers).
There are also weekly visits from a local primary school for basic English lessons, these are fun laid back lessons if your not confident enough to take on the high school just yet!
If you've never tried meditation before then this is a great place to try it, peaceful vibes and quietness, coupled with a no drink/drug policy will help you on your path to enlightenment.
If your interested in learning some valuable building skills then don't be afraid to volunteer for those types of jobs, there will always be someone willing to teach you. Many of the buildings built here have been done so without any power tools, but if you've got a valuable skill you would like to share then make it known and there might be something that the team needs you to do.
The sleeping quarters are basic, a mattress and a mosquito net in a dorm with the whole camp, But I don't have any complaints! The showers are a bucket of cold water, which is extremely refreshing on the days when your working hard in the heat!
If you're interested in trying something a little different from the usual backpacking routines then I'd urge you to look into this kind of thing, there are many different places to go to around the world!
Thanks everyone for having me, I will definitely be back!
If your interested in visiting the Mindfulness Project go here.
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, owner of Nomad'er How Far. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, anything to do with space and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know me here!
Be social and come follow me across the virtual world!
Latest Articles:
Life Recently: Remembering Why We Are Here
How does it feel when travelling is supplanted by working, and you spend your day's a stones throw from paradise whilst you slave away to have the money to grasp it?
Life Recently: Remembering Why We Are Here
Confession: I am really struggling to write this blog post. I have struggled with every post that I have begun writing in the past fortnight.
Every touch of a key is like completing a press-up. And I hate working out, Taran will tell you that.
In the past few weeks I have struggled to focus my time, my brain and my energy into anything other than working and saving, and the subsequent relaxing before and after.
I guess its like a throwback to my life of a few years ago, where it was all work, very little play and a lot of decompressing. There was little room for creativity or the mental capacity to express myself.
I lamented my frustration to a friend the other day, of how something I love as much as this blog has suddenly become an albatross around my neck. He very wisely responded with 'You can't really maintain a travel blog when you are not actually travelling', and he's right.
You don't feel like sharing the duller moments.
When you travel you have lots of free time, much of it filled with fun, excitement and relaxation. You cannot wait to share photos and stories, and we especially love doing so here on the blog and on our YouTube channel.
When you stop travelling to earn the money you need to travel some more, you undoubtedly lose momentum in general, let alone in the maintenance of a travel blog.
The sad thing is however, a life where you work more than you play is the reality for the vast majority of people I know. One day that may be my reality too. And in fact, its a reality I embrace the prospect of when I imagine doing a job I love or building on the next phase of my life.
But I still wonder, what will happen then, to my fundamental need to express, create, write and tell stories?
Will it fall by the way-side, taking my mood with it, like it has in recent weeks?
Will I sit wondering why I feel so flat, low and am endlessly seeking distraction, all the while knowing deep down, that it's because my hearts true creative desires are being quashed?
Having this conversation with you all takes me back to this post, where someone else so acutely and keenly summarized my feelings and I expanded on the point around not letting your job or need to work define you or how your life transpires.
But I made the big life change, I quit the job and left home, travelled some, and soon learned that I had chosen an exceedingly expensive country to spend 2 years in and so would spend much of that time working to support the lifestyle...
Caring a little bit less
As people we constantly chase time. We are acutely aware of each passing hour of each passing day because we always have to be somewhere, or complete some timely task. We live and die by the clock.
But just once and a while we need to care a little less about the things which seem so big and important, and stop perceiving them as so set in stone that we lose all sight of our inner truth.
I need to do this. I need to do it now, I need to do it in the future, when I have to stop and work again to support the travelling I so dream of doing.
I need to accept that there is no true relaxation, without hard work first. There is no freedom and abandonment of convention without adhering to it for a while first too.
I need to sweat the small stuff less, remember the bigger picture, and see myself as being in control, not beholden to some horrible boss or hectic schedule, because these things do not have to be forever, not for me, or you.
Am I saying that I'm unhappy?
No, I'm not saying that. I'm saying that I have itchy feet.
I never stop feeling the wanderlust even when the comfort of building a temporary home feels like a welcome respite from the constant movement.
I might feel relief at a steady income and a sense of financial security, but it isn't the feeling I chase, merely one I enjoy all the while knowing that I cannot wait to use those hard-earned wages to create more memories.
I need to always remember why we are here. We all need to remember why it is that we get out of bed each morning.
We have to place the pursuits and the people that bring us joy at the centre of the free time we do have.
We have to practise self-care before we practise chastisement, for feeling as if we aren't giving 110% to every facet of our complex lives.
We must try and grasp at our passions like balloons threatening to fly away forever, because whilst it feels hard, like a press-up for instance, it is the only thing that matters.
No matter if you're job demands the best of you, it isn't the best part of you and it doesn't mean more than your hopes, dreams or instinctive psychological needs.
I remember why we came here.
I know why when I look up at the green palms blowing against the backdrop of a pure aqua sky.
I know why when I laugh at something somebody has said, a somebody I never would have met if I never came here.
I know why when I realize that I might be a little bit lost, and in the mindset of searching, but where there's exploration and curiosity, there's always possibility.
Here's an insight into what we've been up to recently:
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Wanna keep reading?
Two Girls, 48 States & Zero Money
It may sound like the next viral reaction video, but this is in fact a triumph for the free travel movement!
Two Girls, 48 States Of America & Zero Money
This guest post is brought to you by Sarah and Lilly of Pretenniless, 2 ladies from the UK who just finished an adventure travelling all 48 mainland US states without spending a single cent. Not a penny. Spending 20 weeks on this major challenge, they are here today to answer their most asked questions!
So what was your trip all about?
We called the trip Pretenniless: meaning Pretend Penniless.
The challenge? To step foot in all 48 mainland US states without spending a single cent (on anything – food, travel, accommodation, ANYTHING!) along the way.
Did it work as you planned?
In terms of a route, that’s gone swimmingly as we’ve completed all 48 and made it back to Boston in time for our flight home. Food wise? That worked out a little differently. We were expecting mostly to be dumpster diving for our food, but as it turned out there are far more resources available than we realized, and plenty of opportunities to volunteer, ask for and scavenge leftovers *before* they hit the dumpster!
Expectation versus reality?
To be honest, we had no idea what to expect. It could easily have gone either way – five months of fun or five months of starvation. We had nightmares about both.
We’ve definitely found that when we first started, and definitely in the planning stages, we’d looked at the trip as a big picture, rather than drilling down to the day by day, hour by hour stuff. Reality hit us pretty hard when day one came around and we were starving with no idea where to even begin finding food! Luckily we’re quick learners.
What were the biggest Challenges?
The F word again…FOOD. Not having it, not being able to choose it, having to ration it… We’re definitely looking forward to food not being the number one thing on our mind. We really underestimated the power of a good meal when we started, and it’s crazy how quickly you get hungry again, even when it feels like you just ate a few hours ago…
Another challenge was us, and our ability to work as a team. Especially when hungry, or tired, or just plain in a bad mood, we had to keep the challenge in focus and not let the little things get in the way. Luckily we are both fairly patient, flexible people, and equally determined to succeed, so we found it easier with each other. Neither of us know anyone else we would have been able to do the trip with!
Best Experience?
We get asked this a lot and the answer has always ended up being the same…South Dakota! We were lugging our bags up a road – not even hitch hiking yet – in Rapid City when a woman pulled over in front of us. “What are you doing in this heat? You can’t be walking with those bags!” We explained our story, and that we were walking to the main road in order to hitch hike to Mount Rushmore. “Okay well if you come help me unload my shopping – I’ve hurt my neck – I’ll take you over to Mount Rushmore. I live in that direction.” Yes!
In the car we learnt her name was Angie, and she was one of the most loving, kind and open-hearted people either of us had ever met. Arriving at her ranch in the foothills of the Black Hills of South Dakota she explained that she had hand built it with her late husband: a beautiful wooden building with huge windows and a porch that overlooked an immense view of the hills and valley below. She asked if we would like to stay the night with her and, reluctantly, we said we were on a mission to go to the open day of an eco-village the next day, and would miss it if we stayed over. She dropped us at Mount Rushmore with all of our belongings and we sadly said goodbye and watched her drive away.
WHAT ARE WE DOING?! We looked at each other and instantly knew we were thinking the same thing – we HAVE to stay with this amazing woman! Screw the eco-village! Here we were with the offer to stay with and get to know this amazing woman in her beautiful home, and we were passing it off to see an eco-village that we might not even hitch hike to in time for the 1pm deadline. We text her to say we’d changed our mind, and she text back “YAY!”.
Back in her car, after we got over our excitement, she asked us the one thing we would do in the area if we were able to spend money. We explained that on the way to Rapid City we had driven along the edge of the Badlands, and, being the kind of people who like nature over anything urban, we had been longing to see them. Without a second thought she then outlined the plan for the day: she would drive to the gas station and fill her car, we would drop her at home and pick up snacks and drinks, and Lilly and I would take her car to the Badlands for the rest of the day to explore. We couldn’t believe our luck, and her generosity. She even told us to text her when we were on our way home and she would put dinner on. That evening, after an incredible day, we ate dinner and drank hard lemonade on the porch, watching lightning roll in through the clouds.
What made this our favourite experience was only partly the generosity shown from Angie – the rest came from her. We talked a lot throughout the day and evening and what struck us was a woman who had been through a lot, yet had come out the other side with a belief in love and life and people. Through everything that had happened she would be totally forgiven for being bitter or resentful or resigned to feeling like a victim, but instead it truly seemed to have brought out her strength, and ability to step back and recognize the good things over the bad. She was really an inspiration to us both.
Share an anecdote that isn’t on your blog…
When we were in Kansas City we stayed with a couchsurfing host, Brett, and his housemate Hunter. They had a lovely dog called Sasha. This lovely dog called Sasha was one of those dogs who would eat anything left out, so we made sure to close the door to our bedroom – where our food was stored – when we went out for the day. Unfortunately Sasha also seems to have opposable thumbs…
Whilst out, Sasha opened our door and helped herself to our – by this point in the journey – ample food supply, eating an entire jar of peanut butter, a loaf of bread and around 10 protein bars. It was a little hard not to shed a tear when we thought of that hard work that had gone into getting that food and rationing it, whilst Sasha grinned and wagged her tail amidst the wrappers. Hunter felt awful and gave us $20 to replace the food, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to spend it (was it cheating?! Could we live without it?) so we didn’t. Suffice to say we received a text from Brett the next day that Sasha had seen the error of her ways after a night of shitting and vomiting out protein-y chocolate.
(NB: This wasn’t the first, or the last, time we were given money on our trip and we will be donating all to suitable US charities on our return to England!)
How would someone go about doing it themself?
We’ve put this in a bullet point list, as there’s a lot of important things to remember should you want to do this trip yourself:
BE FLEXIBLE
Put it this way – Lilly started out this trip as a vegetarian before she realized she might starve to death. Beggars can’t be choosers. We’ve slept on benches, eaten half munched wraps off the floor and been able to quickly accept when a plan or a chosen route isn’t going to work out. You have to be able to adapt to whatever is thrown at you. On this note…
BE RESOURCEFUL
When the plan changes last minute, you don’t always much time to find accommodation or a meal. Know where to look for things – like Craigslist, Couchsurfing, Starbucks for free internet, Urban Outfitters for free dry shampoo – and keep them in mind for quick use. That said…
BE CREATIVE
There’s lots of things out there designed to help on this type of trip, but there’s also lots of things that help accidentally. Be creative in how you look at things and use things. We used the cloakroom at Macy’s to store our big bags when we wanted to explore New York City, and Tinder came massively in handy when we needed a place to stay in Santa Barbara…!
BE DETERMINED
Don’t give up. There is always another option, and no that option is not to send nudes to a trucker on Craigslist in return for a ride. There is ALWAYS another option, even if it means changing your plan, or your route, or your destination.
We’ve got a resources list on our blog that goes into more detail, so check it out ✌
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you...
The Honest Guide To Hostel Etiquette
Are you keen on the prospect of waking up every day beside 10 other people? You saucy thing you.
Okay, well would you mind being woken at 4am by the piercing brightness of a phone torch?
How would you like having to go the bathroom every time you wish to change your outfit?
And is it a dream of yours to listen to the snoring (and other ablutions) of not just one, but maybe 2, 3, 4 or 8 strangers?
Well then my friend, hostel dorm living is for you!
It's not all bad though....
Do you also like the prospect of having good, empathetic company, when you want it, and alone time when you need it?
Do you like sharing your stories and life experiences with like-minded individuals?
Well then, yet again, hostel living will bring something uniquely awesome to your travelling life.
For all the up's and downs, nuisances and annoyances that hostel life can bring, we have still contentedly lived in the same hostel for over a month now, and it truly has become home.
Some people hate every moment of not having their own space or being surrounded by people coming and going at all hours, but after 4 months in a somewhat lonely house-share in Noosa, we are firmly not in the hostel hate camp.
We have a unique situation here in Cairns in that we work for our accommodation; we get free access to everything in our well-equipped hostel in return for 4 hours work every other day. We might currently sleep in separate bunks, an interesting scenario for a couple...but we still feel like we are getting extremely good value for our small contribution of time.
Beyond the financial aspect of getting free or cheaper accommodation, and the logistics of having everything we would have in a house-share (and then some) its also just pretty darn cool.
You meet so many people who you bond with, or can just share a chat with when you want to. There are nights out that you don't feel obligated to go along on, but you'll be welcomed openly if you do.
There's a social atmosphere but no associated pressure or judgement; you truly can be yourself, do your own thing but also stave off homesickness or loneliness if you need to.
On the flip-side of all this, you certainly have to practise tolerance for the different levels of inconsiderate behaviour you will undoubtedly encounter.
When you put 50+ people in a smallish space you are going to get irritated by the differing habits of others, but in trying to be a bit more understanding of my fellow travellers, I have a few tips for how to counter the moments where you want to commit a sass attack on someone who's doing an iphone light-show in your pitch-black dorm at 4.25 am (yep, it's happened, more than once).
The Basics
If you have never ever stayed in a hostel before, most of them are very similar in culture but often different in vibe.
The main two types you will come across are the party hostel, and the non-party smaller and cosier hostel that is still cultivating of a social atmosphere, and this type is our favourite.
To name just one like this in Australia, there's the Flying Fox in the Blue Mountains, which had pasta nights and a cosy sitting room with a 3 hour internet ban each evening to encourage social interaction which led to some hilarious conversation and games.
Our current hostel, Globetrotters in Cairns, doesn't go so far as to cut the internet cord but still cultivates a warm and homely atmosphere that makes people not want to leave.
Its TV/gaming area, sofas, pool garden, hammocks, quiz night and free BBQ/daily breakfast are all part of its appeal; its attention to these details of comfort are the secret to its success above the more party-oriented hostels in the clubbing mecca of Cairns.
Free BBQ!! They even include some vege stuff for us :D
Somewhere along the way you will find hostels with very little personality, well-run but often too big or tightly managed to feel like a home.
You will also find the hostels where cleanliness hasn't been made top priority and you feel dirtier after you shower than when you went in...
Checking In
When you check into a hostel you may need to hand over a deposit for your room key and also for basic utensils to cook with, and then in others you will find a fully-stocked kitchen heavily reliant on a guest trust system.
Many hostels have a free-for-all on fridge space and you find yourself squeezing your overflowing food bag into any free gap only for it to be moved by someone.
Our current hostel has a pretty cool system of having fridge lockers which mean your food is far more secure and yet easier to access when you need to.
Quite often hostel receptions have specific check-out and check-in hours and many do not have 24-hour receptions meaning its wise to research these things ahead of rocking up to a hostel door at 6am or trying to check out at a similarly early hour.
Security
It's always wise to make use of hostel lockers, so be sure to bring along a couple of your own locks, but if your hostel doesn't have these, then make sure you put your valuables out of sight, possibly locked away in your backpack under your bed.
If things are out of sight then of course you will detract the opportunist thief but it will give you piece of mind when you leave your room to go out for the day.
When it comes to food, the same idea applies, in that if you don't want a human or ant or cockroach to feast on your banana, keep it bagged up and out of reach. Often though, especially in fridges in kitchens far away from your dorm room, you might be the target of a thief, and they might just go for your new fresh nob of butter (not that I'm holding a grudge or anything...).
Short of putting locks even on your fridge bag, the best thing is to label all your food items clearly and then tie them up in a labelled bag. If your food has your name on it in big black marker pen it's going to dissuade the cheeky ones who will openly use stolen goods in the kitchen.
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Late Nights
Some hostels have a strict policy against all noise/ in-hostel drinking at night and the threat of being ejected for being too rowdy is always there.
Our current hostel has a night manager throughout the evening so things are kept a close eye on, but some hostels we've stayed at before have let people run riot in the corridors and keep everyone awake all night; that's a frustrating and expensive night of absolutely zero sleep we've had the privilege to experience more than a few times.
Pro tip, eye masks and ear-plugs, but also be sure to read hostel reviews before you visit them as commenters will remark on if that hostel is a good one for sleeping or for partying.
Cooking
So as I mentioned earlier, many hostels require a deposit for utensils and others rely on a trust system of you using their stuff, cleaning it and not pilfering the silver-wear...
When we cook we always keep our stuff together and try not to sprawl out on the kitchen-side and put off anyone else wanting to cook; this isn't your own home, even if it sometimes feels like it, so don't act as if there's no-one else also paying for use the facilities.
Take your food scraps out of the sink after you wash-up, wipe the side down and don't let your milk leak in the fridge!
You might argue that hardly anyone else abides by these courtesies but in hostels you can very much lead by example; the dirtiest kitchens we saw were down to one person after another not doing even a cursory post-cooking clean and so nobody else wanted to either.
Showering
At home you might have favoured 10 minutes standing under the shower before you even began to wash your hair but if you do that in a busy hostel, you are gonna annoy people.
Many hostels suggest you stick to 5 minute showers which aren't always realistic but we try and aim to be done quick some days and then maybe have a longer shower another day, which is especially important in a dorm where 10 people are sharing one shower.
Don't leave behind your shower gels and shampoos for the next person to trip over (or nick) and grab those dirty undies too!
Luggage
Some travellers are content with one big backpack and a smaller bag which they can neatly squirrel under their bed, and then other travellers prefer 4-5 bags, and it's all good, we are all entitled to do our thing!
However, a dorm is not a walk in wardrobe as many think it is...it is a shared space where people don't want to have to side-step your case in the middle of the walk-way.
Its cool if you have a ton of stuff, just try to keep it to one zone and respect the personal space of others.
That's our room, the staff dorm. Our beds are the two in the centre. Taran on top, Hannah on the bottom...It looks cluttered but its kept tidy and clean!
Social Life
The best part about hostel life is of course the people you meet. There's an automatic common ground among the different nationalities and personalities in the melting pot of a hostel which makes it easy to talk and have fun.
There's definitely the feeling of all being in the same boat, doing similar trips and excursions and often living off noodles when your out of work, spending hours attached to a laptop trying to change that situation, and then of course the nights out where the drinks help bond you even further.
The only difficult aspect of this is that people constantly move on and leave, sometimes before you can get to know each other, and sometimes just as you've truly forged a relationship.
Thanks to Facebook and Instagram, its not like all contact will be lost, and you can still observe each others travels and lives from afar, but it still feels sad at the time.
Eventually you do get more used to the goodbyes which come as often as the hello's, and over time I think it makes you a more open, friendly and compassionate individual, which almost makes the wrench of constant change a worthwhile part of hostel life.
All of the above advice boils down to: don't be a rude idiot with no self-awareness...
I get that many people travelling for the first time don't set out to be the annoying or ignorant hostel guest; for some its a hard balance of being comfortable and yourself in a hostel space, whilst also remembering that you aren't in your own home or bedroom where your own rules apply.
We have found over time that you definitely don't have to live in a state of unease amidst concerns over all the above hostel issues, and eventually you will learn how to happily cohabit with a building full of different people to the point that you feel no desire to leave.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
8 Must-Know Minimalist Camping Tips
Camping a lot over the past year and half has taught us some valuable tips for how to travel comfortably yet with minimal gear.
8 Must-Know Minimalist Camping Tips
As nomadic minimalists, we prides ourselves on travelling light; for the sake our backs and our budget.
But you may wonder how on earth do we camp, despite not owning a vehicle of any type, and travelling often via hitch-hiking?
During our 2 years in Australia, when we have set-up home in a hostel or a house-share, we do gain a few more kitchen/cooking items and other random living things, which we promptly ditch and donate when we move on again.
We accept that there will be some amount of pain involved in lugging around our entire lives plus our home (a 2 berth tent) plus an inflatable bed (and pump), but we try to make it as easy as we can.
In the UK, we camped a lot, and thankfully we had a car to fill with kitchen-ware and other gear, but it always felt like a such a task preparing all the stuff, ticking off check-lists and ultimately feeling weighed down, when camping was supposed to be a simpler and cheaper way to experience travel.
Over the last 2 years traversing the East Coast of Australia we have picked up invaluable knowledge on how it is certainly possible to camp, without a car, as a frugal and nomadic minimalist.
The two main fundamentals are: having a comfortable tent, and the baggage room to carry your accessories.
Its not about adding lots of separate bulky baggage and thus needing another two arms attached to your body in order to get from place to place.
These 8 minimalist camping tips will help you travel and camp without the aid of a vehicle and without completely sacrificing comfort!
DON'T PICK A TENT TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
We made the initial error of purchasing a quality tent which also happened to be the size of a coffin when you insert two people and their two rather large backpacks. The tent was very much designed for short-term hiking, not potential week-long camping stays.
We returned this one, purchased a slightly larger tent, and have never looked back.
With our bed inside there is still room at the foot for your shoes etc plus a small separate zipped compartment for other items.
I still occasionally lust after tents with more stand-up room but they are so much larger and heavier, when really you will only use that headroom a when entering/exiting the tent.
Don't try to save weight by buying a tiny tent, or add tent room by buying a bigger one;go for the tent that you can happily sleep in or sit in during bad weather.
We found out the hard way by spending a week in this 'coffin'...
CARRY GROUND-SHEETS
We have had a couple of incredibly annoying incidents where the ground water seeped through our tent and not only damaged the bottom of it, but also made everything inside super wet. This is pretty uncomfortable to deal with when you are already tolerating bad weather during a camping session and so you need to keep the tent as dry inside as possible.
We carry two tarpaulins which just about cover the tent's footprint. We place both underneath covering the length and width of the tent, with a little poking out the front to leave our shoes on throughout the day. It keeps the tent base cleaner, protected from the various terrains we pitch on.
However this has in the past created some pooling which has made the tent wetter inside than it might have been without the tarp, as our floor material is a thin and non-waterproof material...in this scenario, where the ground is hard/concrete (and thus has minimal drainage) you might want to skip ground-sheets.
You could also use the tarp as the base for a cooking or picnic area outside your tent if the weather or ground is dry.
These tarp's easily roll-up and attach to the outsides of our bags and due to their small size, they really do not add extra weight.
When you invest in a decent tent, naturally you want to protect it, and so we really recommend this tip in order to maintain the integrity of your new home.
CONSIDER WHERE THE SUN WILL RISE
Australia is unsurprisingly hot, and as soon as that bad boy rises in the morning, your tent will become an oven, which can make a nice leisurely lie-in an impossibility.
We don't necessarily select a shaded spot from the get-go, but instead, we consider the path of the sun and where it will rise in the morning and try to cook us.
To help you do this you can actually download an app onto your phone, and we specifically use Starchart which you can hold up and fast-forward the clock on it to see where the sun will rise the coming morning!
The great thing about camping is often the pattern you fall into of sleeping as the sun sets and waking when it comes up, but let's be real, you won't always feel like seeing every single sun-rise.
TRAVEL WITH MINIMAL FOOD
We tend to rely on buying our meal supplies in the local area in which we camp, so we tend to steer away from carry oodles of fresh ingredients. We do however carry dried foods (pasta/rice/noodles) and sauce sachets, in the event of getting to our campsite at night and needing an easy meal to prep.
We don't carry heavy items like olive oil (we often borrow fellow campers) or bulky items like cereal. We carry all of our foods in a re-usable fabric shopping bag (just from the local supermarket) and so we have to be selective about what snacks we carry. We tend to favour snack bars, banana's and packs of multiples like crackers or nuts.
Be prepared to go without your absolute favourite foods each day, and try to buy smaller portions of fruit/veg as these don't fair too great being taken in and out the fridge (plus they are often heavy).
USE COMBINATION LOCKS
You will never regret carrying a couple of these babies around, not only handy for when you are staying in a hostel without personal lockers (or with them) but for when you are leaving your tent unattended all day.
We tend to lock up valuables in one of our big backpacks when we head out, and we also lock the zipper on the tent with a 2nd combi-lock.
It might seem extreme and also utterly pointless as any determined thief will rip through the mesh to get to the goods, but, in many places you feel safe or comfortable enough to leave valuables in your tent around other campers, and so this is merely for piece of mind.
I do have some trust in those around me but I still cover my own back and deter the opportunist or nosey!
UTILIZE CAMP KITCHENS
Many proper camp-sites in Australia will have a camp kitchen for tent campers, often equipped with a fridge, cooker and basic other items like a kettle and toaster, possibly even some utensils.
If you are tempted to carry a camp-stove, several gas refills etc be aware that you may end up just using these kitchens and render those other heavy and bulky items useless.
MAKE USE OF CARABINER CLIPS
This is just a general tip for carrying backpacks and extra gear but we love to use these to help attach our tent and other specific camping bits onto our packs.
Handy for attaching sleeping bags, tarps and even a snorkel kit, these maximize the external surface area of your large backpack.
HAVE A SPARE BLANKET
You probably think this kind of bulk negates the whole minimal camping idea, but, Australia does get chilly from time to time, and even a warm day can turn cold with a swift breeze, so you will benefit from carrying a lightweight blanket in addition to your sleeping bags.
This can surely beat carrying several hoodies/jumpers, thick socks, joggers and other bulky items, or so we have found!
This is useful for multiple purposes, as either a throw over for sitting around the fire, or it can be rolled up as an extra pillow. We found that some nights we were so cold in our tent it was great to have something to wrap up in to make a quick trip to the bathroom, or to pull over the top of our thin sleeping bags.
The reality is that camping can be, shall we say, stressful for a couple whom spend all day, every day in one another's company.
Many miles from home, sharing a tiny space with your other half 24/7, is the struggling part of camping that you cannot minimize.
Nonetheless we try not to get too angry at the little things and not worry over the small stuff, like sand in the tent, or mess, or a less than stellar washing up job.
The beauty of camping is in the relative freedom of being to create your own private little home in a matter of minutes, in a myriad of different and beautiful settings. Plus the budget savvy nomadic minimalist is always looking for ways to get close to nature and in the thick of the travel atmosphere without it costing too much.
We do try to balance out our trip with hostel stays, couch-surfing and air b'n'b's along the way to prevent all out war occurring however!
Camping can be such a bonding and relaxing experience if you focus on enjoying the sunrise waking, the animals sniffing around at 3am, the birdsong and the fresh air moving through your tent that beats any air-con.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
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We Are All Human: Finding Peace In A Troubled World
Sitting and wondering about our origins, marvelling at the world and space, is something which makes all the horrendous wars and acts of selfish violence, seem so incredibly irrelevant.
We Are All Human: Finding Peace In A Troubled World
*This post, originally published in 2014, has been slightly updated to reflect recent current events and in 2016 its message remains very apt*
In 2014, Taran and I watched the BBC series, Human Universe, which follows Professor Brian Cox (a famous English physicist and now TV guy) discussing the origins of the human race, our evolution from 'ape-man to spaceman', and how remote communities in Ethiopia are where it all began.
Asides from being generally interesting, talking about how the primate evolved into the humans of today, and how our brain's have enlarged yet the capacity has remained the same for thousands of years etc, it also got me thinking a bit deeply about the state of affairs in our current world.
The horrid awfulness and remarkable inequality that is occurring out there is something I ended up dwelling on when I could of just been thinking "oh monkey, monkeys are cute. Look at Brian's wrinkle-free face. I love him".
Alas I decided to get all angry and confused.
I personally feel fortunate for being relatively untouched by many of the worst things happening daily, when so many others are in the thick of it, losing their homes, families, lives.
But it is a sad truth; many nasty things are happening in the world, but they always have and they always will.
The same old, same old.
We haven't always been faced with such horror; cowering in fear of international terrorists, facing an uncertain future, surrounded by complex conflict. Oh wait, we did that, during the cold war.
Society moves in cycles of war, resolution, and new beginnings.
Going back many moons ago there were different threats; we were scared of Spanish flu (rightly so in retrospect) and witchcraft (not so justified), but the bigger society has become, the more a climate of fear we enter into.
Is it because the world is scarier? Well, somewhat. But more now than ever before, it appears and feels a lot scarier.
Social media and communication technology break down geographical borders but also remove any camouflage; today's world does not support living in ignorant bliss. It does however lead to a raft of new conversations, debates and disagreements around how the world should be run; it simultaneously motivates the liberal and bolsters the conservative.
Emotion is what underpins much of these debates, from fear, that turns to hate that becomes harmful words and actions. Donald Trump is a product of this kind of terrified and illogical society.
Going back to the start.
Let's go back in time a bit, to the days Brian Cox talks about, the very dawn of our existence, when we were living basic lives which were based around literally making it one day to the next.
We would have faced human conflict on a far smaller scale, but we also would have been seeking the best way to survive by co-existing, sharing skill-sets and forming relationships.
We sought out ways to grow and thrive, and we did.
But fast-forward to now and it's evident, with evolving comes a whole host of complication.
Sitting and wondering about our origins, marvelling at the world and space, is something which makes all the horrendous wars and acts of selfish violence, seem so incredibly small, pointless and utterly devoid of meaning.
The average citizen wants to lead an uncomplicated life with love at the center, but then whole swathes of those people have to contend with war, poverty, famine, terrorism, displacement and then, the fear and prejudice of others, often those they aspire to live alongside and share in their relative comfort.
When we desire to malign and curtail the simple desire of those who want a chance at happiness and safety in their brief lifetime upon this earth, we are, for want of a better phrase, being fucking assholes.
When we do so due to religious differences or racial ignorance, we are being uneducated fearful assholes.
Imagine all the people, living life in peace.
The lyrical articulation of this vision that I have, from the late and very great John Lennon, is one of complete simplicity, a fact I do recognize.
So call me naive and simplistic if you wish.
Maybe I see the world from a comfortable and safe place, and so the ugliness can seem nonsensical and pointless to me; I am not directly experiencing and witnessing what goes on in war-torn cities, so of course I can't relate to it or fully understand it.
I am not religious so I am not laying down my life to fight for some imagined almighty. I am not taking a weapon in my hands to defend myself or those I love.
I am not one of the victims of the worst atrocities that others in my privileged position are inflicting pain upon, actions informed by complex dysfunction.
I am simply not right amongst the troubles in the world but they are close and sometimes they feel like they are only getting closer.
For only so long can the world place importance on something other than fixing the inherent problems killing its people in all corners, not the just the white or rich ones.
The only solution
When looking at the world from the eyes of an innocent and inquisitive child, who stares at the night-sky, enchanted, we step back in time, to what the very first humans did . A child (whether today or 200,000 years ago), isn't born accustomed to tragedy and complication, it simply wishes to live, learn, grow and love.
All of us deeply seek contentment and should seek for all those around us.
Many of us are watching from the sidelines, powerless and at the same time powerful. If we live our lives positively and consciously, then that's how we create power and influence. That's how generations before us have nudged along progress and sought to keep good winning over evil.
In truth, the battle between good and bad is entirely within the individual and the choices they make each and every day.
To judge, or to try to understand?
To discriminate or to treat everyone as our equals?
To recognize the humanity in a stranger like we would in the eyes of our own children, or to focus on only our own self-interest?
Seeing the beauty of the world and embracing that, not hatred, racism, conflict, religious extremism and political quarrels, is the only way to live out your life with authenticity.
If you believe you can achieve contentment and fulfilment whilst ignoring your role in the destiny of other people's happiness, well, I don't see you ever getting there.
We must endeavour to be aware and educated, on many topics, and be aware of how we can make a difference to the world.
Short of giving our whole lives in the pursuit of a sustainable and eco-friendly world, or 'world peace' or an end to world hunger, it takes more than just one person to fix things, but it's a good place to begin.
Care, and speak up about why everyone around you should to.
Seek to understand that which frightens you, instead of destroying or imprisoning it (or them).
For me personally, I want travel to mean more than just sleeping and eating in different countries. I want travel to help me live this way wholeheartedly.
Leaving my physical comfort zone I want to know the places and the people I share this planet with. I want to share in the universal human experience.
Experiencing travel may be a selfish thing, only available to the privileged, which mostly fulfils your own happiness and focuses on your own self-development. Yet when we engage with different cultures, we are closer to supporting those who need us, and we are no longer simply living each day in a safe bubble, ignoring those far-away communities we consider alien.
It's a unifying force, travelling.
I am in a privileged position with access to money, education and thus travel. But anyone, absolutely ANYONE, in any circumstance, can acknowledge how special and insane our existence is, and appreciate that our time on this planet is far too short to fill with misery.
To try and lead a happy life is not to ignore the pain of others, it is to embrace others but also the beauty that is found in every forest, on every coastline, in every ancient ruin.
True and selfless happiness is found in looking to the past, living in (and cultivating) the present and making a better future.
Witnessing and taking in all that makes us human and all that makes this world so spectacular, is to pay respect to all those who came before us and pave the way for all those yet to arrive.
Travel (and live) with heart and give your time, love and thought to the world, in whatever way you can, because at our core, us humans are good, and we all have the same capacity for love; it can always be found, tended to and it can grow, as fast as any conflict; we are our own worst enemy but also our only saving grace.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
Be social and come follow us across the virtual world!
Recommended Reads:
What It's Like To Sell Everything You Own And Live Out Of A Backpack
35 pounds. That’s the weight of everything I own. A year ago, if you had told me that I’d eventually fit everything I own into a single backpack, I would have...
What It's Like To Sell Everything You Own And Live Out Of A Backpack
THIS GUEST POST is brought to you by Eric and Allison of The Endless Adventure. Currently in Europe they work on the road sampling all the delights on offer across the world, whilst living out of their backpack's. We wanted to find out just how they do it so we invited them to chat about their life as nomads.
35 pounds. That’s the weight of everything I own. A year ago, if you had told me that I’d eventually fit everything I own into a single backpack, I would have broken out into uncontrollable laughter.
Fast forward 12 months and my wife and I are sitting in Milan, Italy with no permanent home, no long-term plans and nothing but our bags to our names.
It’s a dream of many to 'sell it all and travel the world with nothing but a backpack' (If you couldn’t tell, that was meant to be read in a nice whimsical tone while looking up to the sky). But, in reality, it’s actually extremely difficult and not very glamorous (but it’s fun as heck!).
When we arrive at a new hotel or Airbnb, it quickly turns into a battlefield of clothes, electronics and… yeah that’s pretty much all we carry these days. And when it’s time to stuff everything back into our bags and move on to the next location, suddenly they become impossible to close!
We’re in a constant battle with our things.
With every single purchase, we have to consider the weight, size of the item, as well as what it will replace in our bags (since all bag space is pretty much spoken for). It can be easy to say “eh, this item’s weight is negligible” when making a new purchase. But you pay for that sort of thinking later on when you strap on a 50 pound bag to your back and trek through Milan for an hour searching for your AirBnB.
This isn’t good for your body and it isn’t good for your spirit. Trust us, traveling light will save you long-term back pain and potentially permanent damage to your body.
Naturally, when everything you own fits into a single carry-on, you’ve got to learn to be versatile with your items. We keep a small bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap on us at all times. This stuff is literally magic. It can wash dishes, clothes, bodies, you can brush your teeth with it... okay maybe not that last one.
It’s also important to pack clothing items that can be mixed and matched. This is typically easier for us guys. 5 t-shirts, 5 underoos, 5 shorts/pants 5 socks and boom, you’re covered. But for the ladies, it’s not that simple.
Here are a few tips from Allison:
Stick with a general color palette. For me it was blacks and grays as these photograph well and show less stains.
Take an outfit that can be dressed up with a pair of nicer flats, but make sure they’re both appropriate for everyday wear so that they’re more versatile.
Avoid taking any items “special occasion” items. Chances are you won’t need them and they’ll just be dead weight.
Pretty much every top should be able to mix with every bottom. It’s fine to take some bright colors or patterned items, but keep them either all on top or bottom. That way you can have fun skirts/pants to mix and match with basic tops or vice versa.
Check out her minimalist packing guide for even more tips!
Talking about becoming homeless and actually making the leap are two very different things. For most people, it’s easy to put up with uncomfortable beds and weird showers for a week, maybe two. But, when you have no permanent home and travel is your life, you have to learn to accept that your home is wherever you are for the night.
If you’ve got a bed that’s too small for you and your legs hang off the bottom, that’s home. If the people on the street outside your window are partying until 6am, that’s home. Once you realize that home is wherever you are, it’s easier to accept your circumstances for what they are.
Before setting out on this endless adventure, we had an apartment in San Francisco, 2 cats and a whole bunch of stuff that we needed to sort out. We gave ourselves 5 days to figure out a new home for all of it (yeah, I know, we’re idiots).
We decided to sell anything that we thought was of value. We seriously had about 20 separate listings on Craigslist at a time. Everything from workout equipment, to old records to Magic the Gathering cards. Surprisingly, we were able to sell most of it and put about $1500 into our pockets. Everything that was not-so-valuable went to Goodwill.
Parting with all of our things was tough, but I wouldn’t say it was emotional. We had put a 'lot' of thought into this decision beforehand. And we had actually taken an 4 month road trip around the USA leading up to it, so we had already lived without these items for a while.
On the other hand, parting with our sweet little kitty cats was very emotional. We didn’t want to have strangers taking care of them, but most of our friends and family were like “hell no” when we asked if they could take them. Luckily, we found a friend who was willing to take them in. Now they have a lot more room to roam and I’m sure are much happier!
We also decided to try and scrub the heck out of the apartment to see if we could get at least some of the deposit back. Most of our friends said we were dreaming and should just consider that money gone. But the jokes on them! That place was so clean we got almost the entire deposit back, around $1400!
For the most part, we’ve gotten used to living out of a single backpack, but we’re also constantly looking for potential improvements. We’ve tried tons of different packing techniques, we’ve shipped boxes of stuff back to our parents to decrease our weight, we’ve tried booking rooms close to the bus station or airport so we didn’t have to walk too far with our packs on. No doubt, this lifestyle is a constant learning process.
I don’t know how long we’ll be living out of our backpacks (we honestly haven’t made any long-term plans). But, for now, we’ll travel the world with everything we own strapped to our backs, with home being wherever we lay our heads for the night.
I'm currently travelling the world and searching for adventure with my wife, Allison. We're vlogging our daily travels on YouTube, subscribe here to follow along! Have you ever tried living out of a backpack? Do you have any tips or stories to share? Leave a comment or reach out to us on Twitter. Thanks for reading!
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7 Things We Wish We Had Done Before Travelling
We wouldn’t change any part of the trip so far, even the crappier times, and so, this isn't a negative retrospective, more of a list of the things we have thought of and discussed along the way.
7 Things We Wish We Had Done Before Travelling
I’m not big on having regrets in life. If I wake up most days feeling basically happy with my decisions and I retain perspective on my good fortune, regrets are pointless and silly.
Yes, we've had 16 months of new experiences, learning opportunities and true challenges, all of which balance out to create a story of immense awesomeness...
Yet that doesn’t mean however that we must ignore hindsight and not acknowledge the few select things we wish we had done differently before we left the UK (Beware, our blog was in its infancy when we posted that), because it’s possible we’d have made the journey even better.
We wouldn’t change any part of the trip so far, even the crappier times, and so, this isn't a negative retrospective, more of a list of the things we have thought of and discussed along the way.
But still, if you are yet to embark on your travels, the things we wish we had done, might be the things you still have time to implement, to help you avoid some of the difficulties we have faced.
The 7 Things We Wish We Had Done Differently:
Built A Larger Savings Account
I know that it can feel like you will never have enough savings when you begin travelling, because no matter how much you have it will still run out one day.
Plus, if you spend too long saving then you put off travelling even further into the future. Still, we wish we had been even stingier and amassed larger savings accounts.
The benefit would have been that we could have left more behind in the UK as emergency money instead of all our money being in our current account out here.
We also could have purchased a vehicle when we got to Australia.
We went back and forth about this and now know it’s too late to buy one...
We didn't have enough money to get one and now cant afford to, but we felt we could travel just fine without one and it would force us to be more imaginative, but in a way, not having one has been a restriction.
SOLUTION: PLAN FOR YOUR BIGGER TRIP EXPENSES BY INDULGING LESS AND LIVING ON A BUDGET.
Had a Second Income Source
To have been able to save more we would have needed to work more. I worked as much as I could as a dog-walker during the day but still had free time I could have filled with extra work, be that by beginning my freelancing career or getting a small side-gig.
Taran only did a little part-time job with a side-business of selling his art.
I sometimes think a little bit of overworking and suffering in the short-term would have benefited us in terms of savings.
It might have better prepared us for the hard work and long hours we would end up doing out here as well as helped us appreciate, even more, those first blissful work-free months in Australia.
SOLUTION: TRY TO FIND SHORT-TERM OR PART-TIME WORK WHERE POSSIBLE.
Gained Different and Varied Work Experience
It turns out we both came to Australia with very few of the skills and experience really in demand from backpackers and working-holiday makers.
I had never worked in hospitality before this trip (I had worked in retail, banking and self-employment) whereas Taran had done a little bit of bar work and waiting, around 5 years ago.
We have struggled to find jobs that we could even apply to let alone the issue of competition from fellow travellers and Aussies.
The upside has been that we have been given chances and have come to learn lots of new valuable skills, with me finally understanding what a Latte and a Cappuccino are (and also randomly how to service a bloody tractor!) whilst Taran learning how to properly prune trees.
Thankfully going forward we are better equipped for a variety of jobs but we wish our arsenal of experience was a bit broader from the get-go.
SOLUTION: RESEARCH, TAKE COURSES OR FIND PART-TIME JOBS IN THE FIELDS RELATED TO THE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE COUNTRY YOU ARE GOING TO.
Got Rid of More Clutter
When we visited home in February I realized just how much stuff and clutter I had held onto despite my love for minimalism and my belief that I had shed a lot of things in preparation for nomadic life.
It turns out I could have shed a lot more, and most importantly, I could have sold more stuff to free up cash for my savings.
I hate to think that my bedroom at home is a treasure trove of random stuff that is getting no use or love and I wish I had felt unafraid of letting go of certain luxuries like my TV.
SOLUTION: DONATE OR SELL ALMOST ALL OF YOUR REPLACEABLE BELONGINGS.
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Purchased A Good Camera
It wasn’t until a good 7 months into our travels until we invested in our Canon G16, meaning our photography of the first pivotal days and weeks of our adventures have been captured on less than stellar smart-phones and our go-pro.
Had we saved more money and considered how much use we would get out of a camera then we would have a full library of equally brilliant photo’s.
Our new camera in action!
SOLUTION: SET ASIDE SOME TIME AND SAVINGS TO RESEARCH AND PURCHASE A GOOD CAMERA (AND ENSURE THIS IS COVERED BY YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE).
Brought Smaller Backpacks
Now of course we can change our backpacks at any stage, throw away a ton of stuff and downsize, but I like my current backpack (and it cost quite a lot) and I know all the little quirks of how to best use it.
We have gotten used to having a certain amount of stuff whilst travelling and have become accustomed to having the room that we have.
Taran however wishes he had a roomier bag as his is quite small inside and he'd prefer to have less clothes and more room to store camping gear.
I almost wish we had been more restrictive from the beginning, buying smaller bags which would force us to carry less and make it easier to travel with the important things we have gained on the road.
SOLUTION: TRY OUT BACKPACKS OF A SMALLER SIZE BUT NOT A LESSER QUALITY, AND BRING LESS CLOTHING.
Enjoyed Home More
We spent a lot of time in the build-up to travelling almost just waiting around, not making the most of the final weeks of time with friends and family.
We realize now we could have spent that time better and not worried that it would take us away from our tight spending mindset.
I wish I had seen certain family more often because you can never have too much time with your loved ones, but you can certainly have too little.
SOLUTION: PLAN TIME TO BUILD GREAT MEMORIES WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY PRIOR TO YOUR TRIP.
Evidently some of our regrets are incongruous with one another; its unlikely we could have worked more, spent less and also had plenty of family and friend time.
But maybe even just a couple of these ideas will help you realize that the time before your trip deserves as much attention and thought as the time spent on your travels.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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How I Went From Down And Out Graduate To Debt-Free Nomad In Less Than A Year
Recalling the path I was on 3.5 years ago, I shudder a little bit inside, I was embarking on...
How I Went From Down And Out Graduate To Debt-Free Nomad In Less Than A Year
Recalling how my life was 3.5 years ago, I was embarking on a new business venture, creating a self-employed life as a dog-walker and pet-sitter. This was the result of leaving my previous job, and bumming around unsure of what to do with myself for 3 months.
It didn't feel like it at the time, but the spring of 2013 was about to be major turning point, after 2011 and 2012 had been pretty painful.
At the end of 2012, I was in debt and pretending I wasn’t, continuing to spend mindlessly, buying new trendy stuff I didn't need, trying to make myself feel better. I was also kinda lonely, having been single for a good few months. I didn't have the best social life and my whole week was being swallowed up by my crappy job in a bank.
It was a bundle of laughs guys, truly.
My debt wasn't disgustingly huge and ridiculous, but I believe it was around the £3000 mark by the end of 2012. It was mostly credit card debt but also an overdraft from University.
It doesn't sound a lot, but it was for someone who was on a low income, whilst avidly pursuing everything... Literally, trying to consume every single thing.
I gave in to my sadness and disappointment at where I was in life, and continued to build my mini mountain of debt, partaking in window-shopping that turned into a shopping spree. Always having had a weakness for pretty things, I was going beyond that, consuming too much, too often. I would put things on my credit card willy-nilly and worry about it later.
The funny thing is, for the longest time as I entered my early 20's, I never had a credit card, nor even considered it. I spent what I had, and didn't spend what I didn't have.
A (very smart) part of me knew that credit was a bad idea for someone with my mentality. I loved buying clothes and other random things, and I had grown up accustomed to having what I wanted when I wanted it.
God, spoilt much?
Fortunate and well-cared for, definitely. Spoilt? maybe a tiny bit...
Anyway, I knew that as soon as a credit card came into my possession, my eyes would roll into pound signs and I would see it as a free money despite my better knowledge.
Why the hell did I get a credit card then?
I can’t remember the precise reason, but it was mid 2011, and I was going through some big life changes; moving in with a boyfriend and going into my final year of study. I do remember the cherry-popping card had an 18-month-interest-free period, the ultimate clever incentive of essentially free credit for almost 2 years!
That is a dangerously long grace period of being able to let debt mount up without accruing interest on top.
I think that's a key part of consumer debt psychology; people ask themselves, how long can I use credit and not really feel pain from it? How long can I pretend that I'm not living beyond my means whilst not trying to change them? Well, the credit card companies will always have a solution for you.
So the credit companies are the enemy?
Many credit cards are built on solidly decent perks, beneficial to those who know how to use them; people with self-control and probably a decent income, able to make each monthly payment whilst gaining air-miles or whatever. But that wasn’t me, and yet, because my income was of a certain level, it was as simple as filling in an online-form and BAM, a credit card with a £2000 credit limit now had my name on it.
That’s a lot of money to someone who was earning under £1000 a month and was new to this idea of adult financial freedom. For a while after my card arrived, I used it cautiously, paying for small amounts with it near the end of the month before pay-day. I promptly re-paid the full amount when it was due.
It wasn’t until a few months later, when I experienced a fairly traumatic and unexpected relationship break-up (from the boyfriend I had moved in with), that I suddenly looked at my credit card, and it looked at me, and we gave into a full-on passionate affair.
Takeaway meals when I was too depressed to cook, online shopping when I was too sad to leave my house, my credit card was my crutch.
I fell into debt not out of necessity, nor because I had bills to pay or some big holiday planned, I simply used credit for random daily spending, with the full intent to pay it back as and when. Underpinning this spending was a story I was telling myself, that I deserved this 'free' money. This credit card bought me the things I thought I wanted, or needed, in order to overcome my sadness.
In my hazy state I perceived junk-food and new clothing that I wouldn’t even remember in 3 years time, as my treats. I didn't buy self-help books, or invest money in trying new experiences, which sounds like a healthier approach, one I was simply incapable of in my down and out state. Maybe that's a stage you reach a little while after the initial impulse spending blow-outs following a break-up. But I didn't reach that point for months to come...
You’d have thought that the spending would have stopped a few weeks later, when I emerged from my sad girl cave and re-joined the functioning humans, but it was too late, I had already formed bad habits.
A few months later, life was mostly back on track. I graduated Uni with top marks, and I was on the cusp of entering real adult professional life. The first financial decision I made in my new grown-up life, truly was a nightmare dressed as a daydream (I just quoted a Taylor Swift song and it works); I got a brand new expensive car on finance.
I didn’t know anything about car finance until right before I took it on. I truly believe it was a win-win situation and I failed to account for how much of a commitment it was to take on.
I remember the precise moment, when walking through the supermarket car-park, when I fell in love with this little cream car. Sat there, all alluring and feminine, I knew, as soon as I laid my eyes on it, it had to be mine. It was a nippy little cream Fiat 500. So petite! So cute! So out of my price range.
Until someone said, ‘Did you know you can get the same car on finance?’
Interest piqued.
"What is this finance you speak of?"
Okay, so lemme get this straight, I hand over a little bit of money as a deposit, and I get a brand new shiny car. All I then have to do is pay £129 a month for the next 3 years, and then it's entirely mine? I can afford that so it must be a good idea!
Plus, I deserve it, I DESERVE a brand new car. I was still peddling that woe-is-me story to myself...
I thought this was an awesome turn of events. Car finance was helping me live out a dream of luxury. Little did I know it would be a short-lived buzz that would take me further away from the dreams faltering at my core.
I still feel guilt at the way I fell in love with that car far deeper than I ever did for my starter car, a little blue Vauxhall Corsa. I feel actual sadness that I gave that silly tin can away. But at the time, it was a fun change and it was just another part of my effort to feel better about myself.
The steering wheel on my pristine new baby felt so smooth and agile, and the car was so clean, and just, beautiful. I felt accomplished, like I had stepped up a rung on some invisible ladder of life success. I had a nice, smart card, nd I believed it helped me appear, to the outside, that I was winning at life.
But the reality was more like this:
I was working full-time in the same job I’d had since I was 16, a small supermarket where I jangled my keys as a supervisor and general checkout operator. This little weekend job had stayed with me throughout 3 years of university, and then turned into my main gig.
It wasn’t inspiring or fulfilling, at all, it was convenient, and familiar. I was trying to move into something better, namely, something that earned me more money. Whether the job truly suited me and my core values, was a secondary thought, a bonus in fact.
I wrongly sought out something that would bring me more money to buy more stuff to be more happy. But had my consumption made me happy up to that point?
I ask myself this question a lot...
Was I unhappy because I spent my money impulsively to fill a lonely void, and thus wasn’t planning for a fulfilling future based on real experiences. Or, was I just suffering from a mental illness and using the incorrect tools to fix it.
I'm certain that I was unhappy in myself and perceived buying things to add to my image as a way to attract the right kind of people who could fill the space in my sad ickle heart.
I sound as if I'm making light of my situation, but I was, in fact, headed for clinical depression. I got there eventually and I fell into a dark pit that I tried to escape every time I went to a clothes shop. I was desperately hating my job in a bank, where I had to partake in awful sales stuff as well as be responsible for people's real actual money. To this day I hate sales-y people or anyone who targets me with bull-shit for their own monetary gain.
So that job didn’t work with me, at all. Yes, I had money, I was able to shop more, and show off my nice car to my colleagues, but I wasn't actually a happy or sane individual.
I had some traditional markers of success and yet, I was also deeply disappointed. In the pit of my being, I was asking, is this it? Is this my life, from now on and forever?
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How Did I Change Things For The Better?
Well, I overcame that difficult time through a variety of avenues. Prescribed pills were involved (for a short while), falling in love played a large part, and of course, time was a big healer. I moved through my issues gradually, grew my little business as a dog-walker, and I was finally engaging with the world in a healthy manner. I eventually began making exciting plans.
My exciting plans had no room for debt or financial over-stretching; they were geared to financial freedom.
I got rid of my car out of necessity. My expensive gift to myself was now a chain around my neck on my new low income, and it didn’t suit my business as a dog-walker. So I went through the rigmarole of advertising it, temporarily clearing the finance with a family loan, then repaying that back when my car sold. Yep, a total effort.
I rid myself of that 129 a month and then focused all my energy on debt repayment. I kept a diary of all the amounts I owed and to whom. I decided to clear the smallest debt first, because it would be a surmountable goal that would boost my morale. There was no doubt in my mind that I would clear all the debts, because I had a goal for doing so, it just made sense to me to start small.
My exciting plans were that I wanted to travel Australia with Taran. I did the research and got sucked in by the absolute beauty of this very far-away land, and I just knew I had to get there.
I didn’t want to just go away for a year, I wanted to travel for a long time. I decided that being out there in the world, exploring it almost without purpose, would be the optimal way to reconnect with all the best parts of living.
Driven by this goal, I threw literally as much as I possibly could at my debts each week.
I got paid sporadically due to being self-employed so if my money came in drib's and drab's, I threw it at my debt in drib's and drab's. If I had an unexpected booking that led to a lot of extra money, I didn’t hold onto that money for a second, I sent it on a one way debt-clearing journey.
That is certainly one of the difficult parts of paying off debt and an obvious reason for why people delay repayments. We see our pay-check as having a better or more exciting purpose in the present, instead of going into a black-hole that brings nothing. But it does bring something eventually. It brings back financial clarity, control and an ability to plan for the future.
I think even if I hadn’t wanted to save up for travelling, I would have put my new positive financial situation to a good purpose, and I would have developed smaller, every-day goals, centred around family, relationships, and experiences.
When my life lacked greatly in these areas, when my time, money and energy was going purely to consumerism, I was miserable.
Then again, it goes back to my question around shopping addiction as the cause or effect of my depression. It was mental health versus financial health, and neither side was fighting strong.
That's why the true approach to tackling debt goes beyond the common tropes of spending less, working more and going without. Those things help clear the debt, but they don't deal with what lies underneath. They don't prevent debt occurring later on, or alter your mentality away from consumption as self-prescribed therapy.
It’s a truth, not merely a pleasant idea, that we should build our finances around sustainable, long-term and deep fulfilment.
My motivation wasn’t to explore in order to ‘get it out my system’ or escape the trappings of real life, it was about creating a whole new path, based on experiencing far-flung places, doing crazy things beyond what I believed I could and ultimately, discovering myself. I believed that my long-term fulfilment could be built on solid foundations formed from these experiences.
The Key Is To Not Go It Alone
Many of my peers and fellow graduate millennials often say that they wish they had the money to travel. In truth, some definitely do have the money, they just choose to allocate it to other things, and that's their business.
Many people however are bound by extortionate outgoings and financial commitments, as I was, and are navigating the same personal battle I did. I came through it thanks to the support of friends, family, and of course, Taran. That's why I recommend surrounding yourself with people or positive influences that will encourage you on your journey to being debt-free.
If those around you bolster the behaviours that are the most detrimental to you, then it's time to get real, have some honest conversations, and be clear in your motivations for changing things.
If you lack a supportive circle of like-minded individuals, I get that it makes debt repayment hard. But plenty of people out there are super into these lifestyle ideas, of thrift, frugality, and minimalism. In fact I wrote a whole book on that last topic. And the idea of being 100% debt-free, as in owing zero to anyone and clearing a mortgage earlier, is a major movement.
There is a tribe out there with open arms awaiting you, without a doubt.
Some of my favourite finance-oriented and majorly inspiring people:
My journey from down and out, to who I am now, has been a relatively long one, but I've finally got to where I want to be.
A year into travelling, and 2 since I became debt-free, I’ve worked as a farmer, a cook/receptionist/housekeeper and a cleaner. These are definitely not dream jobs, but they are short-term ventures targeted at a specific goal. But that's just the boring necessary stuff.
I've also camped on a completely deserted paradise island, with ocean so clear my eyes couldn't believe it. I've jumped out of a plane, held a snake, stroked a kangaroo and rescued a koala (not all at the same time).
I opened myself up to the unpredictable nature of life, embracing what scares me.
The result is that I have lived, and it's been an awfully big adventure.
What did my debt experience teach me?
I learned in my early 20's, that debt, whilst sometimes unavoidable, can often be prevented if we are open and honest with ourselves and those around us. I lost control of my life because I was suffering alone, smothering my inner truth, and favouring my unhealthy spending habits over the challenge of building new ones.
But I don't do that any-more, and I'd like to think that others can escape that spiral too. We can spend our money mindfully today, in the pursuit of something amazing, someday.
And that someday needn’t be so far away that we can't picture it and keep focus.
We can take stepping stones, steadily moving to the other side, to a place where we can start over again, begin listening to our core values, and live by them, forming new habits that will fulfil our truthful needs.
What motivates you to become unencumbered by debt?
Thanks for reading!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
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Healthy Eating On A Backpacker Budget in Australia
Healthy eating on a backpacking budget isn't impossible, and if you want to travel long-term, start as you mean to go on...
Healthy Eating On A Backpacker Budget in Australia
When you travel, you sometimes scrimp on the quality of the food that you buy, in that you can't always afford the freshest most healthiest options. But you still fork out for random takeaways now and again, because, let's face it, cooking is time-consuming and when your hungry, you don't fancy walking round the supermarket trying to formulate a mouth-watering recipe. You just wanna eat.
We lived like this for the most part of our first 6 months travelling, regularly making the most of the $5 domino's... which co-incidentally was when we were staying mostly in hostels and campsites, some of which were difficult to cook in: always competing for burners, using pots and pans that have had the most basic of backpacker washes, and having not much space to store all the food you would like to be cooking. This can end up being not only inconvenient, but also kinda expensive and lead to you to multiple visits to the shops/local pizza place, more than once a week.
A shopping trip that costs $30 doesn't seem like a lot at the time but if you do this 3 times a week, then add on alcohol spending plus impulse purchases, it is a hefty chunk of your savings down the toilet. Literally.
Since settling in Noosa for an extended period, moving into a house with a fully-equipped kitchen, and being generally busy working/blogging/flailing about in the sea, we have embarked on a healthier eating challenge. We spend a fair bit of money, in one go, on a weekly shop. But we think this works out not only economically but it means we are prepared better and don't end up making bad choices.
- We always make a meal plan, and then a shopping list.
- We rarely deviate from the list or buy into deals on things we wouldn't normally buy.
- We have a rough budget in mind and avoiding those tempting offers help us stick to it.
We currently shop at Coles, even though Aldi is nearby too, but it is definitely too much of a trek for a weekly shop (seeing as we carry it all back in our rucksacks). The delivery for food from the supermarkets is super expensive so we prefer the 30 minute round-trip rather than an extra $40 a month.
A Typical Week Of Food Shopping
This shop came to $90.83. There's a range of things, including salad vegetables, fruit, beans, sugar-free hot coco, red hot sauce, bread, eggs, and some spices. I also did a mini shop the day before (as we had no food at all and I needed din din's) costing $18.57 for some Kale, milk, a massive block of cheese for Taran the cheese fiend, plus some potatoes and tempeh.
What You Can Make From All That Food...
Taran is on a strict pasta and cheese diet, with occasional fruit smoothies. I am trying to get him to consider eating less of the beige carb's and more greens but it's a slow process. When I think Taran, I think pasta. The guy single-handedly keeps spaghetti in business. I am however eating a bit differently to how I have in the past. I now eat with more consideration for what's in my food and I have finally fought my unhealthy cravings into submission over the last few weeks.
A typical lunch or dinner now consists of mostly vegetables and legumes, and maybe some dairy.
A favourite is some brown rice with kidney beans plus roasted sweet potato and salad. It's filling but most importantly, not processed. It also isn't a restrictive diet meal, as it has a generous helping of carbohydrates. I generally snack on fruit only between meals, or in the afternoon if I don't have lunch I might have some rice crackers with capsicum (red pepper) dip on top. I'd like to make my own in the future though, to avoid even more hidden nasties.
For breakfast I have my old faithful, peanut butter (organic) on whole-wheat bread (I check the label to ensure the primary ingredient is 100% wholegrain or whole-wheat flour) with a banana.
Taran might have cereal or nutella on toast, which I can't argue, remains a deliciously terrible craving of mine. I am not currently having any 'treats' per se, but I do genuinely enjoy my bowls of fresh watermelon and berries, providing more than enough sugar in my diet.
One of our favourite meals we have together is falafel.
We put it with pitta, wraps, home-made salsa and salad, plus cheese for Taran. The salsa is just tomato, garlic (wow did we have garlic), onions, coriander and some jalapeno pepper. We mixed it all up and blended it briefly to combine the mixture.
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Why I Decided to Change Things.
I was sat on the bed one night recently, having overeaten again. I had stuffed myself to beyond fullness during my evening meal and some more snacking afterwards. I think I have always had a problem with over-eating, often happening when I was bored or down. Maybe there's something wrong with the message delivery between my stumach and my brain, always being a bit late to tell it that I can stop eating. Or maybe I just always eat too fast and don't allow that message to get through (nutritional advice for weight-loss often centers on slow eating and savouring your meals more).
Either way, I felt really gross that night. I was 6 months pregnant with a fatty-food baby.
What I wanted to achieve from a change in my eating habits, was firstly, to just know that I was putting better things into my body. I have been educating myself on food and nutrition lately, and have been able to see just how what you eat is so tied up to your mood, and the quality of your life, that it would be crazy to not make some changes.
It's easy to stick to the same eating habits we have always known, especially if we don't experience any overwhelming negative symptoms, but years of certain habits create the perfect situation for illness in later life.
Years of high sugar consumption lead to pre-diabetes early on in life which then leads to type 2 diabetes (this super interesting book I'm reading shed's light on the relationship between lowering blood sugar and totally reversing diabetes).
Of course bad eating habits also lead to a number of other illnesses, from fatty liver disease, to heart disease, to cancer. But knowing that reducing your intake of sugar could mean you can almost totally prevent some illnesses (including diabetes which leads to limb loss and blindness).
In the present though, bad habits strip you of energy and impact the way your brain works in the short-term.
When you have only ever engaged in bad eating habits, you don't actually know what it feels like to be firing on all cylinders.
I wanted more energy, a better attention span, and to lose weight. So far, I have felt clearer-minded, I can get through my day without sugar crashes, and I go to bed feeling satiated. I also feel slimmer, which whilst a major incentive has become a fringe benefit.
I know some people will pick apart my eating habits, saying that carb's are starchy and bad for you, dairy is bad for you, basically not being on an entirely plant-based vegan diet means I am just failing at a true healthy diet.
One of Taran's awesome smoothies!!
But these dietary changes have been the most easy to stick to compared to any I have done in the past. I make solidly healthy choices 95% of the time and when I do buckle and 'cheat', I don't actually enjoy it. The things I once craved simply don't enter my mind. I didn't really believe it when people said that the cleaner you eat, the cleaner you want to eat, but it appears to be true so far.
It also helps that I don't count calories. I believe in portion-control but also don't limit myself during meal-time too much, seeing as it makes up the bulk of what I eat in a day now that I forego snacking.
Most importantly, I am not consuming processed products, I am making everything from scratch, I am eating more vegetables and fruit, I am not adding salt or sugar to my foods or drinks, and dairy is only a small part of my plate each meal.
I feel like I have adapted really well to my new habits, and my motivation to be healthier is having a great impact on me physically. No longer do I practically fall asleep after each meal, or do I spend my entire evening feeling disgustingly bloated knowing I have consumed way more than my body needed. I enjoy my meals but food is no longer the be-all and end-all of my day. It is fuel for my body and my mind, and is no longer consumed just for the sake of it.
The result of these changes means I basically desire less of the crap by filling myself up with the good. Plus we spend a bit less overall on food, and no longer make impulse purchases. We don't waste money on filling up our tanks with shitty fuel.
I won't never eat the bad again, but the cheats don't really feel so tempting anymore. If I can make healthier and cheaper versions of my favourite bad foods I will endeavour to, and share them here when I do!
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Falling in love with island life - Guest Post
Colourful sunsets, fresh breeze and soft sand under your feet.. This is the life any true nomad will fall for...
Falling In Love With Island Life
THIS GUEST POST is brought to you by Manu & Kasia, a Swiss-Polish couple wandering about in Europe and South-East Asia running a blog called The Clueless Abroad. They are into diving, slow & responsible travel and island life. So they are pretty cool :P
Here's a confession: we probably suck at travelling. Our first attempt to see the world ended with us staying in the Canaries for 8 months. Our plans of wandering through Thailand have to wait for a better time, all because our stay on Ko Lanta stretched from a couple of days to almost two months... and we still haven't had enough of it. It seems like the island life is much more attractive to us than staying in our own countries, or even travelling itself - but why is that?
Living on Gran Canaria, we thought that maybe the lazy lifestyle and chilled out atmosphere were simply a part of the Spanish spirit and the mañana culture, but it turns out that nearly every island that we've stayed on in the last two years was much more laid-back than the rest of the country - whether it was in the middle of the overcrowded Halong Bay or next to nowhere in southern Laos. There have to be exceptions to this, but so far we've been lucky to end up in places where time seems to slow down and all the paradise cliches come to life.
CALM AND CHARMING
Even if you're the grumpiest traveller out there, you'd probably fall for the persuasive appeal of colourful sunsets, fresh breeze and soft sand under your feet. And it's not just the calm - it's also the attitude of people around you, especially noticeable on the small islands, where the local restaurant owners greet you with your favourite fresh coconut whenever you go out to eat something. There is this unique, special charm in the islets, similar to the atmosphere of little towns and villages.
Still... how long can you just go to the beach and back?
That's where the landscape comes into play - even the tiniest island we've been to had forests and huge waterfalls, easily accessible by bike. On Gran Canaria, you can wander off to the cliffs, sandy or rocky beaches, beautiful and challenging mountains, canyons and sand dunes... all of which are within an hour or two of driving, regardless of where you're staying. The Big Island in Hawaii is one of the most surreal places on Earth and has most of the world's climate zones, so you really can't complain about the lack of variety there. If that's not enough for you - go underwater! It's very probable that you can dive, or at least snorkel somewhere around the island, so if hiking's not your thing - put your fins on and jump into the water!
THE SIMPLE LIFE
And what's the most appealing is that even with this richness of outdoor opportunities, the island life is still much simpler, mostly because you just don't have the access to some of the things that are so easily available on land. While the big islands with developed infrastructures can cater for more needs, the smaller isles might have just one, understocked village store and no Internet. And it's fine, because after a couple of days you find out that you actually don't need all these supermarkets, clothes shops, gyms and fancy restaurants to be happy. It's a perfect place to just switch off, go offline and re-evaluate your lifestyle and daily habits.
Sounds too good to be true? There are also big disadvantages and nuisances to being stuck on an island... for example, being literally stuck on an island - something we barely avoided when a typhoon hit near the Cat Ba island in Vietnam and the transport to the main land was almost cancelled. In some places, there's a threat of a natural disaster, and in some others you'd have to get on a boat to get to the nearest medical facility in case of an emergency. As for the smaller, daily problems, we've got three words: giant flying cockroaches, constant visitors in your flat on Gran Canaria.
But should that stop you? A disaster can happen anywhere in the world and apparently some people keep cockroaches as pets... you can get used to a lot of things, and for us, nothing beats the proximity of the sea and great diving or hiking sites right at our doorstep.
If you think you'd also fall in love with the island life, think about squeezing one of these 4 places into your next itinerary:
- Gran Canaria: An island with great hiking opportunities, bigger and more developed than others on this list, but definitely worth visiting and immersing yourself in the laid-back Spanish culture. Perfect for party goers, but also lovers of nature and mountains.
- Ko Lanta, Thailand: Has everything you need, but not too much - so there's an Internet connection, but no big shopping malls. There are parts of the island that are almost empty (including some amazing beaches) and it's a perfect place for divers, especially if you're dreaming of seeing a whale shark or a manta ray.
- Don Khone, Laos: A teeny-tiny island in the south of Laos where you can rent a bike and drive around the fields or see the famous waterfalls. There's almost nothing going on - and that's why it makes for a great getaway spot.
- Cat Ba, Vietnam: While overcrowded during the Vietnamese holidays, it's almost empty outside the season. You can find there some great local guides who'd be happy to take you for a kayaking trip to the bat caves and hidden lagoons or hiking the mountains in the National Park. And it's one of the best climbing spots in Vietnam!
Hi! We're Manu & Kasia, a Swiss-Polish couple wandering about in Europe and South-East Asia. We get lost a lot and we write about our adventures and misfortunes on The Clueless Abroad. Drop by if you're also into diving, slow & responsible travel and island life!
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Material Desire
I can probably count on 1 hand the amount of 'things' I have bought over the last 10 months on the road!
Material Desire
Since coming travelling me and Hannah have both had to live with less, mainly because of that fact that having less in your bag means its not so heavy on your back, but I had started living this way in a sense before we left home.
Back in the UK I had things, in fact my bedroom was filled with stuff I had collected over the years.. Most of it was sat in draws not doing anything, including a hell of a lot of old clothes!
Deciding to come travelling was kind of like a release from from it all, in the months before we left I managed to give away almost all of my clothes, saving only a few things in case I was to visit home at some point and need more layers :P We sold dvds, gave old games and toys to charity shops, handed on items to friends and family, by the end of it my room was completely bare!
Whilst we have been travelling I have maintained this lack of material desire, I can probably count on 1 hand the amount of 'things' I have bought over the last 10 months on the road! I have the exact same clothes that I packed 10 months ago, in fact I have less than what I packed as I have left things behind along the way in an effort to make my bag lighter..
We have been fortunate to have had paid jobs for 2 months of our travels so far and thus we both were able to use the money to buy something we both wanted, I bought a camera and Hannah bought a small net-book. Living this way really does allow us to have more time to travel and spend less time working for those travel funds :]
My small backpack has been through the wars out here but instead of buying a new one I fixed the straps to make sure it would last a lot longer, I also had a pair of shoes that were fighting a losing battle, I fixed them about 10 times with glue but in the end they were too far gone.. but leaving them behind certainly saved me some space and weight in my bag :D And who needs shoes in Australia anyway!
Not only does living this way save you money but it also makes you free from the clutches of your things.. I feel far less worried about where my stuff is because I have hardly anything!
Thanks for reading!
Taran here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I'm fond of psychedelic rock, photography & videography, forcing Hannah to do crazy things, and I'm also partial to the odd gaming session. Oh and I love to travel :P Get to know us here!
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Making Your Own Rules: Ditching the 9-to-5
...Are we feeding the corporations and depleting our souls in the process? In not seeking anything other than what is easily presented to us, are we really going to find true happiness? The time-old debate of 'Can money buy happiness'...
Making Your Own Rules: Ditching the 9-to-5
I recently had the pleasure of reading Your Lifestyle Has Already Been Designed (only the craziest activities on my Friday night's) written by David Cain of Raptitude.com.
It was a succinct, interesting and truthful look at the relationship between our '9-to-5' lives and consumerism, and the negative implications; it explains the way our work life pushes us toward mindless spending, that serves 'Big Business' thus building a lifestyle based on instant gratification and overindulgence.
Are we feeding the corporations and depleting our souls in the process? In not seeking anything other than what is easily presented to us, are we really going to find true happiness?
Throwback, to February 2009. I was 18, and taking a year out to travel.
At the Grand Canyon, loving life!
I was unsure about what my future job or career might be so I put off my studies for a year.
I was also having the time of my life, seeing this amazing place being a highlight of my US trip.
No worries or negative thoughts can dog your mind in such a breath-taking setting.
So much has changed since this photo; after my US trip and university studies I became a self-employed dog-walker/blogger, part-time girlfriend to an amazingly annoying lovely person, and just, a little bit more confident and less cynical.
I guess I have grown into my skin, and into my life. Yet some things never change, or at least haven't changed yet...
I remain unsure about where my skills are best-placed, and which career I would be most comfortable in, but this isn't something I am keen to fix, not right now.
I don't wish to define my life by a job-title, or by the achievements of a career, and that is a big reason why I became a nomad.
It isn't for the want of a long holiday, or for 'putting-off' the process of houses, weddings and babies, it's because it's what I want to do. Knowing what I want, and it NOT being based around a job/career, feels good; freeing, and not at all extreme, rebellious or lazy as I expect some would believe.
'Working 9-to-5, what a way to make a living' - the wise (and very rich) Dolly Parton.
So a glance at my resume would show I hold a BA Honours in Media; I loved the debate, the politics and the passion of my degree, but did I learn anything practical? Maybe at times, but it was broadly just a fun and interesting degree, not so much one for career preparedness.
My work history shows I spent six years as a supervisor in food retail; being an organised and efficient person, I enjoyed this role for a while, but I was also stressed and unfulfilled, and left this job when I finished my degree.
I also completed work experience in admin whilst at Uni, spending 1 day a week at a children's charity; I learnt that people seemed to spend a very small portion of their 8-hour day actually working, and most seemed quite disenchanted with the repetitiveness of their routine.
So before even the age of 21, the world of work and the 9-to-5 life made me feel miserable and uninspired, and I wasn't even in it properly yet.
Was this all I had to look forward to?
Well then came working as a customer advisor in a bank. Shit got bad. I HATED that job; my maths was terrible, my boss was a bitter and bored, and maybe had I not left after 4 months, I too would be a haggard angry woman by now.
In summary, I am evidently not work-shy or un-educated; I do value my independence, having a focused routine, and feeling purposeful.
But I still can't imagine doing only one job forever or flitting from one thing to the next.
Never have I wanted to enter into a comfortable job that saw me through, paid the bills, gave me some semblance of a 'nice' life, one actually based on material things and repeated mindless consumerism. If I am spending the majority of my life doing something that isn't fulfilling within itself, and is purely a route to material comfort, something I don't crave, then what's the point?
But the desire to reject this, not just avoid it, has grown in the last two years, massively so.
We all have so much crap.
In 2014, I developed this massive urge to cut-back and refine my surroundings. This coincided with me trying to refine my spending habits and save for my travels, so I was very much trying to untangle myself from my consumerist and cluttered past.
From deleting app's on my phone, to throwing away clothing or make-up, I looked at every place I could in my home to rid myself of material weight.
Is this just a phase? Or is it more a re-imagining of my life and my approach to consuming and therefore the pursuit money in general. None of the stuff in my cupboards or drawers will I take with me forever; on my travels or in death (that escalated). So why do I need it all now?
"We buy stuff to cheer ourselves up, to keep up with the Joneses, to fulfil our childhood vision of what our adulthood would be like, to broadcast our status to the world, and for a lot of other psychological reasons that have very little to do with how useful the product really is. How much stuff is in your basement or garage that you haven’t used in the past year?" - David Cain.
David points out why we accumulate reams of things that we either set aside and forget, or throw away in the end.
He goes on to say how having more money but less time means he's too tired or overworked for the hobbies he would of enjoyed before his new job; "I’ve only been back at work for a few days, but already I’m noticing that the more wholesome activities are quickly dropping out of my life: walking, exercising, reading, meditating, and extra writing".
By re-entering the 9-to-5 life, he is again positioned into a mould that is brilliant for Big Business, but not so much for him; a lifestyle that millions are existing in, where you are encouraged to fill your short amounts of free time with meaningless spending in pursuit of entertainment.
Your work life dictates your whole life, delineating what time you have to serve your own needs, and the less time you have, the easier you find yourself spending excessively; as David points out, more money, less time, and so happiness is sought in the form of random spending, or 'treating' yourself.
Big business wins, and I win what exactly?
The debate I am having here might be not be a new one, nor a revelation, but it is something worth thinking about and so I repeat... Do we feed the corporations and end up depleting our souls in the process? And add, are we all losing, whilst big business is winning; do we realize, and if we do, do we even care?
I would say that many people are savvy, and willing to partake in the whole system; whether you can relate to it or not, many people are happy with their lot. They have grown up in this system and whilst they have the intelligence to question it, they are willing to stay with it.
Comfort, financial security and routine are not bad things to strive for.
I would NEVER, repeat NEVER, tell anyone how to live their lives.
I am not telling you that the solution is to reject everything and as David Cain puts it, '...shun the whole ugly system and go live in the woods...'.
There is essentially nothing truly horrific about the 9-to-5 way of life and people suffering the poverty of unemployment would give anything to be in that situation.
BUT, I will for the sake of this post, and out of my genuine respect for hard-working people, conclude with the following instead:
It is all about personal choice and not criticising each others life passion's. You are entitled to work as hard, or as little as you wish. If you want millions that's great. If you want to accept a low income in exchange for small pleasures, that too is fine, and not a bad way to spend your days, as long as you are living consciously, kindly and feel fulfilled.
Life is short and it is yours to shape. The key word being 'yours'; not the Corporation or those in power. But then again I respect your ability to choose that life also.
So; in not seeking anything other than what is easily presented to us, are we really going to find true happiness? YES, with a few small changes we can.
For me, travelling, not being defined by a job or the need to pay for a mortgage, is what makes me happy right now. One day I may settle down and resume a more regular lifestyle when it makes sense for my own personal and emotional needs.
By simply questioning our lives and our place within society, we can better understand our desires and needs, which ultimately will bring us closer to that thing Pharrell Williams sings about. Unless you are already singing with him, if so, cool.
Back to the 9-to-5 thing, I am not telling people to follow me and Taran, and adopt a nomadic lifestyle, forgoing most material comforts, but at least, respect and understand us and others who choose to.
Recognise we are neither 'hippies' nor lazy or undecided about our lives; we just choose to opt out of the system we were born and raised into.
We ditched our jobs and lives in England, and now explore the world, and then bring it to your computer screen or Facebook feed. We will deliver the world to your door, but not to merely entertain, but maybe inspire you, to one day open it, step outside, and say goodbye to the 9-to-5... at least for a little while.
Note: These Are Hannah's own personal thoughts on this topic but she quotes content from this Excellent Post By David Cain in order to argue her points.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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![Enjoying Without Destroying [Experiencing Fraser Island]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1456456746208-TORMKHDLXKS8FATHO0QU/image-asset.jpeg)
Enjoying Without Destroying [Experiencing Fraser Island]
Unfortunately, some visitors to the island treat it like they might treat a theme park..
Enjoying Without Destroying - Experiencing Fraser Island
We recently arrived back onto mainland Australia having spent 2 months living on Fraser Island. We feel so privileged to have lived there, the sound of the waves hitting the beach, our daily soundtrack, and a swathe of shining dots, the sky we slept beneath.
We saw snakes, dingo's, cicada beetles and goanna's regularly; we shared our camp ground with an array of wildlife, all of which we had to get used to.
Most backpackers get a brief (often hungover) glimpse of the island via the super popular 4x4 tag-along tours. Many love it not just for the drunken antics but for the obvious beauty of champagne pools, Eli Creek, and Lake Mackenzie. Other tourists also love careering along the beaches, which are very much a highway in the busy season, setting up camps alongside the shoreline.
But unfortunately, some visitors to the island treat it like they might treat a theme park; everything there to entertain them when in reality it is place of spiritual and cultural heritage, not a playground. It's as if the natural wondrous beauty of the place comes second to the loud drunken sometimes damaging fun they all try to have whilst there. What is it about being on a remote deserted tropical island that makes anyone want to sink a carton of drink and then throw the beer cans into a bush?
The incredibly long '75 mile beach'
Backpacker tours only really cause issues due to the high volume of people coming onto the island, every day. Groups of excited young people, all making friends and skulling a few stubbies, they are frequently told how to behave on the island, by the tour guides, many whom adore the island and treat with the respect it deserves. I'm not saying its as simple as a bit of littering or some drunken noise, but its how the tourists somewhat tarnish Fraser. However it is essential to the protection of places such as Fraser, that people are able to visit and see them, and that in turn, there are rangers patrolling and watching out for the island and its animal inhabitants. It just seems that some visitors could treat the island with more care, and not ruin it for those who want to witness its beauty.
There have been a few incidents over the years due to idiotic drunkenness, such as some backpackers who were found swinging a snake around. Not only dangerous and beyond stupid, but also, very cruel. Fraser is the home of these snakes and dingo's, they were here first; it is their one and only home, not a zoo.
The resident Python we named Pippy!
The dingo's across the island are all tagged and if you approach a dingo and don't follow the guidelines on how to keep these wild animals, wild, then they will attack people, and are almost always tracked down and destroyed as a result. Don't leave food within their reach, don't allow your children to approach them, in fact, don't approach them at all. If they want to come over to see you, maintain a strong stance, keep eye contact, and don't show too much interest (or conversely, fear).
Dingo's might appear cute or like any old dog that you might approach in the street, but they have killer instinct. If you get bit by a snake or attacked by a dingo, chances are, you did something bad to begin with. Or maybe you were just unlucky. Either way, your actions in the island environment have a big impact on the safety of both you and the animals.
So basically, the easiest way to not be a douchey tourist, is to observe and appreciate the nature that places like Fraser posses, but don't interfere; don't bring selfish or brash human thinking into the animal kingdom.
I guess its a statement you can apply to so many places across the planet, that in visiting them we bring with us the things which eventually ruin the beauty we came to marvel at in the first place. It doesn't have to be that way. We just need to bring some sense, respect and thought along with us, to keep the beauty alive, not be part of its destruction.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at NomaderHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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5 Essential Steps to Travel
So many days have gone by that have been actually, pretty life-changing. From being super relaxed in the tranquil heaven of Whitehaven Beach to having an adrenaline overdose jumping out of a plane recently, its been exciting and challenging.
5 Essential Steps to Travel
When I think about how much really fulfilling living I have done in the past 1.5 years of travelling, its overwhelming.
So many days have gone by that have been actually pretty life-changing. From being super relaxed in the tranquil heaven of Whitehaven Beach to having an adrenaline overdose jumping out of a plane recently, its been exciting and challenging.
That's not to say its been months of constant awesomeness.
There's been some real moments of difficulty. We have had to deal with a horrible boss in a stressful job, and there was 3 months where we worked outdoors on a farm, and that was definitely a major leaning curve.
Either way, I wouldn't swap a moment of it for having been at home, where the days always passed too quickly and too routinely in a way that left us both lacking vitality and passion for life.
Travel has reignited something within us both, and we want people to have the chance to experience the same.
Here are 5 essential steps on how to bring the magic of travel into your life:
Fix Your Finances
Before you embark on an adventure, be it 6 months or be it forever, you want to have your finances neatly tied up.
I don't mean writing a will, I mean paying off all your debts. In the year before Taran and I left England, I cleared around 1500 pounds in credit card debts. I did this through sheer determination. I made it so that my income was directed at my debts straight away, throwing as much as I could at them each week.
Unexpected income meant unexpected extra debt clearing!
I used the snowball method whereby I cleared the smaller debts first, which spurred me on. It helped that I was living at home, and was thus able to keep expenses low.
If you really want to get out of debt, then you do need to consider cutting back wherever possible. Sometimes it means 2-3 months of absolute suffering and then maybe 2-3 months of mild discomfort, but it is worth it for the sense of freedom and relief when you can finally say that you no longer owe any companies any money.
Building A Savings Account
Once you have paid your debts, this is when you can focus all your energy on building a healthy savings account to allow you to begin your travels.
Taran and I set up premium bonds, which meant our savings were kept entirely separate from our bank accounts. It also meant we got entries to the draw that means you can win anything from 25 to 25000 pounds.
It goes without saying that of course you need money to go travelling but you don't need as much as you might think.
We took around $10000 dollars between us, which when broken down was about 7000 from me and 4000 from Taran. That 7000 when back into pounds is around 3500. It really isn't an unreasonable figure to save. And the reason I say this is because I was running my own business, earning between 700-1300 a month (and one month only 400). My job was very changeable and so my income was unstable. And yet I was able to clear my debts and save up a good portion of that money within around 6 months.
I could have saved more, had I taken on new clients or got an extra job, or even just spent less. Where there's income, there's a way. It certainly is possible to save up a decent fund for any trip length, if you are willing to adjust your spending habits and make small sacrifices.
De-cluttering Your Home
My favourite part of the run-up to travelling was getting rid of my possessions and organizing my bedroom.
This was a really logical step for me, in getting prepared for my future, one that would be far more minimalist and frugal. I loved rifling through old photos and mementos, and found it super satisfying ridding myself of clothes and random things that I never used. I even did a car boot sale which gave me a little bit of pocket money, but was mostly just a fun way to give my stuff a new home.
I found that this step was integral to helping me see why I was making this big life change; why I was throwing hundred of pounds at debts I had previously avoided and why I was going without things in favour of saving.
I was steering my mind away from a path previously marked by materialism and a focus on acquiring things that I believed would make me happier. Thus this step was therapeutic and calming. I couldn't wait to actually pack my bag and walk away from the lifestyle of excess that had entrapped me in the past.
Making Peace With People
So this is a rather unconventional step not revolving around money. In the lead-up to our travels I made a conscious effort to leave my friends and family on solidly good terms.
I wanted to mend rifts and reconnect with those who mattered most to me. I wanted to feel like I was leaving behind people and relationships that were healthy. I wanted to go out into the world feeling that I could be free but also have people that I could talk to and share this life-phase with.
I was conscious of people understanding that I wasn't abandoning them or unable to relate to their life choices any more, I was simply following my heart.
Your life can't always revolve around the routines of family and friendships because if you, at the centre of it, are not content with your lifestyle, then you are foregoing the chance the fix that by staying with them.
Travel doesn't have to be permanent and home will always exist, but instead of a weighty anchor it can be a place you think of fondly and return to when you have experienced what you need to in order to feel fulfilled.
Plan Where To Go
You don't need a 5 year travel plan, but maybe a 6 month one is a good place to start.
Deciding on the first destination is important for many reasons, not simply for getting excited about all that there is to see.
You do need to plan for medical and insurance, as well as maybe topping up your vaccinations. I had to organize for some mandatory medical tests that I get for free on the NHS in England, so I made sure I was in tip-top condition before we left.
We knew that we wanted to see all of Australia, and so we found out what was the best way to get the maximum time out there. It worked out that us being aged 25, we were able to do a working visa which gave us 1 year, and if we did specified work, we could get a 2nd year. So we planned for maybe 2 years in Australia, and that is what we told all our families and friends much to their initial horror.
We worked out where was cheapest to fly into and when was cheapest to fly via kayak (and nowadays we'd use google-flights). We got a vague idea of hostel prices and food, to predict how far our savings might stretch. But in reality you can't be sure how well you will go financially until you are there. If your a hotel kind of person, checking rates is an essential part of travel planning, HotelsCombined provides awesome accommodation deals to help manage your travel finances.
Australia has obvious appeal but also the ability to work as we travelled, and in short-term positions, was a key part of why began there.
The most important thing is to figure out what you want out of the places you plan to visit, and launch from there when deciding where to visit and for how long.
Travelling isn't ever a perfect journey of endless smiles, although there are many days where I have felt so deeply happy I just wish I could bottle the feeling and sell it. Instead I just come here and blog about it.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah here, one half of NomaderHowFar. I love reading, the beach, proper fish and chips, and a good cup of tea. But I mostly like to chat about minimalism, simplifying your life, the beauty of travel and sometimes I get a bit deep. Get to know us here!
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The Minimalist Life Cleanse: Revisiting your journey to a simpler life.
The minimalist life cleanse series was a guide to introducing a simpler way of living. At wherever you are on your journey, lets revisit the purpose of the series...
The Minimalist Life Cleanse: Revisiting your journey to a simpler life
Many months ago I shared my interest in minimalism, via a series of 3 posts, giving advice on how to simplify different aspects of your life to achieve a more minimalist life.
What Does Minimalist Mean?
The term has been associated with interior design, and the idea of having simple furnishings, only a few decorative details and a paired-back palette of colour. It was style that was focused on achieving peace, simplicity and functionality within the home.
These days, the word has become synonymous with a movement and a lifestyle choice, not simply a style of decoration.
Legions of people are retraining their thought patterns, steering themselves away from their consumerist nature, and just generally learning to live with less possessions. Some people go as far to apply minimalism to all areas of their life, simplifying everything from their social circle to their career choice.
The minimalism life cleanse focuses on this idea somewhat because you can't really achieve long-lasting minimalism in just one area of your life without giving attention to the others.
The series was launched a fair few months ago so I thought it might be time to encourage anyone who followed it back then, or has only recently found it, to revisit the core message of the series.
So lets take stock of where you're at on your minimalist journey and revisit the steps from Stage 1, 2 and 3.
The Home
How tidy is your personal space? Does it feel a joy to be in?
Consider your wardrobe. How many items of the clothing have you worn more than once in the last 6 months? How many items in there have you not even touched in that time?
When did you last empty out your pantry or fridge? How many items do you have stockpiled which keep getting pushed to the back of the cupboards and never used?
How many shampoo's and conditioners have you amassed, all with just a little bit left at the bottom? When did you last look in your bathroom storage and consider reducing you cosmetic products down to just your absolute favourites?
If you previously discarded a lot of your possessions, consider if your spaces remain cleansed, useful and organized. Have certain corners or surfaces begun acquiring new clutter, or are you still yet to remove all the things you originally intended to?
Are you tidying up more regularly, and if so, is that a sign that you still have a lot of clutter to discard?
Spend an hour moving through your home, and note any areas which need harsher de-cluttering; sort through the belongings slowly, discarding a few items a day in the very least.
Your home can collect clutter amid a busy life, but taking a morning or an afternoon to re-assess your space really can lead to much less stress in the long-run. An ordered space which works well for your needs will not require as much maintenance so will free up some time and energy for other things!
Read about how de-cluttering your home can benefit your mind here!
The Wallet
It's all too easy to see the process of simplifying your life as an opportunity to acquire more, maybe to replace old and thrown away items.
However it somewhat defeats the purpose to replace the things you have successfully gotten rid of and are able to live without. You should only be replacing things when the absolute need arises.
When did you last create a budget, or list your spending? Do you know off the top of your head how much money is in your current account and savings? How far along are you on debt repayments, and are you throwing as much as you can each month, not just making the minimum payment?
Consider the last five items you purchased (bar food). Where are they now, did they serve a purpose, and will they continue to be useful in the future? Are your daily spending decisions focused on instant gratification or delayed?
Are you making bill payments on time, and are you stretching your budget (if you've even made one) to last between pay-day's? Do you dig into your savings to make up unexpected short-falls or to pay for random indulgences?
Do you feel as if you are getting what you want out of your life with the funds you have, or are you still making frivolous spending decisions that leave you wanting?
The way you view money and the ease with which you part with it will determine so much of the clutter in your life. Financial over-stretching, a home rife with objects and the worry of having little financial security, this can all be simplified and eased with more mindful spending decisions.
Read more about overhauling your spending here!
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The Mailbox
- It might be time to hit that unsubscribe button again, because somewhere along the way you may have given out your email address and are now receiving more useless emails destined never to be read.
- Stop ignoring all those unread emails; implement the 'read, delete, reply or move' rule, which is quite simply going to keep your inbox nice and clean. I created folders corresponding to different topics and I move non-urgent or follow-up emails to those folders, or I delete the email.
- Back-up the thousands of photos on your phone to clear the decks and free up some storage space on your devices. The anxiety attached with losing our phones is only heightened when we allow them to hold our precious memories in an intangible and vulnerable form.
Review your social media and consider if you are really getting that much out of following so many people on twitter or seeing every post into that face-bay group on Facebook. Streamline your feed and reduce the amount of different subjects and people vying for your precious time and attention.
Did you stick to the idea of only having the most useful apps on your devices, or have you been pulled in by appealing looking ones which now sit idle and forgotten? Delete any apps you haven't used for a month and move your most used into organized folders.
The nature of our electronic habits can lead to divided attention, split across numerous distractions. If we can reduce the number of outlets vying for our attention across our social media and devices, then we can get back some focus and true relaxation.
Read more on simplifying your online world here!
The minimalist life cleanse isn't really a one-off act; it is a conscious effort and a way of approaching all areas of your life, that just like an exercise regime or a diet, can fall by the wayside.
Its important not to beat yourself up if you feel that maybe the initial thrill of simplifying has died off, and you are going back to old habits.
But it's also important to remember the enthusiasm you felt when you first followed the steps from stage 1, 2 and 3, when you tackled the many facets of your life which weren't bringing anything good to the table.
You can definitely get back to that mindset, one where your life is not paired down or dull, but enriched with quality objects, interests and interactions.
You can create a home and a daily routine that can be purposeful and peaceful at the same time, building a solid foundation for reaching your goals in the rest of your life.
Next to read: Life After De-Cluttering: Finding Fullfillment In Simplicity.
By the way, before you leave, I recently released my book, Minimalism: Cleanse Your Life, Become A Calmer Person, available NOW! It's a more in-depth guide to de-cluttering your home, organizing your life, refining your spending habits and simplifying your relationship with your technology:
After more Minimalism Inspiration?
Thanks for reading!
Want more reads like this? You can now find Hannah in her own online space, Good Intentions. Minimalism, mindfulness, conscious living and self-love; all the good stuff centred around being kinder to yourself, and kinder to the world.
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![Letting the Future Control the Present [The Time is Now]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/535a8b5ee4b00a1a8a7975e6/1467865535247-6H751CRKNDR4YWYKUCHR/mountain+2.jpg)
Letting the Future Control the Present [The Time is Now]
I remembering receiving details about my pension scheme in the post, and it felt like a big scary sad joke. I had one of those 'Is this it?' moments.
Letting the Future Control the Present - The Time Is Now!
I've spent a lot of time lately being very present, immersed in the here and now.
Living on a farm in the middle of nowhere, a rather beautiful nowhere, certainly helps. Our goal at the moment is to gain our 2nd year visa days and so we are just making the most of our little temporary homestead.
*UPDATE: We got our visa's and then went on to work on Fraser Island!*
It's a bit of contrast to 3 years ago. Back in England I was working at a bank. I hated my job, there wasn't really a thing I liked about it. Maybe the hot chocolate machine wasn't so bad.
I remember receiving details about my pension scheme in the post, and it felt like a big scary sad joke. I had one of those 'Is this it?' moments.
Plenty of people my age are in stable fulfilling jobs, and are thinking about, or already have, invested in buying a home. A part of me always wanted to be able to buy my own home, forever watching 'Grand Designs' and 'Homes under the Hammer'. Then since my mind started changing a bit over the past year, I thought about it differently. It occurred to me, the notion of 'investing' money in a home, and the commitment associated with that, is quite a frightening prospect.
We work hard, save up, and then take the plunge, assuming one day that we will see a return on this investment, basing this hope on the assumption of a future. Morbid I know. But nonetheless we make this big commitment in the hope that in the future, this thing will work out exactly as we want and need it to at that given moment, even though the world will be a very different place. We make huge sacrifices now, towards a future based on very little or accurate foresight.
There is a lot of sense in planning for the future – but is there sense in giving the entirety of your best years to the preparation for it? Maybe that's why I don't regret walking away from my own business, and from that path of heading toward owning a home.
That doesn't mean I have dismissed the notion entirely. If I can forge a career I love, a career that enables me to save or contemplate a mortgage or another financial commitment, then maybe it will make sense for me then.
But travel is my foremost priority, living for the whim and spontaneity it brings. But back when I was working at the bank, I was driven toward planning for the future. I was to go through with a set of motions to reach certain outcomes in my old age. A sense of predictability, even comfort, can be found in that. Most people centre their job choices or even select a certain career purely because of how it will work for their distant future.
As someone who has worked since the age of 16, and feared unemployment like the plague, to find myself removing that concern from my mind, well it feels like a mid-20's rebellion. I am resisting something which is sensible and pragmatic, something which works for plenty of people.
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What got me considering all this?
I saw an item on the Australian news the other night, about a retirement community with a difference, 'co-housing' it's called. Residents live together in a semi-independent, semi-communal fashion; they cook together, socialize, share some of their living space and amenities. So it's basically university halls of residence without the sambuca and bed-hopping (as far as I know).
In the news report, the retired people, lithe couples in their mid 60's to 70's, all looked super healthy and very relaxed. And I thought it looked great. They were doing yoga for god-sake. And then I remember the way some older people live back in England. Confined to small but perfectly fine flats within special units.
I have older relatives who have suffered from depression and felt lost. Many were living alone, with their husbands or wives long gone, they're children forging ahead with their lives. In theory they have the time, the funds and the ability to enjoy life and yet they can't. There most mobile years where freedom was possible are simply past them.
Many of them are suffering numerous health issues, issues that prevent them enjoying any financial freedom they might have obtained through years of hard work. Essentially, the end result of the game of life isn't always great. Its sometimes mundane, difficult and not always satisfying. There is no guarantee of a fulfilling and easy old-age. Some people avoid retiring and work themselves to the point of exhaustion, pushing the limits of their body, reaching the age of 70 yet still working like a 30 year old. There's a fear for what might happen once they retire, even if they spend plenty of time thinking about their twilight years. Do they fear a loss of purpose? Having little reason to have any get-up and go?
And yet some absolutely relish retirement, doing things they never dreamt about doing before.
My great aunt for example, she holidays abroad 2-3 times a year, but hadn't stepped on a plane until about 6 years ago. She is using her time and money to enjoy her life the way she wants to. I admire her bravery as a widow, her sense of hope for what enjoyment there is to be found in her life, even if it has not turned out as she imagined. I hope that if I reach her age, I look half as good and live half as well.
And yet, might she wish she did the things she's doing now before she got a knee replacement? Before she developed a chronic lung condition?
Do our older relatives envy our ability to explore our options thoroughly, far beyond the imagination of their own post-war world? Many were brought up with simpler aspirations, and have lead a good, if humble, life. But at the age of 25, whilst I feel good, and my noggin seems to be firing on all synapses, I want to make the most of it.
I want a good quality of life if I get to reach old age, but I also don't want to hold back in doing what I love, giving it all up for a 9-to-5 for 40 years. It might be the secure option, to buckle down, work, and save. But life is so utterly unpredictable no matter what measures you take to control and prepare for it.
My mind boggles at the concept of my present being entirely geared toward a distant future. There's so much more I want from my now, that has little if nothing to do with retirement. And then again, maybe I will be satisfied in my later years, pleased that I followed my heart whilst I had the freedom to?
I want to do stuff that terrifies and exhilarates me. I want to feel myself sick with nerves before I do something crazy and confront my fears. I want to become more tolerant of my own idiosyncrasies as well as other peoples. I want to fight the inner battles not deny them until they become bitterness. I hope I can see as much of the world as possible. I am not entirely sure I could do all that whilst pulling a 9-to-5.
I want to see the world though my clearest eyes, and I don't want to feel like I can't because I might be harming the comfort of an imagined distant future.
Whilst I'm backpacking Australia, a pay-check doesn't mean pension, it means more travelling, sky-diving, snorkelling the great barrier reef, camping on the Whitsunday islands, and maybe eating a lot of subways.
That simplistic, maybe reckless choice, is what's working for us right this minute. That's the shape of our life at current; maybe it will change one day.
But all that truly matters is what's happening now, and now is so full of possibilities beyond the life I had 3 years ago, or the life I might have in another 33 years.
Thanks for reading!
Hannah and Taran here. We hail from Southern England, where we met online and are now realizing our mutual passion for travel here at Nomad'erHowFar. We discuss Nomadic Living, Simplifying your Life and Long-term Travel, to empower, motivate and inspire our readers. Get to know us here!
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Taran & Makoto here, together we form Nomader How Far photography.
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