1. Introduction to Living a Life of Travel
2. Steps to Achieve Your Travel Dreams
3. Conclusion: Seize the Day
Recently we’ve received a lot of emails asking us how we financially supported our travels since we decided to take the plunge to live a life of travel in our unconventional life.
I realize that we’ve written a lot of inspirational pieces about following your dreams and pushing yourself to step outside your comfort zone, but we haven’t given real practical advice in quite a while. So we decided it was time to share some of our tips and tricks to living an unconventional life.
How to Live an Unconventional Life of Travel
Our journey to becoming full-time travel bloggers was not a quick and easy one. We faced many failures and setbacks along the way. It took time for us to find what we wanted to do with our lives and what would bring us true happiness. Back in 2003, we knew we wanted to be together traveling the world forever; we just didn’t know how to make that dream a reality.
Many people have the dream of travel, but we felt it deep in our bones. It was more of a yearning than a fantasy. During our travels, we felt at home and realized that on the road was where we were meant to be.
Another Backpacker
In 2004, we were like many backpackers traveling around South East Asia, but unlike many others, we were already brainstorming ideas on how we could continue to travel for the rest of our lives. We knew we wanted more than just a one-year escape.
We didn’t have all the answers yet, but we understood that we couldn’t keep working at our current jobs for the next 20 years, hoping that one day we’d retire and finally live our dreams. Therefore, we began making plans.
Steps to Living a Life of Travel
1. Change Your Spending Habits
We used to spend a lot of money on things that didn’t enhance our lives. We’d buy $4 lattes, dine out several times a week, and splurge on new designer clothes. The more popular the brand name, the better.
On weekends, we would casually drop $200 on meals and wouldn’t even blink at the cheque, later spending an additional $50 at the movies for tickets and snacks.
However, everything changed once we committed to living a life of travel.
2. Find Affordable Activities
It was a significant decision, but we resolved to save enough money to support ourselves for a year. We knew that once we took the plunge, we would need a financial buffer while we worked toward becoming professional travel bloggers.
We cooked at home instead of dining out and made our gourmet coffees. Instead of constantly going to the movies, we rented films. When we wanted a night out, we purchased a bottle of wine and invited friends over; it was much more budget-friendly.
Our activities shifted from expensive meals and nightlife to free and exciting pursuits like mountain biking, rock climbing, or snowshoeing.
We embraced camping and spent our time outdoors, which was not only fulfilling but easier on our finances too.
Note: At this point in our lives, we still didn’t know how we were going to become full-time travelers; we just knew we wanted it to happen one day and had to be prepared when the opportunity arose. By building a nest egg and eliminating ties, we would be ready to seize any opportunity.
3. Downsize
People often said to us, “I wish I could do what you do, but I can’t afford it.” However, if you truly desire to travel, saving and building a nest egg can be easier than it seems. We sold our house along with most of our possessions and opted for a small one-bedroom apartment.
This decision freed up a significant portion of our income to contribute to our travel savings fund. Furthermore, choosing a budget-friendly apartment that included utilities, cable, and parking enabled us to plan our monthly expenses more effectively.
4. Eliminate Debt and Unnecessary Expenses
We also decided to go down to one car. Previously, we drove two vehicles, which came with a hefty monthly lease. Upon the lease’s expiration, we chose to buy a used car instead. Our monthly payments decreased considerably, along with our insurance fees since we no longer required collision coverage on the less expensive vehicle.
5. Keep All Options Open
Like many people, we craved something more in life but were unsure what it was. The frustration was real. I often told Dave, “If only I knew what I wanted to do with my life, I know I’d be successful.” Unfortunately, I didn’t understand what my true calling was. The only certainty we had was that travel needed to be part of it.
So, we immersed ourselves in ALL THINGS TRAVEL.
We attended seminars discussing Teaching English as a Second Language, visited travel trade shows, and watched travel programs like Pilot Guides and Don’t Forget Your Passport.
Little Did We Know We Were Honing Our Adventure Skills
We seized every adventure opportunity available. We learned how to rock climb, mountain bike, scuba dive, and snowboard. Becoming avid campers allowed us to build an impressive collection of adventure gear, helping us fit the mold of an adventurer!
We reassured ourselves that “one day, perhaps one of these skills would prove useful.” Although we didn’t realize it at the time, those skills eventually became instrumental in our journey. We once referred to ourselves as “Jacks of all trades and Masters of none.”
6. Nothing Is a Waste of Time When Searching for Your Purpose
Of course, we had doubts. We often thought maybe we were wasting time and energy with our myriad new experiences. Yet we recognized that we still needed to discover something we genuinely loved.
We enjoyed many activities, but none captured our passion as deeply as some of our friends’ rock climbing or scuba diving pursuits. Our friends seemed fixated on their specific sports, completely dedicated to climbing around the world or scuba diving on their travels, disregarding local culture or breathtaking landscapes.
That approach didn’t resonate with us; we wanted it all. We aspired to climb in one area, dive elsewhere, and shop in local markets wherever we went. We eventually realized our preference for a holistic travel experience!
This broad approach enabled us to become true explorers. It was our “Jack of All Trades” mindset leading us to embrace the travel blogging world.
7. Focus on Strengths
Once we set our sights on having the title “Adventurer” on our business cards, we devised a plan to make that happen. After considering all possibilities, we decided to concentrate on our strengths.
Having worked in the film industry for many years, we learned from successful individuals around us. Observing television hosts build their brands and understanding the business gave us insight into self-promotion. Thus, we decided to craft and sell an innovative idea.
8. Do Something Epic
We realized that undertaking something epic was necessary to stand out from the crowd. By 2008, backpacking around the world had gained immense popularity. While we ignited our journey in 2000, back then it was not as common for people to leave their jobs for world travel; however, that was changing.
We decided that doing something extraordinary, like biking from Cairo to Cape Town, would capture attention. Consequently, Canada’s Adventure Couple was born.
We dreamed of turning our adventures into a TV show, so we hired a publicist, issued press releases, and announced our epic expedition. We recognized that we loved traveling together and had the mental stamina necessary for this intensive journey down the continent.
9. Make a Plan
We invested a substantial amount of our hard-earned money into the cycling race. Over the span of a year, we saved diligently, setting aside every dime for new bikes, training, and crucial entry fees and flights. We didn’t want to embark on an epic adventure only to return to our regular jobs.
Therefore, we established a plan that within two years of signing up, we’d be traveling full-time. This timeline kept us focused on our goal and provided impetus to keep the momentum going.
10. With Failure Comes Success
We pitched a TV series that garnered a considerable amount of interest but ultimately failed. Nonetheless, we didn’t let that discourage us. Our numerous television appearances allowed us to become minor celebrities in the online arena, and we resolved to expand on our 15 minutes of fame.
Diving into nearly a decade of travel experience, we created a blog with a clear focus. We aimed to be inspirational, showing others that joyful couples aren’t a relic of the past and that enduring relationships can thrive alongside shared adventures.
From the outset of developing GoTravelDaily, we understood our message: integrating adventure into daily life can lead to greater fulfillment. We aspired to demonstrate that if we could do it, everyone else could too.
It took time to define our purpose, but we never ceased our search. If you genuinely want to change your life, you can too! Don’t allow age, finances, or fear to deter you; if you desire something enough, you CAN turn that wish into reality.
Hence, the message is clear: never give up, never stop searching, and seize the day. What are you going to do to live an unconventional life of travel?
