Over the years, in one job or another I’ve heard many excuses (perhaps some of them reasons) to put off what people describe as the ‘travel trip of a life time’. Many, many people sit at their desks and express a desire, usually somewhat vague, to ‘travel’. They confess their dissatisfaction in hushed tones at the watercooler amongst the cubicles or, more usually, whilst shitfaced in some interchangeably, lowest common denominator, poison merchant sink hole cum cowshed. In Canary Wharf. On a Tuesday night, at 2.am. Quiet desperation(?). It follows a familiar pattern… “I’d love to…but…I can’t afford it, the missus wouldn’t allow it, I’m nearly a ‘insert job title’ and don’t want to risk it, not now, what would I do with the kids, it’d be career suicide, isn’t it dangerous” So it goes.
I’m fortunate to have spent several years (cumulatively) on the road now and have met many people. Standard. Each of them has left something, and over come whatever fears they had, large or small as part of leaving. Below are some of the examples from people on this trip. A tiny selection, met on a hiking path, in a bar, at a border. There are literally thousands of people living this life.
Lets start with:
Johannes and Hilda
we met them at the rim of a volcano in Chile. A three hour 800m vertical trek. Whilst we ate avocado, Hild breast fed their four month old daughter. When we returned to the road, they put out their card sign and hitched north. They are travelling for a year, with a new born, hitchhiking their way through South America. – Children
Ollie, Manu, and Max
A swiss family. Having quit his position as MD of a large firm in their native Switzerland (the corporate pressure is strong in this one) they picked up all the toys (custom made MTB’s, fully specced Hi-lux, this year’s must have camera, and drone) and shipped out to spend a year travelling, with home schooling for Max, their six year old. – Children, corporate pressure.
We met them at a mirador in a national park. Rebecca and three kids are out for a year, while Duane spends roughly 4 of 6 weeks with them, flying back to meet his commitments as a fireman in Texas. Read more about our meeting here – Making it work, money, children.
Two guys, both wheelchair bound taking 6months to cover 30,000km through south america. Living in their land rover. Funded, to a degree at least through their own grant applications and sponsors – Overcoming obstacles, money, no excuses left
Herod and Sara
A dutch couple inspired as shamans to follow a vision of elevating the global frequency of energy by committing their lives to ‘work’ in the land of fire. Which they then decided meant Tierra Del Fuego. Sold everything and set off to find their calling. – Ayahuasca
