Will takes in the views over the Spanish countryside

The top problem for most aspiring long-term travellers is how to earn enough income on the road. Travelling off of savings is great way to start, but what happens when you run out of money. If your travel bug is going to turn into a location independent lifestyle, you will need to start working on the road.

More often than not, that means doing some type of freelancing work. Many also try their hand at travel writing, for their own blogs or other sites. Will Peach does all of the above. In this interview, Will shares his experiences working for sites like Gap Daemon and Vagabundo Magazine, as well as SEO article writing and consulting. He shows that you don’t need to earn much money on abroad if you can keep your costs low.

Please tell us about your travel background?

Hi guys! First off let me envelop you all in a nice warm “Will Peach” hug and wish you all the best for the year ahead. Right, now that the sexual tension is out the way, let’s continue onward.

I started travelling as a wee nipper making my first trip abroad a few short years after having sprung from the womb. Growing up under the heavy influence of my travel-curious dad, I had the fortune of going on vacation to quite a few destinations during my childhood. Stand out trips include a month long tour of Australia at the age of 12, holidaying in Kenya at 14 and a tour of California in my awkward teenage years. I hardly saw much of my native England!
Needless to say this taste of travel spilled over into my adulthood. At university I was lucky enough to do a year abroad at the University of Miami and after graduating I upped sticks and went to live in Vietnam for a year and a half. I’m still not done yet!

Where are you now?

The past few months I’ve been living in a little city called Cáceres in Extremadura, Spain (quite close to the Portuguese border). I came to live in Spain primarily because I had the crazy ambition of becoming the first person in my family to become fluent in a language other than English (and, if I choose to believe my grandmother, Irish). Since moving here however I’ve found that Spain really floats my boat. Right now I’m back in London for the holidays but, depending on when you read this, I’ll be back out in Spain in a new location working on my goal. If you’re interested in reading about my experiences and checking out my progress check out my site My Spanish Adventure.

Will enjoying Caceres' old quarter

What are you living expenses in Spain?

A lot cheaper than when I was living in London! In Cáceres I was paying just 100 Euros a month in rent (for a room in a shared apartment). For food I was probably paying around another 180 Euros a month (eating out maybe a couple of times a week) and for entertainment (which there wasn’t a great deal of maybe 200 Euros). I spent most of my “entertainment” money on travelling around the area getting to see cool places like Seville and Mérida.

How do you earn an income now?

Ah this is the bit where I give away all my secrets isn’t it? Well the bulk of my money I earn from my role as an editor at Gap Daemon (that accounts for maybe 50% of my monthly income). Then I work with a few different clients in the SEO world and provide writing for them on a freelance basis. My earnings per month vary wildly (depending on how much freelance stuff gets sent my way) but have always been enough to cover my outgoings.
Recently I’ve been working on other projects designed to bring in some income further down the line. I’m trying to push my SEO writing work more into consultancy (willpeach.com is my base for this) and also running a few different travel sites in the hope of monetisation in the coming months. I’ve also taken an editorial role at Vagabundo Magazine, which I hope will help prop me up too.

My earnings are still very much a work in progress and I’ll be the first to admit I’m no expert in this area. Still I love being the master of my own fate and this way of living is certainly the one for me.

Please tell us more about Gap Daemon and Vagabundo

Gap Daemon is a gap year website for backpackers and young travellers that provides people with a network to help record and prepare their travels as well as meet other people while out on the road. I actually got involved with them over a year ago when I worked in a full time capacity as a site editor in their London offices. Deciding to go travelling myself I was fortunate enough to have them support me. Right now I’m helping to add to their ever-increasing information resource by writing articles and recording podcasts with travellers around the world. It’s pretty cool work!

Vagabundo Magazine is an online travel magazine run by Brendan Van Son, a pretty well known Canadian photographer and travel writer. I got involved with them after writing a few articles for the digital magazine and asking Brendan if there was anything more I could help out with. Right now Brendan and I are working together to bring Vagabundo Magazine to the masses by expanding our activity on social media (particularly Twitter) and continuing to provide great travel stories and inside destination guides from around the world. Be sure to check it out!

How did you find those job opportunities?

I found the opportunity at Gap Daemon after working in the trade press here in London for a while (I had a big portfolio of travel writing and blogs from my time in Vietnam to help support my application). Back then they were just starting out so I had the good fortune of joining them after only a few months of operation.

Vagabundo Magazine came off the back of me writing for it and contacting Brendan. If I had to give any advice to people looking for similar opportunities I’d say networking with bloggers or writers in the field (simply by shooting them emails and telling them you’re fans of their work) is definitely the way to go.

In one of the frustrating moments of learning Spanish abroad!

Is this work 100% remote?

The work is 100% remote with the only stipulation that I check-in via emails regularly and take the occasional Skype call.

Are there good opportunities for travel writers at companies like Gap Daemon and Vagabundo?

Both these publications have great opportunities for travel writers looking to make a break in the field. Unlike other sites of a similar nature, Vagabundo Magazine and Gap Daemon both pay for good content from decent travel writers. Granted you won’t make anything near as much as you would writing for national papers or magazines but it’s still a great way to start.
If you’re interested in writing for the Gap Daemon blog I’d suggest thinking carefully about what you can offer and then pitching to chief editor Nadia. You can get in contact with her via Twitter.

The process is similar with Vagabundo. Check out the site, familiarise yourself with the content then have a read of the contributors guidelines.

Why do you work for other companies rather than focusing on your own sites?

That’s a really good question but one that’s easily answered by saying that I’m still very much a beginner and new to this world. Working with people like Gap Daemon and Vagabundo gives me a very solid start (not to mention great contacts) and also two solid online brands behind that of my own name.
Working with these sites also reinforces just how great it is to be part of a team. That’s a feeling I often miss running my own independent project!

Please tell us about your search engine optimization services

SEO is new to me but something that I’m growing increasingly passionate about. I learned a lot from my time at Gap Daemon but have explored it more over the past few months, thanks largely to communities like Sean Ogle’s Location Rebel.

Right now I work primarily as a SEO writer, freelancing with SEO companies who outsource this type of work. For these firms I generally write on a whole host of topics, which can range from anything like telecommunications, to business agents to real estate dealings. Finding work in this field can be tricky (given the competition) but there are plenty of opportunities for people on sites like Elance.

I find most of my work based on referrals from previous clients or networking. More recently I’ve expressed an interest in moving away from the writing and more into consultancy.

SEO writing: Will's usual expression

Are there good opportunities to do SEO work for small businesses?

I’d say there’s a healthy amount. It’s all about taking action, contacting the types of business you want to work with and telling them what you can do for them. Chances are, if you’ve studied the subject, you’ll know more than most small business owners. The next thing you need to do is to convince them to pay you for it, even if that means doing some unpaid work first!

Can you give some advice for travellers looking to do SEO freelance work?

The first thing you want to do is find other people who are doing it and ask them about it – unfortunately I can’t relay all the details in an interview or it would go on forever! Ask those people if they wouldn’t mind Skyping or something and then take it from there.

I’d suggest starting out by simply reading about the subject and getting a feel for what it’s all about (the learning curve isn’t all that big!). From there I’d find SEO companies, web design firms or small businesses that you like the look or sound of and just start pitching to them.

It needn’t be too hard!

Do you have any advice for aspiring long-term travellers?

The only advice I’d feel qualified to give is make sure it’s your dream and don’t let anything hold you back. You don’t need massive savings, you don’t need specific skills and you don’t need to be that well prepared. All you need to be is a capable person and willing to take a few risks.
Oh and remember to give back by doing interviews such as these!

About Will Peach

Will is one of the site editors over at Gap Daemon, the gap year travel website for backpackers and young travellers. He also works as a freelance SEO writer as well as tackling the subject of what to see in Spain over on his travel site My Spanish Adventure. Follow will on Twitter.

Related posts:

1. Interview with Travel Writer/Consultant Extraordinaire, Andy Hayes
2. Interview with Travel Writer, Anja Mutic
3. Interview with Location Independent Freelance Writer Sharon Hurley Hall

Please tell us about your travels.

I’ve now been abroad for six consecutive years alternating between teaching English in Korea and backpacking around Asia and the Americas.  I decided to go abroad for the first time after I became an ESL tutor on campus as a university student.  I became close friends with my students and the seeds of teaching and travelling abroad were firmly planted around this time.

Where are you now?

I’m currently in a transitional phase visiting family at home in Fredericton, Canada. I’m considering teaching English in a country other than South Korea and I’m also considering backpacking for half or a full year. I will have more clarity on the issue sometime in the New Year.

What are your most and least favourite countries and why?

My two favourite countries that I’ve visited are India and Argentina. India is just an incredible country that has no rivals in terms of diversity. I’ve never felt more stimulated travelling than I have while exploring India. Argentina is an amazing country with wonderful food, scenery and diverse landscape. The two countries I didn’t enjoy quite as much as others were Ecuador and Brunei. In Ecuador, I witnessed some violent events and security issues at the time. While in Brunei, I found it expensive and somewhat under-stimulating compared to other nearby countries in SE Asia.

Have you had any major problems on your travels?

I’ve been quite lucky in that I’ve never had anything debilitating happen to me on the road. My worst experience was an infection I developed while travelling in Malaysia that landed me in the hospital for several days. I’ve had my iPod stolen and a few other minor things. I’ve been lucky enough to never have any big ticket items (such as my camera or netbook) stolen.

What do you estimate your expenses are when you travel?

I’ve generally been able to travel on roughly $1000 a month. When I’m backpacking in Asia my budget is typically between $800 to $1000 a month and in South America I’ve expanded it slightly to $1000 to $1200. Certain countries stand out for one reason or another. When I was backpacking in India I only spent $600 a month whereas when I was in Argentina my budget stretched to $1500. I think generally speaking a frugal backpacker can enjoy travelling in developing countries for $1000 a month. I’ve only done limited travel in North America and I’ve never set foot in Europe. I know $1000 a month would not cut it in those regions.

How long do you plan on continuing this lifestyle?

I see myself continuing on with my nomadic ways for the indefinite future.  I haven’t even come close to scratching the itch I have to explore most of the world.  I feel my life overseas is now more of a lifestyle than a temporary phase.  I’m excited about what’s around the corner.

How was teaching English in Korea?

When I was tutoring English in University the majority of my students were from South Korea.  They encouraged me to consider trying teaching English after I finished my degree and the idea really grew on me over time.  In hindsight, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my life.  I’ve had really good experiences in Korea and I now consider it my home away from home.  I’ve found over time that my skills as a teacher have improved and I’ve always found the students to be a joy to teach.  Korea has a lot to offer in terms of culture, food and interesting destinations to explore.

What is the quality of life of an English teacher in Korea?

The quality of a life for an English teacher is generally very high provided they’ve secured a reputable job.  A typical contract includes return airfare, a free apartment, severance bonuses and low tax rate.  A teacher is typically left with a lot of disposable income after payday.  If a teacher is frugal and lives like a local, there is a potential to save between 50-75% of their salary each month.  Overall, in larger cities there is a vibrant expat community with plenty of opportunities to enjoy a variety of different activities.  One of the true highlights of living in Korea is the diverse cuisine.  Some of my favourite dishes are as spicy as any I’ve tried in Asia.

What are the typical salaries for English teachers in Korea in US dollars?

The average salary for a starting teacher would be anywhere between $1700 to $2200 per month with a free apartment, depending on experience, qualifications and the level which one is teaching (private, public, university). For more experienced teachers the average salary would be between $2100 to $2500. Finally, for those who are working at a prestigious university, large company or doing research or development the sky is the limit. I’ve heard of individuals pulling in between $5000 to 10,000 but this is very rare and only for those who have advanced qualifications such as a Masters degree and lots of experience teaching in Korea.

Would you teach English again?

I would definitely teach English overseas again.  I think it’s a wonderful opportunity to experience a new culture, travel and save money.  Unlike backpacking, it offers one the opportunity to feel as though they are part of the local community.  The one tip I would suggest is to carefully research your potential school before signing any contract.  Although there are excellent schools, the ESL industry is also rife with dodgy operators who have little concern for the welfare of their teachers or students.

Please tell us about your blog.

I launched Nomadic Samuel on July 1, 2011.  Although my website is relatively new, I’ve been fervently taking photos and videos for several years.  My blog is largely based on travel photos and videos, although I do write about quirky travel stories, destinations, ESL tips and photography tips.  In 2012, I will have completed all of my youtube projects which will allow me to spend a lot more time writing.  Eventually I would like to earn a full-time income from my travel blog and travel related projects.  It’s a work in progress and something that I’ll be pursuing with a lot of intensity over the next few years until it becomes a reality.

NomadicSamuel.com is quite popular for only starting in July, can you share how you have attracted so much interest in such a short time?

I’m very flattered and humbled by how well my website and other travel related projects have done in a short period of time. I think a few factors have helped contribute to the success of my website. Firstly, I’ve been overseas for six consecutive years and I’ve accumulated a wealth of different experiences over that period of time. Secondly, I’ve become quite an avid photographer over the last several years. One of the advantages of not having a blog (until recently) was that I was out taking a lot of photos just about every single day I was backpacking. Finally, I’ve been putting in a lot of effort into my materials (posting frequently on my site and my youtube channel) along with taking an advantage of opportunities to do interviews or guest posts on other sites.

What are some goals you have with your website?

Over the next couple of years I’d like to finish up projects I have on my youtube channel as well as continue to blog regularly on Nomadic Samuel. I have two new websites that I plan to eventually launch in the New Year related to travel photography and teaching English overseas (Travel Photography Tips & Teach English Travel Overseas). Eventually, I’d like to be on the road as a full-time digital nomad. I’m in the process of transitioning from teaching to a location independent lifestyle.

Links

Samuel Jeffery is the wizard behind the curtain pulling the strings of NomadicSamuel.com, a travel blog that is miles away from ordinary…dripping with sarcasm. As a long term vagabond (6 consecutive years on the road) Samuel is sharing his photos, videos & quirky travel stories along with photography tips, interviews, ESL tips, reviews and general travel advice as a way to vicariously experience what it is like to backpack or to plan your own journey of a lifetime.  Additionally, Samuel runs Travel Photography Tips and Teach English Travel Overseas.  Get in touch with Samuel by following him on his Facebook Fan Page , Twitter , StumbleUpon , Youtube & Google + .

Related posts:

1. Teach English in a Foreign Country, 10 Interviews with Experienced Teachers
2. Interview with Long-term Traveller, Roni Weiss
3. What is it like to Teach English in Korea? Interview: Linsday Nash

Please tell us about yourself.

I am 29 years old and hail from Cleveland, Ohio, USA. I studied electrical engineering, worked for an oil services company in the Middle East, then went to Spain to get an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), and then accomplished my “dream”… working in renewable energy in Scandinavia!

What was the driving impetus to quit everything to travel?

The quality of life in Scandinavia was amazing. I lived in Denmark and life was good and easy. But it just wasn’t for me. I found myself full of anxiety and stress. I’d feel pressure in my neck, my eye would twitch, and I kept getting sick. My body was rejecting the life I presented it and I had to figure out what my ideal life really was. I outline the series of events culminating in my decision to quit working in my Corporate Tool To Nomadic Idealist series.

Please tell us about your website, HappinessPlunge.com?

I call the process of self-discovery, formulating a new life, and then going after it without looking back The Happiness Plunge. You have to take the time to plan something sustainable and perfect for you and then dive headfirst into this new life.

In my case, I left behind the comfort of a six-figure corporate life to take the road less traveled. It felt like a bungee jump without the cable, yet I wasn’t nervous nor concerned whether it would work. Everything felt right and I still can’t imagine doing anything else right now.

I started the site to share my ideas about happiness initially. Then once I “took the plunge” and quit my job, I started serving as a case study for my philosophies. I don’t advocate that people pursue my nomadic life. I advocate people pursue their perfect life.

The more people out there pursuing the right life for them, the better this world will be. If I can inspire a few other people to take the plunge, and then they inspire a few people, then there will be a lot of happy and positive people out there doing amazing things, probably making the world a better place!

What is the Happy Nomad Tour?

The Happy Nomad Tour is the fun label I’ve given my Happiness Plunge. I’m a nomad, happily traveling around the world. As of mid-December 2011 I’ve been to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and I’ll be in Venezuela for Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Each place I go I volunteer with the goal of leaving it a bit better than how I found it. Most travelers look to take from a place, I look to give. You can see the planned Happy Nomad Tour route here.

Travelling to rural locations must pose some problems for personal supplies, internet, etc. How has it been so far?

The more rural the location, the more amazing the experience has been so far. In Panama and El Salvador I was pretty off the grid (literally and figuratively) and it was so amazing to see how they live, what they believe, and what they think of the outside world. In Honduras I helped people off the grid connect to it using 21st Century technology – a truly amazing and rewarding experience.

In terms of personal supplies, I have minimal requirements: toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, nail clippers.. not much else. So it’s no problem to keep stocked up on supplies. The internet can definitely be a problem at times and going days without it can put a strain on me. To some extent I can prepare things offline, but even with text and pictures ready, it still takes a long time to put a post together once I get online. In some places I’ve used internet cafes, regular cafes, hotel lobbies, USB modems, and even the Panama Canal watching area to get connected and keep things up to date. I am grateful to take what I can get when it’s available.

When I’m in a remote site, I live as the locals do. I eat their food, bathe their way, use the bathroom their way, etc. It’s true immersion and I love it!

How has the experience of volunteering and connecting with locals been so far?

Every experience has taught me something, made me step outside my comfort zone, and made me appreciate their way of life. In other words, it’s been amazing! I don’t want it to end as this world has so many solutions to offer in a time when cultures seem to be converging and losing distinctness.

How do you find the volunteer organizations and how do you do it for free?

I’ll be posting a series of articles about what goes on the scenes behind The Happy Nomad Tour on my website soon. I don’t want to spoil that, so stay tuned. But yes, it’s a lot of work doing it the way I do it and keeping the volunteering free!

Are you earning an income while traveling?

As of right now, I have no income at all. So no, not yet.

I don’t have any ads on my site and there are only a few affiliate links sprinkled here and there. Right now I’d say I don’t want to load my site with ads to earn an income. In time, I’d love for it to be a community of people taking the plunge, supporting each other and sharing their experiences. Let’s see.

In 2012, I’ll start looking for income opportunities. I’d love to speak at business schools to encourage their students to think outside the box and pursue their passions since I was in their shoes not too long ago and I’m doing something totally different with my MBA.

Can you give us a rough break down of your monthly living expenses?

I don’t have a budget, but I’m frugal by nature. Again, the behind the scenes post is coming covering this topic, but when you eliminate (or as I say, outsource) housing, you can really keep costs down.

Can you please tell us some administrative details about your banking, health insurance, credit cards, etc.

I use SydBank from Denmark. I never transferred my money to my U.S. bank account, though I have one there too for emergencies. Sometimes I have to try multiple ATMs to get one to work with my Danish card. Apparently, many ATMs don’t like the chip in European debit/credit cards. Only in Colombia did I give up and use my U.S. account, but I was in a rush. I’m sure it would have worked somewhere.

I use a Chase British Airways credit card since it offers 0% surcharges on foreign purchases (though I don’t think I’ve used it abroad yet though) and it gave me a very valuable 100,000 frequent flier miles.

I use worldnomads.com for my health insurance. Luckily, besides a tooth filling and a stomach bug in Honduras, I’ve been pretty healthy.

Do you travel with a lot of possessions?

You can see my gear here. It seems like a long list, but it’s really not much stuff at all. I don’t feel like I need anything less, nor more. I can fit everything inside the big green backpack, but I usually carry the small one with my electronics separately. For some reason separating them feels more comfortable.

How long do you plan to continue the Happy Nomad Tour?

Initially, I said I’d travel for two years. If I do travel for two years, then I’m already more than 1/6 through the journey and I still can’t wrap my head around how fast time is passing by!

So yes, it could easily extend longer, but it depends on money too. I’m giving myself a year to figure out how to make things sustainable given the little amount of money I need.

What are some of the downsides of constant travel?

I’ve become accustomed to a lot of things I never thought I would, but one of the biggest things is stretches of days/weeks without a good night’s sleep. I just arrived in Colombia and I swear the neighbor of the place where I’m staying (I’m couchsurfing) is running an illegal night club next door complete with loud pounding music until 3am.

I have had maybe five hot showers since I left Honduras two months ago.

Another downside is always needing to think ahead and plan where to go in the future, where to stay, where to volunteer, etc. If I were stationary, this would be eliminated, but each new place offers so much new inspiration that I don’t mind

I speak Spanish, so I’ve been fine in Latin America. I have a feeling, though, that once I get to Asia I’ll quickly tire of the language barrier. In the past, it was always short trips and I was in the comfort of the touristy area where many people spoke English.

Do you have any advice for people considering volunteer work abroad or long term travel?

Know yourself. Know your limitations, your perceived level of comfort, etc. Do your homework and find your fit.

Don’t expect long-term travel to be easy. It’s not. You have to constantly be on guard, planning, and cognizant.

Don’t expect to see results from your volunteering efforts. Change takes time, and realize that what you think might be helping could actually be harmful. Instead, don’t try to measure your volunteering efforts. And if you do, measure it differently!

Links
HappinessPlunge.com – Adam Pervez’s website
Follow HappinessPlunge on Twitter
HappinessPlunge on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Interview with Rising Star, Adam Baker of ManVsDebt
2. Volunteer Global, Interview with Sarah Van Auken
3. Interview with World Traveler, Robert Fitzsimmons

I  Made a Mistake

JetSetCitizen is not a very good name for this website. The idea of jet setting to exotic locales, while exciting and romantic, is definitely not the message I want to promote. My idea of a JetSetCitizen is more about being a global citizen and the personal responsibility that requires. Really experiencing foreign cultures and connecting with people around the world can be transformative and enlightening, if you let it.

Travel is Not a Competition

Travelling for the sake of getting passport stamps or crossing items off a bucket list are just other manifestations of our rampant consumerism. Some travellers compete by how many countries they have been to or attempt to regale in tales of how authentic or exotic their experiences are. How different is that from trying to one-up your neighbor’s latest purchase? Instead of keeping up with the Joneses, many of us are keeping up with the Indiana Joneses.

Maximize Profit or Maximize Good

We have been sold the idea that we have to produce and consume more to ‘advance.’ The strength of an economy is measured by growth in total production, whereas other measures like happiness, health, social relationships, clean air, wildlife, access to water and countless other factors that make life worth living, are ignored.

So much of what we do seems focused on making as much money as possible. Look at the late night commercials for ab machines, fake antique coins, replica jewelry and countless other falsely advertised products. Sure it is possible to profit by selling get rich quick schemes, promising easy weight loss, or marketing over-priced affiliate programs, but is that really how we want to spend our lives?

All of us on this planet, particularly those of us fortunate enough to come from developed countries, are a cost to the planet. We consume, waste and destroy to live and entertain ourselves. The impact of our individual environmental and societal footprint varies by our life choices, but definitely all of us are a drain to the ecosystem in some form or another. We can choose to live a self-centered life and take as much as we can for ourselves, or we can find ways to give back.

An Excellent Life

I have been thinking about these issues for a long time. The search for more meaning is a big reason why my wife and I sold everything to live a nomadic lifestyle, but the real inspiration for this post is this video of Dwight Turner and his work helping urban refugees in Bangkok, Thailand. I am not going to summarize the video, just watch it. It is only a few minutes of your time. Better yet, visit his website and watch it there. You might just be inspired to click the donate button on that page to give a few dollars and have a major impact on the lives of a family you will never meet.

Food for Thought

At the end of every single day ask your self this question:

Did I give more than I took today?

If you are answering”no” for too many days in a row, maybe it is time to change what you are doing?

Related posts:

1. What is Jet Set Citizen About?
2. JetSetCitizen Interview 1: Trevor Stefiuk- Musician in Australia
3. How Do You Measure Success?

Please tell us about your around the world trip?

We left in November 2010 and stayed away until the first half of July. We kicked-off our around the world trip with a flight from London to Delhi . After 6 weeks of travelling within India we flew to SE Asia, where we stayed until the second week of May. We did Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and finally Bali, Indonesia. Then we went to Australia and New Zealand for some winter time and some great camper-van road trips. Finally, we spent some time in Fiji and a short week in California before catching the flight back to London.

What were your most and least favourite countries?

Bali will always have a special place in our heart – we managed to stay away from the loud tourist triangle of Kuta-Legian-Seminyak and tried to keep off the beaten path. We also explored some of the most beautiful parts of the country by motorbike. What an experience! Oh, and Bali is also where our soon-to-be-born baby was conceived Apart from Bali, we also loved India and Vietnam. India is a very complex reality and it deserves a longer travel-time than our 6 weeks. India is also extremely photogenic and our camera has some unfinished business with this country, so I guess we’ll be back some time. Vietnam was a sort of surprise – a positive one. After hearing so many bad stories (scams, etc.) we only planned a short stay in the country, however we got so sucked into it that we ended up staying almost 2 months. We met very interesting people, ate great food and saw so many nice places, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Hoi An. It’s hard to put something on the least favourite end of the spectrum but if we have to we’d pick Australia. It’s not really about the country, because Australia has a lot of natural beauty to offer and it’s a great country to live too (based on what some friends tell us). But after almost 7 months in Asia we weren’t excited about re-entering the so-called western world. However we still enjoyed meeting some old and new friends and embarked, as I said, on two great road trips: Sydney to Melbourne via the Princes Highway, and the Great Ocean Road.

Why did you choose long-term travel rather than the typical short annual vacation?

We started flirting with the idea of long-term travel during a couple of years of taking small city breaks in Europe, taking advantage of the low fares offered by some no-frills air companies. At that time we were living in Ireland and neither of us are Irish (I’m Italian and Romana is Portuguese). We were wondering whether we would leave the country one day or we would end up staying for good. We had some decent paying jobs – I worked as an instructional designer and Romana was a customer service team leader with a multinational company – and we could afford to save a good portion of our monthly salaries. One day we realized we had a decent amount of money in our savings account, but the ‘right time’ to leave never seemed to arrive. So at some stage we said to each other: it’s either we leave now, or we quit the idea and start a mortgage, etc. and settle in Ireland. A few weeks later we had a RTW ticket in our hands – well, in our inbox, since it was an e-ticket.

How much did you spend in total on your trip?

We spent approximately 18,000 euros (total, not per person) during the trip, plus approx. 2300 each for the RTW fare, but we spent more in 2 months between Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and California, than in 6+ months in Asia

How long did it take to plan and save for your trip?

On and off, we saved about 1000 euros each per month for more than three years – but we also paid for our wedding in 2009 with part of that money. Also, keep in mind that because we didn’t have a job waiting for us on our return, we also had to save for the post-trip period to make sure we wouldn’t run out of money while settling back home.

In terms of planning it’s difficult to say how long it took – we started reading around the world guide books and  blogs as soon as as we started fantasizing about taking an around the world trip. But once we became serious about leaving we got the planning out of the way in only a couple of months.

Did you have to change your lifestyle to save for the trip?

The first thing we did was to create a spreadsheet to keep track of our daily expenses. Analyzing the spreadsheet gave us an idea of where we could cut. The first thing was eating out – a budget buster in Dublin, Ireland, at that time. Following, we quit smoking, which was good for our health as well as our pockets. Another thing we found beneficial was to make grocery lists rather than going on impromptu grocery shopping expeditions. Also we started avoiding the expensive supermarkets close to home in favour of cheaper (but farther away) supermarkets. On another note, we’ve never been fans of big, expensive cars or luxury in general (we had a small second-hand car), and generally we tend to buy only what we can afford. This way we have no debts – no mortgages, no outstanding loans, no credit card balances, nothing. That made things a lot easier for us. But that was our philosophy even before we started thinking of taking the trip, so I can’t really talk about lifestyle ‘changes’ here.

How did you manage your money while travelling?

We had two separate bank accounts (with two different banks) and international bank cards (both debit and credit cards, where the credit cards were on different networks, i.e. one VISA and one Mastercard) – This is a good thing to do, because if something goes wrong with a bank or network you always have a second chance, and a backup plan. Oh, and things did go wrong with a card (and a bank) a couple of times while we were on the road, but in those cases we always had another card (and bank) to rely on.

Please tell us about your around the world air tickets.

We bought the around the world air ticket with roundtheworldexperts.co.uk and as I said it was about 2300 euros including taxes. The ticket included 7 flights: London-Delhi, Mumbai-Singapore-Bangkok, Bali-Sydney, Melbourne-Christchurch, Auckland-Nadi (Fiji), Nadi-Los Angeles, San Francisco-London. We were satisfied with the service offered by Round the World Experts for two main reasons: they have  good customer service and they don’t charge in case you want to change the dates of your flights – and we changed our dates constantly!

Would you recommend around the world airfare for other travellers?

Buying an around the world ticket forces a lot of structure to your travels – it allows for some flexibility but it doesn’t give you freedom. This is not good or bad per se. Travellers are different and have different styles and needs, but the good thing about buying an around the world ticket is the price. What you pay for around-the-world airfare is generally less than you’d pay if you had to buy single flights one after another. Having said that, if you want to go, say, to SE Asia only, then it probably makes more sense to buy a return ticket to Bangkok and take it from there. We were okay with the around the world airfare, but to be honest if we didn’t buy it, we would have stayed in Asia for the whole trip, leaving Australia and the Pacific for later in life.

Did you have any major problems on your trip?

Nothing apart from a bus accident in India, on the way to Mumbai from Goa.  (If you want to read the story, check our post ‘A troubled trip to Mumbai.’ )

What travel insurance company did you use?

We had two different types of insurance: travel insurance and a special type of photography insurance for non-professionals, which covered our travel photography gear, including our laptop. Buying insurance is a good idea when you’re setting off for long journeys. Plus, if you travel with expensive camera equipment that your normal travel insurance alone won’t cover, then buying a separate insurance for your photography gear is worth every cent and will give you peace of mind. For the travel insurance we used multitrip.com, for the photography insurance we used a UK based insurance broker called Aaduki.

Do you feel the travel has changed you?

Apart from being an awesome life and learning experience, this trip has certainly broadened our views and re-enforced our feeling of being in control of our lives. It made us understand what we really value in life, what we should make a priority and what type of lifestyle we want for ourselves in the near future – this is great because every effort we’re making now is aimed at organizing our lives according to our vision, rather than looking for easy compromises.

As individuals it certainly made us even more frugal and minimal than we used to be – as a couple it made us stronger, in so many ways (e.g. conflict resolution, communication, expectation management). Finally, as soon-to-be parents (we’re having a baby in January), we’ll make it a priority to help our son understand the value of diversity and the beauty of a multicultural world.

Do you have advice for others considering an around the world trip?

Here are a few tips we’d give to anyone considering an around the world trip:

• It’s easy to become too ambitious with your travel plans when you take an around the world trip. Travel slow and enjoy yourself – It’s better to do fewer places, but doing them well, rather than doing too many places in a hit-and-run fashion.
• Always have a plan B at hand. You’re not always in control of the circumstances and it’s good to have alternatives in mind and a certain degree of flexibility.
• Stay frugal but splurge from time to time.
• Set a budget for unforeseen expenses when you’re trying to figure out how much you need. Also set a budget for after the trip if you don’t have a job waiting for you on your return.
• Do it now. The more you hesitate, the more excuses you’ll make with yourself (e.g. waiting for the right time, etc.), the more unlikely you are to take the trip of a lifetime!

Follow Emanuele and Romana Siracusa

Thesiracusas.com
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Related posts:

1. Interview with World Traveler, Robert Fitzsimmons
2. Travel to Every Country in the World in One Year, Interview with Coca Cola’s Expedition206
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How long have you lived in Costa Rica?

I moved to Costa Rica four years ago. We only traveled here a few times before deciding we wanted to retire there. We didn’t know anyone, just knew that this was the type of lifestyle we were dreaming about. It was a big leap of faith but thankfully it worked out.

 What did you do to prepare to retire?

We didn’t do too much planning. We sold everything and figured we could live for 10 years on our savings. It was important to have enough money that we were not rushing into any businesses since we knew nothing about how to set up one in Costa Rica. By taking our time, we were able to see where different opportunities exist. I think that’s the most important thing about moving to a foreign country, not rushing into anything.

What was the impetus to quit everything and move to a new country?

I knew that working the rest of my life in an office was not for me. We all have a tendency to put things off, thinking we will have the time to do it. But the longer I waited, the more I realized it was never going to happen unless I dramatically changed the way I lived. I finally decided to go for it. There is a lot of fear when breaking out of ones comfort zone. But once you do it, a whole new world opens up.

Do you earn an income at all now?

The income that I earn is now through my book. It’s a humorous account of the adventures my husband and I had during this process. No one can ever prepare you for the cultural differences you encounter when assimilating into a new country. I also had to learn to let go of a materialistic lifestyle so that I could have a happier life. The longer I lived here, the more I was able to identify all the things that made me unhappy, and a lot of that came from always thinking I had to buy something to achieve pleasure. Now I appreciate each moment and have gratitude for the simple things.

Can you earn a good living as an author?

I believe if you write a compelling story, others will want to read it. In August, a CNN reporter heard about my book and did a story about me on their website. It was a great break and the sales shot up significantly. It goes to show that you have to put your work out there, and each small bit of marketing you do will grow upon itself. In addition, having a good website is also important. It’s a great place to connect with your readers and answer their questions.

Can you give us a rough idea of your monthly living expenses in Costa Rica?

We live on $1000 a month. We have a great deal with our landlord and only pay $150/month. They live in the states and needed a responsible couple to care of their home. Although you may not find a deal like this, average rents are around $400 to $600 for a nice house, you just have to be here on the ground to scout them out. We pay around $125 in electricity, very high because we moved to the beach and like the air conditioning. Our health care is $50 per person and food is around $250 dollars a month. Fruits and vegetables are very cheap but anything imported is about twice what it is in the states. We ride a scooter to save on gas and I have a funny video on my blog of all the groceries my husband insists on stacking onto it. You can’t say he’s not resourcefull.

What are the drawbacks of living in a country like Costa Rica?

The drawbacks are few, but not knowing the language makes everything a little more difficult. Thankfully, the people are so friendly here, we usual accomplish things without too many problems.

Can you offer any advice or recommendations for people considering early retirement and moving to Costa Rica?

First visit and see if it’s a good fit. Then rent for a while in different parts of the country to see what area you like best. It takes at least a year to start feeling settled. And have a sense of humor, it makes the journey easier and you will end up with a lot of funny stories that can fill a book. I should know…it happened to me.

Links
HappierthanaBillionaire.com
Buy the book on Amazon
Follow on Facebook
@happierwithless on Twitter

Related posts:

1. Interview with David Horn, Costa Rica Restaurateur
2. Retire Young and Travel the World, Interview with Wendy Justice
3. Interview with Author and Global Citizen, Maya Frost

Please tell us about your travels.

I first began traveling long-term in November 2010. Before I left for good, I took a “practice” trip in Mexico for 5 weeks to see if I’d like it, and to learn about any logistical problems that might pop up (mail, banking, internet, etc.). After that I flew into Guatemala and have been working my way South through Central America for the last 10 months.

What made you decide to begin a nomadic life?

There really wasn’t a single big reason, more like a combination of many. I was bored with my life. I moved around a lot, and it was something I actually looked forward to doing. I guess I just couldn’t stay in one place for too long before I started wondering what it would be like living somewhere else. I think I was just born with a nomadic gene.

Did you have a lot of savings when you started?

I dramatically cut down on unnecessary expenses to save for the trip, but I didn’t spend years saving up like some people do. I maybe saved for a year or so. The difference is I also spent 3 years building up a business in my spare time that could support me while I was traveling. I was aiming for a certain monthly income, not a certain savings amount.

You were living and working in Hawaii before, why did you leave?

I left Hawaii for the same reasons I left the beautiful mountains of Montana, and the amazing nightlife in Miami. I got sick of those places. I needed something new. It’s my nomadic gene working, I can’t control it. It’s one of the reasons I love constant travel so much. Every day is completely new and different.

Please tell us about your website?

My travel blog was created about 6 months prior to the start of my trip. I knew I wanted to record the many travel experiences I’d have for friends & family. I was hoping that others might find it interesting too, because I always loved reading other travel blogs. Eventually I’d like to turn my travel blog into another solid source of income, but my main goal with the site is to effectively share my experiences with others in the hopes that they’ll be inspired to take some risks and explore the world on their own.

Your videos are very high quality, do you think video is more effective than text on a blog?

At the moment I use 3 different cameras to record my adventures, and all of them record HD video. I wouldn’t consider them pro cameras, but all combined they aren’t cheap. Right now it’s about $5000 worth of camera gear. All the short films on the site are edited by me, but I have no formal training. I slowly taught myself (and still have a lot more to learn). I don’t think it’s absolutely necessary to have video on a travel blog, but it certainly helps add a different dimension. My videos tend to focus on the visual experiences, I don’t talk much in them. Shooting & editing video is a TON of work, and if you don’t really enjoy it, it can be a nightmare. Luckily I enjoy it very much.

What did you do to build such a large online following?

At the moment I have over 13,000 followers on Twitter, and over 1400 fans on Facebook. One of my techniques for gathering new followers is to make it very easy for people to follow me. At the end of every blog post, I just ask people to follow if they enjoyed the story or photos. The process has to be easy & quick.

Do you make much money from your website?

I don’t make a ton of money from my travel blog yet. Maybe $300-$400 a month with some affiliate links & advertising. While I’d obviously like that to increase, I also don’t want my blog to become an ugly billboard that’s unpleasant to visit. I turn down advertisers all the time if I think their ads will degrade the experience for my readers.

How do you earn an income now?

The quick explanation is that I create membership websites. Customers pay for information or access to online courses about particular topics. The topics vary widely. I plan on writing a detailed blog post about this in the future. It’s taken me years to earn an income this way.

What are your approximate monthly living expenses?

I spend about $800-$1000 a month on living expenses while traveling. About 30% is for food, 30% for accommodation, 20% transportation, and 20% for entertainment. The breakdown can change depending where I am and what I’m doing though.

What do you dislike about always being on the road?

Generating meaningful friendships & relationships can be hard to when you’re always on the road. I plan on taking long breaks for a few months in one location every so often to help remedy that, but I’m not sure if it will work yet. I possibly see myself getting sick of the nomadic lifestyle sometime in the future. But for now, the benefits outweigh the costs.

Are you afraid of not being in the workforce for a long time?

I’m not a “career” kind of guy. I can always learn something new if I’m forced to, I think everyone can.

Have you had any serious problems on your travels?

Plenty of minor annoyances, like missed flights & buses, delayed baggage, broken cameras, cuts & sprains, etc. But so far no robberies, major accidents, illnesses, animal attacks, or things like that. I’ve had food poisoning only once in 10 months, and I drink local tap water most of the time.

How do you deal with administrative issues like banking, bills and health care?

I do my banking with Charles Schwab, a great bank for travel. They refund all your ATM fees no matter where you are. I have a catastrophic health insurance plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield in the United States that only covers major problems, and I use local doctors for other things. I also subscribe to a virtual mail-forwarding service called Earth Class Mail for cashing the occasional physical check and managing my mail.

Do you have any advice for people considering long-term traveling?

It may seem like there are too many obligations & obstacles stopping you from long-term travel, but I’ve learned that nothing is impossible. The only thing stopping you, is you. If you really want to travel, there’s always a way to make it happen. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy though.

To help conquer fears, I’d also like to recommend the following piece of advice from the philosopher Seneca:

“Set aside a certain number of days, during which you shall be content with the scantiest and cheapest fare, with course and rough dress, saying to yourself the while: Is this the condition that I feared?”

Links

ExpertVagabond.com
Follow Matthew  on Twitter
Matthew on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Interview with Digital Nomad, James Clark
2. Interview with Vagabond Johnny Ward
3. Interview with Successful Nomadic Entrepreneur, Dan Andrews

Please tell us about your travels.

My first trip abroad was a brief holiday to Hawaii which activated the travel bug. I took some annual leave holidays after that, but I found that even saving up 2 months of leave from work wasn’t enough time to explore in a time frame I wanted. My long term travels began in 1999 when I moved to London on a 2 year working holiday visa, where I used London as a home base for travels around Europe. So far my travels have taken me to over 40 countries across North America, Europe and Asia. I still have much of the world to see, but I am not in a hurry to tick off a list of countries.

What made you decide to begin a nomadic life?

I wouldn’t say that my nomadic lifestyle was a decision, rather it has been something that has evolved over time. My original goal was to become self employed doing a job I enjoy which I could do anywhere. At first I would travel for shorter trips, then the trips extended to the point where now I am traveling full time.

Do you have a home base somewhere that you return to?

At the moment I have no home base. When I first started out working for myself in 2003, I had a home base in Melbourne. I averaged around 6 months away and six months at home, while keeping the place I lived at. In 2010 I moved out of that house so I am now without a fixed address.

If you had to choose one country to live, what would it be?

Tough question! I think I will always call Australia home but lately I have been gravitating towards SE Asia whenever I want to stay put for a while. So out of that region I will nominate Thailand for its food, lifestyle, cost of living and good internet service.

How do you earn an income now?

I run a number of commercial travel websites which earn income from the following sources:

• Affiliate sales
• Google Adsense
• Direct Advertising

I have done web design and search engine optimization in the past for other sites, but currently I am working exclusively on my own sites.

Do you make much money from your website?

Without going into details, I make more money working for myself than when I was working for someone else, which is a satisfying feeling. I have had periods though where I wasn’t making much money at all. This is all part of the life of being self employed, a stress which is not for most people.

What is your approximate travel budget for a year?

I don’t really keep a travel budget as it is more of a living budget now. I am aware of my outgoings and I keep my expenses down by not paying for internet or staying in expensive accommodation. I recently kept track of my cost of living for a month for when I was living in Mexico as an example of how you can live well on a small budget. I spent $850 in one month while living in Playa del Carmen. This was a living budget, and not a travel budget, which has different considerations such as transportation and short term accommodation costs.

Are you getting tired of traveling?

I’m not tired of the traveling lifestyle, though I manage this by breaking up my travels with breaks in one place. As much as I love travel, I also love the work that I do as well, which is a good incentive to stay at a home base for a while rather than continuing on to the next destination.

Have you had any serious problems on your travels?

I have been denied entry to two countries in Europe for not having a visa (oops), been in a hotel fire and have had numerous flight delays and cancellations (I’m looking at you Eyjafjallajökull!) but nothing too serious (touch wood).

How do you deal with administrative issues like banking, bills and health care?

This is something that has evolved over time as well. Most of my banking is online now. I have opted out of paper statements and get e-statements instead. I have the occasional payment with cheques (yes some companies still use cheques!) so I have them sent to my parents who manage my banking as well as my quarterly business tax statements. I still maintain health care in Australia, and for travel insurance I am currently using World Nomads.

Do you have any advice for people considering long term traveling

Whether you are travelling as a working nomad or just taking a year off work to explore the world it is a good idea to start simplifying your life before you go. Get out of debt if possible and wind down any monthly standing payments like TV subscriptions. Get rid of unnecessary mail subscriptions and get anything that can be done online set up.

As for making a travel plan, I find you don’t really need one. Once you are on the road you will get into adventures that may take you destinations that weren’t on your original itinerary.

Links
Nomadic Notes - James Clark’s Blog
Follow James on Twitter
Nomadic Notes on Facebook

Related posts:

1. Chiang Mai – The Digital Nomad Capital of the World
2. Interview with Entrepreneur and Digital Nomad Corbett Barr
3. Interview with Digital Nomads from Never Ending Voyage

Do you have to wait until you are 65 years old to retire? What would it take to quit your job and travel the world? How much money would you need and what would you do to prepare?  Wendy Justice answers those questions and offers some great advice in this interview.

How did you come to the decision to retire at age 50?

I wish that I could have retired earlier! It wasn’t until I was 50 that I felt that I had enough funds accumulated to afford relinquishing my full-time nursing job. Even then, I looked at it more as a sabbatical than a permanent lifestyle change. To me, working was always intended to be a means to an end – in this case, becoming a global traveler.

What did you do to prepare to retire?

I have always lived frugally. I don’t like being in debt, and that helped a lot when it became time to retire – my first piece of advice to someone considering this is don’t even think about it unless you’ve settled all your obligations first. The last year or two that my husband and I were working, we knew that retirement was right around the corner for us, so we avoided making any large purchases. We knew that this was something we were going to do and it was important enough to us that we never got the sense that we were sacrificing anything. The actual preparations were very time-consuming. We needed to decide which of our possessions we absolutely wanted to keep and got rid of everything that we could – we had huge yard sales! We shopped around for the best options for getting cash from abroad – all cash cards are not alike – and applied for ones that wouldn’t charge us for cash withdrawals or foreign transaction fees. I learned everything that I could to make our savings generate as much income as possible, and totally rebalanced our finances to maximize the return, while still keeping some of that money in growth-producing investments. We had to figure out what to do about our mail. We had to convert all of our business to online – banking and bills, that sort of thing. I scanned every document that I thought we could possibly need and saved it in my email, so that it would be accessible from anywhere in the world. There was a lot of preparation involved.

Please tell us about your travels.

My first real trip abroad (excluding Canada and Mexico) was to Germany in 1980, where I lived for 2 years. I returned to Europe in 2001, and by then, I had developed quite a taste for international travel. In 2003, we took a vacation to Thailand and Cambodia. It was wonderful – I had always wanted to see that part of the world. When our short vacation was finished, I was so sad! I promised myself that next time I took a vacation, it wouldn’t end until I was ready for it to end. So when we left our jobs in 2005, we had no obligation to return. We initially went to Hong Kong, with the idea that it would be our first stop on an around-the-world trip. We went to China, then to all the Southeast Asian countries. It is now 2011, and we are still busy exploring Southeast Asia! However, quite a few other countries still have my interest, and we hope to visit them in the next year or two – India, Nepal, Turkey and northern Africa are a but a few of the areas that we’d still like to see.

How long do you typically stay in one location?

Until it isn’t fun anymore! We stayed for 2 years in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and have been in Vietnam for almost 1 year now. We enjoyed living in Chiang Mai, Thailand, but tired of it after only 3 months. We stay in furnished apartments when we settle in an area, and pick up very few belongings along the way, so it’s easy to leave when the time comes. When we are on the road, we usually stay in a town for a week or so unless it is just a transfer point like Bangkok or Saigon.

Can you give us a rough idea of your yearly living expenses while traveling?

It differs greatly depending on where we are, of course. Vietnam is nice because the cost of living is very low here. We can live very comfortably for under US$1,000 per month. Kuala Lumpur was more expensive, but even there, we spent much less than we would have been able to had we stayed in the US. We’ve never lived anywhere in Southeast Asia that has cost us over US$1,500 per month to live a comfortable, middle-class life. One of the biggest expenses of a traveling lifestyle is the traveling itself – trains, planes, buses and boats can get expensive and you are never going to find the best deals, negotiate the best rates or really get a sense of where you are if you are only in a place for a few days. A young traveler we met in the mountains of China once shared his philosophy with us – “Always stay in a place for longer than it takes you to get there.” We think that is pretty good advice!

Do you earn an income at all now?

Yes, I do. When we first started traveling, we would send travel journals to our friends and family. People really enjoyed receiving them, and more than one person suggested that we consider writing professionally. We submitted an article about our travels in Tibet to Escape Artist in 2007, and they published it and paid us for it – we were very excited! Since that time, we’ve sold a few articles to other publications, but mainly we write for Live and Invest Overseas, where I hold the title of Asia Correspondent. Now when we travel, it’s always a combination of adventure and business. I look at is as a part-time job, putting in maybe 20 hours a week, though that varies considerably. Working for them, I’m always in search of ideal retirement spots, so it satisfies my desire to travel and helps to support our lifestyle, too.

I am also available for consulting – both with Asian living/retiring and preparing to retire, on a fee-per-hour basis. If you’re interested, please email me at: WendyJustice (at mark) gmail (dot) com.

Can you share how much you earn from travel writing?

I was very fortunate to get into the Live and Invest Overseas publication network, as travel writers generally are a starving group and it is a very competitive business. Let’s just say now that we are making enough to support ourselves living abroad, but not enough to get rich. However, it works out well, as our savings can grow since we can supplement most of our living expenses through writing.

With all the writing you do, why don’t you have your own blog?

Good question, John. I guess I just haven’t gotten around to it yet! Almost everything I write gets published and it’s been adequate to support us, while still giving us enough free time to relax and explore and do the things that we enjoy doing. A blog might require more time than we want to invest at this point.

Does your husband work while you are traveling?

Yes, he’s the “man behind the scenes.” He’s my copy-editor and has a great eye for catching grammatical and content errors. He’s also great with a camera, so if I write an article, he does the photography to go along with it.

Do you have children?

I have an adult daughter. I think she thinks that I’m nuts. She is very rooted with her house and family, isn’t interested in traveling much further than 100 miles from her home and doesn’t understand why on earth I would choose to live this life!

Do you keep your investments and primary finances in your home country?

Yes, I maintain a US brokerage and bank accounts. I experimented once with a bank in Singapore, but wasn’t comfortable with the differences in banking rules. I go back to the US every year or two, although at this point, it feels more like a second home in a foreign country to me.

How do you deal with banking, health care, travel insurance, doctor visits, etc?

If I need cash, I use an ATM locally. I have a debit card from Fidelity that assesses no fees at all and reimburses any foreign ATM fees that I’m charged. Charles Schwab, incidentally, offers a similar debit card for their brokerage customers, and I believe that E-Trade does, as well. Health care costs are so much less in this part of the world. When we first started traveling, we took out a travel medical policy with AU$100 deductible. But it never paid for itself, even though the premiums were quite reasonable, because pretty much every time we received any medical care, the fees were less than the deductible. So now, we don’t have any health insurance at all. So far, had we taken a policy, the premium would not have paid for itself. I had an eye infection a few months back, and saw a specialist here in Vietnam who charged me US$2.00 and gave me appropriate care. Even in Kuala Lumpur, a visit to a western trained, English-speaking doctor costs less than US$10.00. If I was in the US and had a serious medical condition, I would prefer to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore or Bangkok to receive treatment. Not only would I save thousands of dollars, (even with the airfare) but I think that the care that I would receive would be superior – and this from a nurse-manager retired from the US healthcare system! I would say the same for dental care, as well – it’s cheap and of a high standard.

Do you and your husband have any regrets of not continuing your careers?

In a word: no! This is the best thing that could have happened to us.

Do you feel retiring at 50 was too young or too old?

I know many people who work until they are in their mid-60s or older, then retire and before they have a chance to travel, tragedy strikes – an illness or infirmity. And they never realize their dreams. When the kids are grown, when social security begins, when I pay off my mortgage – there’s lots of reasons why people wait. But if you wait too long…If I could do it again, I’d retire earlier. If I need to, I’ll work when I’m old!

Will you settle down in one country someday?

I can’t answer that one yet. I’m a traveler. I love staying in one place for a few months, but then I get restless and want to go elsewhere. If I was to settle permanently, I’d consider Vietnam because it’s inexpensive and I love the Vietnamese people and Vietnamese food and can speak a bit of the language now. But then, another area may beckon… If I had medical issues, I’d like to be somewhere with better health care – Vietnam is still developing in that regard. In that case, I’d consider living in Thailand.

Can you offer any advice or recommendations for people considering early retirement and/or long term travel?

People have so often looked enviously at me and said, “I wish that I could do what you’re doing.” I know that few, if any of them will ever actually take that plunge. They think that they can’t afford it – they need a million dollars, or 5 million, or whatever. Few people realize how affordable it can really be to live this kind of lifestyle. You can definitely retire comfortably for well under a million dollars, assuming that you have no debts. If you invest wisely, two people should be able to make ends meet comfortably with a nest egg of US$500,000 – especially if you know that you’ll be getting social security or a pension at some point and you head to an area with a low cost of living. Keep in mind that “low cost of living” doesn’t mean living in a dirt-floor hut! In Vietnam, we can live a solidly middle-class lifestyle on a budget of about US$850 per month – that’s living in a serviced apartment a five minute walk from one of the prettiest beaches in the world, eating almost all of our meals out, renting our own transportation, everything. I’ve written quite a bit on this topic – for more information, please see the Live and Invest Overseas website at www.liveandinvestoverseas.com to view some of my top picks for retirement as well as some detailed budgets on various Asian destinations. I’ve also written several detailed reports on various Asian destinations – Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Bali, Indonesia; Vientiane, Laos; Hanoi (and soon, Nha Trang and Hoi An), Vietnam. These feature-length reports were published in the Overseas Retirement Letter. If you’re interested, you can purchase them through the Live and Invest Overseas website. Finally, if retiring young is something that you really want to do, your determination will make it happen. You can come up with a dozen reasons why to postpone it, but in reality, the only thing really holding you back is yourself. We’ve met quite a few couples with young children who have moved to Asia. Some people drift around teaching English or working odd-jobs to support themselves. If you want it badly enough, you can make it happen.

Links to Articles by Wendy Justice
Perpetual Retirement (Why Would Someone Live Like This?)
Chiang Mai, Thailand (Super-Cheap Living)
Retire Young and Travel the World
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: Retire to Malaysia $1,223 Per Month
Hua Hin, Thailand (Top Retirement Choice in Southeast Asia)
Vietnam (An Unexpected Welcome)

Related posts:

1. Retire in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2. Retire Young in Costa Rica – Interview with Author Nadine Hays Pisani
3. Everything You Need to Know to Travel Around the World: Interview with The Siracusas

Careers, debts and children seem to be prime reasons for delaying dreams to travel the world or begin a lifestyle design journey. It is difficult to change your life when you have substantial obligations. Difficult? Yes, but definitely not impossible. The Denning family has found a way to make a nomadic lifestyle work with five children while traveling across the Americas in a vegetable powered truck. Read about their story in this interview.

It sounds like you did very well with your real estate investments?

Real estate was a great tool for helping us to break out of the ‘9-5’. We began investing in it while my husband still had his corporate job. We purchased rental properties, and later ‘flipped’ homes. The additional income it provided instilled confidence and helped us make the leap to quit my husband’s job and pursue the life of an entrepreneur, which eventually led to a life of travel.

Real estate can be a good investment vehicle if done correctly. FamilyonBikes.com actually used real estate investments to fund a major portion of their bike trip from Alaska to Argentina.

Did you manage to get out before the crash?

No. We began investing near the height of the real estate market, and while it proved lucrative for awhile, we lacked the long term experience to predict market trends. We were hit hard by the economic crash, and suffered severe financial losses.

What was the impetus for liquidating your possessions and living a nomadic lifestyle?

It started with a ‘second honeymoon’ to Mexico. It was one of my first experiences traveling outside of the U.S. We attended a local church, and I had such an incredible experience being immersed in the language and culture that I knew I wanted this for my family.

We’d talked before about moving abroad ‘someday’, but after that trip, we both knew we needed to do it know. At that time our investments were still doing very well and provided a location independent income. We rented out our model home (along with our other investments), sold our opulent furniture and personal belongings (except for our books and mementos), and made plans to drive to and live in Costa Rica.

A year later, the real estate and stock markets crashed, forcing us to return to the U.S. to find an income. Being hit hard by the economic crisis, we ‘lost’ or liquidated our real estate holdings, and lived more simply, really reducing our personal expenses. This change in our personal living expenses has really led to our nomadic lifestyle. Before our financial losses, we believed that we had to ‘keep up with the Jones’ and then try to finance travel on top of that.

After nearly losing everything, we realized what was really important to us (family time, travel and adventure) and began focusing on spending our money and time on those things, and eliminating everything else. The less we owned, the more freedom we had and the more nomadic we became.

Now we realize that we can live (and travel) on a monthly budget that is less than what we used to spend on our monthly mortgage payment in the U.S.

Tell us about your road trip to Costa Rica

It was incredible! We had an amazing experience, and it helped to expand our reality of what was possible for us and build our confidence for taking even bigger and more challenging adventures.

Did you encounter any problems on the way?

Yes and no. We did actually drive all the way to the border of Nicaragua without any passports for three of our children (you can read here how that interesting experience happened). As a result, we were ‘caught’ at the border of Nicaragua and were ‘stuck’ in Honduras for about ten days until the U.S. Embassy could have our passports expedited.

Once we crossed to Nicaragua, the roads were so bad near the borders, it was like the worst jeep road you’ve ever seen. We had to maneuver around potholes the size of VW bugs. Nicaragua was also the only place where we were stopped by police who tried to get us to pay bribes.

One policewoman blatantly asked for money. We didn’t have any cash, and told her so. She said we needed to give her something. We had just bought two sub-style sandwiches, and told her that was all we had. “Okay, I’ll take them,” was her response.

The next time we were stopped, the officer charged us with some bogus offense, took my husbands driver’s license, and told him he would need to appear at court to pay a fee before he could get his license back (this is a common tactic, the hope is you’ll say, ‘Can’t I just pay the fee to you right now?) We literally didn’t have any cash to give to him (it was the same day as the sandwich lady), and we’d prepared for the driver license situation by purchasing an International Drivers License from AAA. My husband told him he didn’t care if he took his license, and he wasn’t going to court, we were traveling on. The officer was so upset that we weren’t cowering from his threats that he eventually threw the license at my husband and told him to get out of here.

We thought it was pretty funny. But it shows that if you’re not intimidated by their threats and refuse to concede, there’s really little they can do.

Would you recommend driving through Central America to other travelers?

Absolutely! Many people have done it and are doing it. The roads are great, and the countries are safe. When we began our trip to Costa Rica, we found very little information about any families that had made a similar trip. But now it seems more common and sometimes even ‘trendy’.

How much do you think people should budget for a road trip to Central America?

It totally depends on what experience they are after. We were making a lot of money when we went down the first time, so we stayed at nice hotels and all-inclusive resorts. We ate (unfortunately) at places like KFC and McDonalds (lame, I know). That trip was very expensive. I think we spent close to $6,000 just to get to Costa Rica (including gas, hotels, food and adventures like these).

Gas can be more expensive – while we lived in Costa Rica it was about $6.00 a gallon – that was almost four years ago. Diesel is usually less, and many more vehicles run on diesel south of the border.

When we drive it this time, we’ll be camping most of the time with occasional stays at hostels and inexpensive hotels. We’re also driving a veggie powered truck which we hope to fuel with waste vegetable oil, if we can find it available south of the border (this is a new experiment for us).

We’ll be eating the local foods – locally grown fruits and vegetables, and at local restaurants.

We’re totally confident that we can live and travel this way spending less than $2,000 a month on average (we’ll be traveling very slowly though).

What is Costa Rica like?

Costa Rica is very amazing. It is like the Garden of Eden. Flowers bloom year round. You can grow fruits and vegetables nearly all year. I once read about Costa Rica that if you put a stick in the ground, it would grow. It’s literally true.

There is so much to see and do, we never did it all, even after a year. There’s waterfalls, volcanoes, surfing, beaches, cloud forests, turtle preserves, zip lines, bungee jumping…it goes on and on.

While we lived there, we stayed in the Central Valley, where a large majority of expats live. As a result the infrastructure is better, but the costs are higher. We stayed in a nice house with three bedrooms plus a loft room, and an amazing view of the Central Valley, for about $1500 a month plus utilities which ran about $200-$300 a month (internet, water, electricity). The floors were tile (most places are south of the border, carpet molds). It had two bathrooms with ‘normal’ toilets and showers and sinks that had hot and cold water. It also included a kitchen with a U.S. size stove, and a larger size (for Costa Rica) fridge.

What is a comfortable budget to live in Costa Rica for a year?

Again this depends on the type of experience you want to have. Do you want to live like an expat, enjoying familiar foods that are imported from your country? Imported foods are more expensive. But if you want to eat local foods – then you can visit the mercado and buy 100 oranges for US$2.00 and pineapples for US$.50 each.

As far as housing goes, you could live in a ‘nice’ house like I described above in the Central Valley, and pay for it. Or you could live on the outskirts, on the beaches or in the campo and pay about $350 for a furnished house that’s a little more basic (maybe it would have hot water, and your appliances might be ‘tico’ size). But that’s okay. You’re going for the experience of living abroad, not living in ‘little America’ in Costa Rica.

If we did it over again, I’m pretty confident that our family of seven could live quite comfortably on US$3,000 a month or less, including a maid.

Do you work or earn money while you are traveling?

We’ve tried a number of strategies to fund our travels. With each location we’ve taken a different approach. As mentioned before, living in Costa Rica was funded by our real estate and stock investments.

After returning to the U.S. for work, we set out again a year later, this time to the Dominican Republic, using personal savings, supplemented by a small amount of online income from freelance work, etc.

When that ran out, we returned to the U.S. again for work, this time to Atlanta, GA where we spent six months before accepting a position with a non-profit organization that took us to India. After India, we flew to Atlanta, bought a vehicle and drove to Alaska, where we had baby number five, and spent the last year.

As we set out on this next adventure from Alaska to Argentina, we’re using some savings, working along the way, and most importantly, building our online business so we can become location independent again.

Please tell us about your experiences in India.

My husband was offered a position with a non-profit organization in India, and we eagerly accepted it. For us it was a chance to see the ‘other side of the world.’

Originally it was a long term commitment – several years. But soon after arriving I realized I was pregnant. We ended up leaving (it was a mutual agreement) after only 5 months, so we could have the baby in the U.S.

Our children did enjoy living there. They had a lot of friends, because we lived on the campus of a ‘boarding’ school which housed nearly 200 students ages 4-14. But we were in a very rural part of India, which proved some difficulty in getting ‘non-Indian’ food (the Indian food didn’t agree with my pregnant belly).

It was also very, very hot. However we enjoyed the culture and riding on elephants and getting elephant blessings, wearing saris and bangles, US$.40 haircuts and US$.10 ice cream.

The steering wheel is on the right side of the vehicle, and they drive on the left side of the road – it was very confusing, I never quite got used to it. We also had a driver who did all the driving for us – the driving is crazy there, and they use their horns A LOT. Cows literally wander the streets like stray dogs do in Latin countries.

What were your living expenses in India?

We lived on campus, and so many of our expenses were covered by the non-profit organization (i.e. electricity, water, internet, housing).

We purchased our own food, IF we didn’t want to eat the three Indian meals that were prepared everyday for the campus. Fruits and vegetables were very inexpensive. A grocery bag of veggies cost about US$2.00. Clothing, textiles and services (like haircuts) are so ridiculously cheap it’s crazy.

Before leaving the country we stocked up on clothes – Prada, Banana Republic, Polo and more – super cheap.

Beef was difficult (but not impossible) to find, and more expensive. Any imported foods were crazy expensive (like US$7.00 for a box of breakfast cereal).

We also didn’t have our own car, but used one of the organizations vehicles, along with one of their drivers.

We lived in a very rural area – two hours from Chennai (formerly Madras). We did some of our grocery shopping in Chennai, but as far as living expenses – housing, utilities, hired help – I’m not sure of those costs in the cities.

Tell us about your new road trip from Alaska to Argentina?

After returning to the U.S. from India, we chose to move to Alaska to have our baby, because my mother lived there and it was a place we had always wanted to visit. We knew we wouldn’t stay there though, and so continually had on our minds where we would go next.

We considered teaching English in Thailand, or moving to Colombia. But a major concern for us was having a vehicle. In Costa Rica we had our own vehicle, and we really loved it. It gave us freedom to explore and go when and where we wanted. In the Dominican Republic, we used public transportation, and it really limited our travel within the country. We could only go when and where the buses or taxis went. So that was a major consideration when choosing our next adventure – we wanted to have a vehicle and we wanted to be able to explore extensively – since we realized that’s what we really love about travel, more than just ‘living’ in a different country.

Having already driven Central America, and already owning a vehicle, we thought – Why not just drive all the way to South America and explore the whole thing? And since we were in Alaska already, it seemed fitting to drive from the top to the bottom, don’t you think?

Are you worried about any dangerous areas on your journey?

No. All countries have safe areas and dangerous areas, ‘good’ people and ‘bad’ people. We visit the safe and avoid the dangerous anywhere we go. It’s that simple.

How did the vegetable oil powered truck come about?

While living in Alaska we became very close friends with the owner of Golden Fuel Systems, a pioneer in the vegetable oil/bio fuel industry. He convinced us to buy our current truck, and to convert it to run on veggie – and we are SO glad we did. So far we’ve paid only about $150 in diesel fuel costs.

You are now traveling with five small children, what is that like?

It is a lot of fun, and a lot of chaos (sometimes). No, they don’t always get along. Sometimes they fight, argue, whine and cry.

But for the most part, they are accustomed to being nomadic. They adjust well and quickly to being in a new place, and they love exploring and spending time playing together. And we love being able to spend time with our children, learning about the world and discovering the wonders it holds.

What do you do for health care, truck insurance, taxes and other administrative issues?

Right now our truck insurance is with State Farm. I’m going to be checking to see if their coverage is valid outside the U.S. I know when we drove through Mexico before, we purchased Mexican insurance to cover us while we were there (I think it may be required).

Our income taxes now are simple (not as complicated as when we owned real estate) and can be easily filed electronically. We are exploring further the tax benefits to living outside the country.

As for health insurance – we’ve always lived by the ‘pay for what is, not for what ifs’ philosophy. In general, we don’t usually visit a doctor. I guess we pursue more ‘alternative’ health care, and for the most part we’re pretty healthy (we eat very well and are active).

We’d rather pay for medical expenses as we need them, than send our money to an insurance company at the amount of $500 -$1400 every month! That’s $6,000 to $16,800 over a one year period. That’s a lot of money for ‘just in case’.

And yes we realize that accidents and emergencies do happen. We’re willing to take that risk. Just last year we were in a car accident in Alaska. Our total medical expenses came to about $60,000. In this case, they were covered by the automobile insurance of the other driver, who was at fault.

But even if they weren’t, our preference (and this isn’t for everyone) would be to owe that debt to the medical industry for services performed, than to owe that ‘debt’ to the insurance companies ‘in case’ it happens. We realize this approach doesn’t work for everyone, but it’s what we’ve chosen and we feel very comfortable with it.

What is next on the travel agenda after Argentina?

After we get to the bottom of Argentina, we plan to drive north again and visit Uruguay, Paraguay and then Brazil. We may stay in Brazil for a while and learn Portuguese. After that we’re really considering sailing the South Pacific.

Do you recommend your lifestyle for other families?

Yes and no.

No, because you have to really be committed to doing it, and really have the big picture in mind of ‘why’ you’re doing it, or else you may go crazy It can take some adjustment to not having a place to ‘call your own.’ But on the other hand, if it’s something you want to try, I say ‘go for it’. It’s wonderful having the freedom to go anywhere we would like, without having the ‘anchors’ (as we call them) of a home, job or bills.

This is an exchange rate we’re willing make – forsaking mortgages and bills for freedom and travel.

Follow the Denning Family’s Adventures.

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