A year ago I quit my nine to five job to travel the world, I moved out of my house and into a new one... with four wheels. Since then I haven't looked back. Living the western way was having a huge effect on my health, both mentally and physically. Every day was the same. Get up. Go to work. Go home. Veg by the TV. My mind was slowly shutting off, I'd lost my creative spark and was slowly turning into a robot. Stress seemed to be a normal part of my day, a good night sleep was a rare thing and I found myself with absolutely no motivation. One evening while pointlessly scrolling through the internet, hoping for a story to perk me up. I came across an article about a man that had quit his job to travel. I scrolled through the beautiful photos of the places he'd been and read about the wonderful experiences he'd had. From that moment on I knew I had to make a change, to create I life I can look back on and be grateful for.
Life in a van? paradise?
I'm not going to lie, it does come with it's difficulties. There's a lot that one has to go without in order to live life on the road. Things like, showers, flushing toilets and proper electricity. I wont lie though, it's worth every struggle! I have been on the road for just under two years now and have covered over 8000 miles. I've feel as though I've lived more life in the past two years, than I have in the 22 before that. I have seen more beautiful places and met more amazing people. I finally feel a sense of fulfillment, as though I've found my reason to live. I have found my calling.
How do I survive?
I survive, just about. I've read endless stories about people making money while travelling. However it's not as simple as they make it look, and I haven't succeeded in it yet. So how do I survive? Quite simply I buy and sell junk! I pick up interesting bits and bobs from markets. I find, things that have a story or things that you don't see every day. I clean them up and I sell them to people who collect things. My passion is photography, capturing beauty so that it can be shared. I'm yet to figure out how It can bring an income.
Where am i going next?
Honestly. I'm not a very plan orientated person, even when I make plans I struggle stick to them. I am a hopeless wanderer. If I see a road I like the look of, I'll drive down it. If I see the remains of a castle in the distance, I'll make my way there. I go with my gut, and it never lets me down. The most breathtaking places I've been, have been stumbled upon by accident. The best times I've had, were because I've got lost.