*COVID-19 UPDATE*
We just wanted to put a note in here regarding travel and the coronavirus pandemic we are facing worldwide. We are currently at home in Minnesota, wearing masks and only leaving for essential activities. We had to cancel a May trip to Iceland due to the virus, but we knew we would prefer putting the safety and well-being of all those around us ahead of our desire to travel. So all trips are on hold for now, and we sympathize deeply with anyone who has been affected by the outbreak of this pandemic.
*END UPDATE*
Hi, my name is Holley, and that’s my husband Spencer with me on the edge of that cliff. We have been married about 8 years, and we are now addicted to travel. Ironically, we didn’t even know we could afford to travel for over 6 of those years.
Because we’ve always made a conscientious and ongoing choice to live pretty simply, we have only ever worked part time, so we thought that meant travel was out. Not an option, unattainable. A necessary sacrifice to support our desired lifestyle, which included being free of credit card debt, being free to set our own work hours, being free to spend time with our families, and being free to volunteer our time where it matters to us. We love the amount of freedom we have in that lifestyle, but there was one thing we knew would never be free, and that was travel.
So how did we figure it out? In the months leading up to our first trip, some really good friends of ours wanted to go to a special event in Oslo, Norway. They started looking into it, and in the process, told us of all the amazing reasons to go somewhere like Norway. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for them to go on the trip, but they fueled our wonderlust past it’s breaking point, and we bought tickets. It was a huge leap! I had only flown twice at this point in my life, and never into another county! I didn’t even have a passport! Spencer did have a passport, but he’d only really used it on a road trip to Canada. We felt like we were in way over our heads, but being the type A personalities that we are, we forged ahead, researching absolutely every step of the way.
We spent hours scouring blog posts and google, reading Airbnb reviews, researching bus routes and train schedules, and deciding on the best car insurance for rental cars in Iceland. We paid for what we could in advance, we took advantage of credit card bonus miles, we borrowed anything we could to stretch out budget. When our departure date came, we set off with a carry on in our hand and butterflies in our stomachs.
Naturally, there were hiccups along the way. Half a day felt wasted because we were exhausted from the flight. One of the Airbnb’s didn’t show up or call, so we were left without our planned accommodations. We got horrible blisters on our feet, thought we killed our car, and had to hike through Oslo dragging a broken suitcase because we couldn’t find the train we needed. But we learned from it all, and every bad experience had an amazing silver lining.
When the airbnb host failed us, we got to stay with the most warm and inviting family, and we made lifelong friends. The hike that caused the bloody blisters led us through breathtaking mountains for a view not everyone will be able to see. And after fighting the suitcase all the way through Oslo, we were greeted in our Airbnb by an unexpected friendly house cat. The bad never outweighed the good, even when we were lost, exhausted and stressed. We learned how to travel, and we did it together, which is more than I had ever thought was possible.
We’ve planned and taken a couple more trips since then, and have something on que most of the time. If I’m not actually planning a trip, you can bet I’m probably thinking about it! Needless to say, travel is a shared passion of ours now, and we love proving to people that you can make it happen no matter what your circumstances are! You don’t need to make $300,000 a year or have a month of paid vacation. We are on a mission to convince average, ordinary people that it’s worth it to take the trip you’ve always dreamed about! We want to get people moving, out of their comfort zone and out of their time zone!
I’m also dying to share helpful travel tips for my vegan fam! I know it can be overwhelming to try and plan a trip and not know if you’re going to find anything to eat along the way!! Ok, ok, that’s probably at little dramatic, but as veggie eaters we do generally have to think and plan ahead a little more, and I’m hoping to give you tons of helpful resources along the way!
