We will always remember the moment when we first discovered the possibility of a life of permanent travel. We had stumbled across a Facebook post from a former schoolmate, discussing how he had escaped the cubicle and was traveling around Thailand for just $1000 a month. “Wait!” we thought “Isn’t travel supposed to be expensive?” Aren’t you meant to drain your bank account on packed tourist buses that visit Belgium in the morning and France in the afternoon? Can this be for real??

We decided to dive deeper into the world of travel and stumbled upon a community of adventurers who lived a lifestyle that we never knew existed.

As we eagerly consumed every piece of information we could find, we realized that there was a whole new world of possibilities waiting for us. Inspired to learn from those who were already living the dream, we launched our own interview podcast, The Expat Chat back in 2015. Our show resonanted with listeners, quickly becoming the No 1 travel podcast on I-Tunes New and Noteworthy in both Australia and the U.S.A.

The interviews were a revelation – we discovered that the key to travel wasn’t rushing through a laundry list of destinations, but immersing ourselves in local cultures.

Despite the excitement, we knew that taking the plunge was a risk. So, we decided to test the waters with a month-long stay in Chiang Mai, Thailand where we lived on a budget of just $A2800 (approximately $US2000) for the month. It was the amount we knew it would cost us to sit on the couch back home. Not only was it affordable but it brought us time – from $1 taxi rides, to $2 dinners – we were fed, accommodated and cared for without lifting a finger. No car to maintain, no rooms to clean, no groceries to even buy (it was cheaper to eat out).

We were convinced – this was the life we wanted. We trialled the concept further with three months in Europe, exploring the continent through house sits, and returned home with the determination to make travel our permanent lifestyle.

In 2019, we sold our possessions, rented out our house, and bought a one-way ticket to Bali. We spent time in South East Asia before returning to Europe. This time our journey was over 9 months. We immersed ourselves in local cultures, and met amazing people along the way.

Lockdowns saw us having to return home but we continued our lifestyle choice by buying a camper trailer and circum-navigating Australia, an adventure all on it’s own.

Some may think that our choice is dangerous, that in our current world of uncertainty the risks are high, but we couldn’t disagree more. With the cost of living skyrocketing in most western countries, we’ve found a way to control costs by traveling to places where accommodation, food, and beer are half the price and lower. If instability or disasters strike, we have the flexibility to adapt and move on. For us, a life of permanent travel has brought us more freedom and joy than we could have ever imagined and we know it can do the same for you.

From our podcast to our free magazine we have resources available to help you get started. Check out the links at the top of the page and come take a journey with us!