Ever wanted more from life and to do something completely radical, like quit your job, sell your possessions and travel around the world? Well this is exactly what we did!
We've been married for over 7 years, we built a house, had great careers, a quality group of friends and what seemed to be the 'ideal' lifestyle! There had always been a nagging feeling though, that there was so much more to be experienced in life and we debated the societal idea of 'security', questioning whether we had been sold a lie. We realised there was really nothing stopping us from making drastic changes to the life we had created, other than all the mental limitations we had in our heads.
We started by planning a 3 month long around the world trip, thinking travel would definitely shake up our lives and during our online research, we discovered the couchsurfing program (http://www.couchsurfing.org). We began hosting other travelers in our home over the course of four months and we were so inspired by how travelling had enriched their lives. One couch surfing couple who have become really close friends, suggested at the time that maybe three months might not be long enough to see the world (derrr) and we might want to consider extending the trip.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we began exploring our options and before we knew it, we had working visas approved for the UK and were planning to be away from home for up to two years. We decided to sell most of what we owned including our house, our car and three quarters of our possessions and we resigned from our jobs because we wanted to go away without any ties or worries at home. As the analytical and cautious one of the pair (Sal), I had many fears and apprehensions about giving up everything we have ever known, especially since I had never travelled outside of Australia before. Thankfully I had a good coach in Tim and I just knew I had to face my fears head on or I would never overcome them!
We have spoken to a number of people who have said to us that we are so lucky to be able to do what we're doing, but I have to say that it really has nothing to do with luck at all. It is based on a series of decisions we made in our lives to make sacrifices in order to reap the benefits. It is not easy giving up all that is familiar, but there is not a single regret we have in doing so and I would recommend it to anyone contemplating the idea of turning their lives upside down.
We hope you enjoy sharing in our journey!
