I held on tightly, as our 4hp outboard pushed the two of us and our 8-foot dinghy through the choppy waves towards the dinghy dock at Whisper Cove on the beautiful island of Grenada. Grenada is the most southern island in Caribbean island chain known as the Windwards. My partner and I had been there for several months, after our Atlantic crossing, enjoying the nature and lovely weather and friendly locals.
During that time, we had made many dinghy trips to the Whisper Cove dock and had become familiar with the route, but on this particular day there was something different.
Do you find yourself dreaming big when it comes to travel, but you don’t have the time to follow through on your dreams? That was the problem today’s guest was experiencing. While it can be so easy to just shrug off our dreams and label them as “unrealistic,” Chloe decided to make some changes and go for her dreams.
Chloe’s Instagram profile immediately caught my attention with her intriguing tagline: “Turning my passion into a paycheck.” I mean, who doesn’t want to get paid for something they are passionate about?
Heck yeah—I’m on board with that!
Seemingly trapped in a 9-5 job that left her fighting off anxiety and longing for the end of each day, Chloe came to the realization that there must be more to life. Having personally suffered in the past from career-related anxiety, I can understand the enormous effects anxiety and stress can have on a person’s life. It takes a lot of courage to step outside of the life you thought you were supposed to lead, and create a different lifestyle for yourself.
Chloe is new to laptop lifestyle and has graciously taken the time to share her story with us. In her interview, she explains how she got to where she is, her challenges and lessons learned, and her rewards so far.
Today’s guest is just starting to break into the Digital Nomad and Freelance world, but living a different lifestyle is not exactly a new thing for her. In 2017, Arianna Meschia followed her gut and purchased a one-way ticket out of London. Destination: Lilongwe.
What’s that?
You don’t know where Lilongwe is located?
Don’t worry. Neither did I, until I ran a search online.
Lilongwe is located in Malawi, which is in south east Africa. This wasn’t a new destination for Arianna, as she had previously lived and volunteered there for a year. But this particular trip took an unexpected turn for our guest. On this trip, Arianna found herself on a four months long, 5,000+ kilometers (3,106 miles) motorbike trip. It is also the journey that clearly demonstrates Arianna’s passion for Journalism and Writing — she published many interviews of the people she met along the way.
If someone told you that you could retire in your thirties, would you take it to heart, or would you secretly laugh in sheer disbelief? There was a time I would’ve chosen the latter. But not anymore.
Financial Independence is a term that you may have come across, perhaps thinking it only applied to people who were born wealthy, but that couldn’t be more wrong. There are many people today who are embracing the Financial Independence Retire Early (FIRE) lifestyle at ages that are far below typical retirement age, and it isn’t because they were born into monetary wealth. It is due to very careful planning, lifestyle changes, and the understanding that it is possible to retire much earlier than expected.
Just take a moment to search online and you’ll find numerous examples, perhaps even today’s featured guests who are a great example of a couple who has achieved Financial Independence. This couple has not only retired in their thirties, but they are also traveling full-time, internationally, for much less than they ever spent when living and working from home in California.
Ken Cripps and Edith Kraus are both Marine Biologists who have had a passion for the sea and nature most of their lives. Their passion has lead them to some amazing experiences, such as a great sailing adventure from Canada to Antarctica, over a decade ago. But this passion did not fester away once they had a family. Rather, it grew and the couple realized that their previous sailing adventures were experiences they desperately wanted to share with their two children.
Did they sit back and talk wistfully of their dreams, only to shake off the desire and tell themselves that it was no longer possible with a family? Absolutely not! This couple set to work, creating a life that they believed would allow them to spend more quality time with their children and provide them with experiences of a lifetime.
Living on a small budget, taking advantage of their training and careers as Marine Biologists, and maintaining an open and positive mindset have allowed the family to pursue their dream of sailing the world together.
Let’s learn how this family of 4 is traveling the world by sail…
Today’s guest has a passion for animals, which eventually lead to her passion for a completely different lifestyle. Dr. Sheddy is a Veterinarian from Australia who longed to make a difference and provide veterinarian care to animals in need around the world. But she didn’t just sit back and tell herself that her dream was impossible.
Dr. Sheddy took action, changed the trajectory of her life and career, and is now making a massively positive impact in the world, providing her veterinarian services free of charge to animals in need. All while traveling in her floating home, the sailing vessel Chuffed.
Do you love the thought of living outside, taking a long road trip, and living with less? That idea really struck home with today’s guests.
After learning about and researching van life, Marjolijn (Dutch) and Laurence (British) decided to pursue their dreams of exploring Europe. After making some major life changes and buying a van, the couple is now exploring Italy on their traveling home, working along the way, while ticking off items on their bucket list.
Marjolijn and Laurence took some time to tell us about their lifestyle, what it looked like before, and some of the challenges they have overcome…
If you could write your own story — live where you most desire, do what you most desire — what would you write?
Today’s guests decided to put pen to paper and write their own story. They took action despite the naysayers, despite the challenges and set-backs.
They call themselves the Bums. Bums on a Boat, or BOAB as they are also known — Joel, a rubix cube connoisseur; Michal, a writer; and Lola, the youngest Bum with 4 paws.
Michal, from BOAB took some time to share the story of the Bums and how they left previous lives in the golf industry to pursue a nomadic lifestyle on a sailboat. It may seem unattainable to some to take off on a sailboat but, as Michal explains, it isn’t impossible.
Have you ever dreamed of going on an extended road trip, no return date in sight? Our guests today not only dreamed of doing just that, but they made it happen!
Tim and Ali are in Australia, living in a Toyota HiAce Commuter campervan. They converted the van into a home by using upcycled materials and loaned tools to make it livable and off-grid. The kicker? They had no prior building experience!
Obviously, they figured it out correctly, as they’ve been living in the van full-time now for over a year and are currently exploring Australia in their traveling home.
Tim and Ali took some time to share their story, their challenges, and provide some advice for those of you who may be considering vanlife, but aren’t sure where to start. Let’s take a peek into the lives of the couple from Vegan Adventure Van!
Do you know what “White Spots” are? No? Don’t worry, I didn’t know either until around 6 years ago.
“White Spots” are undiscovered areas on each individual’s personal map of life. They’re not necessarily places you want to go, but can be any kind of dream that you wish to come true.” —Nike Steiger; Untie The Lines; White Spot Pirates
Nike knows all about turning a dream into a reality. After climbing the ladder of success in her home country of Germany, Nike left her job and home in pursuit of her own White Spot — buy a sailboat and go on a sailing adventure. Sharing videos of her victories and challenges along the way through her vlog Untie the Lines, Nike has inspired many to pursue our own White Spots, even when the going gets tough.
I found this interview extremely inspirational and I hope you do as well. AND you will find a special gift from Nike to Prepare to Tack followers at the end of this post!
Prepare to Tack 