If you’ve ever dreamed of ditching your daily routine and travelling the world in a tiny van, here’s some motivation to chase your new life!
The typical nine-to-five just doesn’t cut it for some people, and like Jordy and Tia from Australia, they want to live a freer life without the dreary daily grind.
The pair woke up one day, realising that they didn’t want to live a ‘regular’ life, sold all their possessions and hopped in their restored Kombi van, never looking back.
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After working in real estate and wedding photography respectively, Jordy and Tia decided to finally live their ‘fantasy’ van life.
27-year-old Tia told 7Life: “The idea of travelling in a Kombi van started as a fantasy for us.
“At the time, we were living in a nice apartment with our dog, Zenna.
“Our life was sweet and simple in Perth.”
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Jordy, 38 went on to explain how in 2018 they purchased a 1975 Kombi van, and everything changed from that day on.
He said: “It wasn’t until we did weekend trips to sand dunes, oceanside camps and beyond, that we fall in love with this lifestyle.”
Initially just a project to work on and restore, the couple soon realised that they could leave their everyday life and start anew.
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Jordy explained: “We often joke about how this one purchase changed the course of a lot of things in our life and the way we live today.”
After selling some of their shares, they were able to find their first year of travel, however they ended up having to sell their car and some belongings to ‘top up the bank account’.
But the benefits overwhelmingly outweighed any sacrifices as the total cost to live in their van and travel anywhere, anytime is cheaper than the cost to rent or pay off a mortgage!
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Tia said: “Our biggest expense is our van repairs. Maintenance on the Kombi really hit us hard the first couple of years.
“We adjusted by doing most of the repairs and servicing ourselves. It was a steep learning curve that has since saved us thousands.”
When in need of some spare change, the couple work along the way.
She added: “The low expenses and small income we get has allowed us to save some money.
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“When we worked (our previous) jobs, we often filled up our time and energy with things and activities. We don’t have the space for anything in our van and our activities are limited to the environment around us.”
But if you think they are parking up in communal sites, you’re wrong. The pair actually prefer to camp alone and spend their time cooking up some yummy grub, exploring their surroundings and getting stuck into activities.
“This lifestyle has changed so much for us, but one thing worth noting is how simple everything is,” Jordy said.
Topics: Australia, Travel, Life, Sex and Relationships, Money
Britt Jones