A couple has given up their careers and decided to leave home for a life on the road, with travel as a top priority.
Craig Saunders and his wife Kerry Whitelegg of Bristol decided to buy an ex-army DAF T244 truck and convert it into a portable home.
They spent some time learning carpentry, mechanics and plumbing while documenting Penelope the Truck’s transformation on YouTube.
Six months ago they decided to move on by quitting their jobs, selling their house and leaving with no set plan to return to the UK.
Before the pandemic, Kerry was freelancing at events and teaching yoga, but during the Covid lockdown he transitioned to a more remote position while Craig was rock climbing at a brewery.
Kerry said: “We were very unhappy with the way our lives were being run: careers, the house needed work, I needed a new car.
“It was about investing in our life as it was and moving on, or committing to ourselves and turning everything around to seize the opportunity to be happy.”
Craig added: “We had a good salary, but we just felt like we weren’t going anywhere.”
Life has changed for the better as they are currently in Turkey and have traveled through France, Belgium, Germany, Liechtenstein, Italy, Greece and Cyprus.
Next on their list are Kazakhstan and Morocco.
Surprisingly, the couple finds the ex-military vehicle anything but cramped.
Kerry said: “We’ve had discussions lately that we probably have too much space. We have a permanent king size bed.
“We have a big shower, a compost toilet, a big kitchen.”
When they recently stayed in an Airbnb while traveling, they found the space too big and “missed” the van.
The couple stick to a strict monthly budget and have an amount below which they know they can’t let their savings sink before they have to return to the UK.
Kerry also works as a virtual PA for a few hours a day, earning an income while still traveling.
Kerry said: “We knew if I didn’t get a job we’d have enough for a year and then we’d have to turn around, go back and get a job. It turns out I’ve got a job. So we only have a little bit of ate our savings.’
They sold their house just before the economy collapsed.
Kerry added: “I now have friends who initially thought what we were doing was ridiculous and one of them bought a van this weekend.
“I want to do that now that I’m physically able. And by the time I’m 60, I’ll be in the mood to sit and work all day.”
Craig said on the same page, “I don’t want to get into a situation where I’ve worked for a company or a person for 30 or 40 years to get rich until I retire and I can’t do anything.
“If you look at a global economy now and try to look into the future, what will it look like? Who knows? So why wait? Why don’t you do it once in a while and worry about it later?’
Source: Subway
Source: Metro
I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.
