How many of us want to see the world and experience different cultures, devour exotic cuisines and gape at fascinating and historical attractions? Countless.
How many have tried pursuing their dreams of traveling around the world by quitting their jobs and with but a little money stashed in the bank sauntered the world with courage, enthusiasm and optimism? Very few.
Thus, you can’t help but be inspired by people who did such as Mike Hudson. Read Alex Rayner’s account of his road trip for almost a year now in the blog “The White Van Man Who Upcycled His White Van Into a Studio Flat” that’s published in The Guardian – Travel Section.
In the summer of 2013, Mike Hudson, a twentysomething electronic-systems engineer, decided to quit his job in Sheffield and go travelling. Yet rather than book a ticket to Thailand, Hudson chose to upcycle a £2,500, 10-year-old LDV Convoy van into a studio flat on wheels.
After five months of labour – during which Hudson repaired the rust holes on the van floor, then built and installed, using “common materials found in DIY and home shops”, a kitchen, a pressurised water supply and extendible bed, and fitted an enviable on-board music system – he crossed the Channel in March 2014.
Since then, Hudson has drawn remarkable number of followers to his site, Vandog Traveller (25,000 in January alone), which describes the van’s conversion and the fun he has had because of it.
This converted van has taken this wanderlust to so many beautiful and coveted places around Europe – Romania, Portugal, Bucharest, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary and Athens where he spent Christmas with his family who flew all the way there to be with him. Talk of an amazing way to bond with family and in the process rediscover your strong ties; that is certainly the most wonderful gift you can get for Christmas!
If you are wanderlust by heart, would you be interested to drop everything, convert a van into a “mobile flat” and live the days off roaming where the wheels of your “home” take you? Then you must find one old van (or you can by a brand new, modern one if you have the money) to convert and transform it into a comfy home, and find a way to earn on the side to keep you traveling. Soon your saving will grow very thin; that will get you out of the road. As Mike continues to live off using his savings, he is forced to give up many conveniences. This or find a way to earn while on the road.
There are many ways to stretch your dollars if you decide to give in to your wanderlust nature. Find out some in Clay Winowiecki’s “40 Budget Travel Tips Every Wanderlust Should Know” that’s posted in Lifehack – Money section. Winowiecki offers really practical tips; for all travelers wanting to save bucks. Some can be highly useful for travelers like Mike Hudson such as staying away from touristy spots, going to places where his currency is strong and getting an insurance to save on expensive medication in case of illness or accidents.
There were also some suggested websites and apps that can help any traveler to save some bucks such as Yelp “to find anything and everything in your local area. It’s a great tool to compare nearby businesses.” There was also a suggestion to volunteer on a farm; this is certainly one way to earn a little for food.
Now that Mike is on the south-eastern edge of Europe, he is eyeing Turkey to be his next destination, but he doesn’t have enough dough for visas, fuel and insurance. This means sticking to Europe for a while; that’s while he is figuring out how he will generate some money on the side while traveling. Let’s talk about this in the next post, shall we?
