Woman who sold all her possessions to travel the world reveals harsh reality of lifestyle two years in
Spending your life abroad sounds like the dream for many of us but one woman from the US has detailed the harsh reality of the lifestyle two years after selling all her possessions to go travelling full-time.
With rent prices rising and the concept of buying a house a pipe dream for many of us, the idea of spending your life soaking up different cultures sounds pretty appealing, especially when you see people buying beautiful flats on cruise ships.
Although there's a lot of stress associated with travelling, including remembering to keep your passport in date and making sure your suitcase is the right colour, a lot of us would probably prefer that to the 9-5 lifestyle.
After raising four daughters and then sadly losing her mum to cancer, Shelly Peterson, 55, and her husband, Shayne Peterson, 58, decided to leave their life in the US behind and instead spend their lives living abroad full-time.
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Speaking to the Daily Mail, she revealed some of the brutal realities of spending life on the road and what first made her and Shayne take the plunge.
"Travel had always been on our hearts, but like a lot of people, we kept waiting for the 'right time'," she began.
"We sold everything - our house, our cars, even our furniture, and booked a one-way ticket to Bali. That was the start of this wild new chapter.
"Now, we love our minimalist lifestyle. We don't miss the stuff, we just want more sunsets, more passport stamps, and more time together.
"The shift in our mindset has been one of the most liberating parts of this journey."
However, it's not all sunshine and rainbows for the couple originally from Phoenix, Arizona, as they also have to constantly contend with some of the struggles we all go through when travelling, such as missing family or planning things down to the final detail.
She added: "'Constant change can be exhausting. Learning new transportation systems, adapting to time zones, and figuring out where to get groceries in a new place every few weeks takes effort.
"We [also] miss our kids and especially our grandkids. That's the hardest part, hands down.
"While Instagram makes it all look like a dream, the reality is there are slow Wi-Fi days, visa stress, minor illnesses, travel fatigue, and moments when we really miss home."
The two have also faced some issues along the way, including realising that their visa had expired while holidaying in Vietnam, but fortunately they've managed to avoid any deportation or imprisonment so far.
James Moorhouse