Living The Dream: Freedom and Fulfilment

What was the first country you visited? Who with and why did you choose it?

Karen: I was 4 years old and my parents decided to spend 3 months in South Africa with some of our family who lived there. My favourite memory is dancing on a green lawn under a water sprinkler at the school I was enrolled in. It was a stark difference to the scary nun that wouldn't let us move off our chairs back home. 

Paul: As a child it was Malta where my Father is from but I don't remember much! As an adult the first proper place was Romania on a school skiing trip. This was before the fall of the Berlin Wall so Romania was still classed as "the enemy". The trip changed me completely. I learnt how lucky I was for the freedom that i took for granted and I also learnt not to trust everything you read in the press! 

When did you start a travel lifestyle? What inspired that change?

Karen: I took my first long trip in my mid-twenties. I had just broken up from a long relationship and booked a month's trip to Thailand to make me feel better. I was instantly hooked by the magic, the beauty and the chaos of Thailand. After that trip I couldn't stop dreaming of taking off and travelling for a whole year. 4 years ago I finally took the leap, spending money I had saved up as a house deposit on an 18 month trip around the world. 

Paul: In 2010 we travelled from Europe to Asia without leaving the ground. The trip was meant to last 1 year but we managed to extend it by another 6 months by living very frugally. After our 18 month trip we vowed that we would try to keep that sense of freedom for as long as possible. So we got back to London in the worst recession in living memory and refused to get jobs! Karen started working freelance and I started on the blog. 2 years later and the travel lifestyle has become reality. (I am writing this on a beach in Tulum, Mexico).

Do you have a base you travel from? Or is it continuous travel? And why do you choose that style?

Karen & Paul: We have a base in London. We always leave London in the winter and spend 3 months somewhere warm. When we're back we tend to take shorter trips most months. We love London, it's a city that's full of possibilities. There's always something exciting going on and we have some great friends there. Combining the fast pace of London with a much more laid back town, somewhere exotic feels like we're completing the Yin and Yang circle. 

How do you fund your travel lifestyle? Is it something you do when travelling or are you a saver?

Karen & Paul: I run workshops and coach new entrepreneurs. It's a perfect career for a semi-nomadic lifestyle as I can do it live or online (when the wi-fi decides to be my friend). I get to run workshops abroad which are a great way of getting a 'free ride' to a country. I'm about to run a workshop in Kenya, I feel like doing a little dance whenever I think about it. 

If you could tell yourself one tip before you started your travel lifestyle, what would it be?

Karen: There's no right or wrong way of travelling. Listen to your heart and your instinct and follow their lead. 

Paul: This may seem funny coming from a travel blogger but don't do too much research. Sometimes you can get information overload. Just turn up in a place and go with the flow.

What does "Living The Dream" mean to you?

Karen: My two guiding lights are Freedom and Fulfillment. A life that gives me the freedom to travel when I want, work my own hours AND make a difference to those around me is my version of living the dream. That and a beautiful home by the ocean :)

Paul: Living the dream for me means having the freedom to live my life on my terms and to inform, inspire and encourage other people to do the same.

You can find Paul & Karen here - 

Website: globalhelpswap

Twitter: globalhelpswap

Tips on memorable and meaningful travel