A COUPLE who gave up all the things to dwell in a caravan have now been on the highway for 5 years spending £27 a day.
Willow Rolfe, 33, and Lee Hodges, 37, determined to make the leap in 2019 – they stop their jobs, shipped their VW to the USA, and launched into the journey of a lifetime.
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What was initially meant to be a one-year journey has develop into the couple’s new life.
They’re now on their fifth 12 months of exploration and do not plan on giving up any time quickly.
Willow, from Birmingham, mentioned: “Our unique plan was a form of ‘hole 12 months’ – we deliberate to take a 12 months out and journey from August 2019 to September 2020, after which return to our jobs and to regular life.
“We shipped our van throughout to New York. The plan was to discover simply two nations – the USA and Canada – however to be trustworthy, we acquired by way of America faster than anticipated and we needed to do extra.
“We determined to increase our journey and headed to Mexico – and naturally, when the pandemic struck in March 2020, that is the place we had been and that is the place we stayed.
“We have now visited 15 nations and had so many unbelievable experiences – we have hiked up energetic volcanoes in Guatemala, seen hundreds of turtles laying their eggs on a seaside in Costa Rica, had Colombian police purchase us lunch… It is simply been superb.”
Whereas the pair loved instructing, they determined to stop after realising “ready for retirement to have the ability to journey is considerably backwards”.
“Why spend arguably one of the best years of your life working 40 hours or extra every week so you possibly can spend the weekend cleansing your home?”
Lee Hodges
“We now have by no means been significantly curiosity in proudly owning ‘good’ or costly issues.
“We might relatively have an expertise, so we put our money and time into setting that up relatively than shopping for a pleasant automobile or costly holidays.”
The couple purchased a traditional 1976 Volkswagen van from Gumtree in February 2015. It had no inside, nor engine or wiring.
Willow was once a motorcar lecturer at a university in Birmingham and took the van into work to restore together with her college students.
It took three years to refurbish the van – which the couple named Ruby – and was lastly able to go in April 2019, after quite a few take a look at runs.
The subsequent few months had been spent portray and cleansing their home. The pair deliberate to lease it out – relatively than promote it – to make sure they’d a supply of earnings whereas they had been away on their travels.
By August 2019, their belongings had been packed up, their van prepped with the possessions they would want for a 12 months – and so they had been able to go.
Ruby was shipped to New York from Southampton Port on August 16 – and Willow and Lee rapidly adopted.
They arrived within the USA on August 28 – and their journey started.
Lee – a former main faculty trainer – mentioned: “We travelled across the US for 4 or 5 months.
“Our unique plan had been to spend round six months there after which journey as much as Canada.
However the extra we considered it, the much less interesting Canada grew to become – we had spoken to Canadians on our travels who warned us we should not even attempt it earlier than April due to the chilly.
Lee Hodges
“We had already skilled chilly temperatures earlier in our journey in Colorado and knew that it was tough to navigate with Ruby.
“We knew we would have liked to depart the US as our visas had been as a consequence of expire – so as an alternative of heading for Canada, after talking with our insurance coverage firm and getting all the things else sorted, we determined to alter our plans and head for Mexico.”
They arrived in Mexico in February 2020 – a month earlier than the Covid-19 pandemic hit.
When lockdown restrictions started to take maintain world wide, the couple determined to stay the place they had been.
I do not assume there was such a factor as a ‘good pandemic’ – however I do really feel like we had fairly an excellent time, if that is doable.”
Willow
“It was tough at first – we needed to discover a place to settle which was tough when there was a lot worry and uncertainty.
“However after a couple of months, issues began to relax out fairly rapidly in Mexico and we might proceed to journey and discover.
“Everybody we met there was so good and welcoming – which was so beautiful, particularly contemplating it was the pandemic.”
Since Mexico, the pair have explored an additional 13 nations – together with Guatemala, Argentina, El Salvador, and Uruguay.
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They’ve been saved firm alongside the best way by their two rescue cats – Aimee and Lexi.
The previous has been with the pair for nearly the complete 5 years – they rescued her from a kill shelter in Washington. Lexi joined the workforce a few years in the past – they discovered her on Fb Market whereas in Ecuador.
Lee mentioned: “In fact the cash facet has been robust to handle alongside the best way.
“We do get cash from our rental property, however we nonetheless must make sacrifices – there are issues we’d like to do however simply cannot as a result of they’re too costly.
“And Ruby is sort of 50-years-old now – she’s on her third engine and gearbox and it is simpler to level out what hasn’t damaged sooner or later alongside the best way.
“So we have now to consider repairs and replacements – fortunately residing prices are cheaper in Latin America than within the UK and Europe, so though it has been robust managing the funds, we have managed to get by.”
They fund their travels with cash constructed from two rental properties within the UK and have spent an estimated £100k over the previous 5 years.
“We wish to scale back this, over £30k is simply on sustaining the car!” Lee mentioned.
“We estimate we’ll journey an additional 18 months and our perfect funds is £1k per 30 days for all the things – one thing that’s undoubtedly doable.
“We now have had some very massive bills, for instance delivery throughout the Darien, which we cannot be paying for once more.
“It clearly feels like lots, however this can be a whole for us residing, which works out to roughly £27 a day per particular person.”
The pair have little interest in returning to the UK but and are eager to proceed their adventures.
Their final purpose is to succeed in Ushuaia – the southernmost level of the world, recognized to many as “the tip of the world”.
Willow mentioned: “We’re midway down South America proper now – about 3,000 kilometres from Ushuaia. We need to be there for November – after which after that, we need to proceed our travels spherical South America.
“By subsequent 12 months, we hope to have visited each nation within the continent.”
After that, the couple’s dream is to purchase a property in South America which they will convert right into a campsite and base for fellow travellers.
Lee mentioned: “It will be superb simply to have a base to journey from – we’re fairly excited for that to be trustworthy.
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“Travelling has been superb however there may be some sense of travellers fatigue – as soon as we attain that time, we’ll have been on the highway for seven years.
“The dream is to have that property the place we will present for fellow travellers and meet new individuals, whereas additionally persevering with to go on our personal travels.”
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