The Expat Chat

  In this episode of the podcast, I explore the exciting experience of living and travelling on a boat. I talk to Tim Bull, who is exploring the Mediteranean from his mooring base in Montenegro. We discuss the typical day of a live-aboarder, the appeal of living on a boat, along with its challenges, and the vibrant community of live-boarders in Montenegro. We talk about how Tim has invested in a variety of assets, including an apartment in Athens and a hobby farm in Bulgaria. We also discuss the joys and pitfalls of owning one of those classics of communist manufacturing, a Lada car.

In this episode, we explore full-time travel and settling down with Ryan Runge of Snail Travelers. Ryan and his wife Emily decided to leave the traditional American 9-5 lifestyle to pursue their dream of traveling the world. We follow their journey from Lima, Peru to Malaysia, Mexico, and finally, Turkey, where they choose to settle due to the kind people, beautiful waterfront, four seasons, and reasonable cost of living. We also discuss the differences in infrastructure between Malaysia and Turkey, where they have spent a good period of time living in including factors such as communication and language barriers, internet speeds, public transport, immigration process, healthcare, food, and safety. You can check out their episode at https://theexpatchat.com/snail-travelers You'll find their You Tube channel here

In this episode, we chat with Richard and Angelyn Burk who have been traveling the world for over two years. Inspired by their forever home, they decided to pursue traveling upon their retirement and took advantage of deals for cruises after the onset of COVID. We discuss cruising during and post-COVID, the protocols in place to keep passengers safe, and the flexibility of the cruise industry. We also explore the benefits of cruising, such as being able to explore a new place every day, taking advantage of on board amenities, and having all maintenance taken care of. Lastly, we provide tips for people considering taking up cruising as a lifestyle.  https://theexpatchat.com/richard-and-angelyn-burk/

Can you really sustain a lifestyle caring for other people’s houses and never have to go home again? Today’s guests are living proof of the fact. Michael and Yvonne Bauche gave up a comfortable but stress-inducing lifestyle in Vancouver Canada 3 years ago and they haven’t looked back. Their income is lower but so is their living costs giving them the opportunity to live a millionaire’s lifestyle on less than $C3000 per month all without having to eat into their savings. They’ve met interesting people and made new friends for life. They’ve housesat in many parts of Europe, Central America and the Caribbean and now spend over 70% of each year minding houses, often for repeat clients who have them back. They have so many requests in fact that they have built up a network of fellow house sitters who can take care of the clients they can’t get to! But the best part is they have their freedom back. In today’s interview you’ll discover just how easy and cost effective housesitting can be and the opportunities it can open up for you to live your life to the fullest. If you’d like to know more about housesitting check out their website at http://thebauches.com   or you can grab their free report at   http://yourescapeblueprint.com/free-housesitting-report/   What I learned from their interview: 1.     If you’re serious about housesitting travel light. Both Michael and Yvonne exist with hand luggage only and don’t really feel they miss anything from doing so (Yvonne even confesses to not carting heels with her!). It helps they have mainly focused around warmer climates but if you want to make life easy (and save on luggage costs and insurance ) then travelling light helps 2.     Housesitting offers a far more meaningful way to enjoy an area. You can be treated as a local. Michael and Yvonne encourage their hosts to set them up with a network of people when they arrive which makes the whole process far more comfortable for them 3.     Don’t spread yourself too thin. The Bauches concentrate on housesitting in regions resisting the urge to leap around the world and incur bigger travel costs.

In this episode, we explore the concept of long-term travel after Brexit with Ian Usher and Vanessa Anderson from Housesitting Magazine who provided us with the perspective of two people who relocated to France at the time of Brexit. We discuss how Brexit has changed how expats can live in Europe, the challenges of property renovation in another country, and the surge of house-sitting during the pandemic thanks to Vanessa’s unique insights as an employee of Trusted Housesitters. We also discuss the benefits of a free subscription to the House Sitting Magazine. You can get your free subscription at https://housesittingmagazine.com/

Ever woken up not knowing where you will sleep tonight? For some travelers this level of unplanning isn't scary - in fact it gives them the freedom to turn on a dime as new opportunities arrive On this episode, we explored the idea of a slower lifestyle and last minute booking and how it has changed the lives of Jimmy and Sarah Johnson. We discussed the advice they would give someone considering this ethod of travel, and shared their own experiences and how the slower pace of life has been beneficial for them. We also shared the perception of their lifestyle from friends and family. From there, we discussed the idea that anyone can live an intentional life, with advice for those looking to do the same. We then shared our experiences of traveling the world for the past two and a half years, discussing the challenges of living a full-time traveling lifestyle, the cultural differences and similarities throughout our travels, and our approach to budgeting. Lastly, we talked about the benefits of medical tourism and both our recent experiences with health checks and tests in Kuala Lumpur. https://theexpatchat.com/jimmy-and-sarah-johnson/

In this episode, I explore sustainable travel post-COVID with Jane Dempster Smith of Two Travel. We discuss the impact of COVID on travel, the theme of the TBX conference, and the changes in their own travel style. Jane also mentions the conference brings in hundreds of travel content creators and there were many new attendees this year. We also discuss adapting to multi-generational travel, their budget and travel bucket list, and their own Staycations Australia concept. Finally, we talk about the dangers of digital security, their travel blog which was hacked and the difficulties in trying to get their accounts back. We also discuss the changes in the airline industry due to COVID, with some traditional carriers no longer offering services and new ones such as Bamboo Airlines offering flights to and from Australia. https://theexpatchat.com/episode-132-traveling-in-a-post-covid-world-jane-dempster-smith/

In this episode I explored what it takes to prepare for a spiritual journey along the Camino pilgrimage in Spain. My guest Lisa Joy shared her own experience of traveling the Camino, including the year of preparation she did, which included research, physical and spiritual preparation, and talking to people who had already done the Camino. I also discussed the importance of solo female travel, the costs associated with the journey, and the hardships faced by the original pilgrims. Lastly, I discussed how the Camino journey has the potential to be life changing and encourages people to explore the possibilities of the Camino and share their experiences with others. https://theexpatchat.com/camino-leita-joy/ Check out our other episodes and resources at www.theexpatchat.com  

In this episode, we discussed the ins and outs of house-sitting and how to find the right sit for yourself. We spoke with Michael andYvonne Bauche, who have done over 85 house-sitting sessions. They suggested that newbies should start with shorter, smaller sets in order to build up preferences. For those looking to travel extensively, they recommend a minimum of one month for a house-sitting session. We also discussed how to read into house-sitting profiles, how to create trust between the owner and house-sitter, and how to identify when the owner is looking for. Lastly, we looked at the benefits of house-sitting, including forming a network of friends across the globe https://theexpatchat.com/michael-and-yvonne-bauche/

In this podcast episode, I explored the concept of adventurous travel on two wheels with Brent Ruru from Christchurch, New Zealand. He and his family have cycled the length of New Zealand, Cambodia, Spain, and Canada. During their journey in New Zealand, they raised over ten thousand dollars for a child cancer charity. They discussed the hospitality they enjoy everywhere and the benefits of global traveling. Finally, I discussed the Te Araroa trail in New Zealand and plans for future travels to Paris, France and Romania. This podcast episode highlighted the importance of trust and connections when it comes to successful travel experiences. https://theexpatchat.com/biking-around-the-world-brent-ruru/

In this episode, Chris Englert and Steve Goodfriend discuss their nomadic lifestyle, and explore the financial and medical benefits of travelling the world. They share their own strategies for saving money, such as investing in stocks at a young age and prioritizing travel. The speakers also share their experience finding medical care in different countries, and the importance of having insurance. Furthermore, they discuss the importance of spending time with family and friends, and the lessons they have learned from their lifestyle. Finally, they give an overview of the Eat Walk Learn resources available for those looking to explore and educate themselves. https://theexpatchat.com/eatwalklearn/ Check out their website at https://eatwalklearn.com/

Brian and Penny Davidson have perfected the art of extended vacations, thanks to a combination of slow travel and housesitting. They have no desire to hit the road permanently but want to avoid rushing around sites and being restricted by a budget as normal travel can be. In this episode, we explore the many benefits of house sitting as an option for travel and how it can provide a local experience and cost savings. We talk about how Brian and Penny are able to afford 3 - 4 month holidays without incurring any more cost than a short term rushed holiday would be.We discuss the changes in travel over the past fifteen years, the concept of digital nomadism, and options for extended travel. We explore options for affordable travel and recommend websites and apps for travel planning. Lastly, we discuss the importance of communication when travelling, cultural differences, and earn earning options while travelling. https://theexpatchat.com/brian-and-penny-davidson/ For more resources and episodes check out The Expat Chat website

Perpetual travelers Alan and Ros Cuthbertson of Frequent Traveller join us to discuss their life of constant travel. Since hitting the road in 2015 from their base of Bundaberg, Australia they've mastered the art of living on the road for an affordable price. They credit their lifestyle with providing them with a new-found feeling of youth. In this interview we discuss the benefits of medical tourism overseas, the kind hearted nature of people around the world and why you need to ignore what the media are telling you and focus on the impressions you see for yourself You can check out their blog at Frequent Traveller For access to more resources and our members area go to The Expat Chat https://theexpatchat.com/alan-and-ros-cuthbertson/         Frequent Traveller

FIRE exponents (Financial Independence Retire Early) Tim and Amy Rutherford of GowithLess.com have found the secret of early retirement and with the kids off their hands have now hit the road full time. The covid world we now live in has put something of a spanner in the works for many permanent travellers including those, like Amy and Tim, who have just got underway. They won’t be letting this put paid to their careful planning however. We caught up with them to discuss how to be flexible with your travel arrangements in the new covid environment we have to deal with and how to follow your travel dreams while taking an early retirement https://theexpatchat.com/fire-tim-and-amy-rutherford/ Enjoy! Tony and Leanne

Travelling the world has its challenges at the best of times - but attempting to do it without flight is a whole new experience! Today we interview Dave and Di Taunton who, in 2016, decided to sell up and hit the road crossing the planet without the use of flight. They left their native Sydney and havent looked back. In this interview they share their experiences of how travelling by road and sea offers a unique perspective of the world and how their new lifestyle has enriched them. Sit back and enjoy their unique perspective on the world! 

Many of you will have enjoyed our previous podcast The Future of Travel in a Post Covid World where we discussed what will happen when the current lockdown situation comes to an end. This live event was an excellent chance to ask your questions of our live panel but as we have an audience spread across six continents we weren't able to do this at a time that suited everyone. With that in mind we decided to repeat our live event with The Future of Travel in a Post Covid World - Part 2 with a fresh panel of experts ready to share their thoughts and opinions of when and how we will be able to travel the world again. This time our panelists are FIRE retiree and minimalist traveller Amy Rutherford of GowithLess.com, Housesitting expert Jodie Burnham of NatnJodie.com and long time traveller and globe trotter Peter Pecksen of pecksen.com. We hope you enjoy listening to this discussion.   

Todays podcast is a recording of our recent live panel discussion on the Future of Travel in a Post Covid World. Joinng me are world renown travel blogger Barbara Weibel of Hole in the Donut .com  Intrepid Aussie traveller Duncan Dempster Smith of To Travel Too.com and Co-editor of Housesitting Magazine Ian Usher of housesittingmagazine.com. These live panel discussions are a regular part of our interviews and gives you, the listener, the chance to participate with your own questions for our panelists. If you'd like to listen in and ask questions at our next live online event visit our website travatical.com, sign up for our free magazine, and we'll contact you when the next live online event is scheduled.

Todays guests are Canadian travellers Peter and Karen Pecksen. We first met Peter and Karen while housesitting in Singapore. We noticed from their comments on a Facebook group that they were in town - we reached out to them and the next day were enjoying each others company over a nightmarket dinner and a couple of beers. Thats just the way travel rolls sometimes! Pete and Karen are hardcore. Theyve been travelling for six years with no signs of tiring! On the interview they share their unique incites into the world of travel and why they made their escape from the rat race. SIt back with a coffee, beer...or something stronger - and enjoy!

It seems in this day and age most of the world has been explored. Trying to find a destination which isn’t crowded with tourists and cameras is an increasingly difficult job. Today’s interviewee however has found the perfect place to live where few people will bother him. For most people the idea of a job for life would seem like perfect security. For Christian Bruttel life in the German education system as a teacher was enjoyable but he felt trapped, as if his life was already played out. When the opportunity to become a guide on the remote island of Svalbard came up he leapt at the chance to follow his dream. Four years on he’s mastered everything from chasing off polar bears to building igloos and he has the photos and memories to prove it. Christian joined us to discuss one of the most unique jobs in the world, why Svalbard is a place of such great beauty and how living in this unique location has changed his perspective on life. You can check out Christians stunning photos and even purchase prints at his blog http://polarchris.blogspot.com/   What I learned from Christian’s interview: I have to admit to having no idea about Svalbard (or Spitzbergen as it’s also known ) before I spoke with Christian but the picture he paints of some of the truly unique experiences there now makes me want to go. Where else can you find a place that gives you polar bears, whales, icebergs, igloos and the Northern Lights in a ready-made package? It sounds reasonably affordable to get to despite the limited opportunities for flights. Thanks to melting ice Christian does have the excitement of seeing things that may never have been seen by human eyes before but the melting is a reminder that our planet is susceptible to change and we must do all we can to protect areas like Svalbard for the sake of all of the planet. Remember Christian had no experience of this and have never been into the Arctic but he has developed a skill and a passion over the last 4 years. There are lessons for all of us in the journey he has made.