How We Got Here — Daniel & Kimberly

In our first week after leaving our home in Charlotte, we drove approximately 2,800 miles, visited nine states, and stepped out of our comfort zones on multiple occasions.

So what got us here in the first place? The honest answer is—we are not really sure. A year ago we were nearly married, lived in a city we enjoyed, traveled often, and had stable roles at respectable companies. A reoccurring theme with both of us however; we knew we were not living the passionate life we were capable of and that we were not quite ready to start a family, buy a home, or go back to school.

Thanks to inspiring photos and travel bloggers on the Internet, we realized that long-term travel abroad wasn’t impossible and could potentially be the key to unlocking a purpose-driven future.

With international goals in mind, we budgeted and developed itineraries. We talked endlessly about the implications and opportunities of leaving our careers and home. Around the time of our wedding in October 2015 we decided, “let’s do it!” and after a purposely smaller and intimate marriage, we purchased our first one-way plane tickets and our future together changed course.

Fast-forward to the current day and we are now fully immersed in the outcomes of those decisions. We are staying at stranger’s AirBnBs, camping on organic farms, reaching out to fraternity brothers hoping for an open guest room, and on one occasion already—sleeping in the back of our car.

On the itinerary ahead, we are driving back across the United States followed by three months in Europe, a few weeks in South Africa, and three months in South America. We are more than eager to board our first one-way plane abroad but have quickly learned that we have a lot more to figure out before we go.

Our USA trip has already been a domestic dream come true and a wonderful chance to see great friends, family, and everything our great country has to offer. Leaving stable lives and adventuring out into the unknown is challenging and as one can expect, comes with steep learning curves. Our hope now is to tackle these challenges head on, discover unfound passions, and document our adventure in a way that inspires others.