Bradley Williams “absolutely hated” his first assignment after graduating from college.
The 28-year-old said the environment was not for him, and he gave up in 3 months.
Williams’ girlfriend, Cazzy Magennis, had just finished her studies at the University of Exeter, where they met. When their friends began their careers in London, Williams and Magennis were unfazed by societal pressures to move into corporate jobs.
Instead, they backpacked to South America, they told CNBC.
Four months followed: They camped overnight in the Amazon rainforest, paraglided in Bolivia, surfed in Peru and saw the Iguazu Falls in Argentina, which they recounted in a blog called Dream Big Travel Far.
But his cash temporarily ran out, Williams said.
The couple began writing independently to make ends meet, which generated between $1,000 and $1,500 per month each, Magennis said. That was enough to allow them to live comfortably in Southeast Asia for 18 months, he said.
They continued to blog, sharing tips, itineraries, and pattern packing lists with their audience. Eventually, they stopped writing and were faithful all their time to blogging.
Today, it attracts an average of 250,000 monthly visitors and is on track to soon generate six-figure annual revenue, he said.
“It’s a numbers game. You have to get thousands of people to read your content before you start making money,” Williams said in a YouTube video about how they make money travel.
His blog’s main revenue stream resources are advertising and associated marketing, Williams said in the video. They get a commission when readers take e-book or hotel trips through links on their blog, he said.
“It’s too big for us to take care of ourselves,” Magennis told CNBC, adding that seven contributing editors help manage the blog.
The couple also has a YouTube channel, but in the video, Magennis said the couple doesn’t make much money from it.
“We won . . . $382. 85, so take whatever you want,” he said in the video with a smile.
When Covid hit and stopped, the blog, his only source of income, took a hit.
“The income rate fell off a cliff,” Williams said. “Everything dried up. “
The couple returned to freelance writing to make ends meet, he said.
“The merit of having our business as a blog is that there are big classic expenses, like rent,” Williams said.
To save money, the couple spent several months living with them in Northern Ireland and England.
During a four-month stay with Williams’ parents, they embarked on a new task: converting a van there once the borders reopened.
The couple needed a van they could use to fly around the world, according to their blog.
To design it, they turned to advice. ” We were encouraged by the dozens of van tours we saw on YouTube,” Magennis said.
The van, which they named Helen, has many applications for one-house cars.
It has two beds and a seating domain for 4 people, as well as a shower and kitchen domain. A 480-watt solar panel on the roof powers the electricity.
“Most nights we cook in the van,” Magennis said. “We have an oven here, so we can cook what you would make in a house. “
A map on the couple’s blog with the couple’s planned driving route. When they spoke to CNBC, they were in the United States.
To cross oceans, the couple steals and embarks their countries vans.
The couple tried to travel to Russia, but the war thwarted their plans, Magennis said.
In some other change, they now plan to ship their van from South America to Australia, where they will do so before exploring Asia.
Finally, they will embark on the adventure in Europe, where they began, he said.
The component of living in a van is that it encourages a minimalist lifestyle, Williams said.
“You can’t have ten pairs of shoes and seven coats, realize you don’t really want them,” he said.
They love having their space move with them, he says.
“We may be parked on the edge of a cliff in the middle of nowhere, but once we close the doors and turn on the heating. . . it’s a comfortable space,” Williams said.
But van life has its drawbacks, he says.
“If you’re and you’re not very sociable, it can be quite lonely,” he said.
“Sometimes Instagram paints this picture of life in a van. . . Like every night, you will be close to this beautiful beach with the setting sun. . . But it will rain outside,” he said. Or your truck breaks down,” and you want to make repairs. “
The couple estimates they spend no more than $2,000 a year on truck maintenance.
Dangers also lurk along the way. Their vlogging equipment, reflector and clothing were stolen while the van was being shipped from the UK to Canada, she said.
Someone tried to break into his truck at midnight, he said. Fortunately, the intruder fled when Williams got out of the vehicle, he said.
They inspire others interested in van life to take a look at it before committing full-time. “It’s not for everyone,” Williams said, adding that some other people may feel claustrophobic.
“We know we love it because we did a few other van trips before,” he said.
His advice? Rent a van first, then “give it a try. “
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