Life Done Differently

Launching this podcast and talking to all these amazing people for the various episodes has been one of the highlights of 2020 for me. During a time where my own Life Done Differently was kind of on hold while I was focused on work and building up savings, the conversations I’ve had with my guests have been my connection to the kind of life I want to live. 

Now that I’m on the road myself again and am fully embracing Life Done Differently, I’ve decided to take a little break from the podcast. After 23 episodes, it feels like the time is right to wrap up season 1. 

My guests for this episode are Jessica and Will who left Boston in the US over six years ago and have been travelling around the world with their two kids ever since – sometimes spending several months in one place and sometimes just a few days. 

Out of all the people I’ve talked to so far, no one has done life differently in quite as many different ways as the family that I’m talking to today – from backpacking to hotels and hostels, an RV, rented apartments and now a boat, these guys have done it all. 

We talk about:

·      Why they decided to live this way

·      What family life is like

·      How they earn a living

·      Cheese budgets – apparently a must have when you live in France

·      The impact COVID has had on them

·      The discrimination that can come with living life off the beaten track

·      And much more

If you want to follow the family’s adventure or get in touch with them, check out their YouTube Channel, Facebook page and website:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/worldtowning      

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worldtowning/     

Website: https://worldtowning.com    

Today’s episode is a little bit different. I am joined by Erin, who runs a business called Roam Generation where she helps fellow adventurers grow their brand and earn money with it. 

I know this is something a lot of people who are doing life differently – or are considering it – are interested in, so I thought I’d ask Erin to share some tips. 

We start by talking about her own experience of doing life differently by living on a sailboat with her husband and three children for two years, followed by Erin sharing tips on:

How to build and grow a personal brand – and how to then make money with it

The different platform to use, what content works best and how to set yourself apart

Getting media coverage without having to pay for a professional

The challenges of making a living in this way – and how to overcome some of them

If you want to connect with Erin, you can do so via her website: https://www.roamgeneration.com

For this episode, I talk to my friend Heather who recently made the decision to join the vanlife community. We talk about:  

Why Heather decided to join the vanlife community

Finding the right van

Planning the van conversion and figuring out what to compromise on and what not

The cost of converting a van

Vanlife in the US vs New Zealand

Making money while living on the road

And much more

This is a great episode for anyone who wants to get into vanlife but just isn’t sure where to start and how to make the dream happen. You will get lots of ideas, inspiration and tips!  

If you want to connect with Heather, do so via her Instagram. 

 Heather's Insta: https://instagram.com/heatherfheather  . 

 Her van's Insta: https://instagram.com/vereless.n.free

For this episode, I invited Greg Webster for a chat. Greg has never lived in a van or on a sailboat but he’s definitely doing life differently. With his wife and eight children, he lives on a remote farm in Lynnville, Tennessee. 

Greg and I talk about leaving normal behind, following your dreams, life with a big family, homeschooling, religion, staying true to yourself and much more. 

If you would like to connect with Greg, visit his blog: www.differentonpurpose.me

For this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Lockett who has been living in a bus with her husband and son for almost three years, travelling around beautiful New Zealand. 

Sarah shares why they made the decision to live in a bus, what family life in a bus is like, homeschooling her son, making friends on the road, finding work, their plans for the future, what happiness means to her and much more. 

If you want to connect with Sarah, you can do so via Facebook or her blog.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mywanderingkiwifamily/

Blog: http://mywanderingkiwifamily.com 

It took 18 episodes, but I finally found a family who is doing life differently and keen to talk about it. Rachel & Trampus Wells have been living on a sailboat with their two boys for almost two years now.

In this episode, they share why they made that decision, how they prepared their sons for the move, what family life on a sailboat is like, how they go about schooling for the boys, the challenges they encounter and what they think the future holds for them.

If you want to follow the family’s adventure, check them out on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Sailing-SOLUNA-1681902275199265/

For this episode, I’m joined by Jude Cairncross, who over the last 8 years, went from living in a house to a van, a bus and now an amazing tiny house truck. 

We talk about life on the road in New Zealand, navigating busy holiday periods and noisy people as an introvert and the amazing community of travellers we have here in NZ. 

Jude also shared some great tips for others who are looking to get into this lifestyle.

To see some photos of Jude’s Tiny House Truck, check out this article: https://www.nzmcd.co.nz/features/2008/when-big-meets-tiny

For this episode, I talk to Emma Harris who is 41, single and childfree. 

We talk about making the choice not to have children, dealing with judgement and pressure from society, finding meaning and purpose, happiness, respecting other people’s choices and much more. 

For this episode, I got the chance to talk to a fellow solo female vanlifer. Julie has just recently moved into her self-converted van in France, after deciding to leave her career in IT and so-called normal life behind. 

We talk about getting started with vanlife, living simple, converting your own van, vanlife in France vs. New Zealand, the importance of having the right mindset, overcoming self-doubt and much more. 

To connect with Julie, follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliepoulainpro/ 

If you understand french, you might also want to check out her Podcast "Libre et Sauvage": https://soundcloud.com/juliepoulain