We are an Irish couple who were following the path of buying the house, getting married, having good jobs and settling down….. But then actually paused to have the conversation asking ourselves – is this the path that we truly want?
Turns out it was not!!
What started as dreams were becoming serious talks and slowly turning into possibilities.
We didn’t know what exactly we wanted but we knew one thing – we wanted sunshine. Perhaps the fact it rained in Ireland for almost 2 years straight, seriously!
What’s Our Story – How We Got Here
Kate ended up being offered a job in the Caribbean (should be enough sunshine right?!)
We decided to travel Asia for 3 months while the paperwork was being organized.
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Once the visas etc were sorted we would fly back to Ireland to collect our already packed suitcases and make our way to the Cayman Islands.
But Things Took a Turn…
Issues with the visas meant Kate was not able to start the job as planned.
This is where the word “improvise” kicks in!
A word we continue to value today as we are still learning that things do not always go to plan.
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Here we were in Vietnam, our house rented out for the year and no longer in a job.
We continued on with no real long-term plan and 3 months turned into 7 months.
During this time we got out first real feel of travel as we explored Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
And Then Things Took a Turn Again!
Disaster struck with a traffic accident in Bali. Not our fault, simply a case of being in the wrong place at a VERY wrong time.
We will have a “When Shit Goes Wrong” section at some stage to go into this in more detail.
Luckily Kate had a sister in Perth Australia. We diverted our route to Oz as we quickly discovered that crutches and backpacks don’t mix.
What we initially thought of as a disaster we view now as a blessing in disguise. (Although very much disguised at the time!)
Recovering in Perth for 3 months we began to realize Oz is a pretty cool place. And who knew, also lots of sunshine!
To be able to apply for a working visa in Australia you must be out of the country.
So that was great news for us as we got to spend two months in Sri Lanka and India coming up with a plan to live in “The Land Down Under”.
So I Guess we Live in Australia Now?!
Whilst we were in India a job was offered to Kate in Queensland. Quite surreal doing a skype interview with monkeys literally climbing in the background!
We flew to Brisbane, bought an old second-hand car the same day, and started a 12-hour drive north to a place we never had heard of – the hidden gem of Mackay.
Mackay ended up being our much-loved home for 6 years. We lived amongst rainforests, turquoise waters, beaches, and palm trees, exactly what we were looking for all along.
During this time, we got to visit new places such as New Zealand, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Hong Kong, Macau, and the Philippines.
And also revisiting old favourites – Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia, whilst of course exploring lots of the big and beautiful Australia.
Australian Citizens?! Whaat?!
How the heck did this happen?! We question that too but my God are we thrilled!!
It may sound contradictory but getting this citizenship or “golden ticket” as we also refer to it, really helped in our decision to leave!
Life was really good but with a helping hand from COVID and lockdowns, once again we felt that niggling sensation of adventure growing.
Soon enough the maps were being printed off and a 5-year plan of travel began.
Following a quick trip back home to Ireland (it had been 6 years after all!!) we began our adventure with a 6-month road trip around Australia in our beloved Toyota Hiace van.
Once we got citizenship we knew nothing was stopping us now. It was time to go see the world.
We really love Australia and have so many great things to say about this unbelievable country. Below are a few posts on the subject documenting the road trip we took!
Plans Will Change and That’s OK!
Funny how quickly new plans can come into action and just feel right. We began our adventure with a full lap of Australia but ended up cutting our trip short.
La Nina in 2022 had other plans for us and we had enough of the rain! One of the life lessons we learned is to “go with the flow” and basically that PLANS CHANGE.
That was ok as we got to spend two months in Laos and Thailand again! We truly believe we will end up where we are meant to be even if we don’t realize it at that exact time.
“The moment you decide one outcome is the right outcome, you are also deciding that another outcome is the wrong one. Beyond this, some things work out the way we intend for them to, others don’t. This is a gift, too.”
– Brianna West –
What will the Future Bring?!
On this adventure, given our past experiences, there will be amazing times when we will be left absolutely dumbfounded by gratitude. We will find ourselves in some crazy situations.
Of course, we are going to get lost and frustrated looking for our hotel, especially after being dropped off in the middle of the night in unknown places.
Most certainly our backs will be broken from night buses and airport sleeps and our faces will hurt from smiling for selfies wanted by strangers………And we cannot wait for it all again!!
With Kate’s psychology experience and Kevin’s military background, we feel together we have an array of knowledge and skills to share with the world.
Hopefully even helps a person or two along the way to travel their best!
If you would like to leave a question/comment below or even if you just want to say “Hey, what’s the craic?!” then click here. We would love to hear from you!
Slán go fóil
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Hi! Your adventures are inspiring! Please tell me how you travel so cheaply. Details would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Shari! Thank you very much, that is great to hear!
Fresh of the press!! There’s 2 new articles about money saving tips gone up on our site in TRAVEL TIPS.
The first is how we saved money to start our adventure, and the other article is how we spend our money whilst on the road! Its possible for everyone!!
https://happyirishwanderers.com/full-time-travel-save-money/
Hope you enjoy it and get out there as well!!
Kevin & Kate
You have a really interesting story. Can’t wait to read about your adventures!
Thank you Andy, we really appreciate that! A LOT more adventures to come!