Two adventurous parents and their children on a mission to explore the globe! Why do we like them? They are bold and tenacious, they are not afraid of taking big decisions and changing their life to follow their dreams. Obstacles might come up, but they are showing us that anything is achievable if you really put heart in what you do. We, at VisionDirect, wish you good luck and look forward to seeing your next pictures on your amazing travel blog!
I know you are in Japan at the moment. Can you tell us what surprised you the most about this country?
“That is a good question! I think the food has been the biggest surprise to us! Japanese food in Australia is very different to traditional Japanese food in Japan! Whilst we LOVE Japanese food back home, we are really struggling with the food here in Japan”.
Back to your blog. What you were doing before you became a blogger and how you made the transition?
“I still am a full-time hairdresser but fortunately my boss is understanding with our request for regular time off! My gorgeous wife was a teacher and she will stay on as a full time blogger after her leave expires! – Transition is not easy. A blog will take a long time to gain exposure any sort of income! For the first year, we both had other jobs. It was truly draining, but once you focus on an idea and decide that it is going to happen, well… nothing can stop you!”
What has been the most challenging moment in your blogging journey so far?
“I think the most challenging is not a moment, but a lack of relaxation!! Haha… Yup, you heard me right! For example; right now, we are in Takayama in Japan, it’s 10:13pm and we are both on computers working. – Travel blogging is awesome, but it’s no holiday!!”
How do you balance being a parent and a successful blogger?
“Well, being a parent is the most important thing! Being a blogger allows you to spend more time with the kids! When we travel, we create family memories that will last forever. We teach the kids about life around the world, cultures and much more. We tend to focus on our blogging business either when the girls are at school or when the kids are asleep at night!”.
Are there any real obstacles in travelling with children to far countries? “To be honest, it is much easier to travel as a couple, when all you need to worry about is the two of you! Travelling with kids is way harder, but there are no obstacles that you can’t get over! Kids are fairly flexible … probably more so than adults are!”
You are a family of 5 and costs might be higher sometimes. Suggestions to save money without compromising on the quality of the trip?
“Research, research!! We always pre-plan our trip. – If you stay in the right location, you can save so much money on local transport! – try searching for boutique hotels, guest houses or why not use Airbnb. – Food is another area that you can easily save money on. We eat at less expensive restaurants (more authentic cuisine!). And finally we don’t buy things that we don’t really need.”
Greatest achievement outside of blogging?
“I think it’s just never giving up on dreams! Everything that we do, we give it 100%! Last project that we created together, before Wanderlust Storytellers, was Souls Expression Through Art & Paint! We have also had a photo published in the National Geographic, had some of our stories published in local newspapers. We have always been creative, so a lot of our successes revolve around that.”
Weirdest or most unexpected talent or skill?
“Well, our eldest daughter sometimes thinks that she can control the four elements of nature and our middle one seems to believe she is a cat ninja! Haha… To be honest, I’m not really sure. Just normal, everyday people in search of self discovery here!”.
Where do you want to go next?
“Everywhere!! Haha… There are few projects in motion, but one main one is already set! France!! Yup, we are going to the city of romance – Paris, followed by a road trip around the whole country!! We can’t wait!”
