We have quite a lot of people ask us how we manage to travel Australia in a caravan, run a successful business, and be parents. Let’s be honest with you, it is bloody tough, but very rewarding!
Our life isn’t always sunshine, lollipops and happy camps!
Some days are far from it. We have our struggles just like every normal family does.
We deal with toddler tantrums, a baby who sleeps when she wants, teething, busy and quiet periods for the business, and general stuff life throws at us. Just because we are travelling full- time doesn’t mean our life is one big holiday.
We don’t want to give you the wrong idea and we are not complaining AT ALL! We live an amazing life! But we like to be open, honest and authentic to all of our followers.
So how do we manage?
The simple answer is, we just do.
We know where we want to be in business and in life, and we take the necessary actions and prioritise accordingly to make our dreams a reality.
We have made a crystal-clear vision of where we want to be, because without big visions, how will we ever know what path to take?
When we wake up, we know what HAS TO be done to keep all the wheels turning, and what can wait. We like to create a small “Get To-Do List” the night before, so we are somewhat planned for the day ahead, for both business and adventures.
We don’t have a really strict schedule for our business as we prefer to live life from flow, and hate feeling like we are being controlled, and routines just give us anxiety!
We start the day by filling our cups up and setting the intention for a great day ahead, then one of us works on the laptop while the other entertains the kids. This happens for a few hours, then we have the rest of the day to explore our beautiful country!
What is life if you’re not living right!?
No point running a successful online business if it doesn’t give you the freedom to explore whenever we choose! This is why we chose to build a business and brand online in the first place.
Another key to our success is not slapping ourselves on the wrist if we can’t get what we wanted to get done that day. There is no point judging ourselves for running out of time, or having a bad day with the kids, or not being able to get to that spectacular sight we wanted to see because the kids were feral that day!
Life happens! Not everything is going to be peachy and go to plan perfectly, and if for some reason you think it is, you’re setting yourself up for a losing mentality.
It is and always will be about the final outcome for us, in every aspect of our life. Whether it be when we can’t be bothered exercising, we think about how we are going to feel once we have exercised.
If it be, we don’t feel as motivated one certain day to work on the business, we remember how good we will feel once the work is done and we have accomplished what was needed.
We have found that by focusing on the end result we are far more likely to get up and do anything that day, and by staying committed and disciplined to our goals we have no other option but to do it.
Nothing will ever change if you’re not taking the specific actions needed to change it! No matter what it is.
Travelling with kids can be a challenge in itself, especially when they are so young.
Riley doesn’t want to do the long hikes, (which is fair enough) and Khloe is still young so needs naps, and can only go long distances in a pram, which can make sight- seeing limited.
Despite the challenges we are faced with we wouldn’t have it any other way. There is no better feeling then hearing their laughs and giggles when we are chasing the waves, or exploring something new and exciting!
The kids are seeing things others only dream of, and they get to spend every single day with us. Some kids see their parents once a week! For that we will be forever grateful for our business and the flexibility it gives us, and the choices we have made to live a different life.
We believe the key to it all, and for any travelling family, whether they be in business or not, is always communication.
Everyone has bad days and deal with different emotions and inner demons, and just because we live life on the road it doesn’t mean we don’t struggle. We both make it a priority to talk about anything that is bothering us, and make sure our travels and adventures suit everyone’s needs.
We miss our family and friends, we don’t get time apart and we sometimes don’t get to do the things we want to do because we are restricted with the kids, or we have a certain amount we need to get done on the business.
In fact, it isn’t until just recently we have pulled back on the hours we put in to the business so we can see more on our travels, we have got our business to the point where we can take more time off and enjoy what we have created.
Travelling in a caravan has its ups and downs, but the ups completely outweigh the downs!
No matter where you are, or what your living environment is, life will always throw a spanner in the works. But if you have worked on your mindset every single day and choose to look for the positive in any given situation you’re always going to be at an advantage.
Our final piece of advice would be to never worry about the “What ifs”. You are never going to know if travelling Australia with kids is for you unless you give it a go.
With the proper planning and preparation anything can be achieved. So please don’t ever hold yourself back on business, life or parenting because of fear of the unknown or fear of failure.
Say YES and think about the rest later!
We have never regretted the decision we made to pack up and leave everything behind, sure we have bad days, but it has already been such an incredible experience for ourselves and our kids.
Our relationship is stronger and the kids are learning so much about life and the land we live on. The memories we are making daily are going to last a lifetime.
If you ever have any questions or concerns about business, life or parenting on the road, please reach out we would love to help!
Elise and Josh