Follow their lead—inspiration from others’ long-term travel

It’s always inspiring to hear about people taking the leap of faith to travel for long periods of time—if nothing else than as fodder for planning my own trip. Two examples just came up on my radar—each for very different reasons and with different travel styles, but ultimately both require similar gumption.

One is the story of a family of four from Calgary that’s traveling the eco-sites of the world for almost five months. Both mom and dad (Francine Payant and Steve Smith) are teachers, which makes it easy for them to home-school their two kids (6 and 12-years-old) while on the road. On the itinerary for the three-continent trip are: the Great Barrier Reef, train travel along Vietnamese beaches, and the rainforests of Madagascar. It sounds as though they’ll keep it budget-conscious—staying in a tent most of the time, with an occasional stay in a two- or three-star hotel.

The other story is of two Australian friends who are riding their motorcycles around the world to support prostate cancer awareness. Simon Buckley and Todd Barry will spend 13 months on the road, visiting all seven continents (yes, even Antarctica). They’ve just begun, departing Sydney on March 28th. You can follow their route and donate to their cause through their website. You might wonder whether the 20- and 30-something guys have had personal experience with the cancer—thankfully not. But they note that it’s the most common cancer among men in many countries, and education and awareness are essential in the search for a cure.

Good luck to both!