How traveling saved me from Coronavirus

The main image for this blogpost is the current view from our balcony during the lockdown. I don’t share it to gloat. Far from it. I share it to show you what’s possible. And because as we sit here looking out at the Caribbean ocean I’ve suddenly realized all the ways that traveling saved me from the coronavirus and how it could save you too.

It has broken my heart to watch friends and family members struggle as their financial security was taken away from under them when they were laid off. Mental health issues escalate as people struggled with the massive changes. And the challenges for some when they had to be stuck in their homes for so long. I became acutely aware of how differently and inadvertently we had set up our life so as not to be affected.

Traveling permanently for the past five years and living in seventeen different countries prepared us for this challenging time better than I could have ever imagined. So, it’s true to say that traveling saved me from the coronavirus. Here’s how.

Simplified my life

I had already downsized and gotten rid of so many unnecessary things and become much more environmentally friendly. Yes, I still flew on planes occasionally but I didn’t own or drive a car. And I no longer was a major consumer of items I would use once or twice and then store in a cupboard.

Lowered my living costs

With a frugal husband and not wanting to use our savings to travel we managed to lower our living costs (which include all flights, transport, and accommodation for both of us) to under ten thousand dollars a year. That’s without staying in hostels, backpacking, or couch surfing. Or even camping for that matter (I like my creature comforts too much!).

Taught me how to adapt

When you land in a new country you have to land on your feet pretty quickly otherwise you could end up in hot water. So, we’ve learned to adapt to local customs, food alternatives and sources, home environments and so much more.

Plus, because we never commit to anywhere long term we have also had the flexibility to adapt our accommodation to the current changes as well. Giving us the opportunity to live here and support the local community.

Plenty of experience in confinement

Traveling and working together twenty-four-seven you get to learn how to respect each other’s differences and give each other space when needed.

Within three months of dating we did a road trip across America. Thousands of miles stuck together in an RV and lots of different situations to deal with soon makes you realise if you are a good fit.

Long haul flights and working in hotel rooms and lobby’s has also given us experience in being patient while in confined spaces.

Focused on recurring income

One of the things we have focused on in our businesses is growing recurring revenue. Notice I didn’t call it passive income. That’s because there is no such thing as passive income. All income requires time to nurture, manage and sustain it.

Recurring income is the holy grail as far as I am concerned because it gives you consistent income so that you can build security in your life for times like these. This is why we are seeing such a surge of memberships out there in the market place.

Created diverse income

We learned this lesson early. After losing a major client and 60% of our income, we learned that it’s not a good idea to have all your eggs in one basket. As a result, we set up several streams of diverse forms of income and as a result, this made our income a more resilient income during times of change.

Taught me to appreciate

Travelling to different countries has opened my eyes to different cultures. We spend at least a month in each location and focus on getting to know the local culture and history.

This has given me a huge appreciation for the simple things in life and gratitude for all that I have been blessed with. There are so many people who have so little and yet are so much happier in spirit than their western counterparts.

Travelling saved me from Coronavirus

What started out as a dream many years ago has turned into a life of love, growth and possibility. In turn, little did I know that it was preparing me for what was to come. To look back now I am filled with immense gratitude and can see how the universe really did have my back.

This lifestyle of travelling saved me from the coronavirus by ensuring that we were adequately prepared. We haven’t had to go through the heartache that others have and for that we are truly grateful.  

We certainly don’t know all the answers but what we have learned has put us in good stead so far. It has also cemented for me how important it is that I help others to set up their lives so that they never have to experience anything like this again.

So, if you have had enough of the “standard” way of life created by society’s norms and you would like to create a more flexible and financially secure way of living then let’s have a chat. Together we can make a plan and begin your journey to a lifestyle of freedom.

Love and travel always (just not right now!),

Tegan and Clark