Do We Travel the World Full-Time Soon?
1. Life Right Now
I should probably explain where I am in life right now, as huge changes are coming:
I should (hopefully) finish my master's before Christmas 2024 - though I've been saying 'almost done' for what feels like the last century. Originally, Sam and I had this perfect plan: We'd catch this ridiculously cheap flight to Sydney, land on December 31st, and kick off our world trip watching those famous New Year's fireworks. How poetic would that have been? Closing one chapter, starting the next one with actual fireworks at what is the first country everyone watches going into the new year.
But you know how these perfect plans go - we hesitated on booking for a day, prices shot up astronomically, and suddenly my poetic new beginning needed a complete rewriting. Plus, turns out I can't finish my degree before Christmas (not my fault, I swear!). I guess Sydney wasn't meant to be our starting line after all.
Seven years of studying has really made me question... well, everything. Right now, all I want is to finally prioritise my health, get decent sleep, travel whenever I feel like it, and do things that actually make me happy (even though I'm still figuring out exactly what those things are). I want to go to festivals and concerts I've been missing out on, spend more time with friends - including Sam's friends and family abroad who he usually visits solo because I'm stuck with uni, work, or doctor's appointments. I want the freedom to work on projects that interest me, like this blog, and most importantly, rest when I need to without feeling guilty about it. Plus, escaping the grey German winters would do wonders for my depression.
Last Steps on Campus December 17, 2024, 19:26
This, however, might at least be my final photo as a student physically on campus as I just finished presenting my final project. One paper left to write and I'm done. I can honestly hardly process that the journey I started in October 2017 is nearly complete. Standing here in the dark and cold literally about to cry tears of pain, happiness and confusion. Seven years. Over seven fucking years that changed absolutely everything. So much shit happened during that time. So much has changed. I changed. 7 whole years filled with deep struggles but immense growth, hard lessons but the most amazing experiences that shaped who I've become, what I believe in and how I see the world. And I am not trying to write something poetic, Instagram like bullshit here. This terrible quality, overlit selfie means so incredibly much to me. The end is so close and I don't know what I am feeling or what I am supposed to be feeling. The last page of a challenging but transformative chapter there and then is about to be over. Completely. Forever. And I suppose it is the biggest one I ever had in my life.
To give you some perspective: It took 12 years of school to get my A-Levels. Over 7 years to get my two Master Degrees. That is 20 years out of my total 26 years on earth. 20 out of 26 years of my entire life!!! I basically do not know anything else then learning for difficult exams, working on huge complicated projects and finalising those important last presentations. This will now be the biggest step I have ever taken in life. Especially because I will not use my 20 years of education and experience to work as a teacher but rather write about the amount of underwear you should pack for a two week trip to Costa Rica on a blog that maybe 5 people will read- hmmhmmm - sweating. If I write it down like that it sounds absolutely insane. But something in me believes that this is how it is meant to be. This 360 degree turn might be what finally brings me back my health and happiness that I have lost somewhere in those last 20 years. But just to be clear - I do not regret anything! My choices have made me the person I am right now which I am very proud of. I am definitely broken - but I am working on fixing this. And other than that I am pretty great 😬😬😬
(Future Michelle here - I started this blog a while ago and will update you on everything that has changed in the last few weeks in my next post, including how my (still not finished) studies and life are going. For almost real-time updates, follow me on Instagram @pirisispassport!)
2008: Sam posting about being in uni in Wales. 2025: Me finally finishing uni in Germany. Different countries, different decades, completely different experiences. His chapter was full of adventure, friendship, and stories that still make him laugh today. Mine was deadlines, stress, and navigating endless German bureaucracy. His post marked the beginning of his best years; mine marks the end of my hardest ones. Yet somehow both our paths led us to the same place. Two people, two universities, two totally different journeys, accidentally intersecting. I only met him because he broke his original path, not following his uni degree and working on a project that makes him happy - an adventure of his own. Clearly led to us being an 'us' which is one of the best parts of my life. Maybe this “reminder post” was my sign, now it's time I break my path.
2. Why we actually Want to Travel Full-Time
Sam has always dreamed of living nomadically, never staying in one place for more than a few weeks. He wants to explore the world, follow spontaneous opportunities, and embrace whatever adventures come our way.
Quick backstory for those who don't know - Sam actually hit pause on the nomad life when he met me (which was also right as Covid hit, so not totally my fault…). But all of those factors will be gone within the next few weeks. As in, I will still be there, but I am not bound because of uni anymore haha 😂
Here's the thing about living in our small German town - it was making Sam unhappy, which obviously affected me too. And honestly? Sam's right. I could write a whole separate rant about why we're leaving Germany: the political climate is shifting in concerning ways, the economy is struggling, creativity feels stifled, and climate change isn't being taken seriously enough. We've somehow created this bizarre culture where stress is treated like a status symbol. Plus, I desperately need more sunlight in my life! I love going out for food, trying new activities, vibing to live music, and hanging with friends - but here? Options are limited and everything keeps getting more expensive. We know there's more out there for us.
But let's get real - leaving isn't going to be a walk in the park for me. I've lived with my parents and grandma forever, seeing them every day. Sure, they drive me nuts sometimes (whose family doesn't?), but it'll be weird not having our daily chats. And with my grandma... well, you never know when your last visit might be… Then there's my chosen family - Sonia and Dennis (remember them from my Costa Rica adventures?). We're so close that I practically live at their place, sharing literally everything in life. Now they're getting married, building their business empire, and planning all these amazing life chapters that I won't be around for. Another friend is about to have a baby, and I'll miss those precious first three months, maybe only seeing them once or twice then before hitting the road again. Yes, I'm absolutely coming back for the big stuff like weddings, but let's be honest - I'll miss out on a lot of the everyday moments.
It just sucks that I can't have it both ways: keeping my inner circle close while living that digital nomad dream. A two-week visit just hits different than being part of the daily chaos.
And their cats 😂 will definitely miss their cats 🐈🐈⬛
Is this world trip an escape?
Maybe.
Is it the right decision?
100% yes!
But if we're totally wrong about this whole thing, we can literally stop any time and come running back home. Speaking of home - massive shoutout to my parents who (fingers crossed!) haven't turned our bedroom into their dream gym yet and are cool with us crashing whenever we need to 💕 Having a safety net like that? We're seriously lucky.
Will we visit? Duh! Our travel insurance only covers 3-month chunks anyway, and I definitely need my friends-and-family fix that often.
Will we settle back in Germany permanently? Honestly? No clue. And if not Germany, then where? Who knows! There is only one exception: Sorry to make this public, Sonia, but the moment you have those 10 kids, I'm camping out at your place - Aunty Michelle needs quality time with the squad! Everything else? That's future Michelle's problem (and since Michelle's problems are automatically Sam's problems, he'll have to figure it out too haha!). So everything is fine - will be fine - I guess - I hope - it will!
San Diego, 2019. This is the hostel where our paths first crossed - Sam living his digital nomad dream, me just passing through after my semester abroad in Arizona. The Mustang out front somehow fits the whole vibe of freedom we're chasing again. The nomad lifestyle he put on hold (partly for me, partly for Covid) is about to become our shared adventure. Funny how life works - this place was just a temporary stop, then we came back before we got married and now it ended up showing us exactly what we'd want years later.
3. A Few Bumps in the Road - or Why we have Not Left the Country Yet
Let's talk about the whole remote work situation, because... yikes. While Sam's all set with his laptop-based job, my path is more like a maze without an exit. German companies get super suspicious when you mention "workcations", and international jobs? They're either hunting for US residents or coding wizards (spoiler alert: my coding skills start and end at "hello world"!). For now, I'm rolling with savings from my student jobs and a few frequent AI-teaching jobs. Yes, we have some fancy travel plans, but we're definitely hunting for those budget-friendly options to make it work.
Money-wise, we're actually doing okay! Living with my parents keeps our costs super low, and here's the funny part - part of why we want to travel is to save money! Places like Bali are way cheaper than Germany for daily living (once you survive those wallet-crushing initial flights, that is). But... we do have some financial drama to sort out: There's this whole car situation (we returned our lease with some damage and we're nervously waiting for that bill... even future Michelle has no updates on this one). Sam had a “little” accident with his phone, so we're still paying off his new one. Oh, and we're still paying for our summer adventures from 2024 (our typical strategy: split the costs between before, during, and after the trip - great for not going broke instantly, not so great when you're planning your next big move).
Unfortunately, we won't be able to celebrate Christmas at my families home this year. Instead, we're heading to Wales for Sam's family Christmas - definitely not the cheapest last-minute decision! It was either Christmas or early January world travel start, and Christmas won because... come on, how could I skip family dinners, present chaos, non-stop Christmas tunes, and Wii battles with my sister (still working on how to make that last one happen in Wales!). So while I probably shouldn't complain about money when we're flying off for Christmas, it does mean "new life launch day" is pushed to late January, which honestly? Kind of a bummer.
Health stuff update: I just started new daily meds for my migraines and headaches (we're talking about 10 attacks per month, ranging from "ugh" to "please end me"). Need to check in with my neurologist end of January to make sure everything's working right, so I guess the delayed departure is actually perfect timing?
So here's the deal: I was getting antsy about our travel plans keep sliding further away as new stuff kept popping up. And if you know me at all, you know I NEED my travel plans! So while Sam was off on another long work trip in December, there I was - alone, bored, and getting frustrated. Did what any reasonable person would do: started randomly browsing Google Flights, looking for the cheapest escape routes out of Germany for early February. Found something interesting... and two days later, boom! Booked it! Sam knows there's a ticket with his name on it and knows he needs to keep that date free - but that's literally all I've told him!
And there you have it - a world trip is officially happening after I just listed a million reasons why it can’t happen!
Me working on the Esslinger Christmas Market to earn some extra cash for travelling 🍪🛫 #cookiesfortravel
4. Where do we Go First?
Pro travel tip: If you put "Stuttgart to anywhere" in Google Flights, it shows you cheap flights to basically everywhere! I went full detective mode and checked flights from Frankfurt and Munich too. Even looked at Memmingen, Zürich, and Karlsruhe because sometimes they have hidden gems. After playing around with different dates, early February weekend popped up with something perfect.
a) Asia
Asia jumped out as our best bet for a few reasons:
We needed to start somewhere cheap (hello, reality!) and it is budget-friendly (as well as South America, but we went just last summer)
Sam was planning a boys' trip with his friend through Asia anyway, so staying on the same continent would save us some cash long-term
I stumbled across this cool thing called the Hong Kong Sevens rugby games! Quick backstory - I'd been hoping to catch a rugby game with Sam in Australia or New Zealand (it's a whole thing - the Lions tour was happening, and the All Blacks are basically rugby royalty, and I knew Sam would geek out over it). When that seemed tricky, Hong Kong popped up! Sam confirmed it's actually a huge deal in the rugby world, and his friend would love it too.
So yeah, I pulled the trigger in December. Was it the absolute cheapest time to book? No idea! But I needed something concrete - a date to work towards, something to get excited about, a deadline for finishing uni (because, hey, can't exactly submit papers from another continent!), and a fun surprise for Sam.
b) India
Mumbai turned out to be our cheapest February option. Not gonna lie - I was nervous about India. My first time there was... intense. Picture 18-year-old me, fresh out of school, on my first big overseas trip with my boyfriend. Three weeks of climate shock, sensory overload, new food adventures, constant hotel-hopping, sleeper trains - it was A LOT. But hey, I'm hoping 9 years of travel experience will make round two easier. I know myself better now (and so does Sam). Plus, Sam is obsessed with Indian food and has somehow never been there despite hitting up almost 60 countries and every continent except Antarctica. And with the whole British history connection, it felt right.
The Surprise Factor: I found this perfect opportunity to genuinely surprise Sam (which basically never happens!). Originally planned to keep it secret until we hit the airport (Future Michelle update: I cracked at Christmas! Sam made the very valid point that he'd enjoy it more if he could look forward to it longer. Can't argue with more happiness! Plus, we got to plan some stuff together).
The Responsibility: Suddenly I'm in charge of EVERYTHING - flights, visas (slightly terrifying, but apparently there's e-visas now, way easier than the passport-mailing drama from 9 years ago), first hotels... the works! Let's be real - Sam usually handles this stuff. He's the airplane nerd, English is his first language (hello, visa applications!), and he's got more solo travel miles under his belt. He's basically become our default trip planner. But you know what? That's exactly why I'm excited to do it myself! I want to know all the booking codes, flight times, and hotel details. Want to make sure we've got our veggie meals sorted for the flights. Yes, I might mess up, but that's how you learn, right? And the timing's perfect - worst case, we lose some money, but we won't miss anything crucial like a friend's wedding. (Full disclosure: I totally caught myself bombarding Sam with airline and miles program questions at first because I know he has high standards. But I've cut that out now - this is my project!)
5. Where do we Go Next?
So there I was, spending WAY too many hours on Google Flights (we're talking serious deep-dive territory here). Here's what I knew for sure: Frankfurt to Mumbai on February 2nd with Etihad (still need to sort out a hotel and train ticket for that), and we need to be in Hong Kong by March 25th. I decided on a month in India - totally just a gut feeling, zero actual planning involved! That left us with three bonus weeks to play with. Cue me trying literally hundreds of combinations from Mumbai to Hong Kong with a stopover. Different countries, airports, dates, airlines - you name it, I compared it. Was hunting for the cheapest option that we'd still actually enjoy. (Quick self-reflection moment: I definitely went overboard with all this searching and comparing. Need to learn to dial it back a bit. Maybe not quite as chill as Sam's style - I've got those health things to consider with flight times and stuff - but somewhere in between. Decision-making isn't exactly my superpower. Give me all the options to analyse? I'm your girl. Actually picking one? Um... 😂)
March 6th - we'll fly from Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City with Indian Airlines. Same price as flying from Mumbai, but where's the adventure in that? This way we can explore northern India, which is Sam's wishlist territory. Worst case, we can grab a cheap flight from Mumbai to Delhi, but I'm thinking trains or buses could be fun. We could hit up multiple cities, see the Taj Mahal, check out Varanasi - who knows? All I remember is Sam talking about wanting to drink beer and just... be there. So let's keep it loose! Since I've seen lots of the north already, hopefully I won't get that "must-see-everything" panic and try cramming too much into our schedule (especially since Sam will be working full-time and I'll be... trying to work on something full-time, haha). Just need to book maybe a week in Mumbai to start (probably more - my body needs adjustment time).
Minor panic moment: I couldn't remember if Ho Chi Minh City was Sam's love-it or hate-it city. Mom chimed in that it was her least favourite... I looked at Hanoi and Nha Trang, but they were pricier AND had awful flight times - midnight departures and stopping in Ho Chi Minh anyway. Not great for my health. So Ho Chi Minh City won by default!
Planning to use the same strategy as India - we know we're flying out of Hanoi on March 25th, but how we get there? Total mystery! Checked flights (prices look good), but I'm totally down for a bus or train adventure with some random stops along the way. Will book the first few days' hotel and wing it from there.
Bonus: Vietnam wasn't just the cheapest connection - it's also super affordable to fly to Hong Kong from there. Perfect middle stop! And there's this nice symmetry: India's new for Sam, Vietnam's new for me. Sam can revisit his beloved Vietnam, while I get another shot at India.
Not to brag, but I think I nailed these decisions! 🎯
About to tell him where we are going!!!!
6. So Now What?
I honestly don't know what the future looks like. And weirdly? I'm okay with that. Right now I'm juggling finishing my degree, work, friends, training, and this website - I don't think it's really hit me yet what all this means. I'm surprisingly chill about all the unknowns - which is SO not like me! Usually, not knowing is my biggest fear. I'm the person who plans everything down to the smallest detail, trying to prepare for every possible scenario, getting stuck in decision paralysis because... what if? But I am fine. Like, actually fine, not the "Yes Sam, it's fine..." kind of fine 😂 I don't know how or why I'm this calm. Maybe I'm ready. Possibly I've just been too busy to worry. The only thing that really gets to me is what I'll miss back home. Lately, I've spent more time with friends and realised how much I need that for my happiness and mental health.
Let's be real about the support system too - I still have my regular psychology sessions, still taking my anxiety/depression meds (more or less successfully). And I have Sam. While I don't want to depend on him, he does have a secure full-time job that can support both of us if needed. We're married after all - what's his is mine, right? We won't be saving much, but hey - we're not planning on buying a property anytime soon. No kids on the horizon. Just us, trying to live life. We're both happy with our decision: world travel until we either don't want to anymore or something else comes along. Letting fate decide. Let's see what surprises are in store, especially for me.
And you, reading this blog? You give me purpose, happiness, and freedom. So thank you for being here ❤️