A couple from South Africa quit their stable advertising jobs to embark on a nomadic journey. Now, they are broke and not stopping.
Chanel Cartell and Stevo Dirnberger intend to find out how long they can live away from home. After six months on the road, the couple is enjoying the beaches and buildings in Athens. They also decided to reveal the ugly side of their journey. To pay for food, lodging, and travel expenses, the couple had been doing a lot of volunteer work.
"So far, I think we've tallied 135 toilets scrubbed, 250 kilos of cow dung spread, two tons of rocks shoveled, 60 meters of pathway laid, 57 beds made, and I cannot even remember how many wine glasses we've polished," Cartell admitted.
Cartell also shared that they had to make a cut on their necessities and food. Nonetheless, Cartell assured that they have no regrets. They intend to move forward with their journey.
"Even though we probably have more greys than when we started, dirt under our nails despite long showers, and cheap snack food as a main form of nutrition, this crazy lifestyle allows us to enjoy the freedom of exploring rich Swedish forests, Italian cobbled alleyways, and cosmopolitan cities," she wrote.
Since May, the couple has been tweeting photos to mark the number of kilometers they have logged away from home. In a blog post, Cartell wrote that she and Dirnberger realized that their social media posts about their trip have not been telling the full story.
So far, the lovers had visited the classic buildings of Athens in Greece, chilled on the beaches of Austria, watched the sun set on the conifers of Sweden, breathed fresh air on the mountains of Norway, and had countless adventures in the past six months.
The couple has been using the website Workaway to find volunteer work in exchange for food and accommodation.