Welcome to our From the Driver’s Seat series, where we feature “real” overland travelers who are either currently on the road or have just returned from an overland trip.

Today we introduce you to Melanie Cahill and Justin Smith, who have traveled overland on 3 continents — North America, South America and Europe!

Our family was lucky enough to meet them for the first time at a hostel in Colombia.   It’s safe to say that we hit it off with them right from the beginning.  We also had a fabulous time traveling with them for several weeks in Ecuador and Peru.  We know that you will love them as much as we do!

So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride…

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Tell us about yourselves.  What are your names, backgrounds and where are you from?

Before we traveled we’d been married for 12 years and were living in Providence, RI. Justin owned a wooden window making shop and Melanie was administering public housing in Worcester, Massachusetts.

What inspired you to do an overlanding trip?  What are the steps that you took to turn the dream into reality?

A few months into our marriage we were happily unemployed, had an expiring apartment lease and some time on our hands. So we embarked a camping trip around the US that ended because Melanie was offered a job. 15 years later we were in similar circumstances and thought “what the heck, let’s do something different!” We bought a small RV that allowed us to practice driving and stocking up for many weekends. We spent that year making decisions that kept us moving forward toward full-time travel life. We deferred getting a dog, new drapes, eliminated junk mail (!) etc.

What was your biggest obstacle (real or imagined) to embarking on your trip?  Did anyone try to talk you out of it?

In terms of obstacles, fortunately, we had few.  No kids, pets or jobs. No one tried to talk us out of it.  At most folks thought we were either a little odd or complete slackers. Justin’s attitude was anyone who thought it was strange/dangerous/weird was suffering from a paucity of imagination.

What kind of rig do you have?  Does your rig have a name?  What do you like or dislike about your current setup?

Our rig is a 2004 Mercedes Sprinter Westfalia. It’s creatively called “Westy.”

We (meaning Justin) picked it since Westy met our laundry list of can’t-live-without features. A bathroom (specifically a shower for Melanie), enough height so 6’3” guy can stand straight up and maneuverability in small towns and cities. Oh, and a bed long enough for said, tall guy.

We could list the things pros (many of them) but the list of dislikes is shorter: A bit more ground clearance (we lost some — replaceable — plumbing from underneath in Peru).  We would swap an aggressively cold coach AC for some solar panels.

Where have you traveled (so far) with your vehicle?

Horizontally across US – Maine to California. South through Baja, east to the Yucatan, south through Central America, ferry across the Darien Gap, south through the west coast of S.A, ‘til we cut across Argentina to Uruguay.  Shipped to England, drove around western Europe, shipped from Antwerp to Baltimore – done.  Westy is currently residing on the East Coast of the US awaiting further deployment. (and also functioning as our daily driver!)

What have you learned from your travels?  Have you experienced any unexpected revelations along the way?

We have learned: don’t overpack. Meaning, don’t pack 1 year’s worth of bathroom supplies, trash bags, t-shirts etc.  If it’s something you need for everyday living, don’t sweat it, your new neighbors need that stuff too and probably buy it cheaper. And, Walmart is everywhere — after a while, you will be happy to see them.

We were well prepared with fantastic RV water filters, only to experience that outside of the US & Uruguay no one had enough water pressure to use them. So, we got used to the taste of bleach or went to water stores and stocked up. Water (in five gallon bottles called“garrafons”) are common and cheap through Mexico and Central America.

Everyone says this because it’s true: people are nice.  They are friendly and helpful. Also, everyone in the world laughs at Justin Bieber (take it from Justin…. Smith).

99% of obstacles are solvable. It is not necessary to have a rig/set-up that will handle every emergency that could possibly occur.  Heck, you’ll be sharing the road with 7 locals driving in a Toyota Camry. If you design a rig for every situation, you will miss the chance for real adventure and connection. So plan to cover most situations: have a tow strap for yourself and others, make sure you’ve got the minimum country requirements to avoid tickets and just GO.

Do you have a favorite travel experience that you can share?

Meeting the Sparks-ci! We visited the Galapagos for a big trip splurge. It was an experience of a lifetime.  5 days hanging in the Atacama Desert all alone waiting for money to hit our bank account turned out to be a great week.

France & northern Italy. Who knew they were RV-ing paradises? We found great municipal RV parking and easy access to cities and sight-seeing. And bread. A lot of bread.

How do you fund your travels?

We run an online business www.srshardware.com  We maintained a connection to wifi for the most part and checked in everyday. Sometimes we spent days at a good wifi spot to get work done and some weeks we were out of pocket.

What future overlanding plans do you have?

We left the southern halves of Chile & Argentina and Brazil for a returntrip. We plan to ship Westy to Europe again and maybe head east to India and Thailand.

What was the biggest misconception about overlanding that you had before your travels?

That we were odd or unusual. Really, there’s whole community of folks doing the same thing and they are fun and have good info to share. That officials and police might present some problems. As it turned out, we had one laughably bad encounter and the rest were really nice and helpful.

What piece of advice could you offer to aspiring adventurers?

1. You don’t need lots of stuff, especially technical stuff. A cell phone, local chip, paper map and good attitude will get you where you’re going.
2. GO! You can always come home.  Maybe you won’t really care for it.  But at least you’ll be able to say so from a position of experience.
3. You will meet folks on the road who totally “get it” and will make you feel like this was a really good decision. Plus, they probably have more experience and you will be inspired!

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So there you have it — some terrific advice and travel-inspiring words from Melanie & Justin.  We hope that you enjoyed this peek into their adventures.  Who else wants to explore Europe in an RV?  It sounds so amazing!

Want to be featured in future installments of From the Driver’s Seat?  

Please leave a comment and let us know.  Who knows?  Sharing your experiences might provide the inspiration for someone else to follow their own travel dreams.

Until next time…. Happy Travels!

Welcome back!  This is our second installment of From the Driver’s Seat, our weekly series where we inspire you by introducing you to *real* overland travelers.

This week we meet an American family of four who have traveled overland from California to Chile.  It’s fun to read how their travels have positively improved their lives and their bonds as a family.

They offer some amazing insights.  Here’s just one of them:

“If you want it, go get it. The world is beautiful. The people too. Don’t let fear get in the way if this is your dream.”

So grab a mug of your favorite beverage, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride…

Tell us about yourselves.  What are your names, backgrounds and where are you from?

We are Karie and Simon, and our kids are Ty and Jamie. We live in California and by all accounts were pretty “normal” before we left the trip – just working jobs that took up too much of our lives and living for the weekends. And then we quit our jobs and overlanded to South America over 18 months.

What inspired you to do an overlanding trip?  What are the steps that you took to turn the dream into reality?

Looking back it was really a snap decision. We had always loved camping road trips, so one day I was at work and daydreaming about our next destination. I started looking into driving to Baja Mexico. Then I discovered there was a ferry that connected Baja to Mainland Mexico. The rest is history.

We started a savings plan right away and originally it was a 10 year plan. The 10 year changed to 7, 5, and then 3. It was so hard to wait when our minds were already made up. We did wait until after I was pregnant with Jamie and until he turned 9 months old.

What was your biggest obstacle (real or imagined) to embarking on your trip?  Did anyone try to talk you out of it?

One obstacle was money, obviously. Money turns out to be as important as I imagined it to be, but how much money is enough is completely relative.

The other was safety. And yes it was real in my opinion, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome. I mean we travelled with two kids so we were hyper-vigilant about safety and we still did it and were safe.

Yes, I would say half the people we knew tried to talk us out of it. Especially because we had kids, they thought we were just foolish to take on this trip. It was not easy to hear because it fed our own fear and doubt. But people meant well. They just didn’t understand and couldn’t relate, and that was ok.

What kind of rig do you have?  What do you like or dislike about your current setup?

2003 Ford E350 modified by Sportsmobile.

Things we loved: strong and reliable 7.3L PSD engine; small footprint for narrow streets. Things we disliked: the pop-top became a pain in the butt to set up, level, and undo, every time we wanted to move the vehicle; kind of small for a family of four plus eventually a dog that we adopted in Peru.

Where have you traveled (so far) with your vehicle?  

We drove south from California and reached almost the end of the road in southern Chile, in Tierra del Fuego.

What have you learned from your travels?  Have you experienced any unexpected revelations along the way?

Our relationships with each other and with the kids became really tight. It’s hard to imagine that had we continued our corporate lives, then we wouldn’t have been as close? But it was definitely a process through ups and downs. Being with anyone 24/7 while facing the kind of challenges that one does on the road can bring out the best and the worst.

We became tougher, as in, we really don’t “need” as many conveniences as we thought we did anymore. We are back home in California living on a farm, and we are still washing our dishes outside using a bucket. We don’t have a stove either or laundry machines. And our “house” is smaller than the standard hotel room. Had we not gone on the trip, this lifestyle wouldn’t fly with us.

How has traveling with kids been challenging?  How has it been amazing?

Being full-time parents is the toughest job in the world no matter where you are. But our babies grew from 9 months and 3 years old, to 2 years and 5 years old, on the road. I believe the experience has changed them fundamentally even though they may not remember the facts. As parents we gained so many memories and, as you know, memories are priceless. So yes, it is beyond amazing.

How do you fund your travels?

Good old-fashioned savings. Yes, it is boring, but what else? We started living very lean and puting away every cent we could. We met some people on the road who had bigger budgets than us, and some with significantly smaller budgets, and yet we were all doing the same thing. Financially, overlanding is very reachable goal. But there are sacrifices, you can’t have it both ways.

What future overlanding plans do you have?

Since we have been back, we started a farm. Before the trip, we were already concerned with animal welfare and the environmental damage from industrialized meat production, but it was the trip that really gave us the courage to start a farm business. We will commit to this for 5 years and see where it takes us. When overlanding fits into our lives again, we dream about the circuit from Southeast Asia, to China, Mongolia, Eastern Europe, Europe. New Zealand and Australia would be beautiful and easier too.

What was the biggest misconception about overlanding that you had before your travels?  

How common it actually is! I mean, it is still a huge leap of faith. But once you take that leap and get on the road, you will discover so many like-minded people who have done it, are doing it, will be doing it forever. There is a big community of overlanders who will offer help and friendship. And these are not crazy people. They are teachers, graphic designers, bankers, engineers, auto mechanics….just ordinary people making extraordinary choices.

What else would you like us to know about you and your travels?  Do you have a travel blog?

Ourroadlife.com

What piece of advice could you offer to aspiring adventurers?

If you want it, go get it. The world is beautiful. The people too. Don’t let fear get in the way if this is your dream.

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Karie, Simon and their kids are just getting settled back in after completing their travels.  They have bought some land in northern California and are starting up a pasture-based livestock farm.  You can read more in this blog post on their website about their plans and how their travels were instrumental in illuminating and solidifying their dream to own a farm.

Thanks so much for joining us today!

Bookmark this page or, better yet, join our email list so you’ll be sure to see our updates.  Also, please let us know in the comments if you would like to be featured in this series.

Stay tuned for our next installment of From the Driver’s Seat!

Welcome to From the Driver’s Seat!  It’s our new series where we are spotlighting *real* overland travelers who are either currently on the road or have just returned from an overland trip.  Our goals are to provide some differing perspectives on traveling overland and to showcase the variety of people who decide to do so.

Our first set of travelers has demonstrated fantastic resiliency as mechanical issues have thrown them multiple curve balls.  Through it all they are still loving their adventures and are quick to encourage others to do embark on their own.  We were fortunate to spend time with them in Arequipa, Peru, where we quickly bonded and we shared some fun adventures.  I know that you will find their story interesting too.

So grab a cup of your favorite beverage, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride…

Tell us about yourselves.  What are your names, backgrounds and where are you from?

Matt Tupy: Originally from Canada – Retired from Canadian Armed Forces, Hotel Manager, English Teacher – 59

Michelle Tupy: Originally from Australia – English Teacher, Ghost Writer and Content Writer – 44

Emilia Tupy: Originally from Australia – Enjoys singing, playing computer games – 11

Matthew Tupy: Originally from Australia – Loves Michael Jackson, zombies and computer games – 6

What inspired you to do an overlanding trip?  What are the steps that you took to turn the dream into reality?

When we managed a hostel in Cusco, we kept hearing stories of people traveling around South and North America so we decided to see if we could do it too. Once we sold everything from the hostel, we bought a Kombi and then took it from there. It was all somewhat fluid, but the easiest thing was just to take it one step at a time. I don’t plan any more than one or two countries ahead if I can help it.

We also asked one of our artist friends if she would mind painting some original designs on our van before we set off. This was a once in a lifetime, fun, adventurous kind of trip so we wanted our wheels to be representative of that.

What was your biggest obstacle (real or imagined) to embarking on your trip?

Thankfully we have a very supportive group behind us – so everyone was pretty excited about the next leg of our travels. We had just spent two years in Peru before setting off, so our initial goal was to visit some of the areas we had been meaning to see in Peru such as Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, and Nazca first before heading up to Ecuador.

Any problems we faced were mainly due to vehicle repairs once we hit the road and we had to postpone our trip by six months due to these issues. That frustrated us to no end. We learned very early on that the vehicle had all kinds of problems, which unfortunately had been missed by our initial inspection. We spent way more than we had bargained for in repairs.

What kind of rig do you have?  Does your rig have a name?  What do you like or dislike about your current setup?

We have a 1982 VW Kombi and so far she has no name. We tried, but the kids started disagreeing on the name, so we figured it was easier to ride around in the van with no name. It is not set up with beds or anything like that, so we don’t have the opportunity to sleep in it. Although saying that, we did spend one night in the van in the middle of nowhere on our way back from Puerto Maldonado to Cusco. We couldn’t have wished the sun to come up any quicker – we were cold and uncomfortable to say the least. A vehicle with beds would be a bonus and definitely cut down costs on the way.

Where have you traveled (so far) with your vehicle?

We purchased the van in Cusco and have driven through Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and are preparing to head to Nicaragua. These are all stepping stones on the way back to Canada.

What have you learned from your travels?  Have you experienced any unexpected revelations along the way?

We have learned to take it slow and not rush. As we drive an older vehicle, it is better for us to break up a 500km into a couple of days than to try to do it all in one day. We are on our own schedule, so we just go at our own pace. The kids enjoy it when we travel slowly so we can get out and stretch our legs or grab a snack. We have learned that the kids really enjoy our travel days – they both get to sit back and relax and zone out for a while in anticipation of our next adventure.

How has traveling with kids been challenging?  How has it been amazing?

Our kids have quite an age gap – six years in fact – so they get on each other’s nerves, a lot! And then they have their moments when they are absolutely wonderful together. I love that our six-year-old son enjoys talking about the countries we have visited and that they both get to meet wonderful people along the way.

Do you have a favorite travel experience that you can share?

So much of our trip has been fantastic – we have stayed by the beach in Ecuador, lived on a farm in Colombia, managed a hostel in Panama, and it’s not over yet. We do get really excited whenever we cross a country border. It just means any hassles that we might experience with border crossings or visas are over until we are ready to leave the country we are in. Then we forget about it for a while and relax until we prepare to visit the next destination.

How do you fund your travels?

We work online as we travel. We did do a bit of a fundraiser to cross to Panama from Colombia as our money had disappeared on vehicle repairs but we are fortunate that I have good clients who don’t mind the fact that we work from abroad. As a ghostwriter and content writer for small businesses, I just need a good internet connection. Thankfully we have been able to get that in most countries we have visited. Coastal Ecuador was the worst as we kept on experiencing power outages.

What future overlanding plans do you have?

After we return to Canada, we have no plans. We might just do a Canadian trip or a US trip in the future; we haven’t really decided. But I think after traveling on the road for a year or two, we will definitely need some time to settle down and regroup. And I will need to finalize my travel notes and compile the book I have been promising everyone. Where in Canada we will settle though in the interim, we have no idea.

What was the biggest misconception about overlanding that you had before your travels?

I thought it would be easier to find good mechanics than it has been. We sometimes have to take our vehicle to 2 or 3 mechanics before we can find someone who can help us service or repair the vehicle. That is in itself frustrating. The gringo prices that some try to charge too are super frustrating as well.

What else would you like us to know about you and your travels?  Do you have a travel blog?

I have a much-ignored travel blog at present which can be found at www.andoffwewent.com as well as a Facebook page of the same name.

What piece of advice could you offer to aspiring adventurers?

The kindness of strangers is so evident on the road. We have broken down many times, and we have had people push the van, tow the van, look at the van and even get in the van to show us the way, just to try to get us to the next city or beyond. So if you are hesitant about overland travel, don’t be. For the most part, people are genuinely friendly and will be curious about your travels and open to chat.

So there you have it: The Tupy Family driving back to Canada from South America.   Aren’t they inspiring?  We feel very fortunate to count them as our friends.

Michelle is also the author of two published books, Love Alters: A Love For All Seasons and An Unexpected Kindness.

You can follow their travels via their blog, And Off We Went, and via their Facebook page.

Bookmark this page or, better yet, join our email list so you’ll be sure to see our updates.  Also, please let us know in the comments if you would like to be featured in this series.

Stay tuned for our next installment of From the Driver’s Seat!