Matt (45, a physiotherapist) and I (43, online news editor) met following a mutual passion: travel. In fact, we met right here! In Bali where I write right now in the humid waft of Sanur during the rainy season.

We met in party-central Kuta in 1999. Fast forward 20 and some years later and we are right now with our two kids (Louise, 10, and Sam, 8) on a 10-month sabbatical. The story of how we met might be fodder for another post!

This explains why we quit our awesome professional jobs to bum around Indonesia for the better part of a year. Some might say a costly, even irresponsible, plan. When will you ever buy a HOUSE?? How can you AFFORD not to work and travel for so long?

That is quickly answered. We’ve never managed to jump into the mortgage game – our rental is a good gig, and we love where we live. There was always a nagging thought on the back of our heads that a mortgage would take what we most cherish. Our freedom.

We have been going hard at the game of life for the past 15 years. I (Fran) held senior positions in big Australian media organisations at the coalface of breaking news. It’s a taxing job, full of adrenaline, fear, deadlines – and the gig doesn’t respect weekends or shift times. I also birthed two humans in quick succession, who we raise without significant family support.

Matt, meanwhile, switched careers and bashed out a Bachelor and a Master in Physiotherapy while working and writing for scientific publications. There has been no rest from the hamster wheel for quite some time and suddenly the older of our delightful offspring hit double digits.

We had often talked about taking them to do what brought us together – travel – but it was just a chat, a fleeting “would be great…”, “maybe one day”. COVID effectively locked us into Australia and we went through some sad times within our wider family. I think we were inching on a solid burnout, I’d definitely call us singed…we talked about it again.

Time was running out with our daughter nearing high school. It was a now or forever pack the backpack away moment. I’d like to say I live my life rather than regretting mistakes and never making them. I don’t want to think one day I “should’ve just…”.

So about two months before D-Day we decided to throw it all in and take the plunge. Check out to check in!