A couple who quit their jobs to travel around Europe in a van say it’s the best decision they have ever made.
Former IT consultant, Kieran Field, 27, and former accountant, Alice Ballard, 26, gambled everything on a £7,000 van to create their new home on wheels.
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It comes complete with a double bed, a compostable toilet beneath the sofa, a one-square-metre kitchen and outdoor shower.
The pair quit their full-time jobs and now rent out their renovated two-bed semi-detached house in Oxford to fund their new lifestyle.
They began their adventures in the north of France in August 2020.
In the two years since, they have covered 25,000 miles across 16 European countries.
Alice said: “We have always been really travel-orientated so we would try to squeeze in road trips around America in between work.
“We would go camping in Europe or take two weeks off work to visit places like Indonesia and Thailand.
“But it was never long enough and we would use all our savings.
“We have never once regretted moving to a van – it was the best decision we ever made.”
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The pair met at college at the age of 16 where they were both studying music.
After graduating, they both got jobs and started saving for their first property, which they bought in Oxford in 2014.
However, working life wasn’t all they thought it would be and they ended up taking a punt on their van three years ago.
It cost £7,000 to buy and £10,000 to renovate so it could be lived in.
They named it Puff the Magic Wagon and spent nine months stripping, insulating, and converting it on weekends.
Alice said: “We knew if we had the shower inside, it would take up a lot of space for something we use only once a day, so it made sense to have it outside, and we made it with a £20 garden hose.
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“We created the toilet using the seat with a small bin underneath, filled with sawdust mixed into compost, with a separate urine tank at the front – you literally lift off the sofa cushion and it’s there.
“We spent the first few months using cafe loos and we quickly realised we needed our own toilet so having the toilet in the van was actually really glorious.”
They are currently in County Mayo, Ireland, but hope to soon head further afield to countries including Montenegro, Albania, Greece, Serbia and Turkey.
Kieran added: “I always knew there was a bigger world out there we had yet to discover, and now, we get to do it every day.
“It sounds a cliche, saying you find yourself doing something like this, but we have learnt so much about ourselves.
“Who knows what the future holds – but for now, we are just enjoying living in the moment and taking every day as it comes.”
This couple spent £16,000 converting their van for a round the world trip.
This woman did the same with her van, but on a tight budget.
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