GET TO KNOW US
THE ADVENTURE SO FAR
In 2023, after saving up just enough money, we both quit our full-time jobs to endeavour on an epic three-month trip in our self-converted camper van, covering over 6,000 miles, spanning a total of seven European countries. We quickly realised that this life made us happier than we'd ever been, yet we knew it couldn't last as our funds would soon run out, forcing us back to 'reality'.
Fast forward through the next six months of working and saving back home in the UK, we finally returned to life on the road, this time enjoying everything that Portugal had to offer. Once again, we were living our happiest life. But in the back of our minds was the constant worry about returning home and falling into the same old rat-race routine.
It was around this time that we began to realise something. The thing that actually needed to change (besides our bank balance) was our mindset - which posed the question:
Could we be happy living in one place for, say, a year, if this place offered us so much more of what we love? Breathtaking nature, exciting adventures and the chance to explore different corners of the world.
A question that we'll be endeavouring to answer on the other side of the world. In Aoteaora New Zealand!
JULIA
“I think that my love for exploring new places was inevitable from a young age. Moving from my birth country of Poland to England at 5 years old and being fortunate enough to take family trips to various countries all must have contributed to my wanderlust.
After finishing university, I chose to follow that passion. I moved to Poland, got a job teaching English and spent my time exploring and reconnecting to my home country. Once the year was up, I felt the pressure to return to England to get a “proper job” but I quickly realised that a 9-5 office job life wasn’t for me. It was around this time I met Josh (promise it was a happy coincidence and nothing to do with his van), and soon we were making plans to travel together.
Besides travel, my other lifelong passion has been storytelling. So being able to tell our travel stories through both written and visual forms here on Along The Atlas is something I deeply care about".
JOSH
“Growing up I spent countless weeks in Cornwall, travelling down in a convoy of camper vans with friends and family, and learning the ropes of van-life from a young age. For my 18th Birthday I was gifted a VW T5 van, completely bare and with no working engine - fixing it up became my project for the next two years. As a trained mechanic, I was able to do a lot of the work myself and eventually I joined that same convoy of family and friends in my own self-converted van. The van which of course soon became mine and Julia's home-on-the-road as we travelled throughout Europe.
Travelling reignited my love for photography and has reminded me just how much I enjoy creating. Ever since that point, I've been pretty attached to the camera, constantly capturing our adventures. So, you could say that I am now the resident photographer/videographer for Along The Atlas".