The nomadic life might sound like a far-off distant dream, but for Melissa Muller, digital creator and founder of travel site Girl Around the World, it is a rewarding way of life that can be achieved with hard work, planning, and a healthy dose of courage. Here, she sits down with us to highlight the fulfilling experiences that come from travel, dishes out tips on how to do it long-term, and reveals the compelling power of french fries.

Taking the Leap into Long-Term Travel

Melissa’s journey as a professional nomad began in 2018. She had been working in various roles in the film industry in the UK, which fortuitously led to a remote role in digital marketing. The freedom that came with this opportunity meant Melissa could work from home. Or a café. Or… a different country.

The catalyst to finally embark on the full-blown nomadic life however came during a summer surfing trip to Spain. It was here, on the sun-swept beaches of España where Melissa met Guilherme…

Guilherme, or Guga, was from Portugal and a fellow surfer. It didn’t take long for he and Melissa to fall into a whirlwind of summer romance that neither were expecting. When it came time to part ways and say goodbye, they both decided that, well, they’d rather not. It was then that Guga whispered the words every person wants to hear…

“Travel the world with me baby, let me feed you french fries and mayo wherever we go.”

Okay, those weren’t the exact words, but that’s how Melissa likes to recall it. Being the hopeless romantic that she is, and with her love for travel (and french fries), Melissa had to say yes.

This turn of events, coupled with the expiration of the lease on her flat, finally nudged Melissa out the proverbial door and onto the actual plane. She packed up her London apartment and traded in the creature comforts of city life for remote work and the far-reaching freedom of life on the road with Guga.

“It was all very romantic. Suddenly creating a new sense of ‘home’ together became the base of our lifestyle,” Melissa says.

With their bags packed, a new second-hand camera in hand and the creation of a WordPress site the adventures began, and Girl Around the World was born.

“It may sound like a crazy thing to do, but it’s the best leap of faith I have ever taken.”

Travel as a Way of Life

It may have taken a great deal of faith to get Melissa on the road, but as she has proven through the success of Girl Around the World, the decision to set off into nomadic life certainly didn’t turn out to be crazy. Through her own site and Instagram Melissa continues to inspire thousands of people to travel. And it is little wonder, with her ability to capture the soul and beauty of a place and its people, and her genuine and approachable style, her passion for travel is contagious.

Travel as a way of life suited Melissa and had done so even as a child. Her mother professionally danced in hotels and resorts, and as a trader her father was stationed throughout different business capitals. The family moved often, and Melissa spent most of her childhood between the UK, Singapore, Bali and Australia.

When asked whether she liked moving around so much as a child Melissa admits she didn’t know any different, and in fact feels lucky.

“If anything, it made me fiercely independent, confident and social, along with opening my eyes to the incredible cultural diversity across our planet.”

These qualities have translated into skills Melissa now employs living abroad. “I guess the nomadic lifestyle stuck!”

Highlights from Life on the Road

A key takeaway from Melissa’s adventures is the ability this world has to surprise us. No matter how much we’ve travelled, or how well we’ve planned our upcoming adventures, the places we go and the people we meet expand our worlds and make impressions on us that we don’t expect.

One such experience Melissa recalls is a trip to Jordan.

“My expectations were already high,” she admits. Like many travellers before her Melissa was excited to float in the Dead Sea, explore the captivating ruins of Petra, and get lost in the vast desert of Wadi Rum. But she could not have predicted just how much Jordan would exceed her expectations.

“The people in Jordan were so kind and welcoming, the natural beauty of the terrain was breathtaking, and every new site I visited had me kicking myself that I hadn’t planned a longer trip!”

The Impact of Covid on Travel

Perhaps one of the hardest things for avid travellers out there now is adjusting to a global pandemic, and a world where travel has become severely limited. Melissa concedes she has been lucky in this regard. After moving to Bali in January 2020, Melissa found herself ‘trapped in paradise’ when Covid hit. With fewer tourists and more relaxed restrictions in Indonesia, Melissa and Guga have been able to explore much of Indonesia.

That said, travelling abroad during a pandemic is not without its challenges. Plans had to be cancelled, creature comforts of home are missed, and while restrictions are more relaxed in Indonesia than some other countries, they do exist.

Perhaps the greatest impact of Covid that Melissa has seen is the effect it has had on the travel industry itself. While a lack of tourists in Bali might make for a quieter paradise, it is a devastation to the local economy. Local businesses and tour operators who normally rely heavily on tourism have been hit extremely hard and have had to drop prices drastically. Villas that were previously charging £1000 a night were suddenly charging £1500. 

Advice on Branching Out into Long-term Travel

There is a however light at the end of the tourism tunnel. When the restrictions and effects of Covid subside, there is a wave of loyal travellers ready to breathe life back into the industry. And for those who are itching to bust out of their four walls and travel long-term, Melissa has some advice.

“There is no time like the present… Life is moving, people, and it is moving fast!”

When approached by people wanting to branch out into long-term travel, Melissa hears much the same thing.

“I really want to set off now, but I’m waiting for…”

…my friend to save enough money to join me.

…my boyfriend to quit his job.

…a good moment in my career.

…a new job that I can do remotely.

“There will always be elements of your life that you could be waiting to fall into place,” Melissa says. “If you really want to make travel a part of your lifestyle, you are going to have to shut out all the external noise that’s telling you that you can’t do it now and choose to make it a priority.”

Melissa concedes this won’t be easy, and she’s not recommending you jump on a plane right now and go. The opposite in fact. “Start planning and setting yourself achievable time goals. If you need to save, make a weekly savings plan. If you need to find a remote job, set a goal to submit a certain number of job applications per week. Whatever may be standing in your way, take the steps towards making it happen.”

And when the time comes for your own nudge out the door, you may not have a partner on a romantic beach inviting you to travel the world, but you will have Melissa. Perhaps the inspiring window into travel that Girl Around the World provides is the call to your own leap of faith.

Check out Melissa’s travels on her website: Girl Around The World, and her Instagram.

The post Living The Dream: One Girl’s Tips For Long Term Travel appeared first on Gone Travelling.