Go-with-the-flow-travel: Meet Brooke & Michael

1. Can you introduce yourselves quickly in one or two sentences?

Hi we’re Brooke & Michael, soulmates, married for 2 years but been together for 8. Aside from many similarities, our main one is the desire to travel and see and experience as much of the world as possible. From your generic European must-see’s to all sorts of out-there destinations.

2. Brooke and Michael, Lac and I met you when we were in Budapest to catch up with Crystal. What an awesome trip! Since then, you’ve been travelling to various places. Where are you at the moment?

Well after that moment in time, we travelled to Romania (Europe’s hidden gem!), Greece, Italy, Germany, Spain, Morocco, England, India, Nepal (trek to Everest BC). That was one big trip. Since then we got married in Boracay, Philippines in 2017 (an incredible location and event for our special day) then in 2018 went to the World Cup in Russia (surprised us for all the right reasons, what an amazing country/people/history) and loved it!

3. Do you have any favourite country/city/place?

Before I met Brooke, my best mate and I did a similar world trip for 7 months and to be honest Turkey stuck in my mind. What an incredible landscape/people/culture. Would dearly love to go back. As a couple Brooke and I’s favourite place by far is Greece! What’s not to love, best beaches, history, cuisine omg we get fomo every time we see pictures of it. There’s so many islands you could visit one every year for the rest of your life and still not see all of them. Luckily Turkey and Greece are next to each other!

4. I’m a big fan of go-with-the-flow travel. Do you plan ahead and always know how long you’re staying at one destination or do you prefer not to plan too much?

Good question. I definitely used to be a planner and know how long we would be at each location. We are still to a degree, with a conventional holiday where you’re only away for a couple of weeks, it makes sense. However, the last time we did a big trip, we had a general idea of where we wanted to be and when, but the dates weren’t fixed. Having said that we still had dates planned of when we would fly to India/Nepal etc. so I guess we’re more advanced planners than go with the flow.

5. What are the 3 most important things you look for in a destination?

1. Sites – These sites need to be of historical or cultural significance and lend an eye into the past of what it means to be there in that very spot. Dare I say it, tourist hot-spots definitely hold their value, especially in Europe.
2. Food – Goes without saying? Good food and drink will always make you look fondly on your experiences in a place. The better the food the better the memory. This extends to bars/café’s/restaurants/tapas you name it! A good social vibe makes a great place!
3. Vibe – I know this is a bit vague but I’m talking about the general feeling of a city or location. Is it happening? Is Paros beach in Greece full of locals enjoying the water and a drink? YES.
   Is the Rio nightlife vibrant with people out and about ready to have a good time? Can we climb that mountain? Hell Yes!

6. How do you earn money while travelling? Working remotely or do you pick up jobs along the way?

A confession. Neither of us have worked abroad. We’re both professionals who save and every couple of years in between jobs we take our chance for extended travel. We’ve always wondered if we took that next step and just did it full time but with planning to have a family and all I think we’ve probably missed that boat, for now…

7. Do you have a (monthly) budget when you travel? If yes, how do you stick to it? Any tips?

I always have a budget. It’s not monthly, it’s weekly. As we’ve always saved before undertaking an epic trip we know how much money we have before we leave Australia. Therefore, it’s easy to just divide our total amount by the weeks we are away. The hard thing is sticking to it. If you end up overspending early, its wise to pick a destination/country that you know is going to be less hefty on your pockets i.e. Eastern Europe and the Sub-continent came in handy a few times haha

8. What are the downsides of living the nomad lifestyle?

I guess living out of a backpack constantly and the inconvenience that comes with that. I generally find that after a while you get used to it and learn to embrace it.

9. On the other hand, what do you love most about this lifestyle?

Everyday is a new city, a new country, a new wonderful experience. Brooke and I have always said if we won the lotto we’d do it permanently. Who needs a house right?

10. What are the 5 things you always take with you when you’re travelling?

I can’t talk for Brooke, but myself:

• Toiletries
• Contact lenses
• Clothes for all occasions
• Phone/camera/go pro
• Shoes and thongs!

11. What’s the craziest/funniest/most memorable experience you’ve had so far?

The toughest question yet.. I don’t know, too many. ATV quad biking in Cappadocia, riding camels around the great pyramid, hiking with no guide or porter/Sherpa to Everest base camp, hiking the Inca trail with our best friends to Machu Picchu or getting lost in India, or a million other experiences. Honestly can’t choose.

12. Where can people follow you guys on social media?

Have not put as much effort into our IG accounts as we’d like recently but they are mjfoxx, travelfoxi and brookieash_x

Photo credits: Brooke & Michael