Go-with-the-flow-travel: Meet Rozanna and Jono

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

We are an Australian (Jono) and Swedish (Rozanna) couple, currently in a long-distance relationship whilst waiting for a visa application to be approved.

2. Jono, I met you in Australia but also when you guys came to Amsterdam. Since then, you and Rozanna have been travelling to various places. Where are you guys at the moment? 

We are currently in Northern Sweden, in a city called Umeå where Rozanna is graduating university, then we’ll be moving to Gothenburg at the end of the month to start a new adventure. Exciting times, I’m thinking lots of weekend getaways lie ahead this year …

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

This is the hardest question. Every country is awesome in its own way. Iceland is breathtakingly beautiful, the landscapes are so dramatic. Surfing in between snow capped fjords was an amazing experience and hard to top.

South Korea was also really fun. We really loved the food scene, culture and learned a lot about the history between to north and south with a visit to the DMZ.

Italy is also a favourite for the food and culture. I love being there with Rozanna, she is half Italian and therefore my own personal tour guide.

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?

For the past year we have been doing long distance with our relationship whilst waiting for my Swedish visa to be approved, so planning ahead is necessary as we are limited by time (generally a week). But we’d prefer to pick a destination, then just take off with maybe a couple of nights accommodation booked for arrival.

The rest of the time we’d completely play by ear. We have found a lot of the time when you plan ahead and research places, things to do, places to eat etc. you have an expectation on how it will be because of those reviews you’ve read or pictures you’ve seen, and a lot of the time it falls short. The best times we’ve had, have always been unplanned. No expectations, no disappointments!

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

• Being off the beaten track has become very important to us. Not running into other Aussies or Swedes.
• The food scene, having the ability to try new exotic dishes is definitely cool and exciting
• New cultures, religions, languages and people, something we haven’t experienced before make a destinations a lot more appealing to us.

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

We both earn our money prior to travelling. I am a carpenter and Rozanna is about to become a lawyer after graduating university. Not exactly jobs we can do on the road unfortunately.

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

We’ve never travelled with a strict budget. I’ve (Jono) been fortunate to have worked a well paying job in the mining industry back in Australia that allows us to not budget.

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

This one only applies to me I think. I have pretty much lived out of a suitcase for the last 7 years, but not having a homely little space or place that’s got all your stuff in, that you can just come back to and relax in is a downside.

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

The freedom to decide that you can impulsively book a flight to anywhere in the world and not have to worry about overheads like rent, mortgage, bills etc.

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

Headphones and ear plugs are a necessity for flights and hostels. Laptop for bookings and communication. Black jeans, they go with everything and don’t show all the dirty stains, VANS shoes, durable and fashionable. However I don’t recommend walking kilometres in them up Austrian mountains.

Google translate app if I’m going off the beaten track. You can download the language on the app before arriving at your destination, that way it will work all the time, in between all your coffee/café WiFi stops.

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

Morocco was a pretty crazy experience. Being taken into the mountains of Chefchaouen by street drug dealers to a big Marijuana plantation and then making hash with the locals.

And being detained and questioned at Casablanca airport by the Moroccan immigration police for trying to leave our broken-down and beat-up van in the country. (I ended up having to get one of my mates staying with you and Lac in Amsterdam to fly back down to Morocco so we could drive the van all the way back to the UK to sell) …

Photo credits: Jono & Rozanna