Vicki is a lawyer from the UK who took the long route (9+ years) to professional qualification – before realizing 3 months later that it wasn’t what she wanted anymore. She walked away from a corporate salary to focus on inspiring others to make time to see the world through her website.
Originally from a small town outside Manchester in the UK, Vicki settled in Melbourne, Australia after 4 years of traveling around the world. During that time she worked for Walt Disney World in Florida, USA, ran 5 different hotels in the French, Swiss & Austrian Alps, and spent any spare time she had exploring the globe.
Want to know more about Vicki and her adventures? Read more in our interview below and connect with him here on Backpacker Travel and her Facebook page.
BT: You left your corporate job to travel the world. What was the hardest part of doing that and, given the choice, would you make the same decision again?
Vicki: The hardest part was walking away from my comfortable (and guaranteed!) corporate salary. Moving away from a stable income was nerve-wracking as freelancing can be tough and the first 6 months the toughest of them all, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I realized that I wasn’t happy as a lawyer and that money wasn’t everything. I don’t earn anywhere near lawyer money these days, but I am very happy.
BT: Along the same lines, your article on why you don’t have to quit your job to travel the world is really inspiring! Can you give our community an idea of how you go about finding jobs on the road?
Vicki: Finding a traditional ‘brick and mortar’ job is often easier than trying to find freelance clients (as there is so much competition for those – everyone seems to want to live a digital nomad life these days!). To improve your chances of finding part-time or full-time work on the road you need to be content to live in a place for several months. Employers are usually good with transient workers – particularly in the hospitality industry, but they do appreciate people who will be around for more than one or two shifts. If you can set down roots for longer, basic administrative or call center roles are also a good option for travelers. One of the best ways to combine working and travel look at seasonal or fixed-term roles such as cruise ships or ski/summer seasons. These roles often include accommodation and meals and require you to work long hours, but it is easier to save your pay in these situations as you have minimal expenses (and are working a lot of the time for several months).
BT: You traveled with a partner for several years. What is the best and what is the hardest part about traveling with a partner?
Vicki: Communication is key. It can be tough for new couples to start out traveling as you’re still getting to know each other, but if you are already in a groove – who does what in terms of booking/planning, what your interests are, how fast/slow you like to travel, it can be the perfect way to solidify your relationship. You see and experience so many wonderful things when traveling, as well as face some interesting challenges, and having someone to share all that with is some kinda special.
BT: Finally, what has been the most fun day you have had while traveling?
Vicki: I’ve been lucky to have hundreds of wonderfully fun days when traveling, but my favorite would either be any of the days on my recent trip to Christmas Island with Google and Parks Australia to capture the crab migration and the street view trekker mapping the island or would be any of my days on safari in Africa bouncing from adventure activities in Victoria Falls, to amazing national parks in Namibia or South Africa the next. The whole ‘Africa’ experience took my breath away and is why it’s my favorite continent.
