This is the usual ‘About Us’ section, would you believe? We’re Stacey and Joel, a married couple who live in Shropshire in the West Midlands. We’re keen travellers and have travelled lots and lots since we got together in 2013. We’re huge fans of city breaks but love to travel anywhere and everywhere. Our first ever city break was to Budapest, which was fully inspired by the song Budapest by George Ezra. Since then, we have never looked back. We take any opportunity to get away, whether that’s on a plane or in Bumper. You can find out more about Bumper, our Renault Trafic campervan HERE.
Stacey
Hello, I’m Stacey! I got my bug for travelling back in 2004, when I went to Greece to work as a children’s rep. There is nothing quite like swimming in the Mediterranean Sea or indulging in traditional Greek food. Since then I have invested a lot of time into Early Years and working with vulnerable families and children. Having the 9-5 job has never stopped my travel addiction though. Every spare week or weekend is filled with an adventure. There’s nothing I enjoy more than planning a cheap and exciting trip away.
Joel
And I’m Joel, a photographer in the Royal Navy. This has taken me all over the world but travel with the navy is never quite the same as travel with your better half though. I joined the navy as a submariner, so I’m used to living in small, cramped spaces, but I’d say a camper van is like a palace compared to a submarine! I’ve covered anti-piracy and counter-narcotics in the Gulf, worked extensively with the Royal Marines, saw first-hand the devastation that Hurricane Irma had in the Caribbean and worked at Downing Street as the Official Photographer to the Prime Minister, who, at the time, was Theresa May. I now find myself at the Defence School of Photography, teaching future professional Defence photographers. The Royal Navy has led to a unique, varied and exciting career, but it just doesn’t quench my thirst anymore, which leads me onto…
…The Future
Where do we want to be in the future? As I write this, our future plan is to live on the road in Bumper Mk2, which we plan to be a long wheelbase high top van of some sort. We’re a few years away from this yet. Joel’s time in the navy needs to come to an end and we need to find a van and kit it out. But in the meantime, we are planning for this future and adding to our bucket list all the time. We want a life without the limits of work and the constraints of normal life and want to experience all the things we can’t when we are holding down full-time jobs and paying a mortgage.
The Family
We have a son called Joshua and two cats, named Nikon and Nala. Joel definitely did not name the cat after a camera. That responsibility was down to Joshua, but it definitely suits Nikon. The cats meet our needs – they are cute, full of character and aren’t as demanding as dogs, which means we can travel, and they are fine with the neighbour popping in to check the automatic pet feeder is still kicking out the Whiskas!
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