Traveling and eco-friendly habits can go together, if we take the time and put in the effort.
Before we get too far along in our journey, Iet’s take a minute to talk about why we’ve suddenly quit our jobs to go traveling around South East Asia, and what we want to accomplish.
Now, we are far from the only European couple backpacking our way through South East Asia on a budget, and definitely not the only ones who decided to document it on social media!
It all started one cold, rainy Sunday last November. We had taken a day trip from Paris to a nearby town to get out of the city. Alex and I walked along the river, discussing what we wanted to do with our lives. What did we really wanted to do? What would make us happy? What would make us feel fulfilled?
Travel was the first thing that came to mind. We both love it. Before embarking on this year across South East Asia, we had visited over 20 countries together. But taking a year off to “just travel”, seemed too easy to me. We can’t just do nothing and go on vacation for a year! I felt that we needed more of a goal. I wanted our travels to mean something.
Being able to travel is such a privilege, and it is so important for everyone to learn from, and broaden their views of the world. It didn’t seem fair that we got to explore and have fun for a year, taking from our experience – without giving anything back.
So, I guess, the main thing that we’re trying to accomplish is to share a piece of our privilege and experiences, and to hopefully give something back to the places and communities we are visiting, as well as everyone who may follow along.
Now, that’s the first part of the equation. The second thing that came up when we thought about what truly matters, is taking care of this planet. Traveling, unfortunately is not synonymous with reducing and recycling. Yet, as we go along with our slow travels, we will do our best to go forward consciously and do whatever small part we can to help preserve and restore nature.
We are hoping to visit, learn from, and shine light on sustainable projects and nature preservation organizations across South East Asia. We want to share more on these projects and people that deserve more recognition. We hope to focus on a positive optimism, learning and thinking about climate change solutions rather than standing still, waiting for the one perfect change to fix everything.
We acknowledge our privilege, and know that we are not the experts. Follow along with us, so that we can learn together.