In this episode of the Recipe to the Road podcast, Katie and Luke from The Ungraceful Guide share their travel journey, from budget backpacking to travelling with their two-year-old daughter, Cora. They also talk about how they started working in web development while travelling, their experience travelling during the COVID-19 pandemic and being pregnant while in Thailand.

Meeting and Deciding to Travel

Katie and Luke met in Dublin 10 years ago. Before they met, Katie had never travelled before, but Luke had travelled and worked in Australia, America and Europe. They decided to go to Thailand for 6 weeks together, and it was an eye-opener for Katie, as she realised there was a whole world out there to see. They wanted to travel some more. On a friends recommendation they enrolled in a CELT course learning to teach English which they could do to earn money as they travelled.

Working online as web developers

They never really taught English, aside from a small bit online and some volunteering. They got some job offers but it never felt right at the time so they didn't take them. As they were not making money, they started finding ways to not spend money, such as hostel volunteering. They eventually got into web development by building a website for an English school they were supposed to volunteer at.

Travelling with a Toddler

During the COVID-19 pandemic, they up-skilled and registered their business to have job security, especially since Cora was born. They now live on a slightly less extreme budget when travelling. They travel differently now that they have a daughter, being more safety-conscious and trying to create a home at every stop for Cora. They take their work more seriously too.

Travel Burnout

Travelling can be mentally draining, especially since you are thinking about so much more than you usually would be thinking of when at home. It can lead to travel burnout, which Katie and Luke have experienced. They recommend taking breaks and slowing down when travelling to avoid burnout.

Being in India during COVID-19

Katie and Luke were in rural India when COVID-19 broke out, and they didn't have access to the internet. They realised the extent of things when people were scared of them because they looked foreign. They decided to get out of India and fly to Thailand because they thought it would be difficult to social distance in India, and they didn't want to risk putting pressure on the health system if they did get sick.

Pregnant in Thailand

After a long and stressful journey, they made it to Thailand just before the borders closed. They spent their first while in Thailand helping Katie's uncle get home to Ireland, which was a nightmare. COVID numbers were also climbing in Ireland, and they decided to stay in Thailand after finding out that Katie was pregnant. After a few hospital appointments, they decided to stay as long as they could and just come home to Ireland to have the baby. Once home they ended up staying in Ireland for two years due to COVID and were content with the time they spent but ready to go again.

In part 2 Luke and Katie will be speaking to me about how they made the decision to keep travelling after Cora was born and what it is like to travel with a toddler. We’ll also hear from Cora herself! Make sure and come back next week!

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www.theungracefulguide.com

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