No Vacation Required

2012 = Our NVR Life Is 5

Break out the champagne. 2012 marks the 5 year anniversary of our No Vacation Required Life.

Entering into the last stretch of 2011, we’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about our path to this way of living and how much the last several years have changed the trajectory of our lives.

We feel very fortunate and are eager to take things to the next level over the coming year. It’s an NVR 2.0 sort of thing.

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NVR 301 – The Lowdown

After leaving our jobs, visiting Africa and South America and taking time to figure stuff out, we were ready to build our new life. Here’s what it’s all about.

Once you’ve witnessed poverty, abject poverty, you don’t forget the smell. It’s nothing like you’d expect (at least in our experience), and it’s nothing you can even imagine. The smell is surprisingly easy to recall, though, and we’re quickly reminded of it when confronted with particular triggers – intense smoke and dried shrimp being at the top of list (told you it was tough to peg!). Read more

NVR 201 – South America

Fueled by the transformative experience we had in Africa, we became determined to find an international volunteer experience. We found the perfect opportunity in South America. Having the chance to do some long-term volunteer work in Ecuador was a life changing experience – a pivotal part of shaping who we are today.   Read more

NVR 101 – Visiting Africa

A few years ago, after visiting Paris and deciding to retool our lives, we made the decision to do some traveling in order to see the final continents on our list (and to figure stuff out!). First stop: Africa

Deciding to go to Zambia – one of the most poverty stricken places on earth – was a no-brainer.  The timing was right, and we were eager to see/experience the reality of this way of life for ourselves and to visit the family we had taken under our wing from so far away.  Our visit to Africa is what propelled our decision to do a complete overhaul of the way we look at life. Read more