Q&A: HOW do you make MONEY?? Do you WANT KIDS?? TRAVEL & LIFE PLANS for the FUTURE??

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and we are live according hello hello from the the fire pit here yes east of
Toronto and Scarborough oh man what's of nature paradise I'm sure
you'll have seen our tiny house in the woods video by now it is our final night
here so we thought we would shoot a little Q&A and I know we're dressed a
bit ridiculous right now I'm basically trying to cover every sort of my boxer
mosquito where it's mosquito where I also have a jacket in case they come
I'll get like a fishing shared a breathable fishing shirt and I've got a
cabin sleepwear and we've got a lovely fire going we have our graham crackers
marshmallows chocolate so I'm still have half of that kit left yes so yeah we
asked you guys over Instagram to submit your questions we've selected the most
popular ones and we will be answering them all the juicy gossip oh all right
well let's just dive right into it yeah and we gotta get them right so number
one how do you make money Oh shall I stir it yeah go ahead okay so
honestly we've been doing this travel thing probably for about seven years now
and over those seven years we have earned money in very different ways
first off like our first year of travel we had saved up money teaching English
in Korea so yeah we had those savings we weren't too stressed and we were also
trying to get our blogs going our websites going so they would start
earning money later on we also started doing some freelance writing I was
writing for travel and escape we were both writing for Expedia so we started
off actually more with our websites yeah we did start recording video when we
were still living in Korea and our first trip but it was at a very how could I
say amateur level had no idea what we were doing we were editing a Windows
Movie Maker yeah we were using cameras that didn't have good audio quality back
then external mic not even we worried we
weren't even at the camcorder stage no no yeah video was more of a hobby yes it
wasn't making us any money so we were just doing it for fun and honestly at
the beginning it was like awkward skits that we were filming in your apartment
it wasn't even travel-related those have all been made private don't under them
please so yeah it's only in the past I don't know three or four years that
YouTube has kind of become yeah our main thing like we really enjoy making videos
it also brings in money through YouTube Adsense sometimes we team up with um
tourism boards to make videos with them and like we also sell a lot of footage
behind the scenes so like will sell our video footage for documentaries or music
videos just random stuff yeah we've sold our photography so really it's like we
make money lots of different ways like we have multiple income stream multiple
income streams yeah maybe half of that super smore here
we go how about that you get you wanted to you
want to have the first one so I'll keep going okay I'll keep explaining sure
so yeah multiple income streams is really the key that allows us to do this
full-time we have our personal blogs oh yeah those make money - yeah we have our
we have three YouTube channels we have the English Channel the Spanish Channel
I have an older channel in the past we had some more websites which allowed us
to earn money through advertising and display ads then it's it's occasionally
working with brands tourism boards freelance writing and that's what allows
us to keep going if we were if we had all all of our our eggs in one basket it
would be very very difficult to make all of this because one thing we've learned
is that these income streams are very very volatile especially during a
pandemic guy yeah so the key really I think to doing well in this
in this industry is to it's to come at it from multiple income sources and to
always be creating new new ones something succeed some things fail but
it's and I think it's good to experiment right not everything you try is going to
work out the way you hoped yeah but you always learn lessons from that that you
can take into your next project massively you learn more from your
failures a lot of times than you do from your success good point
you really there's a lot of life lessons to be learned when something does it
work yeah absolutely so that is the long answer for how we make money how we
afford to travel and stay on the road on that point I should also mention the
reason we're able to be gone so much of the year is because we're not paying for
an apartment back home we don't have a car like we're not paying for car
insurance like we don't have a mobile plan cable none of those expenses so
what we would be spending in like normal life being in one place yeah we just
spend it on accommodations and travel around the rail that's one of the bigger
myths is that travel has to be expensive and it doesn't like that we know people
that have you know that they've become nomadic we're not we're no longer
nomadic ourselves but some of our friends who are nomadic spend less money
on the road than they do living at home and usually that usually it depends on
where you come from and that's at you in Europe in North America yeah like Canada
US Australia certain parts of maybe northern Western Europe and if you're
basing yourself in a country like Thailand or somewhere like that you can
you can easily be nomadic and be spending less money yeah yeah all right
that was question number one yeah marshmallow or a s'more number two
somewhere number two I should never choose just in time for question number
two so as we prepare s'more number two the question is do you see yourself
doing this type of work for the rest of your life or do you have other plans for
the future well can I start with this shirt
I need to swallow the chocolate first oh my that is so sugary wait a sec I'm glad
you bought what also water want to keep that in the middle oh I'm gonna need
some too not your mine Oh cheap chocolate um I think travel is
always going to be a part of our lives just because it's our passion yeah we
really enjoy it we love discovering new places and experiencing new cultures new
languages new food so that's always going to be in the picture video we also
have a lot of fun editing video like even if we weren't making money with it
it's kind of like a hobby we enjoy doing it I could say out of the three things
that we do writing photography video videos my favorite yeah and that's
probably for you too yeah yeah and that's why we do spend most of our time
creating videos so I will say that travel and making videos will always be
a part of our lives in some capacity but long-term yes we do have other plans the
work we have other exciting projects yeah announce it at the moment but
because there's a pandemic and everything has kind of been put on hold
but yeah there's some projects that we've been dreaming up and kind of
working on behind the scenes for a few years that may be what people to tell
you about next year yeah I really hope so so like we want to be able to
announce something when it's actually been started that's what we'll say about
that yeah but in terms of this being our career yeah we we feel like well right
we feel extremely fortunate to be able to do this as our jobs because we used
to do this as a hobby like yeah I used to save up all my money I earned
overseas teaching English in Korea and I would go travel until I ran out and I
did that a few times so I mean travels truly was our passion we met each other
through our travel blogs yeah and um this one mine yeah and yeah so that's uh
that's what I've got to say well before I eat this all right question number
three would you ever live in a different country where'd you like answer that one
sure well we have yeah we used to live in South Korea for a while um absolutely
I'm to me one of the greatest lessons are
not lessons experiences you can have in your life it's to go from the country
you're from and spend spend time somewhere that's especially if it's
somewhere quite different from where you came from yeah yeah I mean it's um a
great opportunity you'll learn more about yourself you'll learn more about
other cultures languages different a great way to get different work
experience and network and I will say like during the years that we were
nomadic we did do longer stints in certain cities where we got a taste of
what it's like to live there Chiang Mai bean was like my and Berlin would be
examples of things we were like oh we like it here let's stick around for a
while and kind of you're like a local I remember we spent quite a bit of time in
Hong Kong and back now our travel preferences have changed a little bit
yeah we started to prefer smaller places we still still like going to cities but
we were really into big cities for a while mm-hmm and we were really enamored
by Hong Kong like five or six years ago actually before we decided to go back to
school in Canada we we explored a considered explore doing the same degree
program in Hong Kong would have been a lot more expensive the cost was what
ended up yeah the deciding factor yeah yeah it would have been more than double
or triple we would have had to pay international student fees and things
like that I believe and that was the that was the deal breaker another
marshmallow number four do you have a five-year plan or do you live day by day
week by week month by month Wow well I could totally I could totally see
why people would think we might live day by day when you watched our videos on
our Channel it probably just seems like I'm just gallivanting and winging it but
we do have we definitely do have long term business and personal goals
absolutely yeah I would say definitely yeah we do have long-range plans like
five-year plans we also have one year plans and we also have like monthly
plans too yeah honestly I feel like having goals keep
be motivated right it's like okay this is what I want to accomplish let's start
working towards it so yeah I'm definitely the kind of person who likes
sets goals makes lists I don't keeps track of things and yeah I like progress
there's definitely there's definitely was definitely pending goals although I
would say four or five years ago we were winging it a bit more for sure when we
were backpacking yeah I'd say here one and two we were winging
him yeah and that was totally fun yeah yeah totally fun like where do you want
to go next we're in Malacca what should we do
should we hop on a ferry hop on a train I told her I remember that situation
we're like are we going to Indonesia are we gonna take a flight to Cambodia are
we gonna continue on to Singapore look we we changed our mind by like three
times a day but we also had fewer responsibilities right you'll also
probably probably notice too that if you hadn't have been following our channel
for several years we don't we don't gallivant around the world the way we
used to like we tend to focus more on on a particular region or country and go a
little bit more in depth yeah in the past we were just here and there
is like zigzagging all over the globe yeah and yeah we prefer to go a little
more in-depth now and it's a travel a bit slower yeah okay let's see you next
question do you want to have kids someday yes yes yes we do want to have
kids I'd like to I think sometimes Sam wants three yeah yeah I mean I'm not
popping one out this year or in the immediate future I'm actually going to
be an aunt in a matter of days maybe by the time this video goes up already be
an aunt yeah that's not so true that's so true
auntie auntie you can do it I think it said both ways to be honest yeah so I'm
really excited for that maybe that'll give me
some some practice right yeah babe but nothing in the immediate future yeah
well it's uh it's it's it's a long-term plan yeah we have a few more ducks we
want to get an order before we start making babies let's see number six was
it love at first sight for her definitely just like here's my Romeo no
um I will say Sam and I hit it off right away
um before we actually met in person right we knew each other online because
we were both bloggers we were kind of like in the same circle we had lots of
mutual friends so yeah we had chatted we had Skyped and we got along really well
so it was like yeah let's meet up and so let's go hang out it wasn't a date it
was just like let's meet up with a fellow traveler and like swamp yeah
that's so true I remember even on that the second time we met up we met up with
with mark Wiens - yeah yeah hanging out having Korean food
that was a way back when we got along great right away we had we were we were
in creating the same thing or GT English we both wanted to travel it was just
like art I mean not only did we did we like each other but but our goals
aligned yeah and that was a big I think that was a big reason why why we ended
up getting yeah I think we started dating like a month after meeting person
yeah yeah oh the chocolate chocolate that was more without chocolate also is
it gooey enough no this one actually needs to be cooked more maybe let's cook
it a bit longer which gives me time to look up the next question seven most
embarrassing travel moments in public oh man we have a lot you have more yeah
probably that's probably true which story do you want to tell home I thought
we could tell the Hong Kong why don't you why don't you start off by calling
I'm sure we've shared the story before I feel like we have basically Sam and I
were in Hong Kong for the first time and we were supposed to go have lunch
with someone from the PR team from discover Hong Kong the tourism to work
because they were going to give us some passes for some activities that we were
planning to film for them and they gave us an address a time and an address
let's meet here for dim sum and we thought cool I looked at the address
this was a neighborhood that we had been in before where they have a lot of
little like you know casual hole-in-the-wall dim sum places so like
we didn't really dress up but especially you like Sam wasn't for cash so I think
that the key point was that the only places we had ever had dim sum before
we're super casual so we just assumed dim sum meant a real casual meow so we
hopped in a taxi yeah we weren't running late but like it was raining so we were
going to arrive just in time like there wasn't any time to dilly-dally or
anything yeah and as we start getting closer to the place and we start like
going towards the building we realize like whoa we are in a really fancy part
of Hong Kong like were in the tallest building right now we're eating at a
restaurant that's I don't know like it was 50 stories up it was so fancy that
there was a gold-plated dim sum yeah there were gold flakes and our dim
sum and like the higher we went up in the building the more people were like
dressed up walking around in suits I'm dressed in flip-flops
I have casual shorts yeah and I'm wearing a stretched t-shirt yes yes and
where most people are wearing like not just smart business but designer
designer elegant business suits yeah and we get to the top of this restaurant and
the what you call the matrix the maitre d like their jihad wrong
yeah oh my gosh like what is this guy doing but we had an appointment we had
someone to meet so we had to go in so they pull Sam aside with like a little
bag and they like sir there's a dress code here can you please go into the
bathroom and change yeah they were nice enough to still allow us to eat there
yeah I had to go in and change and the funniest part is that I was uh I was
given clothes that were ply for so uh probably for a guy that was a boat maybe
you know at least six to seven inches smaller than me and several waist sizes
smaller than me you say that so I come walking out of the bathroom my pants
almost look like shorts above his ankle ha I couldn't do up the belt buckle
obviously since we're on this dress shirt that I was able to just hover over
the pants and I sat and had a meal and maybe one of the fanciest restaurants in
Hong Kong yeah wearing that I I was trying so hard to keep a straight face
but it was just such a funny sight and you know so I'm you know in all fairness
the person who met us plate handled it so so well yeah
they didn't make a didn't even make a remark like it would have been nice if
she said something like I know she didn't say anything played it cool
totally ignored the fact that Sam was very much underdressed and yeah that was
a learning lesson because now I actually look up look up places when I know I'm
supposed to meet someone for a business meeting indeed oh man okay yeah so next
question is best birthday spent traveling that's a very good question
and the thing is we have been abroad a lot we have been but I usually don't
make a big deal out of my birthday so like we'll go out for food and like I'll
have a nice meal and I'm happy but like we normally don't plan anything epic
like young go stay in a fan the hotel or like book any like special
activities it's just a North another day in our lives food I've had really good
Korean food in Paris for my birthday and I'm usually in Fredericton visiting
Sam's parents for my birthday these days every July so we'll go out for food
together there I just got a question 9 how many countries have you been to you
know what's embarrassing is I don't think we know the exact number
well somewhere between 60 and 70 isn't it I counted last year and I think we
were at like 72 or 73 and I don't think it's gone up much since then we we
tacked on most of those countries in our first few years of traveling yeah
probably the first two years when I ran around Southeast Asia and then we ran
around Europe by train yeah yeah but I mean I I mean I think we're gonna
naturally hit a hundred someday but it's not a personal goal like we're not
racing towards it no to be honest I'd rather spend like three months in India
traveling all the different states and regions then I would necessarily go into
like 15 countries and Europe over a summer yeah I mean sometimes I'd rather
go deeper in a place we're also country repeaters like yeah really like a place
we'll keep going back and back and back again to see more of the country yeah so
we're often not visiting new places just because we want to go deeper in a place
that we really enjoy but for anyone who does want to hit a hundred countries
that's cool that's really cool yeah and also if you want to have a tip to do it
faster you can really rack up the countries in Europe more than any other
part of the world yeah the Guv all despicable the city states and yes tons
of opportunity I cried total so this this question could be interpreted two
different ways it says what's the one thing you miss most about normal life
and I don't know if they mean like normal versus pandemic life or normal
versus travel life and being on the road all here
so how do you want to answer it well interest let's listen water yeah yeah
let's answer it from the pandemic perspective so the biggest change for us
has been obviously being grounded not being able to travel to have our income
down considerably which is this is the truth and the other change is to stop
being able to make plans but the biggest change I think has just been just sort
of being able to embrace the uncertainty I think we've we've had our moments
where we felt annoyed or anxious about what's going on but then we've also had
moments where we've just felt a lot of gratitude like yeah we're in a safe
place we have a we're still able to do our work from the basement we've been
able to get caught up on a lot of things we've been able to focus a bit more on
our health doing healthy juicing going for daily
exercise so there we have been trying to make the most of it
but it's it's we've definitely never faced anything like this before and I'm
sure it's like that for almost all everyone who's watching this ok next
question when do you think you'll feel safe to resume travel so that's a great
question to be honest it's been more than three and a half months at this
point since we started our little quarantine at home with my family yeah
so we do feel safe to slowly start getting out there we are obviously
starting first domestically and really and really so we're not venturing very
far and we're purposely seeking out destinations where it's just the two of
us right we're still continuing our isolation here in these tiny houses and
for our activities we're going hiking enjoying the outdoors we're cooking for
ourselves so we're kind of like limiting our contact and interactions with other
people to like prevent the spread we're we're choosing to do nature escapes just
as you mentioned yeah and we'll start from there and see what
happens as things open up I mean obviously different countries different
regions within countries are experiencing the lockdown in a different
manner and so we're just monitoring things
and I think if we do do travel this year there's a very high chance it's gonna be
mostly domestic yes mostly covering parts of Canada yeah and that's actually
quite exciting honest yes like I'm super pumped about seeing more of Canada just
because yeah I haven't travelled in Canada a lot and we have such beautiful
landscapes that yeah I would love to get out there and see more of my own country
right and also some interesting cities to visit too so I mean yeah well we'll
just play it by ear yeah but most likely are our next big trip aside from these
little weekend getaways would be somewhere in Canada yeah so I think that
is all the questions for today we're actually at the 30 minute mark so I
think that's a pretty good link I don't know if the video would be exactly 30
minutes I might cut it up on the screen we're seeing 30 minutes yeah so thank
you for sending in your questions if you have any additional ones I would suggest
you leave them in the comments below yeah well do this that way yeah we can
do it again issues the most frequently asked once so whatever whatever
questions you ask will go through and that'll be for the part two of this yeah
you know what you can do up vote the questions you want answered so if you
see them in the already in the comments thumbs up it needs to be answered well
guys thanks so much for watching and we hope that you are able to travel again
soon too like we are consider these types of getaways you know something
nearby something out in nature I think that's a good way to start so yeah and
we're gonna keep enjoying our s'mores we are thanks guys ciao
you