A nomad couple who are travelling Australia with a toddler and newborn say leaving their 9-5 jobs behind brought them closer together as a couple.
Dylan Bergamaschi and his wife Kallie caught the travel bug after they honeymooned in the Canadian Rocky Mountains in October 2017.
They returned with a new outlook on life and opted to move back in with their parents and save their pennies to live the life of their dreams.
With their savings, the 23-year-old and 25-year-old purchased an old 22-seater church van for $13,500 (£7,528) and decided to do it up.
A nomad couple who are travelling Australia with a toddler and newborn say leaving their 9-5 jobs behind brought them closer together as a couple
The trio returned home to Adelaide briefly in December 2018 to birth their newest addition, Zephyr (pictured)
With their savings, the 23-year-old and 25-year-old purchased an old 22-seater church van for $13,500 (£7,528) and decided to do it up
The renovations cost them another $9,000 (£5,018) and took five months to complete.
The converted van, affectionately named Nelly, now runs completely on solar power and is an eco-friendly home on wheels which they live in full time to travel.
Dylan, Kallie and their son Lincoln, now four, moved into their new home on August 2018 and haven’t looked back.
The trio returned home to Adelaide briefly in December 2018 to birth their newest addition, Zephyr.
They stayed there for a few months before moving back onto their bus full time and have no set date to stop travelling.
Dylan, Kallie and their son Lincoln, now four, moved into their new home on August 2018 and haven’t looked back
Dylan, a one time concreter, said the benefits to nomadic living for the children were undeniable
Dylan, a one time concreter, said the benefits to nomadic living for the children were undeniable.
‘Travelling on the bus has been great for the kids. We can’t quite tell with Zephyr yet because he’s a bit too young, but it’s been great for Lincoln. He’s such a versatile young man and has a heart of gold,’ he said.
‘He learns so much on the road and has experienced things many people never will. Not only has he been able to do these exciting things but to our surprise he still remembers a lot of it.’
Dylan said his eldest recalls his favourite adventures to all their family and friends.
The couple said they would likely keep travelling as long as they could support themselves
Van life is a way of living that everyone should try at least once, the couple think
The converted van, affectionately named Nelly, now runs completely on solar power and is an eco-friendly home on wheels which they live in full time to travel
‘We often have people tell us about the stories he’s told them about when we went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef and the time we went surfing at Seals Rock in the freezing water.’
Beyond the benefits for the children, Dylan and Kallie said time on the road has rekindled their relationship and given them a chance to ‘reconnect and get to know each other better.’
‘The nine to five work routine was pulling us away and our relationship on the road got to blossom again and we reconnected.
‘Of course we have our bad days but that’s usually just down to trying to find a place to park our bus each night.’
The couple said they would likely keep travelling as long as they could support themselves.
‘Living in such a small space means that you have to minimise your possessions and it teaches us we don’t need so much stuff,’ Dylan said
‘We don’t know how long we will keep travelling for, we sometimes think about a place to settle and call our own, but honestly, if we can find a way to keep supporting this lifestyle, we don’t think we’ll ever stop,’ Dylan said.
He said their family have been nothing but supportive of them, and always welcome them with open arms when Nelly needs renovations or they need to settle down and save before heading on their next adventure.
Van life is a way of living that everyone should try, the couple think.
‘Living in such a small space means that you have to minimise your possessions and it teaches us we don’t need so much stuff.
‘It helped us to reconnect with each other and our environment. You wake up in the morning, make your coffee, step outside and take it all in.
‘You spend your time adventuring and exploring what the world has to offer instead of sitting inside watching TV.
‘The same goes for your kids, it’s the best thing watching them explore, learn and grow in nature.
‘One of the best things about travelling on the road in our bus is that, although the scenery is constantly changing, we are always home.’
Beyond the benefits for the children, Dylan and Kallie said time on the road has rekindled their relationship and given them a chance to ‘reconnect and get to know each other better.’
The family of four have no intentions of giving up their new, nomadic way of life