A young woman has revealed how she walked away from her comfortable life to go travelling around the world.
Nicola Easterby, from Brisbane, had embarked on an adventurous gap year at the age of 19 with the initial plan to return to university to complete her photography degree.
But fast forward four years, the now 23-year-old has turned her spontaneous travels into a lucrative career by blogging under Polkadot Passport – and sharing postcard-like snapshots to nearly 250,000 Instagram followers.
She has been leading a fulfilling life out of a suitcase after visiting more than 46 countries across five continents.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, the globetrotter has given a glimpse into her jet-setting adventures on the road – and why she made the decision to live a life many dream about.
Nicola Easterby (pictured) has revealed how she walked away from her comfortable life to go travelling around the world
The now 23-year-old (pictured in India) has turned her spontaneous travels into a lucrative career by blogging
The Australian travel blogger has been leading a fulfilling life out of a suitcase (pictured at Cologne Christmas Markets)
She has visited more than 46 countries across five continents
‘After a year of studying photography at university, I wasn’t really enjoying the course and was realising that I didn’t really need to study photography in order to pursue this passion of mine,’ she told FEMAIL.
‘I had always been itching to go travelling, so I decided to take a gap year from university and went on my first solo adventure to Europe.
‘I had initially planned to return to university as I thought that I needed a degree – any degree – to be successful.’
But after exploring the other side of the world for the year, the photographer made a snap decision not to return to studying – and home.
‘I had seriously caught the travel bug, so I put off studying to continue to travel,’ she said.
‘This is when I started Polkadot Passport. I certainly never dreamed that it could amount to a full-time career.
‘After two years of self-funded travel, my following on my blog and Instagram started to grow and opportunities slowly started popping up.
‘At this point, I decided that I wasn’t going to go back to normal life – instead, I was going to try make a living from travelling.’
The blogger said she was inspired to go travelling to ‘get outside my comfort zone, open my mind to new things and live the most exciting, adventurous life possible’.
‘After four years of travelling, I really want to start travelling less for myself and for my own experiences. I want to travel with more of a purpose,’ she said.
‘I still don’t know exactly what that looks like, but I am on a journey of figuring it out. For now, my focus is trying to travel in a more sustainable way, for example investing more in local communities and fighting against animal-based tourism.
‘I’ve also been bringing along family and friends on my travels so I can share the experiences with people I love, rather than keeping all these amazing experiences I get to have to myself.’
She said she was inspired to go travelling to ‘get outside my comfort zone and live an exciting, adventurous life’
After exploring Europe for a year, the photographer made a decision not to return to university to study (pictured in Israel)
She turned her travels into a lucrative career by blogging about her life on the road (pictured in a hot air balloon in Goa, India)
For those want an adventurous life on the road, Nicola advises: ‘Start small but dream big’ (pictured in Vietnam)
And so she turned her passion for travel into a lucrative career by blogging about her life on the road and sharing her top tips and itineraries to her readers.
Supporting her lifestyle through her blog, Nicola made it possible to sustain her adventures after her sumptuous Instagram account attracted much attention.
‘When I first started travelling, I worked multiple casual jobs and ran a wedding and event photography business in order to fund my travels,’ she said.
‘Nowadays, I am lucky enough to earn income from my blog and Instagram. Most the time when I travel, all my expenses will be paid by the client I am working with. Funnily enough, this means I actually save a lot more money when I am travelling versus if I was at home paying rent.’
The young woman admitted she has no plans to stop travelling anytime soon.
‘Travelling will always be in my blood and I can’t imagine ever stopping altogether,’ she revealed.
‘However, I’ve been living out of a suitcase for the past year and I am ready to be a little more settled. For me, this means having a base in one place and coming back regularly between my travels.
‘Definitely I’m not ready to “settle down” in the traditional sense… I think it will be quite a few more years before I am ready for that.’
The now 23-year-old has turned her spontaneous travels into a lucrative career by blogging under Polkadot Passport
She shares postcard-like snapshots to her Instagram followers (pictured: Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Chiang Mai, Thailand)
For those who want to leave their 9-5 jobs for an adventurous life on the road, Nicola advises: ‘Start small but dream big’
The Australian woman has been living on the road for four years since getting the travel bug
After living on the road for more than four years, Nicola knows all too well when it comes to packing light.
‘It’s not easy,’ she admitted.
‘In fact, it is one of the parts of travelling that I dislike the most. It’s especially difficult to know what to pack when I am going to places with different clients and I have to stick to a 20 kilogram weight limit.
‘A lot of that weight limit is taken up with camera gear, as I always travel with a DSLR, multiple lens, a drone, a tripod and lots of other bits of tech.
‘I am also terrible when it comes to packing clothes. I always bring too many pretty dresses and hats that look nice in photos but aren’t actually very practical.
‘If I have been travelling for a long time, sometimes I’ll give a bunch of clothes in my suitcase away to charity and replace them with things I buy on the road.’
Nicola says deciding what to pack is one of the few things she dislikes about her journeys (pictured inside an igloo in Lapland)
She has travelled to more than 46 countries – and still counting! (pictured with a little girl in Guatemala in Central America)
Nicola said her travels are usually planned out months in advance – or organised spontaneously in a day (pictured in India)
Having travelled to 46 countries – and still counting – Nicola said her adventures are usually planned out months in advance – or organised spontaneously at the last second.
‘It is really a mix,’ she said.
‘When I am travelling for work, my trips are determined by the client I am working with – sometimes these trips will be planned months in advance but more often than not they are very last minute.
‘For example, right now I am in Vietnam and my plane tickets to here were booked less than a week ago. However, when I’m travelling on my terms, things are a lot less planned.
‘My favourite way to travel is spontaneously – not booking anything before arriving in a new country, so I can just see where the wind takes me.
‘There is something so liberating about travelling in that way and you always end up in the most incredible, unexpected places.’
Her biggest challenge is being worlds apart from her loved ones (pictured in Menorca in the Mediterranean Sea)
For those who want to leave their 9-5 jobs for an adventurous life on the road, Nicola advises: ‘Start small but dream big’
After living on the road for more than four years, Nicola knows all too well how to pack light
When she initially set off on her trip, Nicola said she was travelling on a tight budget. Now, she splits herself between two different lifestyles – either staying in a lavish five-star resort one day – or a cheap hostel the next.
‘When I first started travelling, I did everything on a real budget,’ she said.
‘One time, I had to catch a 35-hour non-stop bus from Budapest to a little town in the South of France just to save money. I am lucky enough that now, a large portion of my travel is covered by the clients I work with.
‘This means I get to stay in amazing hotels and have some incredible experiences that I otherwise would not be able to afford.
‘On the flip side, when I am travelling on my own accord, I still stick to a budget – although I would definitely fork out the extra money to not have to catch a 35 hour bus again.
‘It’s strange because one night I might be in the most exclusive five-star hotel and the next night I will book myself into the cheapest hostel in town.
‘I kind of like it like that – doing both brings balance to my life and makes me appreciate both sides of the coin.’
Nicola said her adventures are usually planned out months in advance – or organised spontaneously at the last second
She has been leading a fulfilling life out of a suitcase after visiting 46 countries over five continents (pictured in South Africa)
The globetrotter has given a glimpse into her adventures – and why she made the decision to live a life many dream about
After telling her loved ones about her plans to pursue a career in travel blogging, she said her family took ‘some time’ to wrap their heads around her decision
After telling her loved ones about her plans to pursue a career in travel blogging, she said her family took ‘some time’ to wrap their heads around her decision.
‘At first, it took my family some time to really understand why I wanted to keep travelling and not go back to university,’ she said.
‘But for the most part, both my friends and family have been so supportive of what I am doing. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such a supportive community as I don’t think I would be able to continue doing what I was doing if that wasn’t the case.
‘It’s amazing now as I have so many opportunities to travel with both members of my family and friends. I think this makes a massive difference as when they come along on trips with me they are able to really see and understand what it is I do.
‘When I am travelling on my own, I miss home a lot. I think what I miss the most is having a community around me as I think that is one of the most important things in life.’
She has been leading a fulfilling life out of a suitcase after visiting 46 countries across five continents (pictured taking part in the World’s Tallest Bungee)
The globetrotter has given a glimpse into her adventures – and why she made the decision to live a life many dream about
Nicola said her travels are usually planned out months in advance – or organised spontaneously in a day (pictured in Japan)
The 23-year-old woman has certainly lived to tell some tales – from catching the wrong train to getting lost in another city
And she has certainly lived to tell some tales – from catching the wrong train to getting lost in another city.
‘One time, I caught the wrong train and ended up in the middle of the forest in Austria when I was meant to be in Germany and not actually realizing I was in the wrong country,’ she said.
The most challenging part of her travels is being worlds apart from her family and friends – but she revealed her struggles to cope has been a learning experience.
‘The hardest part about travelling has been being away from my family and friends,’ she said.
‘At first, I got so caught up in the excitement of travelling full-time that I didn’t think I needed a home-base. I thought being constantly nomadic was the most exciting and ultimately the way to live.
‘Over the past year, that started to really take it’s toll, and after a year of living out of a suitcase, I realised I needed to base myself in one place. I started to get really exhausted and not appreciate travelling as much as I should be.
‘I want to regain that excitement for travelling again, and I know I need to be in one place for a longer time in order to do that. I say it again and again, but travelling has really taught me the value of family and friends, and just how important it is to have a community surrounding you – something you can’t get when you are travelling.
‘It has also completely opened up my mind and made me a much braver, more independent and confident person. I used to get anxiety meeting new people or being in situations where I didn’t know anyone.
‘Now I do it on a daily basis and it no longer phases me.’
Nicola says travelling far and wide has made her a braver and more independent person
The 23-year-old blogger is now planning to settle in New Zealand for a while to have a break from hitting the road
The globetrotter has given a glimpse into her adventures – and why she made the decision to live a life many dream about
So what’s her next plan?
For those wanting to leave their ‘normal 9-5 jobs’ behind for an adventurous life on the road, Nicola advises: ‘Start small but dream big’ (pictured in Brussels)
‘I was just in Vietnam staying at a beautiful resort in Quy Nhon. Next, I am actually heading back to settle down in New Zealand for awhile after a whole year on the road,’ she said.
‘I am really looking forward to having some down time before setting off travelling again. The next trip I have planned is to Morocco, where I running my first photography tour.’
And for those wanting to leave their ‘normal 9-5 jobs’ behind for an adventurous life on the road, Nicola advises: ‘Start small but dream big’.
‘If you want to live an adventurous life but can’t afford a six-month trip across Europe, start off with adventures in your own backyard,’ she said.
‘Be realistic. Realise you have to make sacrifices if you want to travel – and yes, this might mean skipping the daily smashed avo on toast and flat white or buying a new iPhone.
‘Set a goal and work hard towards it, and realise that travelling always costs double what you think it will – even when you budget everything.
‘Find ways that you can use your skills and earn money as you travel – whether this is running an online business, working in the countries you go to or volunteering in exchange for accommodation to keep costs down.
‘Realise you don’t have to be a travel blogger or an Instagrammer to travel the world – there are so many different professions that can open up the doors to travelling, so work to your own strengths and don’t think you have to follow the path that everyone else follows.
‘Most importantly – be brave. Don’t wait for someone else to come with you. Stepping out of your comfort zone to travel the world will change your life.
‘I’ve met plenty of people who regret not travelling more, but I’ve never met anyone who regretted travelling.’
To follow Nicola Easterby’s adventures, please visit Polkadot Passport on her blog and Instagram.