Kath Cross and Stu Hall, from Cardiff, sold their possessions and bought a campervan to travel the world on a budget of £30-£40 a day. Four years on, they live full-time in their 7.5m Mercedes Sprinter and have driven as far as the Sahara.
The couple, who run the travel blog Vanavigation, have journeyed through 14 countries across two continents. They say the cost of living and renting in the UK made them reassess their priorities. 'Everything revolved around staying afloat and we no longer wanted a life where we were just existing,' said Kath.
Kath, 49, a former single mum, sold her belongings on Facebook Marketplace after her daughters left home. 'Selling everything was cathartic. I was really attached to my things but the more I sold the more freeing it got,' she said.
The couple met through a walking club and trialled life on the road in the UK before heading to Europe and Morocco. They have been welcomed by locals, including a family in the Atlas Mountains who invited them for tea after they helped a man whose car broke down in the snow.
Despite rising fuel costs, they continue to travel by driving slower. Their adventures have included being stuck by avalanches in Europe and helping rebuild a water reservoir in Morocco after an earthquake.
Kath said she wanted to show her daughters that they can make their own life. 'I did not want to be an empty nest mum. I wanted to show them you can make your own life,' she added.
