About Us
Hi, we’re Lars and Shelley
Founders of Lifejourney4two
We traded the conventional for the open road, selling all our belongings to embrace a life of exploration.
Our journey, initially meant to last a year, has evolved into an indefinite quest for the roads less travelled.
As road-tripping aficionados, we’re passionate about bringing you along for the ride, sharing every adventure, destination, travel hack, and snapshot.
We’ve road-tripped with motorhomes, cars, and 4x4s with rooftop tents. Other than campsite fees, we rarely pay for accommodation, using pet and house-sitting opportunities along the way.
We make sure to stretch the little we have a long way so we can explore as much of this beautiful planet as we can.
Thank you for being part of our journey and valuing the human touch in every tale we tell.
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Why Come Along For the Ride?
At Lifejourney4two, we’re all about keeping it real.
We’re your go-to for authentic travel insights—think of us as the neighborhood corner shop of travel blogs.
With no middlemen or ghostwriters, every tale we tell and every photo we share is a page from our own story. We’ve tread the paths we write about, ready to share not just tips but our stories and experiences.
Got a question about a place we’ve written about? Ask away!
We’ve lived the experiences we share, making us your firsthand source of information in today’s world, where authenticity is becoming harder to spot.
What awaits you on our website here?
- Hassle-Free Road Trip Tips: Economic and fun ideas for a stress-free journey.
- Inventive Itineraries: Unique routes for your next road trip adventure.
- Detailed Destination Guides: In-depth insights to help you explore like a local.
- Essential Travel Resources: Everything you need for seamless trip planning.
- Inspiration to Act: Turn ‘one day’ into ‘day one’ of your travel dreams.
Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram @lifejourney4two, or reach out to us here.
LIFEJOURNEY4TWO: OUR STORY
‘We took a leap out of our comfort zone and made it happen.‘
Our journey is neither that of the youthful backpacker nor the retiree explorer; we’re proudly in the middle-age bracket (actually more towards the make-that-upper middle-age bracket), driven by a desire for something beyond the conventional.
In 2016, in Perth, Western Australia, we sat down one afternoon with pen and paper and mapped out our hopes and dreams for the future.
We wanted to travel and volunteer overseas, so we listed all the countries we’d like to visit. The list became longer and longer.
We felt excited about the future and everything we wanted to do… ‘One day’
When?
Once we retired?
After winning the lottery?
We turned to each other – both knowing what the other was thinking,
‘Why not now?’
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MAKING IT HAPPEN …
Our transition from routine to road included a cross-country farewell from Perth to Melbourne, marked by camping under the vast Australian sky.
Friends labelled us various shades of daring and mad, but we were merely following our hearts to a dream now turned reality.
After saving like crazy for about a year, we sold everything we owned (even down to the plant pots — every dollar counted!), quit our full-time professional jobs and set forth.
Our first trip was an epic camping road trip across Australia from Perth to Melbourne to say bye to friends, many of whom thought us either crazy or brave …
Crazy?
Brave?
We don’t think so.
We followed our hearts and made the decision.
Now, that dream is a reality.
And so our road trip journey began …
Since April 2017, our plans have morphed and evolved, much like the landscapes we travel through.
Here’s a snapshot of our journey so far, from the European countryside to the wilds of Africa and beyond. Each year unfolds new chapters, destinations, and stories, enriching our lives and the tapestry of Lifejourney4two.
Our Lifejourney4two Travels so far …
April 2017 – May 2018: YEAR 1
May 2018 – April 2019: YEAR 2
- UK: One month of house-sitting in the United Kingdom.
- Norway: Two months of road-tripping and hiking in Norway.
- France: Nine months house-sitting in the quintessential French countryside.
May 2019 – April 2020: YEAR 3
- Ireland: Seven days road-tripping Ireland.
- Iceland: Two weeks on an Iceland road trip
- Estonia: Two weeks travelling in Estonia.
- Uzbekistan: Two weeks travelling in Uzbekistan.
- Australia: Three months house sitting in Australia.
- South Africa: In January 2020 – we began Overlanding Africa in a 4×4 with a tent on top.
- South Africa: From March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, we were in lockdown in the small remote town of Prince Albert in South Africa.
May 2020 – April 2021: YEAR 4
- South Africa: We spent 5 months in lockdown in Prince Albert, South Africa, while housesitting, and then in July 2020, we spent three months in Klaserie Nature Reserve in the South African bush.
- South Africa: In September and October 2020, we went on a self-drive safari through Kruger National Park once the South African pandemic lockdown lifted.
- Norway: At the end of October 2020, with our South Africa visa expiring and neighbouring countries still not open to travel, we put our 4×4 Hilux bush camper in storage and flew to Skudeneshavn in Norway, where Lars picked up some contract work … to fund our future travels.
May 2021 – April 2022: YEAR 5
- Scotland, UK: In September 2021, after almost a year in Norway, we arrived in Aberdeen, Scotland, where Lars worked for a year – more savings for our return to Africa (while Covid was still ravaging travel)
May 2022 – April 2023: YEAR 6
- Scotland: We spent over a year in Aberdeen and thoroughly explored all the best things to do in Aberdeenshire, including all the Aberdeenshire Castles. We also managed to do plenty of house-sitting around Scotland, visiting its iconic Scottish castles.
- South Africa: In December 2022, we flew back to South Africa to pick up our Hilux 4×4 and continue our overlanding Africa travels. We spent six weeks in South Africa, explored the iSimangaliso Wetlands on the east coast and regained our camper legs again by spending over a month in Klaserie, where we also stayed a couple of nights in Ivory Wilderness Lodge.
- Botswana: In mid-January 2023, we arrived in Botswana for an epic 60-day Camping trip.
- Namibia: In mid-March, we arrived in Namibia, spending 2.5 months road-tripping through its epic landscapes.
May 2023- April 2024: YEAR 7
- Perth, Australia: At the end of May 2023, we packed up “Bucky” (our 4×4 Hilux bush camper), left it in storage in Maun, Botswana, and flew back to Australia.
The plan is to grow Lifejourney4two and add more travel guides and tips while we spend about 12 months house-sitting in Perth, Australia, before returning to Africa in late 2024. (Update: This plan has changed to spending two years in WA and returning to Africa in 2025, instead) - Perth to Nannup Road Trip: December 2023 – A week down south exploring our own backyard!
- Perth, Western Australia: In January 2024, House-sitting and we bought a 4×4 Isuzu Dmax and popped on a rooftop tent.
We can now combine housesitting and travelling in Australia while we work on the travel blog.
- Perth to Albany Road Trip: January 2024, 2 weeks camping, trying out our new Isuzu and rooftop tent.
- Perth to Esperance Road Trip: March 2024, we spent three weeks camping on the south coast of WA, with our camping set-up finally complete! See our Isuzu Dmax Fit out here.
- Perth, WA: House Sitting April 2024
May 2024 – April 2025: YEAR 8
- Western Australia: House sitting May 2024 to … and working as a relief teacher (Shelley) and Lars working H&S contract jobs.
- Perth to Karijini Road Trip: A month-long trip that included many interesting stops as we headed to Karijini National Park.
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We share stories from our travels on these Podcasts:
- Boble Jakob invited us for a guest appearance on his Norwegian Podcast … don’t worry. It’s all in English.
Recorded: Feb 2021 CLICK HERE FOR PODCAST ON SPOTIFY - Rax from Nomadsunveiled featured us in his podcast here: Lifejourney4two Interview
COUNTRIES WE’VE VISITED SO FAR
Albania, Australia (home), Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lesotho, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, Zimbabwe
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Currently, we are in Perth, Western Australia, weaving together more guides and stories for Lifejourney4two,
LIFEJOURNEY4TWO YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Dive deeper into our adventure with our YouTube channel, where our stories come to life through videos and walkthroughs of our travels and our trusty Toyota Hilux Bush Camper.
Check out our videos on YouTube for more of our story.
Some said we were crazy, some said we were brave and many more said, ‘I’d love to do that, one day…’
Planning Your Travels?
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- 🪪 Order your International Driver’s Licence online here
- 🐾 Is someone pet-sitting for you? 🐾 We use and love TrustedHousesitters. (Get 25% off at checkout for new memberships with our discount code: LIFEJOURNEY25)