“Dream Chaser” is a series on The Wellist profiling people from all over the world in different professions specifically on how they’ve chased after their dreams and are enjoying a life well-lived.
There is no shortage of travelers out there. But travelers like Amanda and Antonio from The Adventure Junkies are one of a kind. They have been spending the last two years traveling the Americas by bicycle.
The fact that this dynamic duo isn’t just hopping on a plane to travel but rather actually pedaling to get there is quite inspiring. I’m so excited to have The Adventure Junkies be a part of my Dream Chaser series because they truly are out there chasing their dreams while cruising down the road on each of their two wheels in search of adventure. So how did they get started? What is it like to travel by bicycle? Read on to find out!
What inspired you to start a travel blog? What were you doing at the time when you started your blog?
We started a blog for the reason that I guess most people do, to share our story. We were a few months away starting a big bicycle tour around the world when we launched our first blog.
Was there a moment in your “normal life” that you finally said, “This is it. I’m quitting and chasing my dreams?”
I (Amanda) grew up in California and I never felt like I fit in there. I didn’t care about how much money was in my bank account or having a nice tan, I wanted to experience life not live in a bubble of comfort. It was a feeling that had been boiling inside of me for years when I finally said I want something more out of life. A week after my university graduation I moved to New Zealand to follow my dream of traveling the world.
Antonio had the plan to travel around the world for many years, but first he wanted to make his childhood dream come true: going to the Olympics. He finally made it in 2012, so nothing was stopping him after that.
What was the most difficult thing about leaving your job?
To be honest it wasn’t hard at all. I knew early on that I wanted to find a way to work for myself, on my own terms. I always felt trapped in my job, working for someone elses dream when I knew I should be working for my own.
After you quit your job, you set off on a bicycle tour of The Americas? Why bicycling? What was your prior experience with cycling that inspired you to do this?
Traveling by bicycle allows you to see the world in a unique way that backpacking doesn’t allow. You travel through small villages, not to just witness daily life, you live it. Often times people will invite us into their homes to share a meal or even ask us to stay the night.
I always had a bike and a love for riding it. I was never a cyclist and still don’t see myself as one. Surprisingly you don’t need much experience to go on bicycle tour, you just know how to ride a bike and the will to do it.
You guys are pretty impressive with your long-haul cycling routes. What is the longest bicycle route you’ve taken to date?
We’ve done plenty of 100km + a day rides in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula but to be honest these are not the most challenging nor most interesting.
A great route we did a few weeks ago was El Trampolín de La Muerte, Colombia’s death road. It’s a narrow, foggy dirt road that takes you high into the mountains. The turns are sharp and if you miscalculate it, you could end up rolling down a cliff. It was a real challenge, over 8 hours of cycling with plenty of steep climbs but the views and sense of adventure make it worthwhile.
Ok, let’s get a little personal. We all love a great love story. So how did you guys first meet?
We met at a Couch Surfing meet up in Auckland, New Zealand where once a week 80+ travelers, Kiwi’s and foreigners living in the city meet up at a bar for drinks. We were both living and working there at the time.
You mention that when you first started out, you broke up? Are you guys still together as a couple or just traveling together?
Yep, about a month into our trip we broke up. You see when we first started we had this grand plan of a 4 year trip. As time went on, sticking to that plan felt like a burden. We both thought that going our own way would allow us to get the travel experience we had been hoping for. After a week apart we realized it wasn’t our relationship that was the problem it was how we were approaching travel. Once we threw the plans out the window, we both got our love back for traveling and each other. We’ve been together ever since.
What’s the hardest thing about traveling with someone? What’s the best part about it?
For us, it’s being together all the time. To balance it out we try to find a day or even a week where we can do seperate things.
The best part about travelling with someone is that you develop a collection of shared memories. Not all travel memories have to be epic. Even the day to day moments that make you laugh are memorable.
Now for some questions about travel blogging in general. What has been the most difficult part about being travel bloggers?
At the moment we are balancing blogging with bicycle touring which is a challenge within itself. After a long day on the road it’s hard to find inspiration to sit down and write. Having a schedule and deadlines helps us stay productive and push through even when we are exhausted.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to quit their job to travel?
Take small steps until travelling fulltime just seems like a natural next step. The idea of leaving all the security a job provides makes most people anxious. Start with short trips, learning a new language or skill, saving money…all of these things will make you feel more confident and prepared for setting off.
As travel bloggers we get some pretty cool perks. What is the best perk you’ve had to date?
This year we’ve had the opportunity to work with some cool adventure companies,one of best we’ve had was spending 4 days at La Selva Eco Lodge in Ecuadorian Amazon. We saw heaps of different kinds of wildlife, went on some fun jungle hikes and got a dose of luxury that we normally don’t have while traveling.
What are you working on now that has you particularly excited?
We don’t have any big projects lined up for the rest of the year as we plan to cover some ground cycling. We’ll finish Ecuador in about a month then head to Peru to spend most of the dry season cycling and hiking in the mountains.
Lastly, what are your plans for 2015? Where are you now and where are you going next?
At the moment we are in Quito, Ecuador. From here we will cycle the rest of Ecuador, then on in to Peru. We plan on stopping off in Bolvia for a few months to work on the blog and let winter pass. Once the weather is good we will cycle Chile and Argentina.
Some Fun Questions
- HOMETOWN: Vacaville, California, USA (Amanda) & Cadiz, Spain (Antonio)
- FAVORITE DESTINATIONS: New Zealand and Mexico
- TOP OF YOUR BUCKET LIST: Antarctica
- IN YOUR CARRY-ON: We don’t fly often but when we do, a notebook, a pen, snacks, and laptop.
- PLAN IT OUT OR WING IT ON THE GO: A bit of both. We like to have a general idea but then fill in the blanks as we go along.
- TRAVEL PACE: Nearly everyday, although we do stop off from time to time for side trips and to work on projects.
- COUNTRY & CONTINENT COUNT: 15 countries, 4 Continents (Amanda) / 60+, 6 continents (Antonio)
- WE TRAVEL BECAUSE… it’s exciting.
Be sure to head on over to The Adventure Junkies for more on Amanda and Antonio and to read some of their amazing adventure stories. Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest to stay up to date on their travels.
A big thank you to Amanda and Antonio for taking the time to let me interview them. All photos used in this post are courtesy The Adventure Junkies.
If you are interested in being featured in the Dream Chaser series, please get in touch with me via the contact form on this page. Let it be your time to shine… and brag a little!
