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In 2019, Ashley Kay undertook a diving trip to Honduras, which changed the course of her life.
In this trip, Kay met with someone who travels full -time and the conversation that helped her realize that she wanted to leave her career and life in Wisconsin behind her and continue to travel.
“He told me that he wanted to do it earlier because it was so easier and more cheaper than you think. It changed everything for me,” Kay tells, he tells CNBC. “I went home and worked more and more until I left next year.”
Kay spent three years traveling the world before starting to turn.
Ashley Kay
When Kaye left her job in 2020, she said she had about $ 37,000 in savings, but what she was fighting most, had no job to fill her time.
“I didn’t know how to just do nothing. The first few months were really difficult and I wasn’t sure if I made the right decision,” she says.
“After entering my rhythm for traveling and raising my confidence during this experience, I have never looked back and I have no regrets about leaving.”
Kaye spent the next three years traveling the world, including in South Africa. In 2022, a couple turned to Kaye on Instagram to ask about their time there and shared their own attempt to turn into a Toyota truck with a camper.
Overlanding is a form of self -traveling, which includes adventures to remote destinations, usually in a vehicle of some type.
Kay estimates that she has spent over $ 50,000 on repairs.
Ashley Kay
After doing some of his own research, Kaye was all-in and purchased a Toyota Tacoma truck for $ 42,934, according to CNBC reviews, did it.
Kay raised the truck in South Dakota and took him back to Wisconsin, where she had just sold her home in her childhood for $ 320,000.
In March 2023, Kaye climbed into Baja California, Mexico, where he spent time organizing the necessary repairs to make the truck more viable.
“My life is something like” The plan is that there is no plan. ” Most people have been planning this type of adventure for years.
“It was very upright at the moment, so I had to pause and understand things.”
She estimates that she has spent over $ 50,000 on repairs. Costs included buying a camper, adding solar energy, replacing the truck bed, upgrading the suspension, new tires, personalizing armor and installing an electric cooler.
Kaye purchased Toyota Tacoma for $ 42,934.
Ashley Kay
When the truck was ready, Kay decided to travel with the Pan -American highway, starting from Denver. The highway extends from the Bay of Prudho, Alaska to Ushuaia, Argentina.
“This is a really incredible way to travel because you can set your own pace and if you find it somewhere that is beautiful and peaceful, you can stay as long as you want,” Kay says.
“But there are advantages and downsides for every travel mode and many bureaucracy and logistics limits. This can be exhausting, especially when you are alone. You have to find a balance that works for you, but in general, this is definitely one of the most big adventures of my life.”
Kay was replaced by the truck bed in September 2023.
Ashley Kay
What does life look like on the road
The time of the pier on the road is divided between the days of travel and the days of leisure. On the day of the trip, she gets up early to break everything and provide it with everything in a camper before embarking on driving for five to seven hours. On average, Kaye estimates that it spends $ 556 a month on gas and $ 453 a month for food.
“The easiest part for me is comfortable in very small spaces and I am completely pleased. I can spend all day in the camper and not feel suffocated or claustrophobic,” Kay says. “I constantly see such huge spaces in nature that I am really pleased.”
After reaching his destination, Kay likes to stand for two to three nights before moving on to the next one. Because the Kaye truck has no bathroom, it uses a toilet on the box and a portable shower bag.
“I try to organize everything in the truck and a camper so that it is just the way it should be. Power is the type of purpose of the second day,” Kay says.
Other costs of Kaye include $ 96 a month for her mobile phone account and $ 200 a month for her internet Starlink. She has also spent over $ 6,000 on unique experiences such as a one -week trip to scuba SCUBA on the Galapagos Islands.
Kay does not regret the sale of the house she grew up in to travel the world.
Ashley Kay
Kaye has been living in the truck for years, but says the most challenging part is still the setting and destruction of the camper.
“Although it is very simple, this is one of those things you have to do every time,” she says. “If you are someone who makes your bed every time, this is not a problem, but if you are someone who doesn’t do it, it feels like a weight.”
While Kaye has not yet finished traveling on the Pan -American highway, she is considering selling the truck early next year.
“Part of me just wants to get rid of him and continue and enter the next chapter of my life, but then the bigger part of me is like ‘No, maybe I just waited because I want to see some other places and just cool down,” she says. “I just want to finish my adventure. I didn’t get tired of living in a camper and I didn’t get tired of this lifestyle, but I’m tired of driving.”
Kaye has traveled to over 20 countries in Toyota Tacoma.
Ashley Kay
Kay does not know where he will be established if he ever sells the truck, but a full -time return to the US is unlikely. If you ever buy another house in the United States, Kay says it will be an investment and a source of income if it decides to hire it.
She is currently considering life in southern France, Spain or Italy.
“Each of them has its own challenges. For me, it’s about finding somewhere I want to be, and then I can cope with any challenges and hoops that come with it,” she says.
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