Here is it: our Vlog tour of our Big Blue Bus.

Vlogs are really popular right now. All over YouTube, people are sharing the events of their lives in journal-style videos.

Since Bruno, Phoenix and I left Canada in Big Blue Bus two months ago, life has been particularly interesting. There have been the challenges of adapting to nomadic life in a bus with a baby, but also the travel experiences of being on the road again. I thought that, maybe, sharing some of these experiences might be interesting for friends, family, people dreaming of doing the same, and curious armchair travelers.

I’m not a natural videographer – in fact, one of the reasons I want to start a Vlog is to force myself to take more family videos now that we have a baby. I also hate being in front of a camera. I have no video editing experience, and I don’t have a whole lot of free time, either (did I mention I have a baby?).

This project might totally fail, for any of the above reasons. Or, I might simply not find it fulfilling or fun. I might struggle too much to get a good internet signal in order to upload videos. It might eat up too much of my precious free time. Who knows? But, right now, I feel like trying my hand at vlogging. So I’m going to!

This first vlog is just a short introduction to our family, our travels, and our bus. Check it out, tell us what you think, give us any tips or ideas you have, and encourage me to keep this up long enough to get a second vlog out of me!

Here it is:

Vlog #1: Bus Life With a Baby – Who Are We?

Here we go!

Big Blue, our 2001 Freightliner shuttle bus.

Check out our massive awning! It doubles our living space!

Welcome to our home-on-wheels.  Please, come inside.

We replaced the double bus doors with this salvaged RV door. Most recently, Bruno added the electrical outlet to the right of the door so that we can plug into mains electricity when we have the opportunity.

This is the first view of our home from the door.  Notice the bookshelf, the three portraits I purchased from Thailand (there is storage space behind those portraits) and the bright African patterned curtains and cushions that we found in Bruno’s mom’s basement a couple years ago.

To the right is the cabin where Bruno and I sit when we drive.  As with most busses, we don’t have a separate doorway to get to the cab, so we do a bit of gymnastics and climb over the engine (the big, black, bulky mass in the center) to get to our seats.  Originally there was only the driver’s seat, so we had a passenger seat installed for me.  We have yet to create a window that opens on my side, but I look forward to the day we do!

Sorry about the mess.  This section of the bus also serves as our garage when we’re parked somewhere, and now that we have a baby, his big toys and car seat go up there, too, so it’s even more messy!

Instead of the mess, may I draw your attention to the lovely map collages I created using simple Modge Podge?

Anyway, don’t forget to take off your coat and shoes before you come in.  We’ve made a space just to the right of the door especially for those items.

Here’s a closer look at Bruno simple, homemade design.

Ok, welcome!  Here are a couple of overall views of our living space, and heart of our home – the kitchen and dining room!  We chose to use as much wood as possible, opting for a darker wood for the floor (this was a mistake – it shows all the dirt!) and stringing warm LED lights along the side (complete with dimmer switches!).  We have a fan on the ceiling (and one in the bedroom and another in the cabin).

Now, let’s look a little more closely at the details of the space.

Here is the entryway, with a lovely portrait offered to me by good family friends before I left on my first adventure in Senegal.  It’s also where we hang our keys and broom.  Behind is our stovetop and oven, also purchased at a salvage shop. It’s pretty exciting to live in a bus and have an oven!  (Though now that I have a baby, an oven is going to get considerably less use…).

Here’s a closer look at my lovely stovetop.  Underneath we have some sneaky storage and also the output for our Herber Spacher heater.

A closer look at our stovetop, also purchased at a salvage shop. I have an OVEN! This appliance is connected to gas which is outside in homemade storage boxes.

On the same side of the kitchen we have some great Ikea cabinets.  They are very practical for easily storing and locating items, but they are, admittedly, not the most efficient use of space.

In this photo, you can see my lovely wood countertop, our gigantic fruit and vegetable basket, and a homemade upper kitchen cabinet with our makeshift spice rack underneath.  Special thanks to a dear family friend for bringing a little bit of le Petit Prince into our new home.

A close-up view of our makeshift spice rack, nailed to the underside of our upper cabinet. Thank you, Pinterest!

On the other side of the kitchen we have a smaller countertop, with our amazing (and amazingly expensive) fridge, a massive kitchen sink, a homemade medicine cabinet, our paper towel rack, and a little rack for my seed sprouters!  I also love that we have a solar-powered Himalayan salt lamp in our bus!

An interior view of my one-of-a-kind hand-crafted medicine cabinet! After five years in Totoyaya, we finally have a mirror!

On the other side of our kitchen sink is our dining room table.  Underneath the benches we have storage bins.  Over the winter, Bruno adapted this area so that the table lowers to the level of the benches and the backward-facing bench houses Phoenix’ car seat.  I’ll show you a photo of that in our next blog post.

Overtop our dining room is our library.  I mean, seriously, what RV out there has a library?!?!?

The next section of our home is the bathroom.  The bathroom door can open and rest on the walls separating the living area from the bathroom/bedroom, which has proven very useful when Phoenix is taking his naps in the back.  Note the sand artwork I picked up over a decade ago in Senegal!

Behind those walls are the shower (on the left), the toilet (on the right) and the bedroom in the back.

Here is the shower.  On the other side of the wall is a gas water heater, which means we actually have hot showers!  Also, this shower is luxuriously big for an RV!  (Since this photo, we have actually installed a shower caddy for our shampoo, soap, etc. which is really nice).

We used a shower base from Home Depot and built the shower walls around it.

Opposite the shower is our dry toilet, which we made ourselves.  We bought a Separett toilet seat, which separates the liquids from the solids), and the soilets drop into a bucket that contains sawdust.  Then we cover the solids with more saw dust.  There’s a little fan in the compartment to aid with ventilation.  Above the toilet is a shelf containing Phoenix’ cloth diapers, and below that, another piece of artwork from Thailand (I love the fact that I’m finally able to showcase the art I’ve collected over the years.

I love Bruno’s mood lighting.

One day I will certainly write a blog post on our experience with this toilet system, but for now suffice to say that I underestimated the dimensions needed to comfortably manoeuver inside!

And now, the bedroom.  Here’s the “hallway” when the bathroom door is closed.  The shower is on the left and the toilet on the right.

We have a double bed with tons of storage compartments, as well as a 200L water tank, underneath.  On either side of the bed are night tables with more storage, and mini-closets for clothes.  On the right of the bed is Phoenix’ side-car crib, which he is fast outgrowing.  We will soon need to build him a new bed… somewhere.

If you’re sitting on the bed looking forward at the rest of the house, this is the view.  On the left are some solar energy regulators and on the right, the gas water heater.  There are also a few silly framed collages gifted to me from Bruno over the years.

Speaking of solar energy, here is the mass of electricity-related stuff that Bruno has in a compartment over the entrance door.  It looks like a mess, but he knows where everything is and he’s amazing with energy.  We love our three solar panels on the roof, and our two solar batteries under the bed.

Well, that’s about it!  I am so, so, so proud of Bruno for building this home-on-wheels for us.  He has logged hundreds upon hundreds of hours on this thing, but I am so impressed with his work (I think he is, too!).  Bruno has no formal training in any of the trades needed along the way, but somehow he always managed to make my ideas come to life.  Love you, Bruno!

Hope you enjoyed the tour of our Big Blue Bus!

“Due to unfortunate circumstances this vehicle was rolled in Nashville TN. I’m a cruiser lover and purchased it. While having other intentions with the vehicle, my wife promptly informed me that the vehicle has a new destiny. She fell in love with the truck and we are going to bring it back to life. Totoyaya will live on. I will keep you guys posted of the progress.”

Huh?!?!?!?

Last we’d heard Totoyaya had been slowly making her way from Dallas toward Boston, with a pit-stop in Asheville, North Carolina to attend the Overland Expo. The previous spring, we’d finally parted ways with our beloved home-on-wheels, selling her on to a guy named Amir from Boston, who had plans to bring her to Alaska, and eventually, through China and Pakistan, his home land.

Handing over Totoyaya’s keys to Amir last March.

Off they go, to new adventures!

Bon voyage Totoyaya and Amir!

Mind you, we hadn’t heard from Amir since September. I’d often wondered how he was getting on with his new rig – and when he was really going to hit the road with Totoyaya. See, last March, he’d flown out from Boston to pick her up in Tucson, but was only able to drive her as far as Dallas before catching a flight back to his family and work. Those responsibilities kept Amir away from Totoyaya for the next five months.

So when we heard in the fall that Amir was headed back to Dallas to finally bring her home, we were relieved. Finally, Totoyaya would be back on the road where she belonged!

Fall turned into winter and our pregnancy, trip to France, and temporary move to Nova Scotia, became the forefront of our thoughts. In our minds, Totoyaya was safely tucked away in Boston, awaiting the adventures spring would bring.

It turns out that Totoyaya never made it to Boston. She never even made it to Asheville. While driving toward the Overland Expo, Amir was run off the road by another vehicle. Totoyaya rolled, and the cell where Bruno and I had lived for five years was destroyed.

Totoyaya minus her cell.

The side of her that got rolled.

We were shocked. In twenty years, Totoyaya had never gotten so much as a scrape (apart from during off-roading mishaps), and here she was… almost totalled.

Emails bounced back and forth between me and Chad, the apparent new owner of our poor, beloved vehicle. As the shock subsided, relief set in. Totoyaya would be saved! Chad was a Land Cruiser restorer, and thanks to his wife, he would restore Totoyaya and eventually take his family on adventures! This is exactly what we had always wanted for Totoyaya – it was the reason we wrote on our for-sale ad that we would only sell to travelers, and why we’d felt comfortable selling to Amir. Totoyaya deserved an owner who would love her, who would give her a second life, who’d allow her to continue fulfilling her destiny.

Bless this woman, who allowed Totoyaya to have a second chance!

Almost two more months passed – a blur of nursing, changing and teaching Phoenix to sleep. Our minds didn’t wander to Totoyaya often, but when they did, we felt at peace. We’d moved on, and she was in good hands.

So, again, you can understand our shock, when, while (again) sat in the armchair of our living room nursing Phoenix, I received a message from a Chilean guy who’d been an admirer of Totoyaya ever since he’d seen her initial for-sale post eighteen months before.

It was a screen shot of the Toyota Land Cruiser Association Facebook group. A for-sale post. Written by Chad. Selling Totoyaya.

What?!?!?!?!?

I immediately shot an email off to Chad. What’s this about? Why are you selling Totoyaya? What happened to your restoration plans? What’s going on?!?!?!

Twenty minutes later, a reply: The rebuild was off. Chad and his wife were going to be opening a restaurant, and didn’t have the time or resources to undertake the work required to build Totoyaya 2.0

Chad was selling Totoyaya. Without a title (Amir hadn’t given him the documents, apparently). To the first buyer willing to pay.

The Chilean guy told me he’d buy it. He loved Totoyaya’s story and would love to rebuild her. He’d already contacted a friend who could import her, and he had a shipping agent who could get it to Argentina. He just needed a title.

We immediately sent an email to Amir, updating him on the situation and pleading with him to send us all the paperwork he had for Totoyaya.

Two days passed. Amir didn’t reply. I reached back out to the Chilean guy, asking him if he could do anything without the title. I logged onto Facebook to glance at Chad’s for-sale ad. It had been updated – and now stated that Totoyaya was also for sale on eBay.

Oh-no. eBay?!?! There aren’t a whole lot of overlanders searching for cool vehicles to rebuild on eBay – only scalpers eager for parts off old vehicles. If Chad sold the vehicle on eBay, Totoyaya would be broken down for her spare parts!! I couldn’t imagine a more horrible ending to this epic, beloved vehicle. Someone HAD to save her!!!

Just as uttered those thoughts, my phone vibrated with a new email. From Chad.

I didn’t want to open it. Somehow I knew what that email would say.

“I am sorry to inform you that the truck will be a donor for his iron pig.”

My breath caught in my throat.

“Think of it like a transplant,” the email continued. “The heart will live on”.

My own heart dropped.

“I am keeping both front doors. I consider them art and they will be hanging in my garage.”

So that’s it. Totoyaya is gone. She was broken down into parts about a month ago. Her cell is in pieces in a garbage dump in Tennessee; her Petit Prince doors hanging in some guy’s garage who doesn’t even understand the meaning of the art he exhibits; her engine transplanted into god-knows what vehicle. And the rest, well, I have no idea where the rest of Totoyaya is.

Totoyaya’s cell in bits and pieces at a junk yard in Tennessee.

Someone who actually understood the words of Le Petit Prince wouldn’t have sold Totoyaya to the first buyer…

For twenty years, Totoyaya served Bruno faithfully. She was more than a vehicle. More, even, than a home. She was the manifestation of his childhood dream. The physical symbol of his freedom.

She was the reason Bruno and I met. The nest where we fell in love. Where we dreamed dreams. Planned our future. She’s the very reason we now have a baby called Phoenix.

Yes, we will always hold her in our hearts. Yes, I know I’ll always have the memories.

Yes, yes, I know she’s just a thing.

But she didn’t deserve this end. She had so much more life to give. She could have been the bearer of memories and dreams and futures for someone else. She could have meant someone else’s freedom.

Had I know, a year ago, when we tearfully sent her off to Amir in Tucson, that this would be her end, I’d have shed twice as many tears.

Rest in peace, Totoyaya. We will never forget you, and are so grateful for all that you have given us.

Totoyaya’s first trip around the world, pictured here in Northern Kenya.

And here, among the Touareg of Mali, where there was also a famous Touareg Petit Prince.

Bruno, always so meticulous with Totoyaya.

Totoyaya gaining a new passenger, and offering me experiences I’d only ever dreamed of!

Totoyaya, the backdrop of a true love story.

Back in 2005, when my blog was created, Wandering Footsteps charted the travels and adventures of one Canadian girl.

Two footsteps.

In 2012, Wandering Footsteps became a blog of two, for I had teamed up with a wild, passionate, Petit-prince-loving Frenchman for an overland trip around the world.

Four footsteps.

And now, in 2018, Wandering Footsteps goes from two to three.  We are now a team of six footsteps!

Baby Nomad has arrived, folks!  And we are so excited to introduce him to you!

Here he is:

Phoenix Alexandre, about 20 hours old, and wearing his first ever outfit (a gift from my brother and sister-in-law).

A more recent shot, 2.5 weeks old, in the same outfit for comparison. I think he’s grown!

Phoenix Alexandre Caumette was born on January 25^th, 2018 at 8:12pm, 9 days before his due date (it’s fun to re-read my “when will baby arrive” musings in my last post, which, though written several weeks earlier, was only published on Phoenix’ due date).  Phoenix arrived as a bit of a surprise because, though I’d been having cramping since the middle of the previous night, it took me about 13 hours to actually clue into the fact that I was in labour… and, four hours later, he was born!

Phoenix came into this world calmly and alertly, and has been a healthy, active, well-fed boy ever since.  He weighed 7lbz 8oz and was 21” long at birth… and I expect he is much more than that now (this boy takes after his Papi Pierrot, who is the living incarnation of Obelix, Asterix’ gluttonous side-kick).

Bruno and I (as well as our families) are overjoyed, and cannot get enough of our little man!  We are so enjoying this special time getting to know him from the cozy comfort of our Antigonish winter rental home.

Eyes wide open, ready to see the world! 5 days old.

Grand-maman and Grumps are in love…!

Enjoying a (rare) meal at the table with Bruno, while Phoenix takes a nap on the table!

Bruno learning how to babywear.

That being said, Phoenix’ arrival has definitely re-sparked our desire to head out on the road.  Every day, we excitedly chat about our future travels as a family of three, and we tell Phoenix about all the places he will go and the adventures he will soon have.  We truly cannot wait to share our life of exploration with our baby boy.  Our journey was already so rich, but now it will be even richer.

Yes, Wandering Footsteps has a new permanent team member.

I expect the scope of Wandering Footsteps will likely change somewhat.  Not only are we going to see the world through a child’s eyes – which, as any lover of Le Petit Prince knows, is the best way to see it – but we are also bound to have many hiccups, challenges, hilarious and otherwise interesting moments as we navigate living in a bus and traveling the world with our new bundle of joy.  (I know the hiccups part will be true, as we already experienced the particular challenge of installing a car seat and baby bed in the bus, and Phoenix hadn’t even arrived yet!).

Bruno and I hope you will join us as we navigate the world as a family of six footsteps.  Our blog has a new star, and we couldn’t be more excited to share him with you!

Phoenix at two weeks old, wearing the same outfit my brother wore home from the hospital after his birth, 30 years ago.   Phoenix’ facial expression is his classic look.

In fact, four months ago, I announced that I’d be taking a semi-break from Wandering Footsteps.  I’d post our summer and fall adventures at a more leisurely pace so that we could focus on family, relaxation and our bus renovations.

That was only half-true.

The full truth is that Bruno and I were turning our focus onto something else – something I wasn’t quite ready to share on the wide world of the web.

Our focus has been on my growing belly.

We are expecting our first baby!!!

Future mamma and papa, taken at the end of September.

A more recent shot. Look at that belly!

Maybe things make a little bit more sense now; why we sold Totoyaya, our beloved 4WD Land Cruiser, and upgraded to a massive bus; why there hasn’t been much action (or travel!) on the blog; and why I have been totally vague about our upcoming travel plans.

Despite the lack of travel-related excitement, it has been an exciting summer and fall for us, as Bruno and I have experienced our own pregnancy for the first time.  Hearing the heartbeat, feeling the baby’s kicks, watching my belly grow – it’s all been pretty magical, indeed.

Those of you hard-core nomads reading this may be wondering why we haven’t been traveling at all during this special time.  We did travel across Canada through our first trimester (check out my posts on the Prairies, the Canadian Wilderness, whale-watching in Quebec, the Gaspe Peninsula, and the Acadian Peninsula), and I can happily report I was feeling, overall, not too bad.  Tired, for sure, but I was still mostly able to enjoy the places we passed.

We did a bit of travel in the second trimester, too – notably our big three RV road trip, and our trip to France.  I even did my girls’ trip to Barcelona, Carcassonne and Bordeaux at the very beginning of my third trimester!  Go me! J

But, for the most part, we haven’t been on the road, in the way Bruno and I usually are.  The reasons are complex and various, but ultimately, we’ve chosen to take this time to be close to family, get really good, consistent pre-natal care, and enjoy nesting (that last one is just me, haha!).

It’s been nice to be close to home to enjoy things like a really nice baby shower!

And to perform in a choir concert a few weeks ago with my lovely mother!

Two weeks ago, we moved into a rental home near Antigonish, Nova Scotia.  We chose the little town of Antigonish because we got the opportunity to work with registered midwives based out of the St. Martha’s Regional Hospital (they didn’t have midwives in New Brunswick when I was looking into our options, though they’ve recently begun serving in Frederiction).  We’re over three hours away from my family, but relative to where we could be (Mexico! France! Thailand!), three hours is pretty darn close!

Our tentative plan for the coming several months is this:

• Spend about four months in this lovely rental home.  Our due date for baby is February 3^rd (coming soon!) so we plan to be here both for our baby’s birth and the first several weeks afterwards (time to get a handle on things!)
• Make visits to both New Brunswick and France in April to show off the newest member of the Caumette/Sears family. Woo hoo!
• By late-May (cross our fingers!) we’d like to hit the road in our Big Blue Bus, baby in tow. We’d like to spend 5-6 months slowly driving down the eastern seaboard of the United States, spending our summer in the Appalachian Mountains.  We’re going to take our time with this trip, as we’ll have the adjustments of life in a bus with a baby to contend with.  Should make for some interesting blog posts!

Well, that’s us!  It’s a pretty big life update, and is going to certainly change our travels, as well as the content of this blog.  In fact, I have no clue how I will feel about blogging after baby arrives, but my hope is that I’ll still make time for it, though most certainly not on the same weekly basis as I once did.

In the meantime, we’re having quite the cultural experience over here in Nova Scotia.  Bruno is embarking on his first winter ever, we’re living in a country-style home heated principally by wood fire, and we’re making a few baby-friendly changes to the bus (think car seat and baby bed).  In other words, plenty of good blogging material!  Stay tuned!

It was a unique first impression of a unique couple, whose overland around-the-world journey we’ve had the fortune to follow.

Introducing Georgia and Nikos (near the beginnings of their overland around-the-world trip!)

It was Nikos that approached us at that campsite in Nairobi three years ago.  He was a passionate fan of Le Petit Prince (we’ve met several of them over the years, including, most recently, at a Lowe’s parking lot in Tucson!) and wanted to show Bruno his Petit-Prince necklace.  The two – obviously – hit it off.

Nikos and Georgia became friendly neighbours over the following few days.  We watched the bush babies jump from one tree branch to the next every evening.  We showed Georgia the interior of our vehicle (they slept in a rooftop tent and she was dreaming about a more comfortable future vehicle design).  One evening, they brought beer to share with us under our little awning, and we talked of travel and freedom and life.

I listened to them share the creative ways they’d managed to fund their travels through Africa, mostly by staying longer in each place, and occasionally of finding a volunteer or work exchange opportunity.  Not only had this helped them make their dream of long-term travel a reality, but it had clearly created meaningful connections and memories, and a deeper understanding of the places and people they visited.

The photo they snapped of Bruno, Totoyaya and I in the Nairobi campsite!

The bush babies we watched tree-hop every evening.

Though I didn’t know it then, Nikos and Georgia called this style of travel traveliving.

Our time with our new Greek friends was brief.  They had their visas for Ethiopia and Sudan, and would continue their journey northwards, towards Europe, toward home, and then, who knew?  Yet, as with most meaningful encounters during travel, they left a lasting impression on me (and Bruno on them – they forevermore have referred to him as their mentor!).  Not only did they share a similar passion for and style of travel, but they were the first young overlanders I’d met.

Perhaps this is why, over the past three years, I’ve kept in touch with our Greek travel buddies through email and their blog, The Pin Project.  I’ve followed along as they returned to Greece to make money and plan the next stage of their overland adventure (which involved trading in their Suzuki for a minivan).  I followed along as they took their new vehicle to Canada (my homeland!), and I pushed pins into my mental map of their journey as they’ve made their way slowly down the American continent.  Along the way, I’ve often asked them for tips and on-the-ground info, since they’re always a step or two ahead of our own overland journey!

Nikos and Georgia’s first vehicle, for the African portion of their trip.

And their second vehicle, for the American continent!

It was during one of those emails that Nikos announced to us that he was writing an e-book about overland travel, and asked for our feedback, editing skills, and photos of our beloved Totoyaya.  We’ve been pretty busy these past months with our bus conversion project, so I wasn’t able to contribute as much as I would have liked, but I still feel like I’ve witnessed the incredible amount of time, research, and hard work that Nikos has put into this book (which has me convinced that I won’t be writing my own anytime soon!).

My goal with this post, then, is more than simply to introduce another set of overlanders to you (which is something I’ve enjoyed doing on this blog here, here, and here): it is to support Nikos by sharing his personal contribution to our wider traveling community!

Introducing Nikos’ e-book: Traveliving: A Romantic and Practical Guide

Nikos’ new e-book, a comprehensive overlander’s guide.

It makes sense that Nikos would title his E-book, Traveliving – it is, after all, the term he coined to describe his traveling philosophy and style.  He and Georgia deliberately slow down and extend their stays in places so as to better understand and interact with a place and its people.  They are more interested in connection and understanding that in ticking items off a bucket list.  Traveling, for them, is a lifestyle (a mindset, even) rather than a trip with a set route and return date.  I’m pretty sure they plan to travel forever – or at least the foreseeable future.

This is also why they seek volunteer, work-trade, or working opportunities along the way.  By working along the way, they travel according to their values, but they also make their trip sustainable, from a financial aspect.  (In this way, they are similar to our overlanding friends, Phil and Angie, who do a lot of HelpXing, housesitting, and other random work-trades as a way to offset travel costs, connect with locals, and travel differently.)  Nikos and Georgia have done some of the most random jobs possible – from working at a cattle farm or fishing lodge to a doggy salon.

Volunteering in Zimbabwe.

Working at a lodge in Canada.

Written from the lens of a traveliver, most of Nikos’ e-book details the many aspects of how to live and travel this way.  This book is exhaustive, and I am very impressed that Nikos has described literally every aspect one should consider in preparing to live this way.  He details the following, using his own experience and that of others he has met along the way:

1)      Choosing your mode of transportation, with the largest section devoted to choosing and kitting out a vehicle

2)      Trip paperwork, bureaucracy and logistics

3)      Route planning, with lots of online resources and forums

4)      Financial planning

Cooking in their camper van.

The interior of their current home-on-wheels.

I think the practical stuff is the strength of the book.  The section of transportation alone is almost 100 pages long, and details every different type of possible road transportation, suggests considerations when making one’s choice and setting up the vehicle, and gives tons of personal tips from people who have actually made these choices (and lived with the consequences!).  He offers charts of all the possible gear you could/should buy for each mode of travel.

The section on finances and budgeting is especially encouraging for people who dream of traveling but don’t have passive income or tons of savings.  Nikos and Georgia travel on 500 euros/month (the amount they get from renting an apartment in Greece), and they describe very openly how they make this work for them.  They even provide detailed breakdowns of their pre-departure and travel expenses for each continent they’ve visited, and they give some tips on how to make money on the road.  Because finances have always been a struggle for them, I think they have become very well-educated on this topic, and they have a lot of light to shed in the pages of their book.

Their travels in the USA.

Their travels in North Africa.

This book is written by a traveler for anyone who wants to make long-term travel a part of their life.  I’d recommend it for someone curious about the lifestyle I describe on this blog, and especially for someone who is in the process of making this choice or is actively preparing/planning for an eventual departure.  Because of its exhaustive information and list of additional resources, I think it’s a great starting point for someone with little or no experience of long-term travel.

If you or anyone you know fits that bill, please do consider purchasing a copy of Traveliving: A Romantic and Practical Guide.  You can find out more, and order your copy, here.

Big congratulations, Nikos, for writing this e-book and offering a comprehensive practical contribution to the growing community of people wanting to live lives outside of the box!  We wish you and Georgia the best on your continued South American travels and beyond, and hope to meet face-to-face again someday!

Best wishes, and congratulations on your new e-book, Nikos and Georgia!

Totoyaya, our 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ75 with custom camper box.

If you’ve been following Wandering Footsteps long enough, you know our beloved Toyota Land Cruiser BJ75, called Totoyaya, was up for sale last year (we wanted more space for a toilet, shower, and giant kitchen).  You might have wondered why, after posting the For-Sale ad online, I went radio-silent.

The reason is that Totoyaya got sold way back in August and I didn’t want to jinx things.

Things got jinxed anyway.

A lovely man from Boston jumped on the opportunity to buy our unique Land Cruiser.  He visited us in Montreal, gave us a deposit, and agreed to allow us to keep our home-on-wheels until we found a replacement vehicle.

As you all know, that process took much, much longer than expected.

When we finally found our big bus (which I promise I will formally introduce very soon on the blog!), we alerted our Boston buyer that we were ready to part with Totoyaya.  We’d been in touch with him all along these months, and he’d continually expressed 110% conviction that he still wanted the vehicle – but for whatever reason, he backed out at the last moment (it seems like it’s due to distance and bad timing).

So, folks, Totoyaya is back up for sale!  Read on for our formal For-Sale Ad:

The interior of the camper box. Shown are our permanent bed (120cmX190cm) with storage underneath and the Engel fridge.

We are able to fully stand up in our camper box.

View from the bed.

View of the bed frame with storage and window that looks out onto the vehicle’s cab.

View from box window of cab.

Cab, from driver’s seat. (Seat upholstry is in good condition because we use these African print covers to keep them clean).

1988 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ75 with Camper Box on Back

Location of Vehicle: Tucson, Arizona

Price: USD $13,000.

3B engine, LHD, H55 transmission, 24-volt system.

602,500km. No problem for few hundred thousand more because almost all kms in open spaces (Patagonia, Alaska, Sahara, etc.) so gear box hasn’t taken a beating.  This vehicle is in GREAT shape, and we have impressed more than one car-aficionado!

Seats two, according to current registration.

Vehicle registered in France but has been imported into the US (obtained a 7501 form).  The buyer is responsible for registering the vehicle in his or her state/country.

VIN# JT1VOBJ7509002306 (registered as “fourgon”, or van, not 4WD or RV.)

Camper van cell on back (made in December 2012): Aluminum/polyurethane 40mm-panels. Inside dimension: L 270cm X l 200cm X h 170cm. Permanent bed 190cm X 120cm.

Total weight 3.1 tons (less weight than original vehicle).

This cruiser fits in a high cube container (already done 2 trips inside HC container).

A series of photos of Totoyaya’s chassis and engine.

Sold with the following:

• 32 litres Engel fridge
• 24 volts ARB (CKMA24) compressor, (this cruiser is 24v) new from September 2015, never used…
• Reinforced suspensions
• Old Man Emu shock absorbers
• Firestone air suspensions (back)
• New roof Thule ventilator
• Big awning 3.5m long from Howling Moon South Africa
• Lots of Land Cruiser spare parts never use like relays, Edic system, motor fuel control, regulator, computer emission control, new original kit for rebuild the starter (no need to change it now, it starts without problem but just last year we were still on the way for a second trip around the world with Totoyaya so we took advantage to buy this kit when in Europe, hard to find after…), etc.
• Foam mattress 120x90cm

Air-conditioned powered by old R12 gas, you will have to change the gas.

Back tires need to be changed before driving the vehicle too far.

Selling for USD$13,500.

Arrived in Halifax, Canada, in August 2016.  Currently in Tucson, Arizona.

Bruno is a master mechanic and tends to Totoyaya as though she were his wife (which, in a way, she sort of is!)

The second camper cell construction, made by an ambulance-cell-making company in Namibia.  They also made Totoyaya’s first box.

One of the great advantages of Totoyaya’s camper box design is that she fits perfectly into a high cube container, making a trip around the world easier and cheaper!!

Totoyaya is actually lighter now with a camper box than she was originally, so she still handles off-road great!

The large awning creates an extra room and is great for inviting friends for afternoon tea!

But it’s true.  It’s something we’ve discussed for a while, and now feels like the right time part to ways.  We are moving on up in the camper van world – one size up, that is.

And so, we’re putting Totoyaya up for sale – and willing to sell her to the right person.

Who’s that person?  Someone who’s going to keep traveling with her, who knows how to take care of an old vehicle, and who’s going to love her as much as us.  Totoyaya has an amazing history, so if you’re looking for spare parts or a car to take out for a drive once in a while, this vehicle isn’t for you.

If, however, you’re looking for that perfect vehicle for a long-term overland adventure of your own, check out the details on our vehicle ad below:

Totoyaya, our home-on-wheels.

She’s a 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ75.

French-registered.

For sale: 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser BJ75

3B engine, LHD, H55 transmission, 24-volt system.  602,500km.  No problem for few hundred thousand more because almost all kms in open spaces (Patagonia, Alaska, Sahara, etc.) so gear box hasn’t taken a beating.

Seats two, according to current registration.

Vehicle registered in France but has been imported into the US (obtained a 7501 form).  The buyer is responsible for registering the vehicle.

VIN# JT1VOBJ7509002306 (registered as “fourgon”, or van, not 4WD or RV – so easier to import)

Camper van cell on back (made in December 2012): Aluminium/polyurethane 40mm-panels. Inside dimension: L 270cm X l 200cm X h 170cm. Permanent bed 190cm X 120cm.

Total weight 3.1 tons (the same weight as original vehicle).

This cruiser fits in a high cube container (already done 2 trips inside HC container).

This is what the original vehicle looked like before we transformed it into a camper van.

The construction of our second – and current – cell in 2013. We perfected the insulation and design after trying out a first cell for a decade.

Light enough to handle sand dunes.

Totoyaya was designed to fit perfectly in a high-cube container, meaning you can ship your vehicle around the world much more cheaply.

Sold with the following:

• 32 litres Engel fridge
• 24 volts ARB (CKMA24) compressor, (this cruiser is 24v) new from September 2015, never used…
• Air-conditioned powered by old R12 gas, you will have to change the gas
• Reinforced suspensions
• Old Man Emu shock absorbers
• Firestone air suspensions (back)
• New roof Thule ventilator
• Big awning 3.5m long from Howling Moon South Africa
• Lots of Land Cruiser spare parts never use like relays, Edic system, motor fuel control, regulator, computer emission control, new original kit for rebuild the starter (no need to change it now, it starts without problem but just last year we were still on the way for a second trip around the world with Totoyaya so we took advantage to buy this kit when in Europe, hard to find after…), etc.
• Foam mattress 120x90cm

Selling for USD$13,500 firm.

Arrived in Halifax, Canada, in August 2016.  Currently in Phoenix, Arizona.

The interior. Permanent bed, solar-powered Engel fridge.

You can stand up in the back.  Behind, solar-powered Engel fridge and water storage for motorized sink.

View from the bed. Table-top, sink, big window (great for safaris!).

Bed big enough for two. New Thule roof ventilator. Lots of storage space above and below bed.  We use cardboard boxes because it’s simple and light.

View of cab from driver’s seat (with our lovely African-print seat cover!)

In order to gain space in the box in back we shortened the cab. It’s perfect for us, but really tall people with long legs would do better to install race-car seats to maximize space.

View of the cab from passenger seat. In the middle is a lock-box.

Storage boxes under bed. New foam mattress will come with vehicle.

View of dashboard from bed in the back box of vehicle. You can pass through the windows to access the cab from the box.

This vehicle is in great shape for a 1988.  Check out a few photos under the hood and chassis:

For almost a week, parts of my family and Bruno’s have been united here at the glorious and luxurious Villa Mandarin in Taroudant for a family reunion to remember.  Last night, we all rang in the New Year in the most special of ways.

The extended family testing out our private swimming pool.

A game of petanque amongst the men of the family.

But more on that in a future blog.  Because for now, as I sit here soaking up the late afternoon sun on the first day of 2016, I can’t help myself but reflect upon the year that has just ended.

2015 has, above all, been a year of mass travel for Bruno and me.  We left Africa for the first time in our together-travels and embarked into the Middle East and on to Europe.  I also had the chance to return to Canada for an extended summer, meaning that I stepped foot on four continents for the second year running.  Not a bad trend, I’d’say (though I’m not quite sure it’s one I’ll likely repeat in 2016!).

With our recent arrival to Morocco, we’ve returned to the continent in which we began our year, and it somehow feels prophetic to ring in another New Year in Africa, especially after so much cross-continental travel!  Morocco also represents my 50^th country, which somehow feels like an even bigger travel achievement.  I certainly never thought I’d see this much of the world, and so young!  In 2015, I visited 13 new countries (and revisited a few others), meaning that I experienced, on average, more than one new country for every month of the year!  (This was probably due to our major springtime road trip from Turkey to France, and is also a trend not likely to be repeated in 2016.)

In Morocco!! Gazing down at El Jadida from its old Portuguese ramparts.

In Morocco, with a tagine of course.

Checking out the fish at the port of Essaouira, along Morocco’s Atlantic Coast.

2015 was indeed a year of transit travel.  We kicked the year off with a big 3-day transit through Saudi Arabia, transited through Iran a few months later, hightailed our way through the Balkans, and most recently fled south for the winter from northern Spain.  Perhaps that explains all the new countries and cross-continental travel of 2015…

Besides travel, 2015 was, for me, the year of yoga.  I got to take yoga classes in Singapore, Dubai, Istanbul, France, and Canada, and these classes have inspired and motivated me to take yoga with me on the road in our camper van.

Yoga in Canada!

Yoga in Spain!

I didn’t do as much guest-post writing as in 2014 (you can check out my 2015 stories here and here), but 2015 seems to have been the year of interviews.  I gave two podcast interviews (here and here) which were both a lot of fun, and Bruno gave an amazing interview with Chris Guillebeau that generated a whole lot of interest in Wandering Footsteps!  We’ve now expanded our travel coverage to include a Facebook page and an Instagram page!

Last – and perhaps most importantly – 2015 was the year of reunions.  I got to share several overland meet-ups with new friends and old (here, here, and here!), visit my best friend in Singapore and later host her in France, visit a work friend in the U.A.E., stay with another friend in Istanbul, spend more time than usual in my Canadian hometown with my family, and end 2015 with a wonderful family reunion in Morocco.  More than my travel stats, these reunions are the things I will remember most about 2015.  Thank you to those of you who took the time and effort to connect with us this year – you helped make 2015 memorable and special!

Hanging out with our overlander friends, Phil and Angie, in Turkey.

Reunion with my bestie in Southern France.

Hanging out with my friend Dani in Istanbul.

With my family in front of our beach in Eastern Canada.

Speaking of reunions, I’d like to get back to mine.  Allow me, before I sign off, to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of you a fantastic 2016, full of health, happiness, connection, culture, with a wee bit of excitement and travel thrown in the mix!  Happy New Year!

Wandering Footsteps’ 2015 Monumental Moments:

• Walking the Camino de Santiago
• Meeting fellow overlanders Phil and Angie
• Almost being arrested in Oman, and then being pardoned
• Celebrating Wandering Footsteps’ 10-year Blogiversary
• Experiencing Sarajevo
• Discovering Turkish cuisine
• Exploring the deserts of Arabia

Day 1 of walking the Camino de Santiago.

Visiting Sarajevo.

Taking in the view of the Arabian Desert in the U.A.E.

2015 Biggest Lesson Learned: That the Middle East is so much more than what you see on the news.

2015 Biggest Challenge: The ferry ride from Sudan to Saudi Arabia (but walking the Camino de Santiago was a close second)

What about you?  What were some of YOUR 2015 monumental moments, lessons learned, and challenges?  Thanks for sharing!