Guest of the Week: Inga and Richard Sundell, backpackers on sabbatical in Asia

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Inga and Richard Sundell are a married couple who lived ordinary lives in Stockholm with ordinary jobs, but felt they needed a timeout from the squirrel wheel. So they decided to take a sabbatical. They quit their respective jobs, packed their backpacks and headed off to Asia. They have now been travelling for several months, spending time in Bali, Japan and Vietnam.

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We asked Inga and Richard how they go about getting away on a sabbatical, what's the best thing about travelling this way and what might not have worked out the way they intended. Read the interesting interview and take a look at the couple's blog. The Nomads.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How do you live when you are not travelling and what made you decide to take a sabbatical and travel?

When we are not travelling, we are IT project managers and supervising electricians living in Stockholm. When we sold our house, which we had completely renovated while working full-time for just over three years, we were pretty burnt out.

We were going to take a three-month winter holiday. Since we were both in supervisory positions, no employer would agree to it. So we resigned. I had lived abroad almost half my life, while Richard has never done so, I knew he would love it. I was right.

How do you prepare for such a long trip? How did you deal with work, housing, mail, finances and other practicalities?

The job is easy. Review your employment contract to make sure you are not locked into long notice periods, which you should negotiate away. One month's notice is the norm. The last month at work still feels like the longest in the world when planning a Bali trip.

The renting of the apartment took the longest, as we really wanted someone who would be comfortable there and not want to move after three months. My mother offered to collect the post every month. I had called all our suppliers and asked them to contact us by e-mail from now on. All bills are on direct debit and with Skandiabanken's ATM card there are no charges for withdrawing money abroad.

Tell us about the trip! What is the itinerary and which countries/places did you visit?

We landed in Bali and really did the whole of Bali in just under 6 weeks. It was not planned to be a book off trip, we were just so curious about Bali.

We then spent six weeks in Japan, where I had previously lived for just over three years. We gathered with our parents to experience this year's cherry blossom, the whole family clan of six. After saying our goodbyes on the 11th of April, our parents returned to Sweden and Richard and I flew down to Okinawa to wait for spring. The kind of spring that our Bali wardrobe could handle.

I love Japan, but it's certainly not a long-stay country. We met a Vietnamese couple at a minshuku (or guesthouse) and were recommended to go to Danang in Vietnam.

Danang is located in the centre of Vietnam on the coast. It is Vietnam's third largest city, but no one has heard of it because there are no tourist attractions here. The tourists usually end up two kilometres away, in Hi An, which is like the old town with somewhat eager vendors. We have been stuck in Danang for five months and will stay here for the rest of January.

How do you live during the trip?

The first three months we booked budget hotels, b&b, minshukus and hostels. Then we started booking apartments through Airbnb. We found our current home through our Vietnamese friends and live in a normal Vietnamese apartment in the local neighbourhood, just like that! No weirdness.

What was the best part of the trip? Tell us about a special place or experience!

Bali, Japan and Vietnam are seductive destinations and it is impossible to choose one place. I immediately think about what makes this particular trip so different and special for us.

The best thing about the trip is that I have felt happy every day for seven months, there are no problems. As happy as I was as a teenager cycling in the spring sunshine, open and happy, the kind of person I would always want to remain. Time goes back when you don't have responsibilities, I feel free and young again!

I've detoxed, done yoga, been spiritual, studied Vietnamese, started an online shop, volunteered, organised group outings, and more. But I haven't "stood up" for anyone, putting someone else's interests before our own, but putting myself (and my husband) first. We took a break from the demands and do what we want, and it's wonderful. I would recommend it to others if you want to detox your soul. It was necessary for the two of us.

Have you had any mishaps during your trip, or anything that didn't go as planned? Tell us about it!

On Gili Trawangan, both our ATM cards were skimmed and the bank closed them! Luckily we had a credit card with us, which meant expensive fees until the replacement cards arrived.

There was a lot of trouble with not having a mobile phone number, as many applications (Airbnb, über) verify using an SMS. For some reason my iPhone does not want to co-operate with local SIM cards.

We forgot our Swiss Army knife in our hand luggage and saw it thrown in the rubbish bin in front of our eyes. A motorbike accident meant two weeks of limping and a festering infection.

Things almost got really bad when I was about to be photographed in front of a rocky ledge with the Bali jungle behind me. I put my foot on elephant grass (reed-like super slippery grass) and disappeared into the ledge. My husband froze in fear while I dug my claws into the gravel with my feet dangling into a bush with inhuman sounds coming from it haha.

What is the rest of your trip like, and what do you plan to do when you get home?

Next week is the Cambodia trip, where we will celebrate Richard's birthday and Halloween. The last month before returning home will be spent in a new destination, somewhere with cheap flights to Stockholm.

We have plenty of plans for the return home, it will be alternated with courses, I am eager to do the girl classic (although already hesitating before the Vansbrosimmet) and we want to move out of Stockholm to some Swedish coastal town. Then we will plan a new sabbatical year haha.

Finally, a question we ask everyone we interview: What is your dream destination?

I would like to go everywhere where Johnny Friskilä fields. Otherwise, any village at the foot of Everest is interesting.

Thank you Inga and Richard Sundell for sharing your experiences and thoughts!

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