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.
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.
Table of contents
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!
Lena - good for the soul says:
But oh how wonderful to just drop everything and leave! I would also need it now, I think. Inspiring interview!
Hug Lena
05 November 2016 - 8:43
Mr Steve says:
How simple they make it sound. And so wonderful. Imagine, as an adult, feeling every day like a 7-year-old cycling in the spring sunshine.
Doing this sounds so obvious, if you have the opportunity and the courage, there's no reason to hesitate.
05 November 2016 - 8:51
Lennart says:
Exciting people who dare to be different!
05 November 2016 - 8:18
Matts Torebring says:
Amazingly done and daring! Such different dreams and goals in a life, as we humans have. This was grandiose and daring. My own dream could "just be" a red little cottage in the countryside, lying on a slope down to a lake, with minimal maintenance and a nice outbuilding to back the motorhome into.
05 November 2016 - 9:54
Ama de casa says:
Exciting! 🙂 But that thing about taking photos at cliffs can definitely be too exciting... Luckily it went well!
05 November 2016 - 10:08
Eva - People in the Street says:
I am impressed by people who really do what they talk about. Who follow their dream. Go for it!
05 November 2016 - 11:18
Comsi Comsa says:
Wonderfully freshly dared to leave everything and give
indulge in something new.
Have a nice weekend, hugs ♥
05 November 2016 - 11:55
Solan says:
Lovely approach to life...very well written too.
05 November 2016 - 14:18
Ditte says:
Truly inspiring! Great reading! And not to hesitate when you really want something because most things can be realised. It is mostly we ourselves who limit ourselves.
Thank you for another stimulating Saturday interview.
05 November 2016 - 14:29
Ikas USA says:
Wow how wonderful and inspiring! And brave! I've wanted to do something similar many times, but it doesn't work with my husband's job....
05 November 2016 - 15:07
BP says:
I thought this story was the best in the whole series. You have also taken a sabbatical, so you probably recognise the feeling that Inga and Richard convey here. What impresses me about this couple is their unusual and different choice of destinations and the fact that they have stayed in each place for so long. That actually appeals to me.
05 November 2016 - 17:49
None says:
Thank you for all the sweet comments, how wonderful to be able to inspire everyone<3 It was great fun to participate.
05 November 2016 - 18:37
Åsa says:
Lovely! If I hadn't been able to do it myself, I would have rotted with envy (not the same countries, but still!) I actually thought I would do it again several times but other things came up (house building, children and Portugal).
05 November 2016 - 21:13
BP says:
Answer: If you only knew how much I've been thinking along these lines - i.e. the same thoughts as in your comment. Oh I haven't come to any conclusion yet. We will probably never get a solution to the "problem" either. Then Fi and the feminists can scream as loud as they want;-)
05 November 2016 - 23:58
Ruth in Virginia says:
It's amazing what you can do these days.
When I travelled in the 50s and 60s, you were allowed to have American
Express traveller's cheques, for which you had to pay a lot of %.
to discard. Doing a job from the other side of the globe! HA!
Paying bills - either in cash or by cheque.
Funny to hear about people not hurrying, hurrying the journey;
who wish to experience the atmosphere and live among "real people".
Let me know if you are thinking of going to Saigon. My son is married to a
Vietnamese; has lived there for about 20 years.
06 November 2016 - 0:35
Lisa & life on the bright side says:
Great fun reading! Completely missed their blog - but now I will go straight in and read!
06 November 2016 - 1:27
admin says:
Lena, glad you like our interviews! We also think it's inspiring to hear about these kinds of journeys!
Matts, everyone has different dreams, of course. Yours doesn't sound so bad either!
Ama de casa, I also have great respect for photographing on cliffs ...
Ditte, glad you like our interviews! There are many exciting and interesting people to interview! 🙂
BP, glad you liked the interview! And interesting that you've been wondering the same thing as me, and don't have any answers either...
Inga, thank you so much for joining us as guests and sharing your exciting journey and experiences! We wish you a wonderful journey!
Ruth in Virginia, of course things have changed in many ways, and the world has in some ways "shrunk" now that people are communicating so quickly across the globe.
06 November 2016 - 9:56