Travel Bloggers Trina and Tim, also known as Team Hazard, turned a bad situation into a good one by traveling after a layoff. Rather than finding another job, they took the opportunity to live out their dreams and travel.
From close encounters with orangutans to exploring awesome temples to camel riding in the Sahara, Trina and Tim do not let their physical limitations slow them down. Tim is legally blind, diabetic, overweight, hypertensive and recovering from a broken leg, while Trina states she is just fat and fifty.
This wonderful duo has been traveling since December 1, 2017, and are always sharing the real story of the places they go to. Now living out their dreams, Trina and Tim share their story about how they turned their bad situation into a good one, and how they make money while they travel.
What is the name of your blog? Team Hazard Rides Again
Why did you quit your job? I was laid off when the company folded. I don’t really fit into corporate culture and since there aren’t a lot of full time futurist jobs just lying around, we decided it was time to go. We’d been saving to do this trip anyway. The layoff just pushed us to leave about a year sooner than expected. We started traveling in December 2017.
What job did you have before you were laid off? My title was Senior Writer and Creative Futurist. Essentially I got to write near-future science fiction stories for a tech company that consulted for Fortune 500 companies.
How did you end up where you are now? (Why did you choose the destination you are in now) We decided on a world tour, to inexpensive places so our savings would stretch as far as possible. We started in Southeast Asia because those were the cheapest tickets from LA. Partway into our SEA tour, my husband, who is partially blind, broke his leg and we ended up staying in Thailand for treatment and recovery for 4 months.
When it was time to leave, Tim was still between a wheelchair and a walker. The terrain in SEA is horrible for this situation with horrendous sidewalks and stairs everywhere, so we decided to head over to Africa, Morocco specifically, because it seemed somewhat flatter.
While we were working our way across West Africa, I hear of a Vodun Festival in Benin and we ended up flying in for that. Then the logical path became Benin-Togo-Ghana. We definitely knew we wanted to see Ghana because I had visited solo in 2003 and loved it.
So now we’re enjoying Ghana and debating whether we want to eventually retire here.
What do you currently do for income? I work as a freelance writer and futurist and pick up a few gigs here and there. I’m working hard to get our travel blog noticed and monetized, but it’s not there yet. We’re still surviving mostly on savings.
What did you do to get the income/work you have now? If we need to, I’ll seek out more freelancing jobs, but I’d rather put my energy into our blog and upcoming eBooks.
How long did it take you to leave your job to travel? From layoff to departure was about five months and that was rushed. It takes more time than you think to get rid of all your stuff and organize a major change like this.
What advice do you have for others who want to quit their jobs to travel? If you can get your side hustle going and have your income stream flowing, at least a little, before you leave, do it. Trying to learn all you have to learn while traveling and being on the move is hard.
However, don’t let that recommendation stop you, or slow you down. If it’s time to go, just go. You’ll figure it out as you travel. The experience is more valuable than you can possibly imagine.
How has this experience (leaving your job to travel) changed you? It’s made me realize how pointless the day-to-day job grind is. There are so many options about how you choose to live your life. I wish I had been bolder and started this years ago.
This experience has taught me not to hesitate – to just go for it. Don’t wait. Just do it.
If a person wanted to do what you do now for income, what would they have to do? Take classes in blogging, marketing, SEO and website building. Start with Udemy, or the like. Join FB groups of like-minded bloggers. I’m probably going to take one of the bigger, more serious blog marketing classes soon, now that I’ve got a handle on the basics.
Learn everything you can, treat it like a business from the beginning and don’t give up. It takes time. Be prepared for that.
What destinations have you been to since being laid off? Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Barcelona, Morocco, Mauritania, Benin, Togo and Ghana.
If you would like to follow Trina and Tim, AKA Team Hazard, you can find them on Instagram and Facebook.
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2 Comments
Great interview and very inspiring
Thank you!!