When Nicolas Chazee and Mathilde Vougny were brought together by a mutual friend during a house party in 2015, the conversation quickly turned to their shared love of travel.

The pair, who were both studying for their master鈥檚 degrees in Brussels, Belgium got on so well that they began planning their first date there and then 鈥 a road trip around the country.

鈥淚t all started with a road trip in Belgium,鈥 says 29-year-old Chazee, who was born in Thailand. 鈥淓ver since, we鈥檝e always been doing road trips and weekends (away) together.鈥

After a few years of taking short trips around Europe, the couple decided they wanted their next journey to last much longer, and began looking into the prospect of taking a year-long road trip around the world.

SHARED DREAM

鈥淭he idea was, 鈥楬ow can we continue this trip forever?鈥欌 says Vougny, also 29, from France. 鈥淎nd I guess we both had this dream in us, but we were thinking it was unachievable.鈥

Once they鈥檇 done some extensive research into the idea, they realized that their shared dream was indeed achievable, provided they tightened their belts and made some lifestyle changes.

鈥淚t kicked in that it was actually possible,鈥 says Vougny, explaining that they realized they鈥檇 need to be away for at least three years to cover all of their desired destinations. 鈥淎nd we didn鈥檛 want to (get to the end of our lives) without having done something like that.鈥

The determined couple gave themselves three years to save up enough money to travel across seven continents and 88 countries, covering around 300,000 kilometres, by car.

They cut down their spending considerably and arranged for a large percentage of their monthly salary to be transferred to a separate account every month.

鈥淲e were actually very strict,鈥 says Chazee, explaining that they used various apps to track their spending, cut down their restaurant and bar outings, and sold most of their belongings. 鈥淲e stopped buying anything. We changed the way we live a bit.鈥

In August 2020, they bought a 2012 Land Rover Defender, which they named Albatross, and converted it into a 鈥渢iny house on wheels,鈥 complete with a pull-out bed, a sofa and a pop-up roof.

By the time they reached their three-year deadline, the couple were slightly short of their target (they鈥檇 calculated that they鈥檇 need roughly 30,000 euros per year) but decided to go ahead with the trip anyway.

鈥淭here was so much to plan,鈥 says Chazee. 鈥淲e were busy until the last minute.鈥

In 2021, they launched a YouTube channel, , focused on their adventures on the road, and posted a video of one of their test trips.

EPIC ADVENTURE

They set off from France on April 18, 2022, and 鈥渄id a loop鈥 through Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

While sharing their progress on their YouTube and social media accounts, Chazee and Vougny found that they were inundated with invitations from followers offering them a place to stay, and decided to take one up on it while they were in Denmark.

鈥淲e were chatting around dinner, and we learned more about the country in one night than (we had) in two weeks of travelling,鈥 Vougny says of that first stay.

鈥淭his one man just gave us so much information about the place.鈥

From that point, they decided that they would say 鈥測es鈥 to as many invitations as they could, a choice that has opened up many doors along the way.

鈥淓ach country we go to, we have a lot of people inviting us to their place or giving us places to go visit,鈥 says Chazee.

鈥淪o we have a long list of names with the people who鈥檝e invited us.鈥

At the end of their Europe journey, they shipped Albatross to Halifax, Canada and briefly returned to France.

In July 2022, they flew to Canada to collect their vehicle, and drove all the way over to Alaska, before heading across Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and Arizona.

From there, they travelled to California, before driving to Mexico, and then on to Central America.

The couple then drove through Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, where they shipped Albatross to Colombia.

GENEROUS INVITATIONS

After heading to Colombia to pick up Albatross, they continued on to Ecuador, and were on their way to Peru at the time of writing.

Since beginning their trip, Chazee and Vougny have spent at least one night in almost every country they鈥檝e travelled through, aside from El Salvador.

鈥淥ur objective for each country is to go to somebody鈥檚 house, spend a night or two, learn as much as we can from the country,鈥 says Chazee. 鈥淢eet the locals, taste the food, and learn about the cultural tradition.

鈥淏ecause we鈥檝e noticed that it bonds the memory even stronger than seeing a waterfall or a mountain.鈥

The couple say they鈥檝e been offered a bed for the night by at least 30 people in Australia and around 50 in Chile.

鈥淎 lot of people invite us, and it鈥檚 hard to pick,鈥 adds Chazee. 鈥淏ut we always try to at least do one. For each country we go to, we always try to find a local person that sticks the country flag on Albatross.鈥

While they鈥檝e been having the time of their lives, the couple has suffered a few setbacks during the journey.

They were forced to stay in Mexico for several weeks longer than planned after Chazee suffered a knee injury and had to undergo surgery.

They鈥檝e also had some mechanical issues with Albatross and had parts flown in from Europe to the U.S. at one stage.

鈥淧eople joke that if you have a Land Rover, you鈥檙e also going to end up being a mechanic,鈥 says Chazee.

鈥淎nd that is quite true. I鈥檝e learned so many things I didn鈥檛 know. I wasn鈥檛 a mechanic before, I could just do the basics, like tire changes and checking filters.

鈥淏ut now I actually know how to change spare parts and I鈥檓 not scared to put my hands in and just unbolt everything and try to build it back up.鈥

WEATHER SETBACKS

Aside from the car problems, the couple says that the extreme weather conditions they鈥檝e experienced have been among their biggest challenges so far.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e so much more vulnerable to climate and weather (in the vehicle),鈥 explains Vougny.

鈥淚n Central America it was skyrocketing humidity rates during the day, for five months. You get a bit drained by that. And in the U.S.A., it was the reverse.鈥

Chazee, who recalls 鈥渟weating almost every night and every day鈥 during their time in Central America, says he鈥檚 very happy to currently be up in the mountains of Ecuador.

Once they鈥檝e reached Peru, they鈥檒l begin making their way to Argentina, before heading over to Antarctica.

The next leg of their trip will take them through Australia and then on to Asia.

If things go to plan, will see them drive across Africa, before finishing up back in Europe.

Chazee says he鈥檚 particularly looking forward to exploring Africa in-depth, describing it as his 鈥渇avourite continent.鈥 While they鈥檙e well over a year into their journey, the pair say they鈥檒l likely have to extend their trip for up to a year due to the delays they鈥檝e incurred.

Although their savings probably wouldn鈥檛 have been enough to cover this, the couple explain that they鈥檝e been able to pay for some sections of the trip through donations to their Patreon account.

INSPIRATIONAL JOURNEY

They鈥檝e also been working with a number of partners, including a ship expedition company.

Vougny and Chazee say they often find themselves mulling over what may lie in store for them once they鈥檝e completed their mammoth trip around the world and are incredibly excited about the future.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have so much time when you鈥檙e at work,鈥 explains Chazee. 鈥淏ut we have so much time to think.

鈥淲e have tons of entrepreneurial ideas, life goals, life objectives or ideas that really could be interesting.鈥

For now, they鈥檙e focusing on enjoying every moment of their incredible adventure and taking each day as it comes.

鈥淲e keep all these ideas in the back of our heads,鈥 adds Chazee. 鈥淎nd then in three, or four years, we鈥檒l see what happens.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 predict anything yet, because there鈥檚 so much ahead of us.鈥