Couple left everything to travel

Would you be able to leave everything and everyone you know and take the road less travelled? That is exactly what Kevin and Heike Fuell from the UK did.

In 2014, the Fuell couple decided they’d had enough of their hectic lifestyles and gave up everything – their home, their jobs and their savings plan – to live a life of adventure and fulfillment. The couple has been to 34 countries since they started travelling and are not looking to go back home any time soon.

But how did they end up in Krugersdorp? Gerda de Clerk and her husband, Dirk, recently opened their home in Krugersdorp West to the Fuells. Dirk met the couple in Botswana and invited them to the De Clerk home if they ever needed a place to stay. True to their word, the Fuells came through to Krugersdorp and will travel around South Africa for the next three months.

The News had the opportunity to meet with the couple before they left on the next leg of their journey.

“We had no plans,” said Kevin, “we just hit the road the moment we sold everything and have not looked back since.”

Heike describes their adventure as an interesting one.

“Sometimes we get off at the wrong stop when using public transport, and other times the vehicle you travel in is falling apart. We would not have it any other way.”

When asked what the most interesting thing is they have experienced throughout their travels, one answer always comes up – the people.

“People who have nothing and who live in war-torn and poverty-stricken areas have opened their homes to us. They gave us their last food to eat, all because they were raised to be hospitable,” Kevin said.

The couple admits that traveling through West Africa has been the most challenging. Kevin says that corruption at the border posts plays a big part and that their morals were tested on a regular basis.

“But then we get to a quaint little village and we stay for months. It’s all worth it in the end.”

They have a rough plan of how much longer their money is going to last, but above all, they are still going strong. They agree though that doing something like this is not for everyone.

“I know of couples who ended up getting divorced after doing what we did. You have to be in a partnership in order to pull this off successfully.”

So far, their experience in South Africa, and in Krugersdorp in particular, has been one they will never forget.

“People here are amazing and very interesting, especially the car guards,” Kevin said with a chuckle.

You can follow Kevin and Heike’s journey on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kevin.fuell.3?fref=ts.