Hello everyone,
We are Liz and Robin, a couple from Belgium, and this is the beginning of our Pacific Voyage.
In September, we will board a one-way flight and leave behind our jobs, routines, family, friends, and everything familiar to start the biggest adventure of our lives: a backpacking journey through Asia and Oceania that will take us across new countries, cultures, and experiences over the coming year.
Why the “Pacific” Voyage?
People often ask us why we chose Asia and Oceania for this backpacking adventure.
Part of the answer lies in our own travel experiences. A few years ago, we travelled to Thailand together, and we absolutely loved it. The food, the people, the landscapes, and the culture left us wanting more. Ever since, we have dreamed of returning to Asia and exploring it more deeply.
Robin has already visited Japan, a trip that only strengthened his desire to discover more of the region. For Liz, the dream extends even further. Oceania has been on her bucket list for years. The idea of exploring countries like Australia and New Zealand, with their unique landscapes, wildlife, and sense of adventure, has always been incredibly exciting.
Together, Asia and Oceania feel like the perfect destination for this chapter of our lives. It is one of the most diverse regions in the world, where ancient traditions meet modern cities, tropical islands give way to mountain ranges, and every country offers a completely different experience. In many ways, this journey combines the places we already love with the places we have always dreamed of discovering.
Before we dive into the adventure, let us introduce ourselves.
Who are we?
Liz is 25 and lives in the beautiful city of Ghent. Robin is 27 and proudly calls Evergem home. We have been together for more than three years, and although we are a couple, we have never actually lived together. Financially, it made more sense for us to stay at our own places while saving for this dream.
That means this journey is not only a travel adventure. It is also our very first experience of living together full-time. So alongside stories about distant destinations and unforgettable encounters, you might also witness our "learning-to-live-together" adventure.
Travel has always been part of who we are.
Long before we met, we were both searching for opportunities to explore the world. During his student years, Robin spent three months volunteering in Costa Rica. Liz travelled to Uganda for six weeks to conduct research. From the moment we met, our conversations were filled with stories about travel, curiosity, and a shared desire to experience the world beyond our comfort zone.
We dreamed of seeing more, living differently, and perhaps one day leaving Belgium for an extended period of time.
Dream versus reality
For years, however, that dream felt distant. Life has a way of pulling you into familiar patterns. You graduate, find a job, buy a house, get married, have children... you know the story. In Flanders, we even have a saying for it: “huisje, boompje, beestje”.
We watched many of our friends follow that path, and slowly we began to believe that our adventures would be limited to a few weeks of travel each year. But one thing never changed: we kept talking about our dream.
Little by little, our mindset shifted. What once felt unrealistic started to feel possible. The more we talked about it, the more we realized that if we truly wanted this life-changing experience, we had to create it ourselves. At some point, the dream evolved into a concrete plan: a long-term backpacking trip across Asia and Oceania.
And now, it is finally happening.
This was not a decision we made lightly. There is a lot at stake, and the past year has been filled with difficult choices, endless preparations, uncertainty, and excitement. It has challenged us more than we expected. But every step has brought us closer to this moment.
Our first flight is booked. In September, we take off.
When will we return? We honestly have no idea.
What Scares Us Most
One of our biggest concerns is financial. Have we saved enough? Did we think of everything? Could we have prepared better? Those questions cross our minds regularly. At the same time, we have realised that there will probably never be a moment when we feel completely ready. If we keep waiting for perfect circumstances, we might never leave at all.
We are incredibly excited to explore the world, but it is also bittersweet, and we would be lying if we said we are not scared. We will miss family dinners, birthdays, our friends, maybe even some big life events, and of course, the familiar comfort and small things that make home feel like home. We are learning that sometimes the hardest part of travelling is not leaving, but saying goodbye.
And then there is the question we often joke about: what happens when two people who have never lived together suddenly spend every day together for a year?
Until now, our relationship has always had built-in space. We each had our own homes, routines, and lives. Soon, we will be sharing tiny hostel rooms, long bus rides, stressful travel days, and every meal together.
Will we discover annoying habits we never noticed before? Probably.
Will there be moments when one of us wants to throw the other into the Pacific Ocean? Hopefully not.
But if there is one thing this journey will teach us, it is how to navigate life side by side. And honestly, that feels just as exciting as it does terrifying.
Our blog
What we do know is that we want to share this journey with you. Through this blog, we hope to give you an honest glimpse into life on the road: the highlights and the setbacks, the beautiful moments and the unexpected challenges. Along the way, we will share practical travel tips, itineraries, and stories from places that inspire us.
If you've made it this far and would like to follow along, welcome to our journal.
Thank you for being here at the very beginning of our Pacific Voyage.
Our first destination is waiting, our backpacks are almost packed, and we cannot wait to see where this adventure takes us.
One final hint before we go: our first stop will be Kazakhstan.
See you on the road.
Hugs,
Liz & Robin
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