Our Year in Review: Van Living, Chasing Landscapes, and Seeking Balance [2019]

*Our Year in Review 2019 | Diana Southern and Ian Norman, North to South
Our Year in Review 2019 | Diana Southern and Ian Norman, North to South

This final year of the decade was a successful year of finding balance for us, both in our adventures and in our personal lives. We spent a majority of the year focused on two things: the van and photography.

Ups and downs both played a part in our 2019 story, and that forced us to reprioritize what to focus on this year, but we pressed onward and made it through with a better understanding of ourselves and a new perspective to accompany us into the new year.

With the new decade now upon us, it’s time for a look back to appreciate all the great memories we made in 2019!

Continue reading “Our Year in Review: Van Living, Chasing Landscapes, and Seeking Balance [2019]”

How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 [Budget Travel Secrets]

How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 dollars
How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 dollars

Updated: January 2020

I used to expect to pay over $1000 for round-trip tickets to Europe. Now I’d never pay over $500. And one-way tickets for $200 or less are more common than you’d think. When we started traveling full time, our frugal beginner’s travel budget forced us to find the cheapest method to fly to Europe. And now I’m sharing it with you.

Traveling on the cheap from the U.S. to Europe is quite simple, really. It involves just three things:

  • a flexible travel schedule
  • packing light
  • my new favorite airline
Continue reading “How to Fly from the U.S. to Europe for Under $200 [Budget Travel Secrets]”

Our Year in Review: New Heights, New Wheels, and a Refreshed Photography Focus [2018]

Our Year in Review 2018
Our Year in Review 2018

Our first year of married life was filled with all sorts of new adventures! Photography, fitness, and furry friends all played key roles in our lives this year. A few spontaneous travel decisions made our year more interesting, and some very important bucket list achievements left us feeling pretty accomplished in 2018.

Without further adieu, let’s get started on our favorite post of the year: the annual recap of our lives and adventures of 2018!

Continue reading “Our Year in Review: New Heights, New Wheels, and a Refreshed Photography Focus [2018]”

Our Year in Review: Our First Home and Saying ‘I Do’ [2017]

Our Year in Review 2017

Our Year in Review 2017

To say this year flew by would be an understatement, but what a wonderful year we had! Juggling travel with wedding planning was no easy feat. Though planning for our September wedding was our biggest priority this year, we still managed to squeeze in several adventures — adding a few more countries to our “visited” list and even purchasing our first home.

Join us for a look back on our biggest moments and ventures of 2017!  Continue reading “Our Year in Review: Our First Home and Saying ‘I Do’ [2017]”

Home is Wherever I’m With You

Home is Wherever I'm With You

Home is Wherever I'm With You

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted here on the blog, and there are two big reasons why. First, we’ve been super busy. Wedding planning, product fulfillment, and our trip to the UK all contributed to our crazy schedules the first half of this year, and the craziness has only just begun letting up now. Second, we made a big decision a few months back (which is what this post is all about) and we’ve been slowly soaking in the changes it’s brought about.  Continue reading “Home is Wherever I’m With You”

Our Year in Review: Backpacking, Campervanning and Getting Engaged [2016]

North to South's Year in Review: 2016

North to South's Year in Review: 2016

Our third year of full-time travel was unquestionably a favorite for us both. We really settled in to our digital nomad lifestyle this year, visiting 13 new countries, managing the sales of our first (and second) photography product while continuing along our nomadic path, and we even got engaged!

Take a look with us, as we reflect on our happiest and most important moments of 2016!  Continue reading “Our Year in Review: Backpacking, Campervanning and Getting Engaged [2016]”

Our Favorite Places

Our Favorite Places in the Whole World on North to South

Our Favorite Places in the Whole World on North to South

Living the life of a digital nomad sparks a lot of interesting conversation. We do our fair share of chatting about blogging, self employment, what traveling together full-time is like, and how to make money while traveling.

But actually the question we’re asked most has nothing to do with making a living while traveling.

Everyone wants to know which, of all the destinations we’ve visited, is our favorite. Since our answer to this question is ever-evolving and we can never pick one absolute best, here we share the five destinations that currently top our listContinue reading “Our Favorite Places”

22 Essential Qualities of a Successful Digital Nomad

22 Essential Qualities of Successful Digital Nomads

22 Essential Qualities of Successful Digital Nomads

It’s an interesting world, that of the digital nomad. It’s exciting and risky, and it’s growing. And it’s not just millenials who are joining the trend. I see new travel blogs cropping up daily by individuals and couples of all ages and backgrounds. They all have the dream part down. They had the courage to take the leap. But they won’t all achieve a sustainable life of traveling full-time and working on the road.

It takes courage and belief in yourself to get started, but what does it take to succeed? Below I’ve listed what I believe are 22 qualities required for any digital nomad’s success. While it’s not a comprehensive list, these are characteristics I’ve observed time and again not only in Ian and myself, but also through networking with other successful entrepreneurs in the digital nomad community.

Want to succeed as a digital nomad? Devote some time to developing the qualities listed here.  Continue reading “22 Essential Qualities of a Successful Digital Nomad”

The Realities of Life as a Digital Nomad Couple: Can You Handle It?

The Realities of Life as a Digital Nomad Couple: Can You Handle It? on North to South

The Realities of Life as a Digital Nomad Couple: Can You Handle It? on North to South

What do you get when you mix love, wanderlust, and an entrepreneurial spirit? Well, it looks something like us, and for us it’s a perfect mix!

The freedom this life provides and the amount of time we get to spend with each other is invaluable to us. It’s exactly what we need to be happy. But is it for you?

I’ve written this post to help you figure that out. Continue reading “The Realities of Life as a Digital Nomad Couple: Can You Handle It?”

Two Months, Twelve Countries, One Bag: How We Backpacked Light in Europe

Two Months, Twelve Countries, One Bag: How We Backpacked Light in Europe

Ian and I just returned from an amazing 2-month trip to Europe. We visited 12 countries in our “road less traveled” style, planning a flexible route on a reasonable schedule and budget, staying mostly at Airbnbs with some hotel stays mixed in between. And we packed only one medium-sized backpack each, weighing in at just 17 pounds (8 kg).

Whether you’re headed abroad for two weeks, months or years, if you want to pack light for an easy backpacking trip, steal our packing strategies and lists here! Continue reading “Two Months, Twelve Countries, One Bag: How We Backpacked Light in Europe”