I’m really enjoying my monthly Extraordinary Lives series. The first interview was with JP Livingston, who retired at 28 with a net worth of over $2,000,000. Today, I’m chatting with Kach Howe, who has visited over 100 countries and all 7 continents. She’s currently sailing the Caribbean with her husband and their cat.
Kach isn’t retired; she’s still working! In this interview, you’ll learn:
– How she’s been traveling for 5 years and visited 100 countries
– How she lives on a 1971 Finnrose 37 sailboat
– How she funds her travels
– How teaching English in Peru for $3 an hour motivated her to find better income sources
– The costs of sailing
Her story has been featured on CNN, BBC, Yahoo Travel, Forbes, Cosmopolitan, and more. I gathered questions from my readers for this interview, so here’s what Kach had to say about her incredible journey.
**Tell me your story. Who are you and what do you do?**
My name is Kach. My husband Jonathan and I have been traveling the world since May 2013. For the past five years, we’ve been living off the income from our online businesses, primarily our travel website Two Monkeys Travel. We’ve expanded into lifestyle, travel coaching, visa applications, and flight reservations through our second website, MrandMrsHowe.com.
I’m originally from the Philippines. After university, I moved to Kuwait to start a new career and eventually entered the Oil & Gas industry. After three years, I moved to Erbil, Iraq, where I met a vibrant community of expats and English teachers. Their stories inspired me to start my own travels, beginning with backpacking around Southeast Asia. That’s where I met Jonathan, a British backpacker who had left his architectural career to travel. We decided to travel together, and for the past five years, we’ve visited 100 countries across 7 continents.
In May 2017, we transitioned to life at sea, renovating a 1971 Finnrose 37 sailboat named Empress. We started our new adventure on February 25, 2018, and are now sailing around the Caribbean with our kitten, Captain Ahab.
**How many countries have you traveled to? Did you used to live out of a suitcase?**
We’ve each traveled to over 100 countries, including Antarctica, where we spent 16 days on our honeymoon in 2016. Seventy of these countries were visited together. Initially, we lived out of backpacks, occasionally renting small apartments to earn money. As our blog, Two Monkeys Travel, grew in popularity, we began working with luxury hotels, tour companies, and national tourism boards, which allowed us to travel more comfortably.
**How did you afford to travel that way?**
When we started traveling together in 2013, we taught English in Hanoi, Vietnam, saving over $10,000 in seven months. This funded our travels around India and our teaching certifications in yoga and Ayurveda massage therapy. We stretched our funds by traveling cheaply and volunteering in hostels for accommodation.
In Peru, we were down to our last few hundred dollars, so we volunteered at a hostel, taught yoga, and offered massages. We saved enough to buy bus tickets to Arequipa and rent an apartment, where we started teaching English again. This period inspired us to start our travel blog, Two Monkeys Travel, which quickly grew and allowed us to quit our teaching jobs.
**Can you tell me more about teaching English? Was that a full-time income? Can anyone do this?**
In Hanoi, we earned $20 per hour, which was well-paid compared to the cost of living. Teaching English in Vietnam requires fluency in English and an online TEFL certification. However, in Peru, we earned only $3 per hour, which was challenging. This low income motivated us to find other ways to earn money, contributing to our online success.
**Why did you decide to start sailing?**
While traveling the world was exciting, we craved more balance. Running a business demanded our attention, and by the time we got married in 2016, we wanted a home. The idea of sailing came to us during a trip from Panama to Cartagena by sailboat in 2015. In May 2017, we found Empress in the Florida Keys and decided to make her our home.
**Tell me more about your sailboat.**
Empress is a 1971 Finnrose 37 sloop, built for the rough waters of the North Sea. We spent around $50,000 to buy and renovate her, making her safe and comfortable for open water. We added solar power, a fridge, freezer, new navigation equipment, and a composting toilet. Now, Empress is ready for Caribbean sailing and ocean passages.
**Do you plan on sailing around the world? What experience do you have sailing?**
Jonathan took a RYA Day Skipper course in Turkey in 2016, but we had no real sailing experience. We plan to sail around the Caribbean for a year before crossing the Panama Canal. We might upgrade to a NEEL 51 trimaran for long-term sailing, but for now, Empress is perfect for us.
**How will you work and sail? What will you do for internet?**
We’ve been managing travel and connectivity challenges for years. Most of our work is outsourced, except for travel coaching, which I handle personally. We plan our work around our travel, using local sim cards or WiFi when near land.
**What’s an average day like for you?**
No two days are the same. We wake up around sunrise, feed our cat, handle emails, and do some work. Jonathan usually drinks coffee on the deck while planning his day. If we have work to do, we handle it in the morning and explore or work on boat projects in the afternoon. Today, we’re heading to shore for a bonfire with friends.
**How much does sailing cost?**
Buying and preparing a boat can be expensive. We spent over $50,000 on Empress and around $5,000 on provisioning before leaving the States. Our monthly costs in the Bahamas have been around $1,490.65, excluding marina fees. Living at anchor is cheaper, and many initial costs were for items that will last months.
**How do you handle health insurance and health care?**
We have travel insurance that covers medical and non-medical emergencies. We stay healthy and know what emergency services are available nearby.
**Do you think you’ll ever live in a more traditional home in the future?**
We’ve considered it, but it seems restrictive. We’d rather invest in a bigger boat that allows us to travel anywhere. Our next goal is to buy a NEEL 51 Trimaran.
**What’s one place you can’t wait to visit on your sailboat?**
We want to sail back to the San Blas Islands, where Jonathan proposed to me.
**What’s your best tip for someone who wants to achieve the same success?**
Constantly learn new skills to support yourself anywhere in the world. At some point, you have to get out there and try. Challenges can lead to creative solutions and success. Dreams do come true.
What questions do you have for Kach? Are you interested in living a nomadic life?