Ernestas Tyminas felt “bored and stuck” while working as a marketing manager at a Colorado newspaper. And that’s how his whole story begins.
In January 2019, he asked for two months off and decided to go to Beijing. “The first day… I met him,” he says, pointing to Darina Karpitskaya, sitting next to him in an interview with CNBC.
Speaking to CNBC via video from Dubai, the couple say they met through Couchsurfing, the travel app that connects solo travelers. Karpitskaya, 31, a flight attendant at the time, had to stay in Beijing for two days due to mechanical problems on her return flight. That very day, he met one of the solo travelers, Tyminas.
After spending a day together, they say they plan to meet again in Asia a month later. Tyminas, 29, returned to Asia a month later and the couple describes their second date as “a crazy month of adventure” set in Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines.
“We were lying on the beach under the stars and we were starting to dream about this lifestyle,” Tyminas says in his statement.
After returning to Colorado, Tyminas quit his job, sold his belongings and moved to Paris. He was in frequent contact with Karpitskaya. Tyminas recalls those days: “At first it sounded like this: Oh my God, you’re quitting your job. You are moving from America. Maybe too early. But at the same time, when I came back from that Asian trip, I felt like I was living a life I didn’t enjoy, and I had to do it.”
Tyminas did not make the journey to Paris alone. He flew from Denver to Paris with an 82-pound Borzoi named Cosmo, known as the “Russian Wolfhound.” “They gave me three rows of seats and the dog was lying on the ground,” he says of that flight.
The couple traveled frequently afterwards. They visited countries such as Italy and Iceland. Ernestas Tyminas and Darina Karpitskaya say they went to 26 countries, taking Cosmo with them. The total number of countries they visited is 40.
Then Karpitskaya got what she calls “my dream job” – a position at Emirates airline. He moved to Dubai, but the couple continued to meet and travel together. But then their magical lives were hit by the Covid epidemic.
Karpitskaya took four months of unpaid leave from her job. And this permission actually meant a new opportunity for them. “We have four months – we can explore anything open,” Tyminas says.
The trio, including Cosmo traveling in a big bed in the back of their SUV, traveled first to Croatia and then gradually to most of Europe, including many former Soviet countries. And after that, Karpitskaya never returned to her job and they have been traveling ever since.
How much does it cost to travel the world?
Tyminas says they initially spent $1,000 to $2,000 a month staying in cheap accommodation, cooking at home, and looking for free activities. As money began to dwindle, he found several online jobs that made between $2,000 and $3,000 a month.
Tyminas adds that the couple stayed longer in Romania because they saw how good people were.
THEY ESTABLISHED A GRAPHIC DESIGN BUSINESS
The couple then decided to open a marketing and graphic design company together. They reached thousands of people, often working until late at night. Whatever the demands of potential customers, their answer was always the same: “Of course we can.”
Tyminas originally didn’t know much about it. He says he learned everything he learned from YouTube, Google and online sources. “They paid me half what they would pay other marketing agencies and said the results were better than before.”
In their first month, the couple earned $6,000. Now they make several thousand dollars a day. Moreover, “we don’t have to report to anyone. We are our own bosses.” In addition, not being tied to one place makes them very happy.
In the past six months, the couple says they’ve spent an average of $4,000 per month. More than half go to accommodation, which varies by location: from $3,100 a month in Dubai to $1,500 in Portugal – Lisbon. They are careful to limit their stay in expensive places like Switzerland to no more than a week. But they travel non-stop.
Karpitskaya states that she does not want these costs to scare people who want to travel the world, because they spend much less in the beginning.
At the time they were spending about 80 to 100 percent of their income, but now “We spend about 30 percent and save the rest,” Tyminas says.
The couple tells CNBC that they still travel modestly, not choosing five-star hotels, still cooking most meals at home. But YouTube channels spend more money on events they shoot for Dream Team Travels. They describe this channel as a “completely self-taught” venture.
everything is not smooth
A life spent traveling constantly, of course, sometimes brings with it problems. The couple says they often encounter dirty Airbnbs and hosts who cancel reservations at the last minute. They also had their camera equipment and clothing stolen twice – once in Mexico and more recently in France. There were also those who attempted to steal their belongings while sitting in their cars in Barcelona.
A place to settle permanently
Tyminas says they sometimes consider settling down when they find a place they really like, like the Portuguese coast or the French Riviera. “But then… we go to another place and we think this place is just as good,” he says, noting that they gave up immediately.
The couple is currently in Malaysia. They plan to explore Southeast Asia for the next two months…
8960
