London - A couple who left behind successful careers to travel the world and post enviable pictures online at every destination, have revealed they are funding their trip by scrubbing toilets.
Chanel Cartell and Stevo Dirnberger, from Johannesburg, have built up a following of more than 68 000 for their 'howfarfromhome' Instagram account.
The page features snaps of the couple in various locations, holding up signs showing how far away they have travelled from home, by the kilometre.
Both 29, the pair left their director positions in advertising and branding to embark upon their travels six months ago, after feeling fed up with the status quo and wanting to challenge their “creative minds”.
However, despite their stream of beautiful pictures, the couple took to social media to dispel perceptions of luxurious travel blogging, insisting their trip hasn't all been yoga on the beach, sailing in the Med or playing with husky puppies in the Arctic Circle.
Ms Cartell wrote: “So far, I think we’ve tallied 135 toilets scrubbed, 250 kilos of cow dung spread, 2 tons of rocks shovelled, 60 metres of pathway laid, 57 beds made, and I cannot even remember how many wine glasses we’ve polished.
“You see, to come from the luxuries we left behind in Johannesburg, to the brutal truth of volunteer work, we are now on the opposite end of the scale… the budget is really tight, and we are definitely forced to use creativity (and small peep talks) to solve most of our problems (and the mild crying fits).”
Ms Cartell, a former creative director who reportedly worked with brands such as Barclays and Vodacom, signed off by listing what she had learned from her experiences.
“There’s nothing quite like swapping million-rand advertising budgets for toilet scrubbing to teach you about humility, life, and the importance of living each day as if it were your last,” she wrote.
The Independent
A photo posted by How Far From Home (@howfarfromhome) on Sep 3, 2015 at 8:15am PDT
A photo posted by How Far From Home (@howfarfromhome) on Sep 1, 2015 at 5:44am PDT