Three days after their wedding, Derek and Shanna set of on their one year long honeymoon. During that year, they visited 40 different countries in Asia, South America, Africa and Europe.
Derek and Shanna on their one year long honeymoon
They also started their blog, www.oneyearonearth.com which is really packed with inspiring information and answers to the question why travel, so check it out. Be prepared though, you might want to take out your suitcases and start packing! They’re back in the USA now since some time, and we asked Derek a couple of questions.
Q: So would you like to tell us a bit about yourself and your travel history?
Derek: I’m a 37-year old lawyer originally from Nashville, Tennessee, but now live in Washington, DC. My family traveled frequently when I was younger, but only within the US. I took my first overseas trip when I was 21, and I was hooked. When I was 24, I did a 7 month RTW trip. I returned a little over a year ago from a one-year RTW trip with my wife. In between those 2 RTW trips, I’ve taken 2 or 3 mini-trips a year (1 to 2 weeks each). To date, I’ve visited 71 countries.
Q: You’re now back from your long journey, why did you want to go in the first place?
Derek: I’ve had a passion for travel for many years now. Once you’ve had a taste of it, you’re smitten for life. Ever since I returned from my first RTW trip, I had been trying to figure out a way to do it again. Luckily, I met my wife who agreed to quit her job with me and hit the road for our honeymoon.
Q: What do you think are the biggest advantages with having traveled? Has traveling influenced your life in any major way?
Derek: Perspective and enrichment. For those who haven’t seen the diversity in the world (whether race, culture, religion, food, political beliefs or income levels), it’s virtually impossible to understand your place in the world. Only travel provides this.
Q: When we travel around as a family, the absolute most common question we get from people is about money and how we can afford to travel and live the life we do. So if we ask you the same question, what would be your answer?
Derek: For most Americans, a trip around the world is quite possible if you make it a priority in your life. Thousands of people of all budgets, occupations and means are currently backpacking somewhere on the globe at this very minute. Those people made major adjustments in their daily expenses, often spending months, years and even decades saving the necessary amount to hit the road. A trip around the world can be amazingly affordable if you’re willing to travel cheaply. Just think–instead of buying a $20,000 car, you could take off for a year and finance a life-changing journey around this beautiful planet.
One tip to help with the financing: if you’re getting married, why not register for parts of your trip instead of for, say, dishes? We used a site www.travelersjoy.com that allowed us to enter various activities (say, scuba diving in Thailand) and the dollar amounts that went with them. Our family and friends could then select those activities as gifts for us. We think they really liked having the opportunity to contribute to our trip instead of to our kitchen cupboards, and the money they contributed on the site allowed us to splurge when we otherwise may not have been able to.
Q: We like to talk about the “But’s” – obstacles that show up when people are considering to travel extensively. What we mean by But’s is the little voice inside your head that starts telling you that you don’t have enough money or time, you can’t leave your job, the kids have to stay at home and go to school, that it could be dangerous or something else. Is this something you are familiar with for your own part and if so, how did you overcome your own But’s?
Derek: I’ve been an anti-“but’s” person for many years. I’m not sure how that came about or if it was innate. I’m the one convincing others that they can do it (whether travel or something else).
And here is a film from their fantastic honeymoon:
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Wow how lucky!
Of course it is not as easy as looking at substituting buying a car for a year long holiday – what with commitments to family and work this may be completely impractical. However if you do get the opportunity then grab it as it is a once in a lifetime chance
Wow, this is really amazing. I wish I could also have same type of honeymoon. How much money did you guys spent.
I wish I had the time and means to travel for an entire year. Looks like it was a great experience for this couple. Maybe someday!
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I fully agree you don’t know your place in the world until you’ve been out there and experienced more of it. I would love to do more traveling, but I’m tired of doing it alone. I’ve settled in a place now, though, that I may like enough to not want to go anywhere else for a long time.
wow it sounds really romantic since i never heard about such a long journey on the honeymoon. its great keep it up
After reading this article I was like WOW! Derek, you rocks.
One year honeymoon? Wow. We had a 3 day honeymoon around the corner. I’m looking to do better now. Looking around for some ideas
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a whole year? Wow, i wish my husband was that romantic, our honeymoon was to his mums house. i hope he starts be more romantic!
wow wow wow
nice article…..
a great journey …
you ever visited Bali? I come from Bali
he…he….
thank for sharing …
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Thank You for that informative post. I really love to read articles that have good information and ideas to share to each reader. I hope to read more from you guys and continue that good work that is really inspiring to us. Great Job!
this amazing….
a very pleasant experience, a visit to various countries in the world was very exciting, I hope when I get married can honeymoon to different countries like you.
thanks..
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Wow! that top picture alone of them in from of the Taj Mahal tells me they had an amazing time.
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My husband and I love to travel. We’ve always made it a point to have an adventure at least once a year. Or whenever we feel like having one.
Now why didn’t we think of this for our honeymoon? Too bad …
Wait a second. This is what second honeymoons are for!
Thanks for the brilliant idea! 
You’re welcome!
)so maybe we should plan for our first:)
Actually, we didn’t go on a honeymoon at all (ok, we got married while traveling
Have a great second honeymoon!
Derek and Shanna are a real inspiration! How wonderful to be able to travel the world for a whole year – good on the for just doing it. Many people struggle to get more than 2 weeks holiday per year and put lots of obstacles between themselves and a journey like this one…I think people who can’t see themselves being able to do this are stuck from day one…you really need to have an open mind and look for ways to “make it possible”, not find reasons why its “impossible”.
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I’d love to spend a year travelling! There are so many places I’d love to visit, if I go once a year for a couple of weeks I’ll never get the chance but if you take one year out and really go for it you can see so much more. I wish my husband was up for something like this but he’s more of a home person.
Such a lucky couple for being able to spend honeymoon around the world! Derek’s outlook is cool. I totally agree with his points that traveling would be possible if we know how to set priorities. I also love to travel so I always keep my daily expenses and save for travel at least once a year.
Sounds like traveling is a high priority of yours, saving and keeping your expenses to be able to go.
Keeping our focus on what’s important to us really helps us to go in that direction. Actually, it doesn’t have to be more difficult than that.
So, what are your next travel plans?
What a romantic journey! an exciting experience to see various places around the world.
Wow! I hope me and hubby have lots of money too to have that long honeymoon traveling around the world. We don’t even have a honeymoon when we got married but we are looking forward for our November trip
Would be amazing to take a trip like that, especially visiting 40 countries! I can’t think, off the top of my head, of 40 places I want to go to be honest but I’d certainly find some. They’re very lucky to be able to take a year out of their lives to travel like that.
I really wished that i had the time and money to expieriance the world. Some day.
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I guess you are one of the luckiest people on earth to have that opportunity. I have to admit that time and money are the biggest factors that most people consider when it comes to traveling. Maybe someday I’ll be able to do that but for now, I only enjoy seeing the beautiful places of the world through the internet.
Well , the view of the passage is totally correct ,your details is really reasonable and you guy give us valuable informative post, I totally agree the standpoint of upstairs. I often surfing on this blog when I m free and I find there are so much good information we can learn in this blog!
Thanks for the great read!
I agree with Derek that you have to plan and prioritized your expenses.It’s all about what satisfies you as a hobby.If you are a traveler than expensive cars,expensive watches,huge property won’t satisfy you,it will be your passion which will drive you.Two thumbs up for you Derek and Shanna.
There are many car rental businesses that arises nowadays. And if this inspires you to look for cheap car rentals then you will do well to check out rental companies that offer their cars to students at very low rates.
Thanks for the great read!
I really love to read articles that have good information and ideas to share to each reader. I totally agree with his points that traveling would be possible if we know how to set priorities.
You are one lucky guy, it is my dream to travel whole world with my wife. Give me a great strength your article was awsome.
madexpert @ floridasunnysideup
I agree with Derek that you have to plan and prioritized your expenses.It’s all about what satisfies you as a hobby. It doesn’t have to be more difficult than that.
I believe in life being a honeymoon. If we all approach our life with this in mind, imagine the happiness and joy we would all be experiencing. I am not suggesting that honeymooners lives are all light and happy, you need challenge and struggles to identify when you are truly blessed and in bliss. For me that is my single value and aim in life to feel blessed and in bliss.
It would be amazing to take a trip like that, especially visiting 40 countries! I can’t think, off the top of my head, of 40 places I want to go to be honest but I’d certainly find some. They’re very lucky to be able to take a year out of their lives to travel like that.
Happy couple.Made for each other.
Amazing post Derek !! OFcourse You enjoyed lot !!!Keep writing such a wonderful post.
Many Thanks,
Kk
How amazing your love story is. I wish I could find my romantic man soon. It’s not the expenses will mater but the memory. Money is nothing if you’re not happy.
there story is interesting. It caught my attention, I was impressed of their travel experience. The comments also helped me understand more about their love story. In fact I researched some other similar stories. Thanks for the post and all who add stories of them.
Amazing. I’d love to do what they did, drop everything and just travel for that long. Must have been an epic adventure.