How to Search for a Life Less Ordinary

How to Search for a Life Less Ordinary

Meet Russell VJ Ward, he is an expat man who knows how to live life to the fullest. He teaches us that we can live the life that you dream of!

 

Where were you born?

Basingstoke, England – a small town in the north of Hampshire. 

I’m living in:

Sydney, Australia 

Are you a solo Expat?  

No, I left the UK with my girlfriend at the time who is now my wife. We also have a two-and-a-half year old son, plus a daughter due at the end of July. 

A bit about me  

I’m a British-born expat and writer, traveler and blogger who left England in 2003 in pursuit of less stress, more emphasis on the great outdoors, and a healthier, fuller way of living life. After a stint in Canada, you’ll now find me fulfilling my life goals in Australia.

I created the blog, In Search Of A Life Less Ordinary, to share my experiences of making major life changes for the better – from moving abroad to changing my working world, exploring the great outdoors to learning to make time for the things that matter. Based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches with my wife and son, I write for The Huffington Post, The Telegraph, Mamamia and others. I have featured on Sydney local radio and appeared on House Hunters International, a top-rating U.S. lifestyle television show about moving abroad. In 2013, I founded The International Writer, a content writing company creating powerful and remarkable content for individuals, businesses and brands.

How long have you lived there? 

I’ve lived here for nine years. Prior to that, I lived in Canada (Vancouver and Ottawa) for three years. 

Have you always wanted to live/work abroad?  

I always wanted to explore but I didn’t come to the conclusion that this meant a life lived permanently abroad. As a younger person, I was eternally curious at the world around me but I wasn’t given the tools or had the means to see what I wanted to see. My world was my backyard and local neighborhood – over time, I realised that I wanted more. At 23, I worked in a job going nowhere. At 25, I’d spent the best part of my early years in a place that didn’t inspire me. At 27, I led a lifestyle that left me wanting for more.  In my twenties, I quickly realised I’d given up any control over my life and I only saw longing and regret stretching out before me. I needed to take the control back and I knew there was more to life. I wanted to discover my calling at work, home and play. I needed to go out into the wider world and find something different. Discover my true passion. Create the life that I desperately wanted to lead. I knew I had to search for my own life less ordinary. 

Why did you move?  

It was in the summer of 2002 that my partner and I first decided to move abroad. The kernel of an idea was already there but, during that summer, we began to turn an idea into reality.I moved for a different way of life. I wanted more time with my family and less time spent in the office. I wanted a life less stressful and more relaxed, with increased time outdoors and stimulation from my immediate environment. Most of all, I didn’t want to be that guy sat in front of the TV night after night, full of regrets at passing up opportunities, unhappy with his lot in life and destined to infinite suburban boredom. I knew one valuable thing. I couldn’t wait for someone else to create the life I wanted for me. I had to go out there and create it for myself so we chose Canada and the Pacific North West as the place we wanted to call home and where we wanted to experience an improved lifestyle.

Why I/ we like living here?

Moving to Australia, we had our hearts set on living by the water. We’d done the very same in Vancouver but gave up the ocean when we moved to Ottawa and regretted it immediately. Here, we live not far from the beach, we take walks along the headland, the wind gusting into our faces and the roar of the ocean in our ears. You can’t beat the coastal lifestyle and I connect with it most here. Compared to the UK, I find the attitude to life here is also very different. People are more relaxed and positive about life. There’s not so much of a focus on work, which is something you do to enable the real benefit of being here – enjoying the outdoors laid back lifestyle.

What do you enjoy doing with your time? 

Obviously I write when I can – it’s my personal, relaxed place. Outside, I enjoy drinking copious amounts of coffee with friends at any one of the incredible coffee shops dotted along the Northern Beaches peninsula. I exercise regularly, swim when the water warms up and basically enjoy being outside as much as I can.

What top tips do you have for anyone considering a move? 

The best advice I can offer is to understand who you truly are. For example, if curiosity burns brightly within you and your parents always said you couldn't sit still, your friends grew impatient with your own impatience, and you never seemed settled because you felt there was so much more to see and do, then a life abroad is definitely for you.Once you're clear on who you are and what you want, define your end goal, whether it’s a life in the sun, a bigger house by the ocean or simply a more relaxed way of life. Create a plan and think about the small steps you can take towards that goal. Remember to keep those steps measurable, simple and succinct. Then begin.I recently wrote The Life Less Ordinary Manifesto, which shows people how to escape their rut. In the book, you'll learn the steps I took to improve my life and give it greater meaning, when the time is right to make those changes to live a less ordinary life, that change won't be easy but it will be worth it, and how to take those first steps to turn a dream into an exciting new reality.

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SEE ALSO: Travel and Adventure

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What do you wish you’d known before you moved?

The cost of living here. It is high and it impacts on our quality of life but you find ways to deal with it and accept that things aren’t always as you expected. I also faced homesickness, uncertainty, culture shock, and loneliness at being away from my support network of family and friends. But for me, the epic scale of experiences I knew I'd have - such as the drastically different lifestyle, the better life for my children - reminded me why I wanted to put myself through this and that it would be worth it because it would make me a happier, more content, less restless version of my former self. And I'd finally be free to choose life on my terms with little or no regrets.

Is there anywhere you would like to live that you have not explored?  

I'm fortunate that travel is increasingly part of my writing career, and so I’ve been able to visit and spend time in many places. I think I’ve chosen well in terms of the places I’ve lived in and I’m content with those choices. 

Where is your favorite place to visit for a vacation? 

I never tire of returning to Canada, my grandfather's homeland; and I'm particularly drawn to the West Coast and British Columbia for its natural and rugged beauty, with Vancouver being the jewel in that crown. 

I rediscovered Wales in the U.K. last year (my grandmother's home), and I realised how special it was to me. I spent time on the Pembrokeshire coast and enjoyed it for its rugged landscape and isolation from the rest of the country.
Next on my list would be New Zealand's south island. From Christchurch to Queenstown, snowfields to vast plains, I was captivated by the region and hope to return one day soon. 

What’s the best thing about being an expat?

Every day is different – it’s an ongoing adventure and full of new surprises – from the way someone says something to you, to the way things are done, to the new sights around the corner – it’s all different and new. Also, the opportunities expat life has given me – a writing career, a new business, interesting friends, different homes – it often feels like something can come your way at any time. One of the best things is the chance to explore – I have the wanderlust in me and am often restless so it allows me to travel and see new things – the downside is that it’s hard to go back to where I came from – Pandora’s box has been opened and it’s increasingly hard to close it back up. 

How do you keep a little bit of home with you as an expat?

If I could physically move Australia slightly closer to the UK, then that would work. The distance can be hard to work with and trips home become less frequent over time. I’m not certain that I keep a bit of home with me – I find that I’ve adjusted to life away and can get my fix of home from regular trips back and connecting with family and friends over social media and of course watching things from home through the TV.