Our Journey: Quitting Jobs to Explore the Globe and Having Kids Before Marriage

Our paths first crossed in a lively Sydney nightclub; she was 30 and I was 27. The encounter wasn't typical — Sally ended up falling from a podium, landing on my friend. She apologized profusely, and the incident sparked a new friendship between her and my friend. Weeks later, my friend reconnected us in another nightclub, and soon after, Sally and I began our relationship.

Right from the beginning, adventure was our core focus, while other life aspects, like having children, took a backseat. Parenthood wasn't on our agenda initially; our sights were set on exploring the world together.

Years of Saving Led to Epic Travels

Being from different parts of the world — she was English and I, Australian — we both inherently loved travel. Our strategy was simple: work diligently for six years, save enough, and then leave our jobs to embark on a journey. We traversed Europe and Morocco in a camper van over seven months, followed by a similar journey through Central and South America, where Mexico especially captivated us for a couple of months.

Our travels were harmonious and devoid of major issues, thanks to our strong connection. Afterward, we settled briefly in England, spending five months reacquainting my wife with her homeland before heading back to sunny Australia, where she resumed her career as a florist, and I joined the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Marriage was never a prominent priority, largely due to the extensive allocation of funds towards travel. With neither of our families pushing for it—Sally's siblings weren't married, and there was no peer pressure—it seemed somewhat outdated to us. However, I was more inclined towards the idea, eventually proposing romantically in Venice on a gondola.

Kids Came Before We Tied the Knot

It was after another great backpacking trip, when Sally was 36 and I was 34, that we broached the subject of aging and potential parenthood. It became clear that having children was something we should consider sooner rather than later.

Though my mother, a devout Christian, might have preferred us to marry first, she never expressed discontent with our choices. We became parents to three wonderful kids during our seven-year engagement. Not long after our youngest was born, Sally's family visited from the UK, prompting us to seize the moment and plan our wedding.

The ceremony was less of a traditional wedding and more of a celebration with 100 guests, where we exchanged vows. It was special, particularly having our kids involved — our eldest leading as ring bearer and even drumming on bongos to kick off the ceremony. Memories from that day, captured in photos, hold immense pride for us.

By this time, many of our friends were also parents and relished this rare opportunity to enjoy an evening without their children. The celebration was extraordinary.

Post-marriage, I felt a significant shift; a maturity in referring to my partner as my 'wife' instead of 'girlfriend.' We embraced the liberty modern times offer, in shaping traditions—Sally, once fancying a hyphenated surname, opted simply for mine, as 'Sally River-Banks' seemed too outlandish.