This globe-trotting power couple wants to help you 'escape the desk'
McEwan (left) used to do marketing communications. Bird worked in senior management in marketing and events.
They met at work, and have been together for three years.
“It was when we got together that we decided that we wanted our lives to be different,” McEwan said. “We both really enjoyed our jobs, but we wanted more from life than just being at work.”
On a vacation in Sri Lanka, surfing and relaxing, they realized that there could be more to life than sitting behind a desk.
“I was sitting out the back looking at the sunset over the waves,” said McEwan. “It was that moment of 'What are we doing? What do we want our life to look like?'”
They decided to find out. They quit their jobs and decided to turn The Freedom Travelers into a business venture.
“We kind of didn't know what we were doing to start with,” said McEwan. “We always just thought, well, we're young, what's the worst-case scenario? It all goes belly-up.”
Though based in Australia, they don't stay there for long.
They spend their time traveling, and sharing their adventures on their blog and YouTube channel. McEwan writes and edits the blog...
...while Bird handles the camera.
“We work really well as a team,” said Bird. “We have complementary skills, which helps. We have a lot of fun together.”
One of their favorite places to travel so far has been New Zealand.
“It’s so unbelievably beautiful,” said Bird.
China was more of a challenge.
“Vic and I always joke about this — you can always spot an Australian when you travel,” said Bird, citing their fondness of personal “bubbles” of space due to the continent’s relatively small population. “[China] is such an overpopulated country that everyone stands on top of you.”
![“Vic and I always joke about this — you can always spot an Australian when you travel,” said Bird, citing their fondness of personal “bubbles” of space due to the continent’s relatively small population. “[China] is such an overpopulated country that everyone stands on top of you.”](https://staticbiassets.in/thumb/msid-53274480,width-700,height-525,imgsize-209207/vic-and-i-always-joke-about-this-you-can-always-spot-an-australian-when-you-travel-said-bird-citing-their-fondness-of-personal-bubbles-of-space-due-to-the-continents-relatively-small-population-china-is-such-an-overpopulated-country-that-everyone-stands-on-top-of-you-.jpg)
Still, “There’s always something endearing about most places you go,” said McEwan.
The pair hopes to inspire others to “escape the desk,” and to get them to push themselves to seek out new experiences.
“We just try and encourage people to think differently, because there's always a way that you can do the thing that you want to do,” said McEwan. “The world is a much smaller place with social media.”
“As long as you have your smartphone and WiFi, you can work anywhere,” Bird added.
The couple describes their dynamic as "easygoing."
“Elaina is the chilled one,” said Mcewan, who called herself as a “reformed planner.”
“When we first started traveling together, Elaina was like, 'Why don't we just see what happens when we get there?'” she said. “That was a real big adjustment for me. But now I totally just roll with it.”
They hope to continue traveling indefinitely.
“In the future, we do want to have a family, and we've been told by everybody that, that changes everything,” said Bird. “We do know a lot of people who travel quite extensively with babies and their kids and everything else, and that's definitely a vision that we have for our future.”
Whatever that future holds, they'll continue to embrace the unknown together and inspire others to do the same.
“A lot of people are like, 'How can you spend that much time with your other half?'” said McEwan. “But I think when it works, it just works.”
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