A few weeks ago we were sipping mezcal and talking about how deeply-moving travel feels harder to find. Some of that is surely age: the diminishing returns of crossing borders after decades of experience versus the first time you ever saw a Peugeot or learned that eggs can be stored at room temperature.

But we also wondered if something else has shifted. Travel itself has never been easier. Parisian servers speak English, Ubers appear instantly and take you directly to/from the hotel, credit cards work everywhere. The rough edges have been sanded down. Everything is smoother, faster, more optimized… yet, somehow, a little less transformative. That charming restaurant you found on Instagram (not through a halting conversation with a cab driver) is full of other people who also found it on Instagram… and now it serves nachos.

There’s real science behind this feeling. Research shows that effort can increase fulfillment, a phenomenon often illustrated through the IKEA effect: people value things more when they’ve invested effort (Hex key blisters) into them. For travel, that raises a question: does a harder trip leave a deeper imprint than the all-inclusive cruise? (If this resonates, Michael Easter’s The Comfort Crisis is a great dive into how convenience might unintentionally create malaise.)

Maybe for some, maybe not for others… there is nothing wrong with seeking ease or desiring rest after working hard. But for those who crave depth - who want to feel the world rather than just move through it - modern travel can make that a little harder to access.

Which is why the story of Landcruising Adventure hit us hard.

Landcruising Adventure is Karin-Marijke and Coen - the self-described “slowest overlanders on the planet.” Since 2003, they’ve been driving a 1984 Toyota Land Cruiser across continents, from South America to Central Asia, Middle East to Europe.

Their journey isn’t a trip in as much as a lived life on the road. They document gear, maintenance, wild camping, off-beat routes, local foods, hiking trails (they walked a 465 mile trail in South Korea). They have built the site into both a travel log and a resource hub for overlanding - helping to create the movement in the process.

Why are they doing this? They embody the philosophy that travel is “a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” Their pace is slow and their vehicle simple. They’re not trying to break records or check off a bucket list… they just want to experience the planet on their own terms.

What struck us about these stories are their longevity (decades living on the road), the documented depth (gear, guides, food, culture), and authenticity beyond Instagram likes. Before other lifestyle influencers, these were the OGs who traveled without Wifi or phone cameras.

Trying going on a long roadtrip without hotels or glamping sites (shitting on the side of the road is a normal morning routine). Overlanding is hard… and these guys have been doing it since before smartphones. Respect.

Travel is deeply personal. What feels transcendent to one person might feel torturous to another. Some of our closest friends travel specifically not to be challenged… they want an airport lounge followed by a frozen drink and a Jimmy Buffett cover band. Some like tour buses, some like minimalist volunteer travel. One of the great gifts of travel is that it can meet you where you are.

So the hell yeah behind Landcruising Adventure is not about a superior way of traveling; it’s about two people who who live an intentional life purely built around their deep passion. To outsiders, their lifestyle might look extreme or unhinged. But to them, the “nOrMaL LiFE” might be the crazier option.

Most of us build lives around society’s expectations (work, home, family, etc.) and squeeze our passions into the gaps. We travel on school holidays, hit golf balls after work, maybe carve out space for a wood shop or arcade in the garage if we’re bold. But there is something so electrifying when people reverse it - building a life around the passion, and fitting everything else in.

And there’s something so beautiful and Emersonian (and honestly intimidating) watching people who know themselves so well. Outside of our families, we wish we loved anything as much they love traveling in an old SUV (or as much as Paul’s kid likes bubbles).

And in the case of Karin-Marijke and Coen, we at least get to see their cool pictures. Hell yeah.

Official Landcruising Advenutre webpage

Karin-Rajike’s Notes on Slow Travel

Coen’s Instagram Page

Overlanding has a Wikipedia page with popular routes