To what extent will you go to fulfill your dreams of traveling the world? Certainly, you will not sell tea if you are not that passionate and determined. But, this couple, who are in their 70s did!
Vijayan and his wife Mohana, married for 45 years now, follow their heart when it comes to living their dreams. They run a tiny tea shop called Shri Balaji Coffee House in Kochi to fund their travel and just by their smart strategy of saving money, they have to date visited 23 countries.
This being their only source of income, their idea of saving money is quite smart and simple. They make it a point to save 300 rupees per day and spend very little during their travel trips. The couple doesn’t have any workers or employees in their shop. “We are the workers and managers,” says Vijayan.
On asking what they had learned from traveling around the world, the old man says to a travel blogger Drew Binsky, “It will change your mind and culture.”
Watch the video here:
Their favorite countries being Singapore, Switzerland and New York. They also went to Brazil, Argentina, and Peru. Next year, their dream is to visit Sweden, Holland, Greenland Norway. He also collects bills from every place he’s been to.
In their shop, the posters of all the places they have been to hangs like a trophy on their wall and speak volumes about their love for travel.
Their tiny shop is not overwhelmingly popular and they have about 300-350 customers but that is not enough to fund their travel trips. They take out bank loans to fund their adventures. After each trip ends, they spend roughly three years repaying the debt they owed.
This hyper-positive couple has one simple mantra- “Life is Beautiful. We Enjoy it”
Their video has gone viral and recently, Anand Mahindra, Chairman of the Mahindra Group, tweeted saying –
“They may not figure in the Forbes Rich list but in my view, they are amongst the richest people in our country. Their wealth is their attitude to life. The next time I’m in their town I am definitely dropping by for tea & a tour of their exhibits..”
They may not figure in the Forbes Rich list but in my view, they are amongst the richest people in our country.Their wealth is their attitude to life. The next time I’m in their town I am definitely dropping by for tea & a tour of their exhibits.. pic.twitter.com/PPePvwtRQs
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 9, 2019
In another post, he said, “Well what about us finding out the date of their wedding anniversary and crowdsourcing the funding for their next trip as an anniversary gift??”
Well what about us finding out the date of their wedding anniversary and crowdsourcing the funding for their next trip as an anniversary gift?? https://t.co/gZescVgjQk
— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 9, 2019
The couple teaches us a great deal about life. Believe in yourself, follow your dreams and never give up!
Well, at least now we know that all who wander are not aimless!