This Couple Sold Everything They Own To Travel The World On An Endless Honeymoon
Waking up on Monday mornings isn't something that Jacques and Dahcia Bastien dread, nor are they counting down the hours until their weekend escape. For these two entrepreneurs, everyday feels like a vacation, complete with lunch breaks at local restaurants in Bangkok, and weekend jaunts to Khai Nai Island in Phuket.
"The world is too big to stay in one place," reads the caption on their Instagram page, One Way For Two.
The couple took up residence in Jakarta, Indonesia when they made the decision to ditch their former way of living just days shy of their four-year anniversary. They sold all of their material things before leaving the U.S. to travel around the world, meanwhile continuing to run their portfolio of digital marketing companies and building remote teams worldwide.
The self-identified "entrepreneurs in love" are no strangers to making the most out out of life. In March 2014, their wedding proposal video went viral, which led to their special day being sponsored by Fox News NY, Galia Lahav, and more. Two months later, they were gifted with the wedding of their dreams and said "I do" at the Central Park Boathouse. The couple's $25,000 wedding gown, wedding bands, and a multitude of other decorative arrangements were all free.
"But our wedding day was also a humbling one," the couple writes on their blog.
Their wedding day bliss was cut short following the departure of their guests. Soon after the ceremony, they headed back to their hotel to do what they knew how to do best: work.
At the time, despite running their own marketing company that they started together in college, they were barely able to afford a cab ride. A honeymoon was definitely out of the question. That night, they promised one another that within 365 days, when they were in a better financial position, they would incorporate monthly honeymoons into their marriage.
The following year, they took their first weeklong trip to South Florida. It was just the experience that they needed to prove that they could marry their love for one another and travel, with their love for building brands.
Honeymooning as a lifestyle didn't come easy.
Like many entrepreneurs, it was difficult to step away for hours without having to put out fires upon return. Determined to make their new lifestyle work, they adapted their schedules. Their mornings were dedicated to growing and maintaining their businesses, and in the evening and on weekends, they would hit Venice Beach in Los Angeles, walk the strip in Las Vegas, or dig their toes into the warm Florida sands. Soon their trips carried them internationally as well to places like Canada, Costa Rica, and Indonesia, and for the next two years, they traveled the globe—finding places they'd never been before as they worked through the day and relaxed once the sun set.
In April 2017, their endless honeymoon came to a halt.
While on a two-week trip with family across the globe, the couple found themselves entrenched in the heavy demands of running a business. Their time was spent working, as opposed to enjoying the temples, forests, and waterfalls that the country had to offer.
Up until then, most of their travels kept them in a similar timezone, making it easier to coordinate schedules with their growing team. But this time, a 12-hour time difference meant that instead of seeing the beautiful country that they had traveled nearly 30 hours to see, the couple would spend the majority of the trip in meetings, or dealing with time-sensitive business demands.
"The trip showed us a lot of weaknesses in our companies and in our lives. For starters, all of our companies depended entirely too much on us. It was difficult for us to be off the grid for more than 10 hours without something going wrong. It also showed us that although the monthly-retainer business where clients pay us one monthly price to manage their marketing initiatives was a great way to know exactly how much money you're going to make each month, it also meant that we worked 24/7 for our clients and had to be available to react when anything went wrong (no matter the time of day... or night)."
The final wakeup call was realizing that they had spent a lot of money for a trip that they didn't even get to enjoy. Similar to their wedding night, they promised each that by the following year, they would change their circumstances, which would require a complete overhaul of their businesses.
But first, they had to answer one question: Was their team more productive at home or in the office? Afterall, their companies would only remain as strong as their teams were effective, and they couldn't just assume that the remote lifestyle was a good fit for the many personalities that they managed on a daily basis.
Shifting to a 100% remote workplace experiment proved to be a success, and after only six weeks, they closed their three offices and allowed employees to work completely from home. Their full-service marketing agency turned into a firm that focused on short-term consulting and team training projects, and they launched a photo booth company that would serve as to be a low maintenance and high-profit business. These changes allowed their core team to focus more of their time on growing their influencer talent management agency.
Since then, they've snagged work with companies such as McDonald's, Marriott, Square Inc., and CVS Pharmacy, and launched Nappy and CreatorBio.co— all while working in our pajamas from their living room. Today, they have team members working around the world, from New York to the Philippines.
"2017 was a transformative year for us that led to a lot of changes, both personally and professionally. It wasn't an easy year, but it was one where we learned from our past mistakes and started planting new seeds. By the end of the year, we had a lot more 'free' time to live our lives and do the things that we've always wanted to do...best of all, we could do all of these from practically anywhere in the world."
Today, the couple has turned their love for traveling as entrepreneurs into a permanent lifestyle. For two weeks to three months at a time, they travel the world, all while working on growing their businesses. Without hesitation, they broke their lease, sold their car and furniture, and donated 85% of their clothes to charity, fitting their entire lives into two suitcases and two carry-ons.
"We both love learning about different cultures, but after spending one month in a place so different than the places you're used to, it really makes reorganize your priorities, consider your privileges, and how minuscule our 'problems' really are in the grand scheme of things."
This past April, the couple caught a one-way flight to Jakarta, Indonesia to kick off their world tour and redo the 2017 trip. The couple spent the last three months traveling to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand (Phuket, Bangkok, and Chiang Mai). They also have plans to travel to Haiti and other destinations abroad throughout the next couple of years, only returning to the States for work, speaking engagements, and to spend time with family.
"We both feel very privileged and fortunate to have been able to experience the world together. One of the most important things we've taken away from this first leg of our world tour is that we are each other's center, no matter where we are, the feeling of being 'home' is the feeling we get whenever we're together."
Their story is proof that we are the masters of our own lives.
Though it was undoubtedly challenging to transition multiple companies with full-time employees to a 100 percent brick and mortar-free lifestyle, it was more than worth it. Everyday, they're waking up and exploring new parts of the city together and doing what brings them joy. That alone is priceless.
Follow Jacques and Dahcia on their channel @onewayfortwo. And follow them individually at @JacquesHBastien and @__dahc.
Kiah McBride writes technical content by day and uses storytelling to pen real and raw personal development pieces on her blog Write On Kiah. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter at @writeonkiah.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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When discussing the topic of raising children, discipline is often the first thing that comes to mind. Children need discipline. Full stop. But what is discipline? And how do we draw the line between discipline and revenge?
The origin of the word "discipline" can be traced back to the Latin word "disciplina," which means "instruction" or "teaching." Over time, however, discipline has come to be synonymous with punishment, with parents relying on shame, fear, and/or physical pain to curb undesirable behavior.
Teaching takes time, so nipping it in the bud in whatever fashion parents deem necessary (within reason) has become the norm. But is this what’s best for children? And when does it become less about curbing undesirable behavior and more about getting our licks back for offenses we feel our children should know better to do?
In my work as a parenting coach, I’ve often heard parents say, “I asked him nicely three times before spanking him. He didn’t stop doing it until I did, so clearly talking doesn’t work.”
And the parent isn’t wrong. Talking often doesn’t work the first, the third, or the even the 10th time. And the reason is directly tied to brain development.
Children cannot and do not process information the way an adult can. Auditory processing is not fully developed until a child is 14 or 15 years old. And even then, if a child has auditory processing delays or Auditory Processing Disorder (APD), they may always struggle with processing auditory commands. According to Susie S. Loraine, MA, CCC-SLP, the term auditory processing refers to how the brain perceives and interprets sound information. Several skills determine auditory processing ability—or listening success. They develop in a general four-step hierarchy, but all work together and are essential for daily listening.
Without this understanding, discipline can easily become revenge because parents will then view their child’s misdeeds as a personal slight. Instead of teaching them to do better, parents now want to show them the consequences of not doing better. This is why it's imperative for parents to discern between discipline and revenge to maintain healthy relationships with their children.
5 WAYS TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PARENTAL GUIDANCE AND RETALIATION:Â Â
​Understanding The Intent
Discipline is rooted in love and concern for the child's well-being. It focuses on teaching lessons and helping children understand the consequences of their actions. Conversely, revenge-driven actions stem from a desire to inflict pain or punishment as payback for perceived slights or disobedience. Parents should reflect on their motives before taking disciplinary actions. Ask yourself whether your intention is to help your child learn or to make them suffer for upsetting you.
Example: If a child accidentally breaks a valuable item, a disciplinary response would involve discussing the importance of being careful and working with the child to come up with a way to replace or fix what they’ve broken. On the other hand, a vengeful reaction might involve yelling, harsh punishment, or bringing up past mistakes to intensify guilt.
​Maintaining Emotional Regulation
Effective discipline requires parents to remain calm and composed, even in challenging situations. It's natural to feel upset or frustrated when children misbehave, but responding with anger or resentment can escalate the situation and blur the line between discipline and revenge. Before addressing the issue, take a moment to breathe and collect your thoughts.
Example: If a child cannot follow instructions, a disciplined response would involve calmly explaining why their cooperation is necessary in working with the child to accomplish the goal. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve shouting, name-calling, or resorting to physical punishment out of anger.
​Promoting Growth and Learning
Discipline should always aim to promote growth and learning. It involves guiding children toward making better choices and understanding the impact of their actions on themselves and others. Effective discipline strategies include positive reinforcement, setting clear expectations, and providing opportunities for reflection and growth.
Example: If a child repeatedly forgets to complete their chores, a disciplinary approach would involve discussing the importance of responsibility and finding solutions together, such as creating a chore chart or setting reminders with Siri or Alexa. In contrast, a revenge-driven response might involve imposing overly harsh punishments or belittling the child, which can undermine their self-esteem and hinder their ability to learn from their mistakes.
Momo Productions/Getty
Building Trust and Communication
Trust and open communication are essential components of a healthy parent-child relationship. Discipline should strengthen this bond by fostering trust and encouraging children to confide in their parents without fear of judgment or retaliation. When children feel safe and supported, they're more likely to accept discipline as a form of guidance rather than punishment.
Example: If a child admits to breaking a rule or making a mistake, a disciplined response would involve listening to their perspective, discussing the consequences of their actions, and working together to find a solution. Conversely, a retaliatory response might involve accusations, blame, or shutting down communication, which can erode trust and damage the parent-child relationship.
Seeking Professional Guidance
Parenting is a learning journey, and, disciplining children is a delicate balance between guiding them toward responsible behavior and nurturing their growth. By understanding the intent behind our actions, maintaining emotional regulation, promoting growth and learning, building trust and communication, and seeking professional guidance when needed, as parents we can help our children built on love, respect, and understanding.
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Featured image by Courtney Hale/Getty Images