Ukrainian couple Igor Kasianenko and Valeriia Kuznetsova have seen both the Northern and the Southern Lights, visited ruins left by ancient civilizations, and have been having the most spectacular year of their lives after quitting their jobs and taking a journey around the world.
They have already visited five continents and 10 countries in 300 days.
The couple started their journey from India in January, and plan to finish it in December in Israel, where they lived for the last three years.
They have made friends all over the world and have seen some of the most spectacular places on the planet.
“If there’s an opportunity to travel for a year, explore other cultures and get acquainted with other people, it’s the best thing that one can do,” Kasianenko said.
Both he and his wife come from Dnipro, a city in central Ukraine. They moved to Israel in 2013 to participate in an educational program and decided to stay there.
Kuznetsova worked as a financial analyst and Kasianenko was an engineer at IT company Hewlett-Packard.
After the couple saved up some money, they sold their car and some other possessions they didn’t use and put together a budget of $24,000 for their one-year adventure.
They said they chose the countries that they had always wanted to visit: India, Vietnam, Cambodia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, the United States and Canada.
“First of all, we wanted to see countries like New Zealand — it has been a dream since childhood,” Kuznetsova said.
She says that it was important for them not to travel every day, but to spend at least a month in each country to “get to know the culture and people from the inside.”
The couple traveled by plane, train and bus, and rented cars to get around the sights. They lived in hostels, hotels and rented dwellings.
Preparation
The couple said they started preparing for the journey six months before its start.
At first, they calculated an approximate budget by adding up all possible expenses: plane tickets, accommodation, food and even museum fees. All in all, they calculated they would need $24,000 — but they eventually spent $2,000 more than that.
After saving up enough money, they both quit their jobs: taking a year-long vacation wasn’t an option.
To avoid having to wait for luggage in airports, they decided to take only two backpacks of seven kilograms each, which could be taken in any airliner’s cabin.
Kuznetsova said it was difficult to decide what to pack as the couple planned to travel during all four seasons in different weather conditions. They eventually took two pairs of shoes, some clothing and a laptop each.
They said they didn’t get vaccinated for any diseases, but got a year-long insurance covering extreme pastimes, which cost them $850 each.
Although such a long journey could be risky, Kasianenko said that it’s a common thing for young people in Israel to do.
“After serving in the army, people travel the world for around half a year to get to know how others live, learn something new, and expand their perception of the world,” he told the Kyiv Post. “I think it’s very useful and important.”
Angkor Wat is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world built by the ancient Khmer Empire in the 12th century. (Courtesy)
Highlights
They say that every country surprised and impressed them.
Kasianenko said they enjoyed doing yoga in India and loved Vietnam for its hospitable people, who helped them out and treated them with tasty food.
In Cambodia, they were fascinated by the large temple complex of Angkor Wat, built by the ancient Khmer Empire, where they watched a sunrise and a sunset.
Kasianenko said they felt similar emotions at Machu Picchu, a ruined citadel of the ancient Inca civilization in Peru.
“There are very beautiful mountains and nature. We didn’t see anything like that in Europe,” he said.
They were impressed by Singapore, known as Asia’s shopping mall.
“Indeed there are many shopping malls, but apart from that, life is bustling there — with lots of concerts and exhibitions.”
They also loved Singapore for its greenery and parks and “an amazing orchid garden.”
Kasianenko said that the sky in New Zealand was beautiful and starry. It was there that they saw the Southern Lights, a spectacular natural light display in the Earth’s sky.
They also say there were unusual plants, trees and animals on the island.
“New Zealand is a fairytale country,” Kasianenko said.
And they were fascinated by life in the United States, which, Kasianenko said, is a place of extremes.
“Everything is allowed, and it’s a part of their culture,” he said.
Valeriia Kuznetsova poses with lamas in the center of Cusco, Peru on July 21. (Courtesy)
Valuable experience
According to the couple, the most difficult parts of their adventure came on their first days in a new country, when they had to figure out what transport to take, where to live, and how to spend their money.
Apart from that, the travelers had a busy schedule at times, and sometimes got tired of moving around.
“By the end of the journey we had an overflow of emotions,” Kasianenko said.
However, the adventure was a great experience for their marriage. Although staying with one person 24/7 all year long might seem like a challenge, Kasianenko said that “it was the best thing.”
They communicated a lot and found out many new things about themselves and about each other, he says.
“I think it’s a great way to develop a relationship.”
Their latest stop is Dnipro — their home city — where they stopped by to visit their grandparents on the way back to Israel.
Now they are looking forward to getting back to a regular life. However, their urge to see the world hasn’t disappeared.
“We’re not planning our next journey yet, but we do want to go traveling again in a couple of years,” Kasianenko said.
