A man who said he had “lost his life’s purpose” has set out to find it again, with the help of an epic road trip from his hometown of Wigan in north-west England… to Australia.
Your means of transportation? An 18-ton MAN truck purchased for £19,000 ($23,844) that is now a house on wheels after a three-month renovation for £20,000 ($25,103).
Bobby Bolton, 31, set out on the 10,000-mile journey in October, with only his seven-year-old red fox Labrador (Red) for company. But two quickly became four.
Bobby, who has been documenting his trip on his Instagram profile (@one.life.truck.it) – found love in the south of France just two weeks into his trip, and his new partner accompanied him on the trip with their dog.
Marie Deleval, 28, a “beautiful looking” French girl, left everything to join Bobby with her dog, Rubia. It was certainly a welcome change of fortune for Bobby, whose trip was motivated in part by the breakup of her 11-year relationship with his ex-fiancée and the need to “clean the slate.”
Bobby Bolton, 31, set out on a 10,000-mile journey from Wigan to Australia in a converted truck. He has been documenting the trip on his Instagram account. @one.life.truck.it
Bobby began the journey after breaking up with his ex-fiancée. He hit the jackpot just weeks into the trip after meeting a “beautiful French girl”, Marie, who joined him. He is shown above in the Macin Mountains, Romania.
Before leaving, Bobby (left) sold almost all of his belongings and handed over his company RNB Construction to his partner. He spent £20,000 to convert a MAN truck into a house on wheels
Bobby wanted to ‘clean the slate’
The couple met on the top of a hill overlooking the bay of St Tropez at sunset. Inspired by the romantic location, Bobby said: “I plucked up the courage to ask her if she spoke English, but after a few awkward sentences she came home, and I thought that was the end of it.”
“Luckily he took the Instagram tag from the back of my truck and messaged me later.”
Bobby managed to get a date on the beach the next day. A few weeks later, she joined him for a weekend at the Gorge Du Verdon and “the rest is history.”
Marie was about to buy an apartment and “settle down” when they met. But, Bobby said, “the temptation to see the world was too hard to resist.”
They are currently exploring Albania and have checked off 14 countries, with a plan to tour 30 in total. But Bobby said the list is growing.
Bobby and Marie met at the top of a hill overlooking the bay of St Tropez. Marie is pictured in Durmitor National Park, Montenegro
Marie was about to “settle down” and buy a flat before joining Bobby. They have now marked 14 countries and plan to travel to 30 in total. Pictured (left) on Vadu Beach, Romania.
Marie took her dog Rubia on her trips. Rubia and Red are pictured prancing through the snowy forests of Trnovo, Bosnia.
He explained: “The original plan was to drive straight, but it’s more of an adventure as I take the opportunity to explore each country.”
How long until I get there? Bobby said: ‘As long as it takes.
“There’s really no deadline, and I’ll probably only do this once, so why rush?”
Before leaving, Bobby sold almost all of his belongings and handed over his company, RNB Construction, to his business partner.
The images above show Bobby’s 18-tonne truck on Vadu Beach in eastern Romania (first image), in the French Alps near the Italian border (second) and in Theth, Albania (third and fourth) .
And apparently it was worth it.
Some of his notable experiences include rowing on the Ardèche River in France, hiking in the rugged mountains of Montenegro, and admiring the “stunning” landscape of Triglav National Park in Slovenia.
But it hasn’t all been an easy road. Bobby said he has experienced a difficult winter after leaving the UK a little later than planned. From broken boilers and cold nights to frozen fingers and dog paws, Bobby said: “We’ve had to endure everything that winter has thrown at us.”
He added: “There are challenges, yes, and there is never time to rest and you are constantly moving, but in doing so, there is a lot of beauty.”
Bobby sold almost all of his belongings and gave up his business before leaving. The image above shows his van in Albania at dusk.
Bobby told MailOnline Travel the trip will last “as long as it takes”. Shown above in the Macin Mountains in Romania.
“Every morning there’s a new view, every day we meet new people and every month it’s one or two new countries.”
Although Bobby, who is funding the trip through a combination of savings and earnings through partnerships and social media brand-ambassador deals, still has some time to go before arriving in Australia, his journey continues.
What will you do when you get there? “Who knows,” she said. “And how exciting.”
To follow Bobby’s journey, head to his www.instagram.com/one.life.truck.it/ or TikTok account www.tiktok.com/@onelifetruckit.
“Every morning there’s a new view,” Bobby said. He is pictured above in the Macin Mountains.