THAT'S a road trip: meet the man who decided to drive from Wigan in Britain to Australia (via Nepal) in a converted truck after 'losing his purpose in life'
A man who said he had 'lost his purpose in life' has set out to find it again – with the help of an epic road trip from his home town of Wigan in north-west England… to Australia.
His mode of transportation? An 18-ton MAN truck bought for £19,000 ($23,844) is now a house on wheels after a three-month £20,000 ($25,103) renovation.
Bobby Bolton, 31, set out on the 10,000-mile journey in October, with only his seven-year-old fox-red Labrador – Red – for company. But two quickly became four.
Bobby – who has documented his journey on his Instagram profile (@one.life.truck.it) – found love in the south of France just two weeks into his trip, with his new partner joining him on the trip with her dog.
Marie Deleval, 28, a 'beautiful looking' French girl, dropped everything to join Bobby and her dog Rubia. It was undoubtedly a welcome change in fortunes for Bobby, whose journey was partly prompted by the breakdown of his eleven-year relationship with his ex-fiancée and the need to “wipe the slate clean.”
Bobby Bolton, 31, set off in a converted truck for a 10,000-mile drive from Wigan to Australia. He documented the trip on his Instagram account, @one.life.truck.it
Bobby started the journey after breaking up with his ex-fiance. He hit the jackpot just weeks into the trip after meeting a “beautiful French girl,” Marie, who joined him. It is pictured above in the Macin Mountains, Romania
Before leaving, Bobby (left) sold almost all of his assets and transferred his company, RNB Construction, to his business partner. He spent £20,000 converting a MAN truck into a house on wheels
Bobby wanted to 'wipe the slate clean'
The couple met at sunset on a hilltop overlooking the Bay of St. Tropez. Inspired by the romantic location, Bobby said: “I worked up the courage to ask her if she spoke English, but a few awkward sentences later she left back home, and I thought that was the end of it.
“Luckily she took the Instagram tag off the back of my truck and messaged me later.”
Bobby managed to talk himself into a beach date the next day. A few weeks later she joined him for a weekend in the Gorge Du Verdon and 'the rest is history'.
Marie was about to buy a flat and 'settle down' when they met. But, Bobby said, “the temptation to see the world was just too great to resist.”
They are currently exploring Albania and have ticked off fourteen countries, with a plan to travel through thirty in total. But Bobby said the list is growing.
Bobby and Marie met on a hilltop 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 checked off fourteen countries and plan to travel to thirty in total. She is pictured (left) on the beach of Vadu, Romania
Marie took her dog Rubia with her on the trip. Rubia and Red are pictured prancing through the snowy forests in 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 will it take for him to get there? Bobby said, “As long as it lasts.
“There's really no timetable, and I'll probably only do this once, so why rush?”
Before leaving, Bobby sold almost all of his assets and turned over his company, RNB Construction, to his business partner.
The images above show Bobby's 18-ton truck at Vadu Beach, eastern Romania (first image), in the French Alps near the Italian border (second) and in Theth, Albania (third and fourth)
And it was well worth it, it seems.
Some of his standout experiences include paddle boarding on the Ardèche River in France, hiking the rugged mountains of Montenegro and admiring the 'stunning' landscape of Slovenia's Triglav National Park.
But it wasn't all an easy ride. Bobby said he has had a difficult winter after leaving the UK a little later than expected. From broken boilers and cold nights to frozen fingers and dog paws, Bobby said, “We've had to endure everything winter has to throw at us.”
He added: “There are challenges, yes, and there's never time to rest and you're constantly moving, but in doing that there's a lot of beauty in that.
Bobby sold almost all of his belongings and transferred his business before leaving. The above image shows his van in Albania at dusk
Bobby told MailOnline Travel that the trip will take “as long as it needs to.” It is seen above in the Macin Mountains in Romania
“Every morning is a new view, every day we meet new people, and every month is a new country or two.”
Although Bobby – who is funding the trip with a mix of savings and income through social media partnerships and brand ambassador deals – still has a while to go before he reaches the land Down Under, his journey continues.
What will he do when he gets there? “Who knows,” he said. 'And how exciting.'
To follow Bobby's journey, visit www.instagram.com/one.life.truck.it/ or TikTok account www.tiktok.com/@onelifetruckit.
“Every morning is a new view,” Bobby said. It is pictured above in the Macin Mountains