Bloggers & Influencers Laid Bare... Introducing Pant ’n’ Purr

The second in the series of 'Bloggers & Influencers Laid Bare...', in which I introduce inspiring people I love to follow and feel you need to know, features two young Ozzies, Shauni and Andy, who are Pant ’n’ Purr!

Following the popularity of the interview with Kiwis Fly the Coop (check it out if you have not yet done so), I was very grateful that Pant ’n’ Purr's Andy and Shauni agreed to go under the spotlight and lay themselves bare here today.

I will allow Andy and Shauni to tell you much more about themselves in the interview but a little background to them first...

Pant ’n’ Purr is the blog and social media brand of Andy and Shauni, two friends who met in Australia while working together and decided to join forces in making some great life changes.

They have both given up their careers in Australia and moved across the world, currently to the UK, to house-sit, experience more travels and both are also taking on new university courses!

Alongside all of this they maintain their blog and their social media accounts in which they are sharing their very honest experiences, offering advice and tips alongside reviews of places they have been.

Anyway, enough from me... Here are Andy & Shauni in their own words!

An Interview With Andy & Shauni from Pant ’n’ Purr

Thank you Andy and Shauni for agreeing to be put under the spotlight...

Can you first introduce a little about yourselves?

ANDY - I’m a 30 year old from the Barossa Valley in South Australia.

For the past 7 years I have been teaching at a R-12 school in Australia.

I have gone through some very tough times over the last 12-24 months which involved a lot of deep soul searching and I have developed a new perspective on life.

These changes have encouraged me to follow my passion of sport and turn it into a career.

I am currently studying a Master of High Performance Sport and working online as an ESL teacher. I also do a little bit of work with football clubs in the UK when they allow me in!

I love the concept of travelling, with more interest in nature and smaller locations than big overpriced “landmark” sites.

SHAUNI - I’m a 26 year old from a country town in South Australia called Mount Gambier.

I’ve spent most of my life there outside of travels and Uni.

Like most country kids in Australia, growing up I played sport and that took up the majority of my time.

I also love reading when I can find the time to do so - getting lost in a book is bliss for me and reading in a bath is my idea of heaven.

I spent the past 3 years teaching after having fallen into the profession and over the last 18 months have gone back to uni to complete my Honours degree in Psychology.

Hopefully my future will include some form of psychology profession, but I am a big believer that we should work to live rather than live to work, so I try not to focus on my future in terms of a career.

Currently I’m teaching online and just trying to experience as much as the world has to offer each day.

What led you to begin your new lives travelling & to set up Pant ’n’ Purr?

ANDY - I guess for me it was this new perspective on life and breaking the shackles of a depressive state that I was suffering from.

This was no easy feat but I really needed change and a new environment.

The prospect of being able to study online made me realise that I didn’t have to stay in the same spot.

A good friend of mine introduced me to the concept of house-sitting and I made the connection to the UK sports scene and thought, ‘I’m going to do this!’.

I booked a one way ticket and here I am!

I just love the idea of being able to travel on a small budget whilst still being able to complete university and gain experience in the sporting industry.

SHAUNI - Travel has been a big part of my life.

Growing up I was very lucky in that my parents took me to see different places and even threw me on a plane to go overseas a couple of times.

After finishing my undergraduate degree I took some time off from studying and spent 7 months travelling around the US and Canada.. I’m not sure I’ve been the same since.

I am drawn to experiencing new places and curious about everything.

I find when I stay in one place too long I begin feeling unsettled and restless…. which, I guess is how I ended up in the UK this year. I was ready to go exploring again.

In this way I’m a little different to most as I don’t always seek to remain in my comfort zone and I don’t quite adhere to what society expects of me.

Pant ’n’ Purr was a way for us to share our travels and experiences with people back home as well as show potential homeowners what we have done and do.

Pant ’n’ Purr also gives us an avenue to express ourselves and acts as a way for us to store all of our experiences and memories in a convenient little URL. Since creating it though we have realised just how great it is as a connection tool with other house-sitters and travellers which has been amazing.

The places we want to travel to and see is getting longer as a result of this though!

What shape does your life take now?

ANDY - We are spending the next 18 months in the UK whilst I finish my studies.

Shauni is also looking into completing a Masters whilst we are here so that may keep us here a bit longer.

We have talked about house-sitting and travelling to other locations as well.

Canada is a high priority for us both as we have always wanted to go there so if we could spend a year or so house-sitting through Canada that would be pretty good.

Having connected with other travellers and house-sitters we are also really drawn to some of the Asian countries.

Travelling around Australia is also high on our bucket list. House-sitting in the different states as we make our way around. Being back close to family and friends would be nice after being away a couple of years.

SHAUNI - We have just fallen in love with the travel and house-sitting life and so once we finish our studies I think we will just keep doing it and working online until we find a job that we really want to do.

We both have a work to live mentality and really want to make sure that any career opportunity is an enjoyable one.

We just really want to see as much of this amazing world as we can, especially the hidden gems and secluded areas. We have had a ball house-sitting in country areas and not necessarily going to the traditional popular places or ‘must see’ sights.

At this stage though we pretty much are taking things day by day and seeing what happens.

What has been your best experience on your journey so far?

ANDY - It has got to be Echuca.

Echuca is a country town on the border of Victoria and NSW in Australia. I had never been there as it was a 6 hour drive from where I was living but it was just amazing.

The owners we sat for had a house 10 minutes out of town and a few hundred metres walk from the River Murray.

Shauni & Andy at the Meerkat Experience

The house was surrounded by bush-land with an abundance of wildlife - it reminded me of the house that I grew up in.

A very close second is our current sit where I saw snow fall for the first time in my life. I was like a kid in a candy store, ah it’s the simple things!

SHAUNI - This one’s an easy one for me.

I guess luckily we are still in the early stages of our adventures or it might be tricky to choose!

Let me start out by saying, I love meerkats and will spend as long as I possibly can watching them at zoos or wildlife parks, until the person I’m there with pretty much escorts me away…

While we were in Plymouth we went to Dartmoor Zoo and did the new Meerkat Experience that they offer (thanks mum and dad)!

Basically we sat in the meerkat enclosure for 45 minutes with meerkats running and climbing all over us while we fed them. It was so surreal and such an amazing experience.

Needless to say, I was in my element and the smile lasted quite a while.

ANDY - For the record I would have said this as well but I think that I knew Shauni would!

…. And your worse experience to date?

ANDY - I don't know if we have had any really bad experiences yet.

In Echuca one of the dogs got out and ran away... we knew he was a social fella so we went to neighbours houses.

It was a warmish day and we found him on the banks of the river: he had just been enjoying a swim! He was very pleased with himself, the rascal!

And then there was the time one of the cats we were looking after disappeared for a couple of days. We got pretty worried about his fate but luckily he turned up ready for cuddles after what we assume was an adventure.

SHAUNI - While we haven’t had any terrible experiences yet, the combination of a few different stressors have caused some pretty rough days for me.

Being away from my family while there were some significant things happening at home, in addition to pressures from uni, on top of finding my feet in our new situation has been hard at times.

But the moment always passes and I return to being grateful for where we are and the opportunities that we have created.

Who inspires you?

ANDY - In terms of the journey I am on it would have to be a good mate of mine, Westy (@trekkingwest). He is the one that gave me the idea of house-sitting and focusing on me but that’s not why he inspires me.

Westy recently went on a 1200 km hike through all sorts of terrain along the Heysen Trail in South Australia to raise money for the Black Dog Institute (Mental Health Organisation).

This was a massive effort of 60 days back to back hiking through the wilderness alone and raised over $10,000.

It just inspired me that we can achieve so much if we put our mind to it and if you want to do something get out there and do it.

The comfort zone is a very safe place but nothing grows there….

SHAUNI - I’m not sure there is any one person I can credit to inspiring me on this journey or in life in general.

I think for me, my inspiration to travel comes from photos I see of all the wonderful places the world has to offer.

Outside of travel there are people who inspire me everyday to be a better person and to make choices which will positively influence others. I couldn’t even compile a list because it would be endless!

I guess in that sense I am lucky that I draw inspiration from so many different places and people.

What motivates you?

ANDY - I am motivated to be the best version of myself that I can be.

I have set some goals which I know will be difficult but I am determined to achieve them.

A lot of people think I am crazy giving up what is perceived as the perfect life to chase this crazy dream.

Teaching is quite a comfortably paid profession in Australia, but I just wanted more and I wanted to follow my passion.

If you don’t aim high you are just limiting your potential.

Showing others that the “normal” life doesn’t have to be the only life possible.

I am also highly motivated to spread an awareness of mental health.

I have only recently been able to articulate the place that I was previously in and I would like to help others who are in a similar situation. Empowering people to know that they can break through this and show that just being present is supporting someone suffering.

SHAUNI - My motivation predominantly comes from seeking more.

Seeking more from myself every single day, seeking more adventures wherever I am, seeking more knowledge to become a more perceptive and open minded person and just seeking out as much as I can possibly take in from life.

What three things would you not leave home without, no matter where you are going or what you are doing?

ANDY - My phone has got to be one as they are just so versatile these days.

It can act as a communicator, a camera, an organiser, a GPS (for all those times we get lost) and a wallet.

It seems crazy how far technology has come even since I left high school. It’s like we live in a whole new world!

I actually bought the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus just for its camera until we can afford to get some camera gear.

Photography is something that we love and want to get more involved in nature photography.

SHAUNI - Another would be our Lacteeze tablets - we are both lactose intolerant so this makes things a whole lot easier for us when we are out and about.

The tablets basically enable us to eat whatever, whenever; the tablet will break down any dairy products so our bodies don’t have to. Andy even bought a wallet which he thinks is more a purse to fit them in but it’s great as he never forgets the tablets ha ha!

BOTH - A positive attitude ready to embark on adventures and take things as they come.

Both of us are very curious which often leads to us wandering off from intended trails or activities and getting a little lost.

Usually these moments are what make us laugh the most and even if we aren’t really sure where we are or what we are going to do, we always have a ton of fun and make the most of whatever the situation is.

Every experience is made more enjoyable with a positive mindset and focusing on all the good activities and opportunities that we have.

Which two famous people or people from history would you most want with you on your travels?

This is tough as we don’t follow many famous people and even the times from history were so different, but I guess we had better come up with something to answer the question so...

Morgan Freeman

ANDY - I am a huge nature lover and so I would have to take Sir David Attenborough.

It would be really interesting just to see how much he actually knows about different flora and fauna from various countries. He would also give you a list of the must see places and habitats around the globe

I also can’t help but associate many landscapes with his series, Planet Earth.

Morgan Freeman would be great as he could narrate what we were doing.

I think he would be very useful at providing a greater amount of exposure to our brand. It would also make the most basic activity or video seem really interesting!

Do you have any advice for someone in your situation who is starting out and considering moving across the world or house-sitting?

BOTH - Do it!

Why not have a go?

If you are considering travelling and want to do it on a small budget then house-sitting is definitely a good option. You still have freedom to get out and see things.

You can also combine your adventures between house-sitting and travel to really make the most out of your time.

If you’re still a little apprehensive about staying in someone else's home, try house-sitting somewhere close to you first.

We think you also need to do a few sits before you can tell if it is for you as you don’t want to judge something based on one experience. If it doesn’t work out at least you gave it a go and learnt from the experience and you won’t be left wondering.

.... But more than likely you’ll fall in love with the concept as we did, and who knows where you’ll be next year.

Join online Facebook communities. There are many helpful people with a great amount of experience who are there to support people. They offer really good advice and we really enjoy reading other people's stories and following their journey to see what they are doing.

And if you’re thinking about travelling, the old saying goes,

“travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer”...

That pretty much says it all!

What about advice for someone considering starting to blog?

SHAUNI - The blog was supposed to be more my thing as Andy isn’t really a writer or lover of English.

However, since being here it has become far more equal as Andy has found a love of writing and sharing experiences. I think the travel bug has also passed on the literacy bug and now he considers himself a bit of a wordsmith!

Pant 'n' Purr Logo

The blog has become more of a hobby for both of us and quite often we prioritise writing posts or adjusting formats or layouts over other things we should be doing. Cough... “uni work”... cough...

ANDY - I would say it costs nothing but gives much.

We started ours more as a way to store memories of our adventures and photos, reflect on our travels and share what we were up to with family and friends.

We have mostly been uploading travel blogs of where we have been but we have a couple of ideas of what we are going to start offering as well so watch this space!

SHAUNI - If you are a coding & website novice, there is so much information on the internet to tell you how to do things.

The amount of times I’ve simply used Google to pull a html code (which I had no clue about prior to starting the blog) has been crazy.

Maybe we should in fact be giving Google some credit for our blog!

What are your future plans?

ANDY - I guess our immediate future revolves around finishing our studies and then seeing where we can find job opportunities within our chosen fields.

As we said earlier I think that until we find something that we love as a career opportunity then we will continue to travel and house-sit.

Shauni is currently on a visa until December of 2020 and when that expires if we don’t have employment I think that we will probably select one of 3 options:

House-sit & travel around Canada, house-sit & travel around Australia or try and stay in the UK and Europe house-sitting and seeking employment.

Is there anything else you want to say?

We would love other travellers and house-sitters to connect with and follow us through our social media accounts and our blog.

We are happy to answer any questions of what people want to know about us or our topics and we take requests on things we should see, do and blog about.

A huge thank you to Andy and Shauni... your answers are inspiring and evidently honest and from the heart.

I know I will be continuing to follow Pant 'n' Purr to see where life takes them next and how their future dreams and plans evolve.....

Make sure you follow these two young Ozzies too!

Andy & Shauni, who are Pant ’n’ Purr can be found at:

Instagram: @pant.n.purr

Facebook: Pant.n.purraus

Blog: pantnpurr.wordpress.com