Matt and Leah Prior have quit their jobs, sold everything and on July 15 set off on a round-the-world overland journey with their two children: Jack, 3, and Charlotte, 1.The couple met in Laos in 2011. At the time, Matt was raising money for the British Red Cross while driving a London black cab around the world, while Leah was on a year-long globe-trotting adventure after teaching in South Korea for a few years.
And now, that dream has become a reality. Taking off from London, the family is traveling in an INEOS Grenadier 4x4 with a Patriot Camper X3 off-road trailer, which has a pop-up tent. They will travel through over 100 countries over the next five years, stopping at national parks and protected areas to support social and environmental initiatives.
“We hope to contribute to the protection and preservation of our planet’s biodiversity – and if we can deliver on this, I will feel like we have played our little part in leaving the world better than when we first entered it and helping to adjust the course away from the one we’re currently on.”After reuniting in Hong Kong, the Priors lived in the busy city for just over a decade.
Matt worked as a pilot throughout the pandemic, delivering supplies worldwide under challenging conditions. When Leah became pregnant with their daughter in 2022, the cityhad yet to relax its policies, so she moved to the US temporarily. Matt continued working in Hong Kong but was able to join her for the birth this time.
“It became clear that protecting nature would be our north star, which naturally led us to conservation,” says Matt. During their journey, they plan to volunteer time and skills and help spread the word about each project’s work. “Regardless of what resources you have available, grassroots projects show that there is still a way to organize and take action, which is what this is all about,” he says.
“When people ask us what they can do to help, we often recommend theKey Conservation app, which helps conservationists raise funds and support for their campaigns in real-time,” says Matt. “This is something the kids can get involved in. I have no doubt they will enjoy it and keep us accountable, which is great,” says Matt.Before taking off, Matt and Leah embarked on several long-distance test runs with Jack and Charlotte in the UK and the US.