By SGN | 10 Jun 2024
After over a decade immersed in the fast-paced world of startups, Ritesh made a bold decision.
Embarking on a year-long sabbatical, he and his wife Nisha, a UX Designer, decided to hit the road and set off on a campervan expedition from Singapore to Norway with their three-year-old daughter Arisha.
Trading the familiar comforts of home for the open road, Ritesh and Nisha’s journey is chronicled on their Instagram account @sabbatical.living, as they embark on bridging the gap between professional achievement and personal fulfilment.
A thrilling journey in startups
Ritesh’s passion for startups was sparked during his time at the National University of Singapore (NUS).
“My one-year-stint at NUS Overseas Colleges in Silicon Valley drew me to startups,” Ritesh says. “Working alongside so many ambitious people determined to ‘change the world’ fuelled my passion.”
After graduation, instead of taking up a conventional job, Ritesh launched his startup at NUS Garag3, a space created by NUS Enterprise to encourage student entrepreneurs. It has since been rebranded to Hangar.
“With some initial funding from NUS, we built and launched a photo-sharing app called Shutterpair that helps people easily create shared photo albums,” Ritesh shares.
“We learned a lot during that experience, including how to build websites and apps, pitch to investors and partners, and how to overcome our lack of experience.”
This journey also eventually led him and his team to roles at RedMart, a Singaporean online grocery company.
“I was the ninth engineer at RedMart,” Ritesh reveals. “It was definitely a highlight of my career as I grew and learned a lot, often stepping out of my comfort zone, which gave me the confidence to start something of my own.”
After his tenure at RedMart, Ritesh took an entrepreneurial leap and co-founded Rovo, a sports tech company.
However, the founder journey wasn’t without its challenges, particularly when the pandemic struck.
“Startup life is incredible, but it’s not for everyone,” Ritesh reflects. “As a founder, you navigate through numerous highs and lows as your business evolves.”
Ritesh next joined Ox Street as Head of Product. When the resale platform for branded sneakers and streetwear was acquired by Singapore recommerce unicorn Carousell, Ritesh rose to the position of Group Product Manager.
“We accomplished a lot together at Ox Street,” Ritesh says. “We expanded the tech team, rebuilt our tech stack, and constantly rolled out new product features.”
“After the acquisition, we worked on integrating Ox Street into the Carousell Luxury experience.”
Gearing up for the journey
The onset of COVID didn’t just impact Ritesh’s career. It also led he and Nisha to re-evaluate their priorities.
“When the pandemic halted my startup, we both wrote down five things that we would regret if we didn’t do them in the next five to 10 years,” Ritesh says.
“Travelling the world was on both our lists.”
Ritesh and Nisha found themselves drawn to the idea of taking a sabbatical, but sat on the idea for a couple of years.
“And so, after years of living vicariously through others, we finally decided to take the plunge!” Ritesh shares.
Opting for an epic overland journey was a decision grounded in practicality and desire for adventure.
“It made sense because we wouldn’t need to constantly pack and unpack, book flights and hotels, and so on,” Ritesh explains.
“We would basically be travelling in our mobile home – this makes it easier with a toddler.”
Navigating the regulations regarding campervans in Singapore required some creative thinking.
“We started looking for 4WD vehicles such as Land Rovers or Toyota Land Cruisers and managed to find one on Facebook Marketplace from a seller in Shah Alam, Malaysia,” Ritesh shares.
“When we found it, we couldn’t believe our eyes as 4WD campervans are incredibly rare in Malaysia,” Ritesh says. “We bought it even though it was the first vehicle we saw in person!”
Thus began the family’s adventure with their trusty companion, Durian – a 2002 Land Rover Defender converted into a motorhome with a custom-built interior.
“We named him Durian because it was used by the previous owner to hunt and document durians in Malaysia,” Ritesh explains. “We love how it looks and the fact that it can get us anywhere, even if it does so slowly.”
“Living inside it feels like home.”
Life on the road so far
Embarking on their first grand adventure, Ritesh, Nisha, and little Arisha have had to navigate numerous unknowns and challenges along the way.
“On our very first drive trying to get out of the campervan workshop, we had two flat tires and had to immediately tow the vehicle,” Ritesh shares.
“And if that wasn’t enough, we faced more issues of dead batteries,” he continues. “The car had to spend about a month in workshops for pre-trip maintenance and repairs.”
The current heat wave sweeping across Asia isn’t helping either.
“The scorching temperatures, especially since entering Thailand, have been quite intense,” Ritesh admits. “And it didn’t help that our aircon and fridge decided to stop working at the exact same time!”
Nevertheless, amidst the sweltering heat and mechanical mishaps, the family finds solace in the beauty of their surroundings and the bonds they share.
“We’ve been really enjoying spending a lot of time together, being outdoors and constantly being on our feet,” Ritesh says.
As they adapt to the nomadic lifestyle, the family does find themselves longing for the familiar comforts of home.
“While travelling, you really learn to appreciate the beauty and efficiency of Singapore,” Ritesh reflects. “We also miss all our favourite local food, friends, and family a lot.”
Thankfully, connecting with the Singapore overlander community has been a bright spot along their journey.
“We joined Facebook groups of overlanders,” Ritesh shares. “When we were about to start our trip, we posted in the group and a number of Singaporeans reached out to us, and we were able to meet up with them.”
“The whole bunch of them are very friendly and eager to help,” Ritesh continues. “This is something we really like about this new community that we’re now a part of.”
Aspirations beyond adventure
Currently navigating the Thakhek Loop in Laos, Ritesh and family are making steady progress across the Indochinese Peninsula.
“We’ve already driven through Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Cambodia,” Ritesh reveals. “After Laos, we plan to go to Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Turkey into Europe.
“We’re not 100% sure about our route in Europe yet, but we do know we want to end up in Norway!”
Reflecting on their journey thus far, Ritesh notes that the family has embraced valuable lessons in adaptability.
“We’re already starting to learn and adopt more patience and calmness in our interactions,” Ritesh says. “It’s also important to be able to think on your feet and problem solve as things often go wrong.”
As they look ahead, their aspirations extend beyond mere adventure.
“We hope to make everlasting memories and experiences on this sabbatical,” Ritesh shares. “For Arisha, we hope that this experience helps her to appreciate the world and people from all walks of life.”
Ritesh also offers advice for Singaporeans looking to balance career and personal fulfilment or live a digital nomad life.
“Combine your personal, career, and other goals into a single list,” he suggests. “Then trim it down to three to five priorities and plan backwards from there.”
“This is actually what Nisha and I did,” Ritesh reveals. “We listed our top five goals, including travelling the world and advancing our careers, and then made it work.”
Regarding the digital nomad lifestyle, Ritesh encourages just giving it a try, even on a small scale. “COVID taught us that most jobs can be done remotely, and there are more remote employers than ever before,” he notes.
“As Singaporeans, we’re lucky to be near digital nomad hubs like Bali and Chiang Mai. So, just give it a try!”
Meet Ritesh
Ritesh was formerly a startup founder, Head of Product at Ox Street, and Group Project Manager at Carousell. He is currently on a sabbatical road trip with his wife Nisha and daughter Arisha from Singapore to Norway.
Connect with him here.
