Our Story

Hey there! We're Gracia and Yee Jia, your friendly neighborhood adventurers (self-proclaimed, of course). Picture this: two Singaporeans on a tandem bike, cycling their way around the world. Yup, that's us!

From the scorching heat of the Gobi Desert in China to the desolate landscapes of Iran, and even tackling the towering peaks of Pakistan, we've seen it all. But our escapades don't stop there. We've built a van from scratch and cruised through America, trekked across entire states, and even braved some seriously wild waters by swimming or kayaking.

Nowadays, we're all about spreading the joy of adventure to our fellow Singaporeans. So, why not tag along and be part of the ride? Come join us on our mission to share the thrill and excitement of exploring the world – and maybe, just maybe, learn a thing or two along the way. Adventure awaits – let's dive in together! 🚴‍♂️🌍

FAQ

  • We had a dream to see the world, but we did not have a lot of money. That marked the start of The Proper Paupers, as we wanted to travel properly despite being on a pauper-tight budget.

    We took the first step by making plans to put aside any amount of money we had. In between college and internships we both moonlighted as Gracia worked as a student researcher and gave foreign language classes while Yee Jia worked as a swim coach & teaching assistant. We had also both started investing from a young age of 18. So after liquidating almost our entire portfolios for this trip alongside our savings, we found ourselves able to afford our first big expense for our big ad(van)ture - buying our Ford Transit Connect 2013 for $6000.

    After building out our van in barely 3 weeks, we found ourselves happy owners of our first home which has allowed us to save on accommodation costs while providing a means of transportation around the United States as we headed to all 48 states.

  • After traveling for such a long time, we have realized that the secret to see the world and travel is not related to how much money you have. We have met many “rich travelers” who haven’t seen as much as we have. On the other hand, we have met many travelers who are in a very much worse financial position than we are.

    Rather than focusing on your income, we believe that it is more important to learn how to travel cheaply, and budget your travels.