A woman takes her dog on a road trip

Marina Piro has gone on a road trip! She was born in Italy, lived in the United Kingdom and now lives in all the countries across the world with the dog that she rescued.

Odie the labradoodle

Her dog, a labrador-poodle cross that she called Odie follows her everywhere. Marina completely re-furbished a van that she named Pam for her trip around the world.

Her van is nothing other than a five-doored Renault Kangoo that dates from 2001. She restored it herself after having done a lot of research about the kind of refurbishment that she could do. Marina re-did the van's interior, transformed the floor and added a camp bed. She also added a little cooking-space.

Marina made sure to create a cosy, decorated interior, adding cushions and curtains for a bit of privacy. There are even small plants attached to the wall of the van.

Marina announced that the refurbishment of her van hadn't cost her more than £500.

And what's more, she didn't know a thing about renovation before having begun her project. "I learnt as I went along," she says.

A road trip around the world

When Marina was asked what her favourite place was, she explained that she loved the lake Xonrupt-sur-Longemer in the mountain rangers of France. It's a magnificent lake surrounded with pine trees.

What she loved about it was the incredible beauty of the place and the fact that there were no tourists. The perfect place, in her opinion, for a nice change of scene.

"I also really liked Brighton in English, and all the region of the Valle d'Aosta in Italy, mostly because of the amazing views and the hiking.

Odie loves to accompany her pet parent everywhere in the word.

Marina's aim during her trip is not to beat the record for the number of countries visited. She wants to pas two or three weeks in each place that she visits. This year she would like to visit Spain and Portugal...

"I will travel as much as I can, whether with Pam or another mode of transport," explains Marina.

A blog for hope and happiness

Marina created her blog to give home to women and show them that it is possible to renovate a van and travel the world if you wish to! "A lot of women say that they would love to do what I'm doing but they don't know how they would do it or they aren't brave enough to live their dream." explains Marina.

"Now they no longer have any excuses - I can explain it all to them!"

Marina is having an amazing time with her dog who loves sharing this adventure with her pet parent!