Were child-free and proud – experiences are so much more rewarding than kids
A couple has chosen a life without children so they can 'prioritise experiences' instead.
Helene Sula, 36, and her husband, Michael, 36, originally from Dallas, Texas, US, call themselves DINKS – 'dual income no kids'.
They originally thought about having children after getting married. But after attending Tomorrowland festival, they realised they didn't want to "miss out" on life's experiences.
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Helene and Michael, who run a travel blog together, didn't feel a "calling" for children and said it didn't feel "right" to have them just because. Their decision to remain child-free has allowed them to live in Germany, the US, and the UK, and visit 56 countries and counting.
Travel blogger Helene, who currently lives in Oxford, said: "We're in an incredible time where we can do what we want in life. We're living the dream. We prioritise experiences over everything else."
The couple met in high school and got hitched at 24 in 2011, thinking that kids would naturally follow. But their experience at Tomorrowland in July 2012 made them rethink. Helene shared: "We thought 'there is so much more that we're missing out on'."
Helene, who turned to blogging after a climbing injury halted her marketing and PR career, moved to Germany with her partner in 2016. They spent their time exploring Europe, with Helene saying: "We were missing out on kids but there is so much to explore."
She had once thought she wanted children at a young age, but later realised it wasn't for her. She said: "I had thought I wanted to have kids at a younger age but reset my framework and realised that's not for me."
The couple enjoys the freedom they have to go on spontaneous date nights or last-minute trips. Michael shared an experience of meeting friends in Croatia who hadn't been on a date night in a year due to having a four-month-old baby.
Michael expressed his views on parenting, stating: "I feel raising children is one of the most important things you can do in life. It's such a selfless thing to do. You have to be certain you want one and I never felt strongly that way. I don't feel a calling to be a parent and it didn't feel right to do it as it's the 'done thing'."
In 2019, the couple moved back to Dallas, Texas, and continued their travels around the US before moving to Oxford, UK, in October 2023. They work online while travelling and have visited 56 countries including Iceland, Croatia, and Morocco.
Helene shared her love for travel, saying: "I want to experience as many places as I can. It's never ending." Her favourite destinations include New England, and the Christmas markets in Germany and France.
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Despite their decision not to have children, the couple said their family have been supportive. However, they often face questions from strangers about when they plan to start a family.
At the moment, Helene and Michael don't envision children in their future, but they haven't entirely dismissed the idea. Michael stated: "Some people say not having kids is selfish. We're more comfortable with the idea of not having children than we have been. The life we're living for me is so much more rewarding."
* This article was crafted with the help of an AI tool, which speeds up Daily Star's editorial research. An editor reviewed this content before it was published. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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