For such a hippy couple they are quite focussed on the gender of their baby. I thought they would subscribe to the “let the child choose” approach. I’m not sure I understand their so called liberal views, at their heart they are conservative Christians with a sprinkle of crystals and air miles.
- Notice
I don't think Raya's as adventurous as she thinks she is. She couldn't cope with bus life and had a meltdown at the disappointment of things going wrong in Costa Rica so I can't see them moving there anytime soon, especially if they're juggling parenthood AND trying to build the house while based in another country.
The Costa Rica land is a bit of a weird/culty/coloniser idea in the first place.
I thought LA was a good fit for them with the sunshine and all their hippie influencer friends.
The Costa Rica land is a bit of a weird/culty/coloniser idea in the first place.
I thought LA was a good fit for them with the sunshine and all their hippie influencer friends.
queenamber
VIP Member
No idea but it's jarring isn't it? I can only assume they've grown apart since Louis and Raya travel so much. But wouldn't you still be happy for your son? Weird. Maybe she's worried about their future given their lifestyle. It's hardly suitable for raising a child IMO...
November_again
VIP Member
And nothing about them has ever been eco-friendly. Their individual carbon footprint is that of a small town. They exclusively stay at 5 star resorts that require huge amounts of energy. They've never grown their own food. They currently have around 10 vehicles rusting away all over the world. The bus they drove throughout North and South America is the least eco-friendly vehicle imaginable.
Sanctified
VIP Member
Yikes. She's a bit of a hypocrite when it comes to travel and climate change/eco stuff when her carbon footprint is probably atrocious.
I don't really fancy taking any kind of advice from someone who is blatantly so spoilt and privileged
I had no idea about all that stuff
November_again
VIP Member
I thought this about their UK rental too. Two adults and a newborn moving into a 3 story mansion at Brighton beach, acting like that's how the average Brit lives when even people in well paying professions could never afford that.
And the moving out vlog was even crazier, when you could see that every room was filled to the brim with stuff they accumulated in just 3 years. And then Raya sells herself as an earth goddess and Louis as an eco warrior when in reality, they're all about luxury and consumerism.
November_again
VIP Member
It's crazy to look back to a time when Louis made so much money, that he had several people employed. Ange, who was basically his PA and organized his life and business. Rachel was hired to write blog posts and whatever else she did. He launched his own app (was it called Storie?), then did the flight around the world with JP via gofundme and premiered parts of it at film festivals. And all the YouTube conventions he attended...
Him and Raya must have lived off the money from that time during the years in LA when they basically stopped posting and then they came back to 10-20k average viewers and had to more or less start all over again and are only now gaining popularity back because they squeezed countless vids out of their week with Kara and Nate, Eamon and Bec and Kingingit.
I know Raya loves herself as this earth goddess but she's lived a life in luxury and I think the charm of roughing it in that eco village will wear off quickly for her. She bought a Peloton bike for the bus, fgs.
Louis on the other hand, must miss the backpack and road trip kind of traveling he used to do. There were lots of trips he did back in the day, that I actually enjoyed even if he was disorganized and infuriating at times.
I’m married with 2 kids now but in my early 20s I rented a flat by myself.
The place was immaculate and I could sit in silence or in nothing but noise whenever I felt, always watched what I wanted on the tele and I was so happy. Never felt lonely or miserable. I loved living by myself, I’d recommend it to anyone because you learn how to live WITH yourself if you know what I mean.
When I met my husband and we started growing a family it all felt like the right time to, I’ve had my peace now I’m in the midst of the storm, I love it but it’s really ignorant for these two to spout nonsense like “people are miserable because they don’t live in large groups.” Because frankly, that time by myself was awesome.
I also think, the only reason I’m happy with my dynamic right now is because I love my husband and I love my kids, it’s unconditional. I’ve never loved a friend or an acquaintance like this and I never would. The friend would aggravate me their mess would stress me out and their noise would get old real quick.
These two just want to come off as hippy dippy but they’re middle aged and weird.
The place was immaculate and I could sit in silence or in nothing but noise whenever I felt, always watched what I wanted on the tele and I was so happy. Never felt lonely or miserable. I loved living by myself, I’d recommend it to anyone because you learn how to live WITH yourself if you know what I mean.
When I met my husband and we started growing a family it all felt like the right time to, I’ve had my peace now I’m in the midst of the storm, I love it but it’s really ignorant for these two to spout nonsense like “people are miserable because they don’t live in large groups.” Because frankly, that time by myself was awesome.
I also think, the only reason I’m happy with my dynamic right now is because I love my husband and I love my kids, it’s unconditional. I’ve never loved a friend or an acquaintance like this and I never would. The friend would aggravate me their mess would stress me out and their noise would get old real quick.
These two just want to come off as hippy dippy but they’re middle aged and weird.
StephenTJackson
VIP Member
He can't hide the balding even with the dreads.
RandomUser12345
Well-known member
I have a feeling they will ' homeschool' the kids or when it's time for Neo to start school , move back to the UK and just spend the summers/ school holidays in Costa Rica. I think they liked the lifestyle of the massive house they lived in in the USA (which had kind of cult vibes in my opinion lol) and wanted something like that again but it's not that conducive to having kids so chose somewhere more rural. I do think they will become isolated though.
They were already saying that furniture they've looked at is so expensive and the road is bumpy and their favourite vegan restaurant closed down etc etc.
Allegria just gives me weird vibes - it's like 'rich' (or at least well off) people playing at being eco warriors while swanning in from all over the world all the time. Look at how much electrical equipment and just the sheer amount of stuff they had in the Brighton house like we mentioned before.
They were already saying that furniture they've looked at is so expensive and the road is bumpy and their favourite vegan restaurant closed down etc etc.
Allegria just gives me weird vibes - it's like 'rich' (or at least well off) people playing at being eco warriors while swanning in from all over the world all the time. Look at how much electrical equipment and just the sheer amount of stuff they had in the Brighton house like we mentioned before.
Lionsden
VIP Member
I really don't understand why they don't just stay put for the first one or two years. Neo could have a stable life and Raya and Louis could get used to being with Neo and each other without constant distractions. There are so many new experiences with a baby anyway, just enjoy it. I get that it can be good for a baby to get used to certain things so as not to be afraid of them. Although I think Neo slept so well at the festival purely from exhaustion from over stimulation. I don't understand why you would take a three-month-old on the motorway when you don't have to, let alone a plane. There's always a risk. And I don't see how they reconcile their constant flying and ensuing massive carbon footprint (they probably take more flights in a year than most people do in a lifetime) with the fact that climate change is already showing horrendous effects, and their son's future is jeopardized because of it.
Observ@h
Well-known member
[QUOTE="Lionsden, post: 15577692, member: 136743"
Does anyone else find it brutal that Raya and Louis seem to expect Neo to travel enough within five years to fill 48 pages of his passport? 32 would have been more than enough in my opinion, but they appear to be intending to travel at least as much as they used to. Aside from being total hypocrites in terms of sustainability and environmentalism, it seems as if they are expecting Neo to adapt to their preferred lifestyle more than they are planning to adapt to his needs. They said that they want to spend only half the year in Costa Rica because of the weather. I wonder how Neo is going to feel, having to leave his familiar surroundings and friends every few months. Raya and Louis just seem super immature and selfish.
[/QUOTE]
I completely agree. That said, they won’t be the first new parents to talk absolute bollocks about the sort of parents they are going to be and then realise as their child grows up and comes into their personality that it just won’t work. They might have to feed him non-vegan food for example, they just don’t know yet.
I reckon Costa Rica is an unsolved problem for them….I think he loves it but she’s gone off it. The other members of their “community” in CR are not the hippy dippy Youtubers among whom Louis is a god, they are tough high-powered business people to whom L&R are small fry to be bossed about. I think she’s gone off the idea and tbh so would I.
Also where’s all the money going to come from to build their “tree house“? The big money days for Louis, plus the deeply annoying Kara and Nate, are behind them, Youtube is a different beast now. I watched the cocky twats power boarding “to France” aka round the bay in Kent, the views aren’t that high, rich kids flying around playing with super expensive toys leaves a bad taste in the COL crisis, not to mention the English Channel full of desperate immigrants while they zoom around flying the US flag. He should go and get a job in a digital game or video company, there are some great ones in Brighton. Raya, make friends with moms and build your local network, don’t plan world domination any time soon.
Does anyone else find it brutal that Raya and Louis seem to expect Neo to travel enough within five years to fill 48 pages of his passport? 32 would have been more than enough in my opinion, but they appear to be intending to travel at least as much as they used to. Aside from being total hypocrites in terms of sustainability and environmentalism, it seems as if they are expecting Neo to adapt to their preferred lifestyle more than they are planning to adapt to his needs. They said that they want to spend only half the year in Costa Rica because of the weather. I wonder how Neo is going to feel, having to leave his familiar surroundings and friends every few months. Raya and Louis just seem super immature and selfish.
[/QUOTE]
I completely agree. That said, they won’t be the first new parents to talk absolute bollocks about the sort of parents they are going to be and then realise as their child grows up and comes into their personality that it just won’t work. They might have to feed him non-vegan food for example, they just don’t know yet.
I reckon Costa Rica is an unsolved problem for them….I think he loves it but she’s gone off it. The other members of their “community” in CR are not the hippy dippy Youtubers among whom Louis is a god, they are tough high-powered business people to whom L&R are small fry to be bossed about. I think she’s gone off the idea and tbh so would I.
Also where’s all the money going to come from to build their “tree house“? The big money days for Louis, plus the deeply annoying Kara and Nate, are behind them, Youtube is a different beast now. I watched the cocky twats power boarding “to France” aka round the bay in Kent, the views aren’t that high, rich kids flying around playing with super expensive toys leaves a bad taste in the COL crisis, not to mention the English Channel full of desperate immigrants while they zoom around flying the US flag. He should go and get a job in a digital game or video company, there are some great ones in Brighton. Raya, make friends with moms and build your local network, don’t plan world domination any time soon.
November_again
VIP Member
Louis made millions during his peak and I'm sure he invested a lot of it to set himself up longterm. He made so much money at one point, that he had two people employed full-time to work for him. Ange was doing all the bookings and sponsorships and Rachel gave up a good teaching position to write his blog posts. That was around the time they developed the stories app that they might have been able to sell.
Raya also comes from wealth. They've visited multiple family homes of hers in vlogs - one in Manhattan and one in Woodstock. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets some kind of monthly allowance. After graduation, she lived in a big Manhatten apartment and could travel full-time. Getting a job was clearly never an option for her.
queenamber
VIP Member
Yeah, I didn’t want to say it but Raya came off like a huge diva in that video. They clearly moved back to the UK to take advantage of the NHS and it felt like she was being critical of them when they’re doing the best they can for her and her baby. You could tell she was fuming when they mentioned the doctor strikes.
Ciagan2018
New member
@SimpleLifeinLondon this was before that. He used to be mates with Sam Pepper who was a guy who went on Big brother. They lived in a double decker bus and toured the uk. Search google live goldfish food for Louis and the article will come up. So cruel!
londongirl2001
VIP Member
I hadn't watched any videos of these two in absolute ages and had no idea they're still together (I always thought that Raya would one day wake up to their age difference and leave), before reading in Zoe's thread that she was pregnant. The announcement video was kind of sweet but I had to laugh when Raya talked about how the pregnancy changes everything, all their plans etc, and Louis had this question mark on his face like "um, why would a baby change anything??". My dude, you're in for a bit of a surprise, I'd say haha.
Then I watched the video of them telling people and wow, the difference between reactions from their friends and their parents was JARRING. Not just his parents, but hers also didn't seem that thrilled. Louis' sister was able to get it together in front of the camera, but the only ones from their families who seemed genuinely happy were Raya's grandparents. The reaction from Louis' parents though was really uncomfortable.
I always thought that Louis' lifestyle was so performative, like he always acted as if he didn't need much and was all about traveling and exploring, but all he ever wanted was his coffee and a luxurious accommodation
compared to other travel vloggers he never showed any real sense of curiosity for the countries he travelled. Maybe that has changed though; as I said, haven't watched him in years.
Then I watched the video of them telling people and wow, the difference between reactions from their friends and their parents was JARRING. Not just his parents, but hers also didn't seem that thrilled. Louis' sister was able to get it together in front of the camera, but the only ones from their families who seemed genuinely happy were Raya's grandparents. The reaction from Louis' parents though was really uncomfortable.
I always thought that Louis' lifestyle was so performative, like he always acted as if he didn't need much and was all about traveling and exploring, but all he ever wanted was his coffee and a luxurious accommodation
compared to other travel vloggers he never showed any real sense of curiosity for the countries he travelled. Maybe that has changed though; as I said, haven't watched him in years.
Observ@h
Well-known member
At the end of that video Raya showed the worst side of herself - smug and superior. They have bought themselves in with those people (just), it’s nothing to be so superior about. Notice the complete lack of sympathy given for the bereaved “community member” she was so happy to have something she felt she could brag about,
The story about “rumours” about a road was nonsense, they are trying to extract themselves from that place. They’d go and talk to Steve the capitán of Alegria and say what are you going to do about some alleged road going through our lot that we paid you for, if they wanted to fix it. Since when did Raya care about “hurting tree roots”? She’s as urban as they come. There aren’t even any trees, those are basically twigs. That land is so fertile it can be razed to the ground and it will all grow back over the rainy season.
At least they didn’t criticise the UK in this one, it really annoys me when they do that as they will be milking the NHS for all it’s worth when they have the baby.
The story about “rumours” about a road was nonsense, they are trying to extract themselves from that place. They’d go and talk to Steve the capitán of Alegria and say what are you going to do about some alleged road going through our lot that we paid you for, if they wanted to fix it. Since when did Raya care about “hurting tree roots”? She’s as urban as they come. There aren’t even any trees, those are basically twigs. That land is so fertile it can be razed to the ground and it will all grow back over the rainy season.
At least they didn’t criticise the UK in this one, it really annoys me when they do that as they will be milking the NHS for all it’s worth when they have the baby.
queenamber
VIP Member
4:46... how awkward!
Observ@h
Well-known member
Could not agree more with this. The biggest effect on most people’s carbon footprint is the flights they take. Everyone in Alegria is in and out all the time, long haul, going between their multiple homes, this is just for when they fancy a few weeks in the jungle. Hence why they can always find somewhere to rent when they come back to supervise the car port build. But they’ll be lecturing us the plebs on having a modest petrol car to drive to work in.