A bit more about this whole thing

We've been getting a lot of questions about what the heck this adventure is all about so here is a little Q&A.

Q: What made you decide to do this?

A: It was kinda just one of those things that all came together. It was time to move out of the apartment we'd lived in for the last 10 years. The idea of looking for a new place was feeling really stressful. I was venting to Erik and he suggested we put off moving somewhere permanent and live nomadically for a while. All my stress just disappeared and we both got really excited.

It was something we had always talked about. We don't have kids or pets and are in a fortunate position with our jobs so there weren't a lot of barriers.

Q: Did you quit your jobs or take a sabbatical?

A: Nope, still working full time. We are very lucky to be fully remote employees so where we work from each day is not as important as doing the actually working. However, timezones still come into play which is why we are mostly sticking to the western US.

Q: Are you doing a vanlife thing?

A: No no. I like a big bed, a shower, and laundry facilities at my disposal. We also need to have enough space (and quiet) for us to both work. We are mostly doing 30+ day rentals in fully furnished houses or condos or staying with family.

Q: How are you deciding where you'll go?

A: We started with a google doc and just brain-dumped ideas. So far the list is a lot of smaller cities along the California coastline and a few bigger cities we like but don't want to live in permanently. From there it's just the logistics of finding a place in a cool area, that is in our price range, and available at the right time. Keeping the driving distance in between places to a minimum would be ideal but that has proven to be a little harder.

Q: What did you do with all your stuff?

A: Sold and donated most of it. My mom was kind enough to offer some garage space for storing keepsakes and a few other items we want to hang on to but not travel with. But the goal was to pare down and be picky about what made the cut. It was very hard sometimes but also freeing.

I'm not a minimalist and I like my creature comforts. I'm so not the person who could travel with just a backpack. We are still figuring out what is needed and continuing to reduce. But it all fits in the back of the minivan!

Q: Will you travel internationally?

A: Maybe in the future? But that isn't in the plan right now. International travel comes with a lot more logistics and we are opting to keep things as simple as possible.