About Us — How Our Story Began
In July 2012, we sat atop South Table Mountain and enjoyed the views of Golden, CO, below. We were newlyweds and had just moved to this beautiful town in May. We couldn't help but wonder ... was this the right time and place to "settle down?" And what did that mean, exactly? What was going to be our story?
To Jimmy, it was not the right time to have kids. They were a life-changing commitment and our life was just starting to get amazing! To Sarah, it was not the right time to buy a house — her student debt was just too high and she panicked at the idea of taking on more.
So we discussed an Option B — traveling for a couple of years instead. Sarah saw tips for planning an RTW ('round the world) trip on Pinterest while planning our wedding. Was this something we could do, too?
Practical Planning for a Pipe Dream
We laughed at this pipe dream at the time, but it kept popping up in conversation. "If we had more vacation time, we could go here or experience this..." After a while, the pipe dream ended and the practical planning began. We were going to make it happen.
For the next six years, we planned, we lived below our means to pay off student debt and save, and we traveled. As we traveled more, we also got better at it. We learned how to pack efficiently, navigate our way through new cities and cultures, and travel without blowing a ton of money (this one took a lot of practice!)
Moving to Colorado also introduced us to the world of road tripping and hiking. We reveled in the amazing experiences that were now at our fingertips. So we moved into a tiny apartment to help compensate for the cost of our best purchase yet: a 1992 Chevy Coachman Campervan we named Dot.
With Dot, we plan to road trip around the USA and Canada throughout our RTW trip.
Want to check out our tentative travel itinerary? Click here.
Jimmy
noun: A gregarious traveler who loves immersing himself in the local language, food, music, and day-to-day life.
Example: Wow! Did you see how he dove right into that new situation? What a Jimmy.
adjective: Having a smooth raspy vocal tonality to one's voice.
Example: The man’s voice is so intriguing, I cannot stop listening. Did he stay up all night? Is he a singer in a band? Could he be sick? His voice is so Jimmy.
verb: The act of quickly retrieving snacks or cooking a delicious meal when a loved one is hungry.
Example: Sarah grew more hangry with each passing minute until he Jimmyed the situation.
Sarah
Eat all the foods. See all the things. Pet all the cats.
Jimmy totally one-upped me with his clever bio. So here are my Myers Briggs results instead. That way you can get to know me a little better without me having to talk about myself:
"The INFJ personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. As Diplomats, they have an inborn sense of idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is the accompanying Judging (J) trait – INFJs are not idle dreamers, but people capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting positive impact."
Making plans. Reaching life goals. Living a life I can be proud of.
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
- Andre Gide
Life Outside the Box
The more we travel, the more we really love exploring life outside the box. It may not be right for everyone, but it brings us incredible joy and pride. Isn't that what we all want out of life?
We hope this site inspires you to continually grow and push yourself out of your own box. As French novelist Andre Gide said, “Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” We wish you heart-plunging and eye-opening adventure as you discover new oceans of your own.
Life is short. Take the trip.
Sarah and Jimmy
Where in the world are the Practical Vagabonds?
Curious where we are now and where we plan to go? Review our itinerary for our trip!