Logan and Brianna

https://PanAmNotes.com

Age: Brianna, 25 and Logan , 27

Hometown: Hungtington Beach, CA and Imperial, NE

Quote: “Five miles past a comfort zone is too far for many people and we heard it all.”

How did you find out about Vagabonding, and how did you find it useful? It was recommended by a friend when we were in the planning stages of our trip. Vagabonding was a great introduction to a lifestyle we were not yet a part of and encouraged us in our goal setting.

What is your job or source of travel funding for this journey? We saved aggressively for 16 months (30-40% of our take home income), sold everything that is not currently in our camper, and uprooted ourselves from San Francisco, were we had been working for the past 4 years. We have zero financial responsibilities back home.

Do you plan to work on the road? After four years spent at desk jobs in San Francisco, this trip is really more about giving up the cubicle life. When we figured in the travel aspect, it came as a secondary goal. Ultimately, we want to make this journey work for us not the other way around.

What was the reaction of your friends/family/colleagues as you planned your trip? Did you know it’s dangerous to travel through Mexico? Five miles past a comfort zone is too far for many people and we heard it all. We did have a lot of people come out of the woodwork to show their support and we aligned ourselves with them.

Those who say, don’t know.  Those that know, don’t say.

Any tips or lessons learned from the travel-preparation process? It is easy to save when you know the cost of one day in paradise. $30 per day per person to live our wildest dream proved to be an incredibly efficient motivator. You want that new $300 pair of sunglasses? That will cost you 10 days in paradise. In the end, the lifestyle carved out of our remaining income ended up being, in and of itself, an enjoyable and productive personal journey.

How long do you hope to spend on the road? One year total. If all goes according to plan, we ship back to the states in January 2012.

Which destinations do you hope to visit? We are most looking forward to Nicaragua, Peru, and Patagonia. We hope to explore nearly every country in Central and South America.

Which experiences are you most looking forward to? The 4th hour at a chaotic border crossing surrounded by people and a culture we can barely understand. Circling a foreign townsquare hoping the next turn we try is the right one. Using up every Spanish word we can conjure to explain why our truck is three feet deep in mud. Picking a spot for the night on a whim and meeting others with even less of an agenda. We live for those moments that force us explore our own limits. But we’re not total sadists, we’ve spent countless afternoons dreaming of picturesque beaches with hammock lined palapas complete with margarita and secluded surf break.

What are you packing for the journey? Given our set up, we have more options than your typical vagabonder. With a full size truck and a pop top camper, we’re able to prepare for all kinds of adventure: surfing, hiking, mountain climbing, tent camping, all with an impressive paperback library. This opposes the minimalist ideaology behind travel which we admire, but we are content having the tools we need for any situation the Americas can throw at us stashed away in our mobile base camp.

Do you have any worries or concerns about the journey? We were most worried about crossing and getting through Honduras, a challenge we faced this week. We spent countless hours fretting over this aspect of the trip and it came and went almost without issue. Yet another example of worry casting a bigger shadow than reality.

How can we best follow your adventures? If you like our Facebook page, we promise to spice up your newsfeed: https://www.facebook.com/PanAmNotes

Are you a Vagabonding reader planning, in the middle of, or returning from a journey? Would you like your travel blog or website to be featured on Vagabonding Case Studies? If so, drop us a line at casestudies@vagabonding.net and tell us a little about yourself.