I’ve been sitting on this for what feels like forever, but I am so excited to announce to you guys our next big step: We are moving to Seattle!
After living together in China, Argentina and Mexico, and traveling through many more countries, Mike and I have decided to put down roots back in the US. Although I love exploring and even spending long stints of time in other countries, I always knew I would end up in the US long-term.
I realize you guys may have some questions, so let’s dive right in:
Contents
Why Now?
A couple of reasons, but the biggest one is probably: we want a home base. We’ve been traveling progressively slower and slower, choosing long-term living situations and shorter trips over the life of constant backpacking.
While some people are able to travel indefinitely, I never really believed I was one of those people. I want a place to come back to after my trips- a place with my books, my couch, my fuzzy bathrobe. Mike wants a calm place where he can focus on work (Mexico was a lot of things, but quiet was not one of them). I want my own kitchen where I can practice my vaguely scientific cooking projects. Mike wants a place to play video games.
The second really big reason: now we can afford it. Mike is working full time for Woo and I am making a healthy amount of money via the blog and freelancing, so for the first time since we embarked on our many travels 5 years ago, we can actually afford to rent a small apartment in a city we actually like.
Why Seattle?
Since Mike and I both work remotely, we put a lot of thought into what city we wanted to move to. San Francisco, Portland and Denver were all on the shortlist with Seattle. In the end it came down to:
- Seattle is really cool- we visited a couple of years ago and totally dug the city’s laid back but fun vibe. They have a great food scene (important for me), and a thriving tech scene (important for Mike). They also have an international airport (important for everybody).
- Seattle is more affordable than San Francisco (our first choice). The cost of living in Seattle is significantly less than in DC even. This is important because we are not rich and we plan to live very centrally as we don’t have a car.
- We know a lot of people in Seattle. Some of my best friends live there or are moving there shortly. There are a lot of travel bloggers in the area as well.
- We just feel good about it. That’s basically our motivation for moving pretty much anywhere.
What Happened to Italy?
Some of you might remember that last year Mike was applying for his Italian citizenship and we were hoping to move to Bologna by around this time. Well, we severely underestimated the glacial pace of the Italian bureaucracy that Mike’s application is still slowly creaking through. We have no idea when his citizenship might be processed (or if it is in fact being processed at all). Honestly, at this rate we could literally be waiting years.
That’s not to say Italy is out of the picture forever. It’s just not in the cards for us right now.
Is this Permanent?
I don’t know, is anything permanent when you are as impulsive as we are? We are fully committed to making a go of it and signing a one year lease, after that pretty much anything could happen. I am however looking at this as the start of a new chapter of our lives.
Are You Done Traveling?
Ha! I assure you I am not. I’m still the girl who can’t sit still and nothing has changed about that. In addition to this whole new city I have to explore, I am already researching potential trips- Hawaii maybe? Europe sometime next year? Portland and Austin soon for sure. In a way, I think having a home-base will give me greater freedom to travel.
I would be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about sharing this information with you guys. Will you think I’m a traitor? A hypocrite? Personally, I don’t feel like one. I’ve always wanted to live a life that felt authentic, that felt chosen and not just a default. For me, this feels like the most true thing to do right now, and the best way to continue my life of travel.
I hope you guys will follow me along on this exciting new adventure!
