Adventure in Europe: Interview with Scott and Karie
Standing in Europe, Asia in the distance: Scott and Karie in Istanbul.
Scott and Karie first decided that they wanted to live overseas five years ago, shortly after getting engaged. In late 2007, they finally took the plunge, selling almost everything they owned and hopping on a flight to Barcelona. For the next year, Barcelona is their home base as they explore the rest of Europe.
TravelBlogs had the opportunity to catch up with them and learn more about why they decided to do this trip, how they saved money, and their experiences on the road so far.
In an article you recently had published, you wrote that you made the initial decision to live overseas back in 2002. What were your motivations back then, and have they changed over time?
Karie: I had briefly visited Europe in 2001, and loved it. I kept telling Scott how great it was and how much he'd enjoy it, and that's when the "What if..." conversations began. At first it was just talk, but then we started to realize that it might actually be possible. So... why not?
Scott: In 2002 my head was in the clouds after just getting engaged. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves into. I have this attraction to life abroad. Even in my hometown I feel like a minority knowing the rest of the world doesn't live like me. That hasn't changed for me and I'm still blown away when we first arrive somewhere.
What have been some of the most surprising differences you have encountered between life in your hometown and life in the places you've visited in Europe?
Karie: I often find myself saying, "that would never fly in the United States!" For example, there might not be a railing where I would expect there to be one, or maybe a Fire Run is taking place in the streets and you better duck or risk getting burned. Some of it seems crazy, but I find that there's a lot more emphasis on personal responsibility. If you get hurt, it's because you were doing something stupid, and nobody's going to file a lawsuit about it. I find that refreshing.
Also, last week was the first time I rode in a car so far this year. I expected the public transportation to be sufficient, but considering I used to spend over an hour driving to/from work every day, it was still a strange realization that I can now travel thousands of miles and never wish for a car.
Scott: Toilette etiquette. Sure, the WC comes in all shapes, sizes, smells, and bacteria levels anywhere in the world, but nothing compares to what we found in Italy. I am a fan of explaining things that we find particularly *interesting* with the phrase, "It's not wrong, it's just different". This changed on an Italian regional train from Rome to Cinque Terre, when I went to use the train's goldfish graveyard. Upon entering the WC my first thought was, "Huh, this is the loudest WC I've ever been in." My thought was quickly explained when I lifted the lid with the sight of train tracks whizzing by through the bottomless bowl. My trusty, bulletproof phrase was turned on its head, and at that moment I thought, "That's not different, that's just wrong!"
You gave yourself five years to save up and stayed on a strict budget for that time. How much discipline does it take saving up for a trip like this?
Karie: The first couple years were difficult, and it took us a while to really clarify our priorities, but once we (I) set a budget it was actually fairly simple. Budgets don't have to be depressing – it's just a plan. As long as your dream is more important than your latte, then your budget is your friend. However, we still found it necessary to employ a few tricks to keep each other on track... For example, for Scott: we set aside a certain amount of "fun money" each month that could be spent however he wanted as long as he didn't go over the limit (giving him the illusion of freedom). For Me: I set foot in Target no more than once a month, list in hand, and never alone. Scott had to go with me so he could call me out when I started eyeing things that weren't on the list. And don't think you can get away with secretly scribbling "throw pillows" on the list as you're walking past them in the store. That doesn't count.
Scott: Thank God for Karie. I couldn't have done it without her. I'm not disciplined with stuff like this so it had to be a lifestyle more than a discipline. We were determined to do this. We told everyone, so we had to. I think that was the real reason we are here. We focused on the goal, so the lifestyle and the thousands of little decisions we made every day were influenced by it.
Why did you decide to make Barcelona your home base?
Scott and Karie in Barcelona.
Scott: Because the Olympics were there.
Karie: That's partly true. Once we ruled out English-speaking countries that were either expensive, islands, had terrible weather, or all of the above, we decided on Spain. Being from California, Spanish would be a beneficial second language, and geographically, Barcelona made sense as a base for traveling. So we took a trip, confirmed that it's a cool place, and that was that.
Did you know Spanish before the trip?
Karie: I took 2 years of Spanish in high school, but that was a long time ago. Honestly, we were both so preoccupied with the move that I guess the language was just one of those things that we thought we'd figure out later. I'm still figuring it out. I've been taking some immersion classes, which are fantastic. However, it's been inconsistent due to our travels outside of Spain, so my learning has not been as quick as I would have liked. I can understand it fairly well (as long as it's written or spoken slowly), and I can construct a decent sentence as I'm walking down the street by myself, but rarely when I actually need it. However, we are both fluent in the universal language of pointing & grunting.
Scott: If you consider 4 years of high school German knowing Spanish, then I'm fluent.
Had either of you travelled much before this trip?
Karie: I've traveled a lot throughout the U.S., went to Jamaica once in high school, and a whirlwind trip to London, Paris & Dublin for graduate school.
Scott: I went to Cameroon 2 years ago and Costa Rica as kid, but nothing could have prepared me for this.
What have been some of the challenges of travelling together?
Karie: All the minor annoyances are suddenly magnified. You are bound to encounter frustrating situations while traveling, and it's easy to take that out on each other. Thankfully, one of us is usually able to pull it together and laugh about whatever mess we're in, and that always helps. Also, we are both always right, so sometimes you have to be patient, then try not to boast too much when you prove the other person wrong.
Scott: I am always right and Karie thinks she's always right. I gave up and learned to let her think she's always right. She's also been known to get off a train without her suitcase, so I have to keep an eye on her.
On the other hand, do you think this trip has brought you closer together?
Karie: Literally. When you move from a single-family home into a cramped flat in a foreign country, then further condense your life to backpacks, you realize that personal space is over-rated. I like having him in my space.
Scott: If an experience like this doesn't bring you closer it will split you apart. I've never spent so much time with a best friend, and it has gone very well. We've learned each other's strengths and weaknesses and compliment them more than we ever had.
You can follow Scott and Karie's adventures in Europe on their blog.
