Episode 3 - Full Time American Nomad in Europe! Interview with Mandy Moore.

Mandy is originally from the USA but has been nomading for almost 12 years. She works as a technical project manager for a small company and once the world returns to a semblance of normalcy she plans to start vandwelling.
​Mandy's Website: www.vagabondette.com
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Here are the things we talked about during the interview and below are Mandy's answers to the questions I asked.

• kiwi.com - flight search engine
• YES you heard correctly - when Mandy first started nomading (in Europe) her budget was $600 US dollars per month! Now it’s $1,000 

*Osprey Talon 44 liter backpack - this is the men’s version - lins here - https://amzn.to/33p9Nrs
*They now offer a 40 liter women’s version - link here - https://amzn.to/3is0Gul
12 kilos = 25 pounds

Here are some sites re: backpack sizes:
How big is a 40 liter? https://leisurehiking.com/how-big-is-a-40-liter-backpack/
https://backpacks.global/guide-to-backpack-sizes/

*Scotte Vest - https://amzn.to/3nCcbDl

Information about the 26 Schengen Areas: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/schengen-visa-countries-list/ 
The 26 Schengen countries/areas are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

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Mandy's Answers to my Questions:

Dreams:

1. what were your dreams and how long did it take you to go after them?
   
   I have always traveled. My first solo flight was when I was 4 years old. I was 27 before I left the US and that was to take a trip an an au pair for a year in switzerland. I returned to normal life for a while after but when i was 35 i said screw it and started traveling again. Have been on the road ever since.
   
   
   
2. what was the deciding factor? Was there a major shift or incident in your life to make you change what you were doing or were you always moving forward in the dream achievement department?
   
   The whole ‘american dream’ thing never really appealed to me. Settling in one place forever, having kids, etc. was just not my thing. I hated working in an office doing stuff I didn’t care about. Finally I just decided to stop pretending and started trying to figure out how to make money online so I could earn while traveling. Once I was making $600/month I hit the road.
   
   
   
3. what responses do you get from other people when they find out?
   
   As a woman, I get a lot of “you’re so brave” which I find hugely annoying. But aside from that responses are generally split between “I wish I could do that” and “I could never do that”. It took a long time to get my friends and family to stop referring to my life as my vacation
   
   

Unconventional Travel:

1. what type of unconventional traveler are you? I house sit a lot. During a normal year, I’ll house sit 4-6 months of the year. I’m ready to hit the ground running with van life once europe opens back up again.
2. when did you start? I’ve always been a wanderer. Aside from high school, i’ve never lived anywhere more than 4 years. I started nomading in december 2008
3. what do you like about it? I like the freedom. If I don’t like a place, I leave. If i’m craving a food or want to learn something, I go to that country.
4. what don’t you like about it/what are your challenges? I get tired of the logistics of planning. Picking destinations, finding apartments, travel itself, packing and unpacking. They all get tiresome. That’s why i’m pivoting to van life. 
5. what do you see as your future? I think van life will be great for me. It will be the best of all worlds. I can still travel but I don’t have to deal with all of the logistics. And I won’t have to deal with any more crappy airbnb kitchens and bad beds.
6. what responses do you get from other people when they find out? When i talk to nomads about how i travel, they’re generally intrigued. I’m known for being a very low cost traveler. They like to get tips. Non nomads think i’m nuts.

Minimalism:

1. what made you decide to become a minimalist or move toward minimalism? I used to be a collector. I had tons of stuff. I still have a small book collection and my art collection in storage at my mom’s house in the US. But having only enough stuff to fit in a single bag is so much better. Recently, because I’ve been acquiring things for vanlife and due to covid, I’ve been traveling with a checked bag. I hate it. I grumble every time i have to move it and can’t imaging that being the quantity of stuff i would normally travel with.
2. what has it done for you? how has your life changed because of it? It’s made me less of a consumer. When you can only buy what fits in 44l it’s pretty easy to not shop. It also makes travel less expensive and more convenient. 
3. where do you see yourself in the future in regards to minimalism and “stuff". I’m probably the only person who is starting vanlife who needs to buy stuff rather than getting rid of stuff. I will still be pretty minimalist, but I like to cook and intend to have a well stocked kitchen, so there will be gadgets. But when i look at van tours and they show the storage and complain that it’s too small, i still can’t imagine having enough stuff to fill it all up.
4. what responses do you get from other people when they find out? Most people think i’m nuts for being carryon only. I get a lot of “I could never do that” which is fine. Everyone has their own priorities and some people need to have more stuff with them for various reasons. But i like the freedom.

Where can our listeners find you? 
www.vagabondette.com

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* the amazon links above are affiliate links but you are never required to use them. However, if you choose to, it's greatly appreciated! I will earn a few cents and it won't cost you anything extra. Thank you! - KA

Here are the AUA podcast links:
Apple
Overcast (this is my preferred player)
Spotify
Podbean

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You can find all the show-notes here!