Meet Lori Hoffman | Travel Enthusiast & Dreamer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lori Hoffman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lori, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
When Sarah and I first met, neither of us was a big risk-taker. Though she admittedly was a little edgier than I was. She had studied abroad, lived away from home for extended periods, and was once a police officer. On the other hand, I had been teaching for eight years in the same school and was still living less than 5 miles from where I had grown up. However, something about our relationship immediately sparked an adventurous side in both of us.

Within two years of meeting, we quit our jobs, started an Airbnb, and transitioned to teaching online to get out of the traditional 9-5 mindset. At that moment, that was the most significant risk I’d ever taken. I remember one point in time when I continued to say to Sarah, “I need a minute to slow down, a moment where everything isn’t always changing.” It’s six years later, and I still haven’t had that moment. All we’ve done together is evolve into a better version of ourselves each year, and I’m finally used to the idea that change is the norm now.

We had been running the Airbnb steadily and profitably for about a year when the pandemic hit in 2020. We found ourselves having to pivot again and started thinking about how we would make our dream of living on a sailboat come true. We bought a camper van, began to sell everything we owned and made a plan to start traveling. We were still working as online teachers, so we had a bit of flexibility when it came to travel. The first camper van was a bit risky because it was a 1979; we called her Baby Blue. We had to make a few repairs along the way, but she was instrumental in getting us to the next part of our journey.

We traveled to Florida in Baby Blue to look at a sailboat we had seen on YachtWorld.com. The boat needed some love, but we did really like a lot of her attributes, so we put in an offer. We offered the highest amount we could, considering the boat’s state. The owner was offended by our offer, and honestly, in hindsight, that’s the best thing that could have happened to us. Knowing what we know now, we would have never considered that boat a viable option. So we returned to the van to regroup and decided to give YachtWorld one last glance, leading us to take the biggest risk of our lives.

Had we driven all the way to Florida to make an offer on a boat in Vancouver, BC? Yes, we had. We found what we were looking for on YachtWorld, Alioth- a 42-foot Custom Steel Ketch. We put in an offer on the boat of our dreams from a camper van in Florida. We cut our trip to Florida short and headed back to Texas. If our offer was accepted, we had a lot of work to do. On our drive back, we had to stop at several FedEx’s on the way to do paperwork; our offer had been accepted.

We spent the next two months preparing the house and selling most of our things. After the boat purchase was finalized, we decided to drive up, take a few things, and see if we had actually purchased a boat. So, we again headed off in Baby Blue. Unfortunately, Baby Blue would start the trip but couldn’t finish. Once we made it to Washington state Baby Blue had a bit of difficulty with the mountains, and our journey was delayed because we needed to find a more reliable van to drive through Canada. By this point, we were pretty anxious because we still hadn’t laid eyes on a boat we had purchased nearly two months earlier.

After a week of searching, we finally found a new van to call home. She was a 1997 Class B camper van we named Louanne the Lucky Van. She had a hightop, a full kitchen, and a bathroom- all luxuries our previous van did not have. Though she was still vintage, she was definitely an upgrade. We were finally moved into the new van, dropped Baby Blue at a storage facility, and were on our way to see our dream boat.

We arrived late afternoon and had to stay in the only RV park in Point Roberts because the marina office had already closed. We were disappointed but had actually laid eyes on our boat through the gate. She existed! Even if we couldn’t sleep on her for the night, it was a huge relief to know we weren’t the victims of a huge con. The next day was filled with anticipation, joy, and an overwhelming sense of anxiety. We were the brand-new owners of a 42-foot yacht, but we didn’t even know how to sail yet. This was just the beginning of our journey.

After returning home to Texas, we ultimately moved into Louanne the Lucky Van, began living on the driveway and prepared our house for sale. From seeing the boat to beginning the first leg of our journey, it took just over four months. You don’t go from living in the same place for 32 years to living on a sailboat without taking some risks. Sarah and I both believe that risk is necessary in order to achieve your dreams.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Both Sarah and I are online teachers. We both teach for a platform that allows you to decide your schedule, which was paramount while we were traveling in the van, and now that we are on the boat. Working at your own pace is necessary when you don’t know how often you’ll have an internet signal. Of course, like all jobs teaching online has its pros and cons, but it is a very manageable career for nomads like us.

Transitioning from the traditional classroom to the online classroom, we took a massive pay cut, so budgeting was essential. Some months were really tight, and I had to use a calculator while at the grocery store. However, the freedom to travel and enjoy the outdoors outweighs the tight budget we are on now. Additionally, our schedule is quite different from the classroom because many of our students are from overseas, making scheduling a bit different. We typically work early in the morning, waking up at 2 or 3 AM and then napping in the middle of the day.

About six months after beginning teaching online, I noticed that the curriculum I was teaching was similar to the curriculum I had been writing in the traditional classroom. So, I reached out to a couple of companies, and I now mainly write curricula and teach on the side. That’s one of the things I’m most proud of because it has helped me build my graphic design skills. With my background as an English and Language Arts teacher and my new graphic design skills, I frequently pick up side jobs revamping resumes, making logos, or creating business cards for other companies. So that helps with the budgeting most months as well.

The biggest lesson we’ve learned from this career switch is that it’s easier to pivot than you might think. Some people are afraid to take the jump because of the pay cut, health insurance, or other fears, but in the end, I believe that all those things fall away when you gain your freedom. We hope to inspire other people who are tired of the traditional way to start thinking outside the box when it comes to making money. You don’t have to have a 9-5 to be successful in modern times.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since we are primarily nomadic now, that varies from city to city. However, when we know people are visiting, we try to arrive a week in advance to check out all the city has to offer. We love to focus on finding the unique history of the places we visit and would likely take our friends to places that exemplify that. For example, a few months ago, when we visited Monterey, Ca, the aquarium was in an old cannery building. So, in addition to having sea otters, fish, and other marine life, they also had a room dedicated to the history of the building. We also like delicious food, with our favorites being sushi and Italian. So, we would try to check out some local restaurants and breweries.

And, of course, our friends wouldn’t get to come to visit us without checking out the local sailing scene. In Washington, Rosario Resort was one of our favorite places to stay in the San Juan Islands. We wish we could have taken some of our friends from back home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Like all good stories, we were inspired by those that came before us. Two of the channels that we look up to are SV Delos and Sailing Uma. We’ve watched their entire journey and hope one day to inspire others as they inspired us. Additionally, some incredible people we have met along the way have become fast friends and encouraged us when we were down: IG handles @must.love.salt, @pilotingarrowleaf, and @trek_forward, to name a few.

And, of course, we can’t forget to mention our OG inspiration for this whole process, the movie “Waterworld” Thanks, Kevin Costner, for the ultimate sailing adventure!

Website: https://linktr.ee/justhumanjourneys

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justhumanjourneys

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100073631234950

Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCvkHWCzF4-c0F6MBLt6zJtA

Other: Tik Tok: https://vm.tiktok.com/TTPdkKFMvw/