We Were Your average working couple...
...Now we are traveling the world full time
About this Blog
Originally, I started this as a journal while living as an expat in the United Kingdom with my partner Perry from 2011-2014. We loved our time there and would frequently share stories about the sometimes frustrating, sometimes hilarious, but always entertaining experience of being a foreigner. I wrote a series of essays and travel articles about those experiences.
We were smitten with international living and after we returned to the US in 2014, we vowed to do it again someday. Then, in April 2015, we came across Rolf Potts' book Vagabonding, and had a eureka moment. We would trade our 9-5 lives for a year of around-the-world travel and focus on creative pursuits.
After a year of preparation, we departed on April 5, 2016. I hope you will join us as I post stories, photos and tips for long-term travel. And after a career in the food industry (my inner food nerd loves checking out foreign supermarkets), I will also blog about food and global trends.
I believe there is a piece of every place you live in your heart, making up the person you are today. As such, I'm keeping Gobsmacked as the title of this blog. The British left an indelible imprint that I will take with me on our travels, and I'm sure the wonders of the road will leave that piece of me gobsmacked.
About Paula & Perry
Paula is a Northern Minnesota native who spent the majority of her adult life in Minneapolis working in the food industry. In 2011, she moved to the UK for work and was bitten by the travel bug. She began traveling full-time in April, 2016.
In addition to a love of food and travel, she is a fantasy baseball and history aficionado.
Perry is Paula's constant travel companion who was raised in Maine. He is a nomad who has lived in 8 states and numerous cities all around the US, as well as the UK. They met at a polka bar in Minneapolis in 2004.
Perry is on a quest to become the world's foremost expert on chocolate milk and is documenting his exploits on his website, afoolzerrand.com. Also, click here to check out Perry's travel photography portfolio and humorous anecdotes about life on the road.
Join Us!
If you love travel, we would love to hear from you! Contact us via the form below.