Once met, the journey took them into the wide world and into the deep heart.
Hi there.
We’re Jon + Elena. Partners, full time Digital Nomads, creative entrepreneurs and all around life explorers. We started this website when, after being together for almost 12 years, we got married. This website served as an information site for the event and then once we were married, turned it into our travel site.
If you found your way here because you’re holding an old wedding invite or followed some link from back in those frenzied days of Jon and I trying to plan a wedding, do not worry! The wedding is over, but it was really just a stop along a long and ever evolving journey that we continue on now.
What is a Digital Nomad?
A Digital Nomad is someone that works remotely, that is, independent of location and typically by using their computer and the internet to work, communicate and carry out the day to day of their work life.
Because they are not location dependant, that is, a digital nomad doesn’t have to report into an office on a regular basis, they will become nomadic – usually choosing lower cost of living countries or cities to live in while working and exploring different parts of the world.
It is common to find Digital Nomads that are tech entrepreneurs, developers, and designers. Less so, but still out there are creatives, writers, artists etc that also find a way to create income through the use of their computers, the internet and the global market.
Why Did We Choose This Lifestyle?
Undoubtedly, there will be countless blog posts alluding to the many whys over time. But the simplest answer is we can. Because we love travel, because we are not independently wealthy, and this is a creative, freeing and effective way to guarantee we see and experience as much of the world as we want while young.
On a more subtle but complex note, neither one of us are cut out for what would have been a natural and traditional path to take. (Home, 2 cars, 2.5 kids and a lawn to mow every week) There is nothing wrong with that life, and I’ve no doubt that at some point we’ll create some parts of that scenario for ourselves. But this… this is who we are.
What You’ll Find Here
This website is both a place for us to chronicle where we have been and what we loved about it as much as it is about the ins and outs of creating this kind of lifestyle, while married and spending just about 24 hours together 7 days a week.
When I stand outside of us on occasion, I realize this might not be a life for the faint of heart, but Jon and I have found a way to make it work that I’m proud of. On occasion, we’ll bring you into the mix to share how we do it and how we manage the challenges that come up.
On A More Personal Note
About 4 years into our relationship, we found ourselves living out the unconscious patterns of our previous relationships as well as of our selves individually. Knowing that we wanted more from ourselves, life and relationship, we found a therapist hoping she could help us have… more.
Not only did we learn dynamic ways of connecting and communicating, but we created for our relationship a mission statement of sorts. She called it our Couple Affirmation. This was in 2009.
As we prepared to get married, I (Elena) pulled this affirmation out again and was at once affirmed and moved by the fact that we are living the exact life we decided we wanted to live together. It’s as relevant today as it was when we worked so hard at creating it all those years ago.
An important part of who we are as a couple is our awareness and commitment to constantly evolving and growing both as individuals and as a couple. This serves as a big part of our foundation. Along with this is a deep commitment to Truth as it paves a pathway to this growth.
We approach our relationship as a spiritual practice, honoring the lessons love has to offer us by having the other in our lives.
Together we live rich lives full of love and abundance, dedicated to mutual growth and marked by ease, trust and joy. The challenges that we present each other are catalysts and opportunities for our mutual and individual development. Our ever deepening relationship is fed by these challenges and held in the trust we present each other.
Our commitment to one another provides the foundation from which we draw the strength to lead spiritually rewarding and internationally mobile careers which provide us the flexibility for adventure, travel and fun, as well as a relaxing and rejuvenating home base. Our lives are the manifestation of our dreams, a perfect balance of comfortable and adventurous, of togetherness and individuality.
This goal of living this way was there from the beginning. It took us a long time to get here. But here we are. Full time Digital Nomads, having let go of our home at the beginning of 2016 to fully jump into this life.
Elena Rego is a writer committed to creating work that highlights conscious living where it applies to Food, Feminist Spirituality and Life Design.
Deeply drawn to the intersections between cultural patterns we all share with one another across the dinner table and our collective and individual sense of self worth, she created and writes for FoodPractice.com, an online publication that explores recipes, mealtime rituals, sustainable slow food and how our food choices reflect how we value life.
Jon Brown left a career in Civil Engineering 10 years ago to romp around the world and never looked back. After briefly giving it go as a professional photographer, we returned to a childhood pastime, programming, and found a new career that meshed with his lifestyle goals. Now he runs a small WordPress focused web development agency while still romping around the world.
He travels to learn learning about what makes people and places tick. He loves hearing and witnessing the individual stories that make up a society while equally enjoying deciphering byzantine transit schedules like a puzzle game to get from point A to Z. He also love technology and making it accessible to those who don’t always find it so wonderful. He writes about some of that over on WanderingJon.com and about WordPress specifically on 9seeds’ Blog.