Meet Sean & Kristy, the Long Long Honeymooners!

A lot of you have heard me mention (with great enthusiasm) Sean & Kristy and their site, www.LongLongHoneymoon.com.   I don’t know when or how I found them; I just did and am now happily hooked on all things Long Long Honeymoon.  Seeing as these two never cease to inspire me, I thought it would be fun to find out a little more about them, and introduce you all while I am at it…

1) I know it was Sean’s idea to take the Airstream on your honeymoon, but whose idea was it to buy the Airstream in the first place?  

S: It was Kristy’s idea to get an RV. I was a little reluctant. I’m a pretty tall guy and was afraid I wouldn’t be comfortable in an RV. But after browsing a bit, we fell in love with Airstreams. You trade a little spaciousness for coziness and style!    

K: He’s right, it was my idea! We went tent camping in Yellowstone National Park a few years prior to buying the Airstream and we about froze to death one night in the Canyon campground.  The next morning I looked around at all of the campers and motorhomes and thought, “Wow! Those people really know how to camp!”  I also thought that having a private bathroom when tailgating at football games would be absolute heaven.    

2) Where did the inspiration for turning your honeymoon into a Long Long Honeymoon come from?  How did it evolve?  

S: We started with the idea of our “road trip” honeymoon lasting several weeks — we thought six would be plenty! But after six weeks passed, we found ourselves 2000 miles from home. So we just kept on going as long as it felt right. We were having fun with our website (LongLongHoneymoon.com), so we decided to offer tips and information to others who might be interested in RV and Airstream travel.     

K: Honestly, it was just something that kind of fell into place.  The website was originally created to let our family and friends follow along on our trip.  Before long, they were passing it along to their friends and co-workers and eventually we started getting comments and email from people we’d never even met!  It continued to grow from there, and it’s still growing every day.        

3) Did either of you need convincing when it came to the concept of Long Long Honeymoon, or did it just make sense to both of you?  

 S: I think that Kristy understandably had a few reservations about this journey being our official “honeymoon” because we’d previously discussed visiting exotic places overseas like Tahiti and Greece. As time passed, I began to view our “Long Long Honeymoon” as a brand that everyone could enjoy — it’s a happy thought, isn’t it, that life should be a honeymoon?     

K: I did have reservations in the beginning, but once the adventure started I didn’t want to stop!  Also, I think that lots of people believe that a honeymoon only lasts for a week — that it is a “once in a lifetime” thing. We wanted to show folks that a “honeymoon” is a state of mind. Whether you’re in Tahiti, the Grand Canyon or your own backyard; as long as you’re with the one(s) you love, that’s all that matters.     

4) Were you nervous to do something so radically different than your peers?  What was the overall response from your friends and family?

S: Our friends and family were very encouraging and supportive. In the past I had pursued unusual travel experiences (for example, volunteering in early 1990s Czechoslovakia) so this was just another one on the list.      

K: (laughs) Yes, we are sort of known for random,wacky adventures so this was a fairly tame travel idea in comparison to some of the others that we’d already done (volcano climbing in El Salvador anyone?). I think my parents were just glad we were staying the United States for a change.     

5) What do you say to people that tell you they would love to do what you two are doing if only this or if only that…    

S: As John Lennon said, life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans. You may as well pursue your dreams now, because the future is not guaranteed. Most of our impediments are of the mental variety — we let fears about “what if” keep us in our place. While this sort of experience is not for everyone, I hope that everyone is engaged in their own unique pursuit of happiness, however they define it — that’s what this country is all about!     

K: I tell them that they can do it!  It all goes back to the honeymoon state of mind.  Take weekend or one night honeymoons; even if you’re just camping in your own backyard it can still be an adventure.  I also tell them about the numerous people we’ve met on the road living a similar lifestyle to ours. Many people have overcome just about every “this and that” you can imagine: “we have small children,” or “we don’t have enough money” or “I’m too old” or “I have physical limitations.”  These people have shown me that if you really want something badly enough, you’ll find a way to make your dream happen.        

6) Tell us about one or two of your favorite places to visit with the Airstream. What makes these places stand out from the rest for you?     

S: My pick would be Yellowstone. I worked in Yellowstone while in college, and it’s just a magical place. It proudly boasts of being the “oldest and best” national park. There’s just so much diversity to Yellowstone, an incredible variety of experiences await. My advice is to go beyond the typical tourist stops (Old Faithful geyser) and spend some time on the hiking trails. You can hike a desert canyon one day and climb a snowy mountain peak the next, all while sharing the park with bison, moose, wolves, and bear. Just steer clear of those wolves and bear. 😉    

K: Yellowstone is also one of my favorite stops.  So is the beach.  Pretty much any campground where you can park next to the beach is a winner, but the stand-outs for me would be Bluewater Key in Key West, Florida and Camping on the Gulf in Destin, Florida.  At Bluewater Key our waterfront campsite included a private tiki hut, complete with bar and ceiling fan AND a private pier! The campground in Destin has gulf front sites that have you stepping out from your camper into sand. The water is maybe 30 yards from your door and the sound of the waves crashing at night is the best lullaby ever. Also, Disney World is always a magical and sentimental experience for me.  As a child my parents took my there every summer and going back as an adult really does make me feel like a kid again.      

7) Your plan is to hit most, if not all of the states that you haven’t been to yet (in the Airstream) this summer.  Do you have a route planned or will you simply see where the road takes you?     

S: When we started, we had no itinerary. But now we sketch out a loosely planned route of our journey. Even so, we usually travel without set deadlines. If you’re not careful, deadlines will quickly suck the fun out of travel. When we feel like going, we go! When we get tired, we stop and rest. That’s the upside of RV travel.     

K: We don’t wear watches, so the RV lifestyle suits us well!

 8) How do you subsidize this amazing lifestyle you have made for yourselves?

S: We script, shoot, edit, and deliver original video productions while we’re on the go. After many requests, we now offer compilations of our “Long Long Honeymoon” videos on DVD! Our DVDs are a lot of fun — you get ALL the videos that aired on our website (including never before seen footage) plus original audio commentary tracks by me and Kristy. It’s much better watching these videos on a nice TV, and we hope the new commentary soundtracks help aspiring RVers learn “what it’s really like” to live on the road. It’s like having us sitting right there with you on your couch!     

K: Yes, the Internet and the growing availability of Wi-fi makes telecommuting a much more viable option.  We meet quite a few freelancers and consultants out on the road.     

9) What advice can you give to people (such as myself) who would love to hit the road and make a living while we are at it as well?     

S: Consider “work camping.” Many campgrounds will allow you to stay for free in exchange for doing some work. Even better, consider working in one of our beautiful national parks. Those who proudly call themselves “parkies” do just that, working in various national parks around the United States. I did so in college and had a blast. You won’t get rich doing it, but you will enjoy a wealth of awesome experiences.     

K: Again, I think any job that allows you to telecommute is the way to go.  Who says you can’t participate in that conference call from your camper, OR from the beach? 😉  

Amen, Kristy! And Sean, I love the idea of living the “parkie” life…Thank you both so much for taking time out to be interviewed.  Can’t wait to experience some vicarious LLH summer adventures and hopefully catch up with you on the road…ideally at Alumapalooza in June (fingers crossed).  And to all of you Caretaking Couple readers out there,  be sure to visit Sean and Kristy at www.LongLongHoneymoon.com.  Oh, and please don’t hesitate to leave us a comment or two… I feel another prize drawing comin’ on…

“Honeymoon is a state of mind”