Jennifer Fitzpatrick
Jennifer is a Spanish teacher and gluten-free travel blogger living in Salem, Massachusetts. She writes gluten-free travel guides for Gluten-Free Living Magazine and enjoys hiking in nature as much as possible. Jen and her husband Dylan spent six months backpacking around the world this year to more than twelve countries. Jen is passionate about encouraging others to travel with celiac disease and to explore as much as possible.
For gluten-free travel guides, recipes and epic hikes, follow her on Instagram @jefinner589 or check out her website www.thenomadicfitzpatricks.com.
At Orlando International Airport on January 2nd - the day it all began!
On January 2nd, my husband Dylan and I said goodbye to life as we knew it and embarked on the greatest journey we’ve ever shared together!
Dylan and I spent six months on a sabbatical from our jobs backpacking around the world. We lived nomadically in over twelve countries on five continents. It was one of the best things we’ve ever done as a couple and has completely changed our mindsets, lifestyles, and goals!
It took a lot of planning, research, and patience to make our dream a reality. But if we can do it, anybody can!
Planning
There was a lot of planning and preparation that went into a trip of this size. It took two years to get everything set into place. We saved money by limiting our expenses, traveling only locally and within the United States with airline points, and putting away money in savings. Dylan and I also asked for sabbaticals from our employers very early (over a year in advance).
As a teacher, I was able to secure an entire school year off. Dylan was able to obtain six months off as an engineer. In December of 2018, we also gave up our apartment rental, donated/sold many of our belongings, and placed everything else in storage. This brought our lodging expenses from $1500 a month to $120 a month. It also eliminated bills such as car insurance (we left them at the homes of family members), gas, heat, electricity, and cable. The last two weeks of December we visited family for the holidays before embarking on our epic journey!
Four months into the trip - backpacker pros & travel veterans!
Everything that went into my Osprey Backpack. Even this was too much stuff - we wound up sending stuff home toward the end!
I planned out the first two months of our trip before we left. Dylan and I preferred the flexibility of choosing where we wanted to go and being able to change our minds. On March 1st, we had a flight to Bangkok, Thailand, but that was it! The rest of the trip we left open-ended with a few ideas for where we’d likely end up. While this may sound crazy, it actually gave us more freedom, better airline ticket prices, and opportunities to explore places that we never expected.
Travel Hacking & Saving Money
To help maximize our time but not throw away our entire budget, we chose to balance visiting a few, more pricey countries with many cheaper destinations. In the countries that were more expensive, we ate simply, stayed in hostels, and limited our excursions. Toward the end of our trip, we sent items home that we no longer needed and learned to travel lighter - less weight to carry, less to worry about, and it was easier to get around from place to place. We traveled by bus, train, plane, and rented a car in South America, New Zealand, and Italy.
Dylan reorganizing our bags in Cinque Terre, Italy
In New Zealand, we had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch on a regular basis, and cooked breakfast and lunch in our hostel kitchens. Our daily activities were hiking in the national parks of the South Island - which are all free! We also brought reusable water bottles to reduce waste, and stuck to just hiking backpacks for luggage.
Dylan and I spent a lot of time in Southeast Asia (over two months) - Bali, Thailand, and Nepal were some of our longest stays and each of them was extremely reasonable and helped maximize our dollar. In Bali we enjoyed three course dinners for $5, and stayed in a private air conditioned suite (with breakfast) for only $19 a night!
Reusable water bottles came in handy in many destinations, especially along the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Breakfast in Bali at our homestay - only $19 USD a night (with breakfast!)
Enjoying a complimentary glass of wine at a lounge in Singapore’s Changi Airport.
Travel Hacking was one of the best ways we saved money on our trip! By utilizing credit card benefits like the Priority Pass, we had free food and access to airport lounges all over the world. We used hotel points for free stays and traded in points for airline tickets. In total, we saved almost $2,000 using travel hacks!
Travel
After hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu for four days, we explored Cusco before continuing to Buenos Aires, Argentina, and finally, the region of Patagonia. In February, we flew to New Zealand and did a two week road trip along the South Island before spending a week in Sydney, Australia. The end of February was spent in Bali, Indonesia, enjoying the relaxing and tropical Ubud. Most of March was spent exploring the cities, mountains, and beaches of Thailand, which became one of our favorite destinations. At the end of March, we visited Hong Kong, marveling at this modern and cosmopolitan city before heading to Nepal.
Would you believe it was completely foggy and rainy the entire morning? When it was time to explore Machu Picchu in all its glory, the sun came out!
Trekking on the Perito Moreno Glacier in Patagonia, Argentina!
Dylan enjoying his favorite snacks from the local street market in Chiang Mai, Thailand. One of our favorite cities!
In Nepal, Dylan thrived and I struggled. The culture shock was overwhelming, and I also got very sick and had to be hospitalized for 24 hours for a bad GI bug. Thankfully I was well taken care of and recovered quickly! We explored Kathmandu and Pokhara, and trekked seven days to Annapurna Base Camp. On Easter Sunday, we managed to snag a flight to Europe which included a 12-hour layover in Rome. We saw the Vatican underneath the moonlight after a late night pizza & gelato!
After a bad GI bug and an overnight at a hospital, this was my first day back exploring in Pokhara, Nepal.
We pulled over on this dirt road in Tuscany because the view was too perfect!
Dylan on our last day of the Camino de Santiago. We hiked 165 miles over two weeks - the entire journey is 500 miles!
We spent the end of April in Croatia, marveling at the waterfalls, the Adriatic seaside towns, and the Roman architecture, before continuing to Italy to meet up with family in Capri, Rome, and Tuscany. Dylan suggested we see one more town in Italy before flying to Spain, so we enjoyed Genoa for a few days before flying to northern Spain to hike a portion of the Camino de Santiago for two weeks. Our last stop was Madrid, my former home (I studied abroad here in 2010), and then back to the USA!
Favorite Moments & Funny Memories
So many people ask about what our favorite countries were on this trip, but I don’t really think of it that way. I tend to focus on the moments in time, and the connections we made with others around the world in so many different cultures, landscapes, religions, backgrounds, and languages! We chose to visit the places we did for specific reasons, and gained so much from our time there.
Along the Inca Trail
I had a realization how much our lives had changed during a morning wake up call on one of our last days hiking the Inca Trail. Dylan and I were awake, yet still sleepy, snuggled in our sleeping bags at around 5 AM. We heard “Buenos días”, and unzipped the tent to find our guide, Filio, with two cups of hot coca tea. Coca tea helps with altitude sickness, and was beneficial for many hikers (like us) not used to the increased elevation. As we sipped the warm tea, having not showered in three days, exhausted yet excited for another long day of hiking, we had a view of the most majestic snow capped peaks - the Salkantay Range. It was the best wake up call I’ve ever had! It forced me to pause for a moment and be grateful that we had made our dream trip a reality.
Challenges
Hiking a portion of the Camino de Santiago in Spain for two weeks pushed me more than anything else on the trip. We only hiked 165 miles of this 500+ mile journey, but it taught me more about myself and my own resilience than ever before! It rained a lot during those two weeks - there were lots of wet socks and shoes, ponchos, hungry afternoons, and lessons in motivation.
Making the most of another rainy afternoon on the Camino!
24 hours after this picture was taken at Annapurna Base Camp, I was in a hospital bed getting IV fluids and antibiotics. Things can happen - and that’s why there’s travel insurance!
Getting a stomach bug in Nepal was also a very challenging 48 hours. Thankfully we had such wonderful people to help me, get me the medicine and rest that was needed, so I could continue enjoying our travels. Dylan and I even got to ride in a helicopter, which was pretty neat!
When traveling, things will go wrong, and this trip was an exercise in letting go, patience, and acceptance that what’s meant to be will find a way. I definitely got much better at surrendering control toward the end of our trip, like when we got our rental car stuck in a ditch on a dirt road in Tuscany. I was cool as a cucumber, and knew that we’d figure it out. Twenty minutes later, a worker from the farm we stayed at drove over his tractor and pulled us out - without a single scratch!
Takeaways/Reflections
Taking a Thai cooking class in Chiang Mai
How do I put this entire experience into words? It was the best thing we’ve ever done in over ten years as a couple so far. Right now, Dylan and I are at a crossroads in our lives. We aren’t sure if we want to fully invest back into “normal” life, and would definitely enjoy continuing to live nomadically. We are taking everything one day at a time. I know now that what’s meant for us will work out and our travel journey is far from over!
Traveling truly is the gift that keeps on giving. This trip was a chance to break out of my comfort zone, feel more comfortable in my own skin, and to experience unforgettable memories with the person I love most. I was also so happy to find gluten-free food available all over the world!
I have celiac disease and now have made it my mission to share gluten-free travel with as many people as possible. Just because your diet is restricted doesn’t mean your passport has to be, too!
Until our next adventure, I’ll keep dreaming of these memories and planning our next steps at the Nomadic Fitzpatricks.
