MEMBER FOCUS: Chris & Sara

If you’ve spent time on the travel side of YouTube or Instagram, you’ve likely seen some of the incredible videos and posts from Chris and Sara, Common House Chattanooga members. The self-described digital nomads have traveled around the country in their Sprinter van (and with their adorable dog, Kramer) and flown to some of the most beautiful destinations around the world. Chris and Sara are phenomenal storytellers and love taking viewers along for the ride. 

Thankfully for us, the couple recently bought a home in Chattanooga (“it’s the perfect place to recharge in between trips”), and we were lucky enough to catch up with them before they jetted off on their next excursion. Check out the conversation below. 

So, what year did you officially kick things off and start creating videos? 

Chris: We bought our first van in 2018 and headed out in October. I think we posted our first video in January of 2019. Sarah actually posted on Instagram before YouTube and it took off fast.

But when we started off, a lot of people were asking us questions about how we were able to do this, or different van life and travel questions. So we started off answering those questions and then we finally moved from van and automobile kind of stuff to more of the travel content, which is what we like. 

You have a house here in Chattanooga now, right? Are you less nomadic now?

Sara: So we have the home and then we have the van still. We just got back from two months out of the country. We did a month in Mexico and a month in Brazil, and now we're going to go back on the road in the van. So right now we’re at home resting up for the next trip — it's our home base. We have family in the area and it gives us a chance to debrief between trips. And we love Chattanooga. 

Chris: We’re still nomadic, we're just slower at it now. 

How were your recent trips to Mexico and Brazil?

Sara: Amazing. We aren’t big wintertime people so as soon as the weather gets the least bit cold, we don't come home until it's warm again. So we went down there and just enjoyed it; the people are amazing down there. We’re definitely trying to incorporate more international travel, especially with the new Common House Reciprocity program. I think Reykjavik. 

Chris: But yeah, Mexico has a lot of great tacos, which is an A+ in our book. 

What are some of your favorite places you’ve visited? 

Sara: Stateside, we always love the Pacific Northwest. It's always our go-to. Washington, Idaho, Montana, those are some of our favorites. 

Chris: Let’s see, internationally, I think one of the coolest trips we’ve ever done was driving up to the Arctic Ocean. Were in Canada and we drove up the Dempster Highway. It's a 500-mile dirt road. So we got to see the Arctic Ocean and then we turned right back around. But it was summer solstice when we got there so it was like 24-hours of sun which is something we'd never experienced until then. 

How much of your trips do you plan out in advance and how much is spontaneous?

Sara: We like to be spontaneous as much as possible, but with work and life in general, we usually have a schedule or vague outline at least.

Chris: There are some trips where we’ll have it planned out to a ‘t’. Like, we’re going to do this, this, and this. And it never fails, those trips always end up chaotic and something happens where it ends up off the rails. And it’s always the trips where we have nothing planned, but just this outline, and everything kind of fits magically and it works out really well. And our jobs afford us that since we’re self-employed. We do have a little bit of freedom around when we take meetings and we don’t have to check in eight hours a day.

Where does your love of storytelling come from?

Sara: We’re both creative people. I think it’s just, both of us really love composing stories. I wanted to be a photojournalist for years, but this is a different way to go about it. National Geographic doesn’t really hire anymore, it’s all freelancers. But that was the dream job. And Chris has always been a storyteller and writer. And we love bringing people along. We have people in our audience who are terminally ill who have commented and said, ‘I’m never going to get to go to these places, but because of your videos I get to learn about what it’s like and what it feels like. So, we love trying to do the best we can to convey an experience and tell the story of the people we’re meeting in these countries.

So, what made you want to join Common House?

Sara: I’ve watched this building since I was young. I wanted this building to be something for so long. And coworking. I mean, coworking is when we can get out of the house and interact with people. And Chattanooga is that perfect mid-sized city where I feel like we’ve gotten to know people pretty quickly. And Common House has been part of that. 

And are you excited about the new Reciprocity program?

Sara: Yes! Since we’re going to be traveling a lot, we know for sure we’ll be in Iceland and Colorado and so we’ll be hitting up some of these other spots for sure. 

Chris: One of the biggest struggles with van life is finding a consistent place to work. And so being part of a program that has other places we can go will be great. 

What advice would you give to someone who wants to travel more or go on more adventures?

Sara: Start with what you’re comfortable with and go from there. For us, domestic was affordable. The van was an affordable way to travel and it was easy because we have a dog with us too. 

Chris: I think a lot of people get hung up on, oh, I’m going to take that trip one day, but I need to save for five years before I can go anywhere. But just doing a small trip to a nearby town or another region can be just as great. 

If you haven’t already, definitely give Chris & Sara a follow. But fair warning, you will get a heavy dose of wanderlust from their content. Thankfully, our Common House Reciprocity program makes it a bit easier knowing that you’ve got a place to land — whether you’re traveling to England, Iceland, Singapore, or throughout the U.S.