Nomad Life: For 91 Days

Traveling with Depth, Self Proclaimed Wonderers Mike and Jürgen Immerse in Different Cultures

‘We had lived in a lot of places together – Boston, Berlin, Ireland and Spain,’ Mike, one half of the American/German travel duo For 91 Days, explained to us.

Whilst having some lunch and wine one afternoon in Valencia, Spain, an idea popped into their heads; why not just continue traveling? Why stop here?

‘Even after sobering up, we realized it’d be possible,’ Mike said. ‘We both work independently, and had nothing tying us down; no kids, no job, no property. The idea of backpacking indefinitely wasn’t appealing, but we thought we should stay in a spot long enough to really learn about it, but not long enough for it to become boring.’

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This was the beginning of For 91 Day, a blog which has garnered a strong online following for it’s vivid documentations of Mike and Jürgen’s travels: as they visit cities around the world, stretching from Tokyo, to Sri Lanka, to Spain.

Although now settled in their new (recently bought) house in Spain, and enjoying the colours and vibrancy of Valencia’s Fallas festival, the traveling will never end for this couple. We found out more about their journeys.

The Plus: How do you start, when you arrive in the new city? What are the first things you do?
For 91 Days:
We don’t waste any time. From the very first day, we’re out in the city and trying to get a sense of its rhythm. We almost always take a long tour of the most important squares, to get a lay of the land, and eat out at a traditional restaurant to familiarize ourselves with the cuisine. We also try and meet locals right away, using social media.

TP: What are your thought processes behind selecting where to travel to next?
F91D:
The two main concerns we have when choosing a new place are the weather, and our budget. We’ll avoid winter whenever possible, and there are many places you should only visit during certain times of the year. Sri Lanka during monsoon season, for example, would have been a mistake. And when our finances our tight, we’ll avoid expensive destinations. There’s a reason we chose Macedonia after living in Tokyo for 91 days!

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TP: What places are still on the list?
F91D:
Actually, our list is longer now, than we started! The more people we talk to and research we do, the more we realize that we’ll never live everywhere we’d like to. We really have to get Africa soon, we’re thinking of somewhere in Western Africa. And I’d love to get to Cuba before Ronald McDonald does!

TP: How is it to travel together for so long?
F91D:
We were already married before beginning of For 91 Days, so had been together a long time. It would be hard to do something like this, with someone you didn’t know extremely well. Traveling has definitely deepened our relationship.

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