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Have you ever considered dropping and selling everything so you could travel the world without stopping? That is exactly what Debbie and Michael Campbell, The Senior Nomads, did in July 2013. Since then, the couple has roamed the world living almost exclusively in Airbnbs. Their goal is to live in other people’s homes around the world just as they would have stayed in their Seattle home. Episode 51 of Retire There with Gil & Gene consists of a conversation with the Campbells while they were staying in an Airbnb in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
Debbie and Michael Cambell’s book on casting off their worldly possessions and traveling, til their hearts are content, is Your Keys, Our Home: The Senior Nomads’ Incredible Airbnb Journey.
The Senior Nomads website is found here.
The Senior Nomads created a full list of every Airbnb apartment, room, flat, bungalow, condo, suite and house they have stayed in during their travels.
Check out the Senior Nomads’ blog.
Find the couple on Instagram and Facebook.
Debbie Campbell was born in Seattle, Washington and attended community college and then advertising art school in Seattle. She enjoyed a successful career as a graphic designer and copywriter with her own firm, Tip Top Creative, specializing in hospitality, tourism, and events.
Michael Campbell was born in Sacramento, California, and grew up in Seattle. He attended Santa Clara University and The University of Washington. As a young college student, Michael fell in love with Grand Prix Racing, he became a professional race car driver and raced in the United States, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. He transitioned into managing race tracks on the West Coast before starting his own sports marketing company. His rewarding career in sports marketing led him to create dozens of events, including The World Indoor Paper Airplane Championships and the Seattle Boat Show.
Debbie and Michael introduced their four children to international travel early on when they moved the family from Seattle to London in 1986 where they lived for five years. In London, Michael worked for ProServ putting on professional golf and tennis events in Europe. Upon returning to Seattle, Michael ran for Congress in 1992. After losing his one and only political race he returned to sports marketing until the couple retired in 2013.
Together, they’ve done some work for Airbnb over the past 8 years including speaking engagements and a 3 month “senior internship” at the San Francisco headquarters in 2017. Debbie writes a blog, Senior Nomads, and maintains their social media. As Senior Nomads, the couple travel full time. It all started at Christmas time in 2012 when their daughter, Mary, who lives in Paris asked if they'd ever heard of Airbnb. They had not - so Mary showed them how it works. Six months later they sold their cars, their boat, their house, and most of t…
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