Empty-Nester Couple Downsizes to Slow-Travel the Country in Long-Term Airbnbs

Retirement doesn't have to mean slowing down. For one couple, it meant packing up, scaling back, and seeing the country one neighborhood at a time.

The decision wasn't made overnight. It was years in the making, and for Jamie and Keith Ochoa, it turned out to be one of the best they've ever made. After their youngest daughter left for college, the couple decided they were ready for their next big adventure.

Jamie and Keith had originally mapped out a life on the open road in an RV, but they had a change of heart when the opportunity finally came. Instead, they opted for a far more "bougie" way to travel: a series of long-term Airbnb stays across the country.

Now, after four years on the move and dozens of stops along the way, the 59-year-old retired French teacher and her 60-year-old husband have fully let go of a fixed home, opting to "slow travel" the country six weeks at a time.

The couple acknowledged that the transition required a complete overhaul of both their living situation and their mindset.

"We sold everything but the bare minimum of what we would need to live in a really, really small, cheap apartment out in the countryside," Jamie told People of the couple's move from Virginia to Tennessee, where they established state residency for retirement.

Before committing to a full-time nomadic lifestyle, however, the couple tested the waters, using a 30-year-old "podunk" abode as a trial home base. For the first two years, they traveled for three months at a time before returning home for a month.

Once they settled into the rhythm, they downsized even further, moving "heirlooms" and seasonal clothing into a storage unit they visit every six months. The couple also schedules any doctor and dentist appointments around these biannual visits.

With their four grown children and extended family spread across seven different states, Jamie and Keith plan about 40% of their travel schedule around family visits.

The rest of the year is devoted to exploring new corners of the country. They stay in each location for about six weeks, long enough to get a feel for the local lifestyle, take in top attractions and events, and score the best deal on Airbnb.

"We've found that six weeks is enough time in any given place [so] that you can do all the things you want to do, and you're not getting too bored wishing you were on to the next thing," Jamie explained.

This year alone, the pair has explored the frozen lakes of Madison, Wisconsin, wandered Louisiana's bayous, taken in the famed Iowa State Fair, and, most recently, visited the Black Hills of South Dakota. Each stop has been documented in Jamie's "Living Like a Local" social media series.

"I've always loved travel. I've always loved teaching, I taught for 20 years," she shared. "I love sharing those kinds of tips and 'Here's what you can do too.' People get excited and ask, 'Oh, how can I do that?'"

That said, the slow-travel lifestyle does come with its challenges. Because they research and book each destination six to eight months or more in advance, Jamie says it wouldn't be possible if this weren't her "full-time job."

Beyond deciding where to go, when to go, and what to do, she also has to learn the intricacies of each community.

"My husband is really great about giving me the kudos because we couldn't do it if I didn't work at it," she said of Keith, who still works remotely. "It's a lot of research just to know the place. Then you've got to research the neighborhoods and the city and where you want to live. So that takes a lot of time."

For families hoping to embark on their own nomadic adventure, Jamie's advice is simple: "Start small."

"We loved the fact that we did it as a transition," Jamie said. "You have to make it your own. My particular version of this lifestyle might not be your version. Some people might want to go out four months a year… Everybody has different needs and wants, so try it out."