We are Ariele and Justin Champion. Nine years ago our wild hearts began aggressively paying off student debt, seeking to dramatically change our lives. While living in the city (Boston, MA), we purchased our first camper–a fixer-upper we named Virginia Blue.
She was a teaching moment in our journey to know when to cut our losses. That led us to leave Boston (Ariele leaving her job and Justin working remotely) and go all-in on our living situation. Swearing we wouldn’t be doing any more DIY work, we bought a new 22’ Airstream Bambi (Dot) and lived in that unit for two years while traveling the United States. We feel that time in our lives brought out our most authentic selves.
Along the way, we made it our mission to educate and inspire others to unlock the same freedom in their lives through our education brand, Wild We Wander. We promoted positivity and going outside your comfort zone while also creating a resource to help people start living and working from the road.
Now that we have a home base in Asheville, NC, and (almost) two kids, we’re ready to get back to that feeling of freedom. We want to guide and school our kids in an unconventional way, sharing with them the country (and the world) from a young age.
Some would say this is THE most difficult time to create time freedom. Two young kids, a one-income household, and a mortgage may make it seem more challenging to start living our dream life again. After all, we have very limited time to dedicate to even making a change right now. While that all may be true, to us there is no time like the present to begin.
So we started. We are (again) heartily paying off our debt thanks to Justin’s A+ budgeting skills, learning how to generate a substantive passive income (aka creating our time freedom framework!), and planning for how we will go on this journey as a family. We recreated Wild We Wander to be the space where YOU can learn to do this, too. Whether you also have a family and want to travel, or you’re a student researching your options after graduation beyond a 9-5, or if you were like us nine years ago–just a couple of dreamers itching for the freedom to explore, we’re here to show you how.
Our mission is to educate and inspire people to live an alternative lifestyle of freedom and adventure.
Be present in every moment and conscious of the footprint you make on the world.
Understand that you have a purpose and that you can make a difference.
Everyone is on a different journey that is just as important as yours.
It's not just about thinking about something and hoping it appears. It's about believing it with all of your soul and taking steps towards your goals. That is where the magic happens.
Respect all living beings and the space we share.
Life is a seemingly short journey. New experiences help you grow. Find adventure in your everyday.
Exude positive energy, affecting yourself and those around you. Find joy everyday in everything you do and you will be well on your way to spreading those good vibes internally and far and wide.