What happens after the trip of a lifetime ends? For Denver couple Matt Rattiner and Shannon Gudal, the answer has been just as meaningful as the journey itself. After spending 410 days traveling across 34 countries and four continents, the two returned home with new perspectives on work, relationships and what it means to build a life rooted in intention rather than routine.
We’re revisiting this 5 Questions—originally published as they wrapped up their global adventure last April—because a year later, their story continues to evolve. Since returning to Denver, Matt and Shannon have been navigating the transition back to everyday life while holding onto the lessons they learned on the road. And this summer, they’ll mark a new milestone: getting married in Ibiza, a fitting continuation of a relationship shaped by shared adventure.
In this conversation, Matt and Shannon reflect on what inspired them to leave stable careers behind, how they managed to see the world on a $40,000 budget and what they discovered along the way. Now, with some distance from the experience, their story offers not just a snapshot of a bold decision but a reminder of how travel can reshape what comes next. Matt and Shannon kept a video travelogue on their YouTube channel, so check out their adventures.
Why did you leave good jobs to embark on this adventure as digital nomads, and how did you prepare for a year away?
We both have always loved to travel! Our original plan was to get remote jobs that would allow us to be digital nomads for a year.
We had met people on a trip to Mexico City that were currently doing this and thought, ‘Why not us?’ We started to look for remote jobs that would allow us to travel the world and although there were opportunities out there, we were faced with the question: do we really want to travel the world or do we just want to work in another country?
Most of the jobs that we came across would tie us to locations for extended periods of time and to places with reliable wifi. That led us to the decision to quit our jobs and just travel for a year and based on our experience, that was the right decision.
We spent over a year preparing for this adventure of a lifetime! The most important thing we did during that time was to come up with a budget for our trip and start saving money.
We also prepared by deciding on some of the countries and regions we wanted to travel to. We looked up the entry requirements for them and researched the best times to travel based on weather and events. We also both had to renew our passports and we visited a travel clinic to review vaccinations that we needed.
With all of your planning, was there anything you overlooked that would have been useful on your trip?
No, we felt very prepared for almost everything—maybe even too prepared, if that’s possible.
We have a pre-travel routine that helped us a lot. As soon as we knew we were traveling to a new country, we reviewed entry requirements and applied for any necessary visas well in advance. Since we often traveled on one-way tickets, we made sure to have proof of onward travel when required.
We also took steps to make arriving in a new place smoother. We always downloaded Google Maps for offline use, tried to get local currency ahead of time when possible and planned how we’d get to our first accommodation—whether using ride-share apps like Uber or estimating taxi costs.
If anything, we overprepared in terms of what we packed. After traveling through both developed and developing countries, we realized that almost anything we might need is available locally. It may not always be the exact brand we’re used to, but there’s almost always a suitable alternative.
What are some of the highlights of your experience as digital nomads, and is there one place you think everyone should visit at least once in their lives?
We have had so many highlights, which makes it extremely difficult to narrow down. Some of our favorite parts of the trip have been a four-day motorcycle trip through Northern Vietnam, a safari in Sri Lanka, attending a sumo wrestling tournament in Tokyo, exploring the castles in Transylvania, sailing the Komodo islands and hiking in Patagonia.
Also, the people we have met around the world have been a highlight. They are so kind! We have met so many amazing people that are always there to help us when we need it. We have constantly been shown that the world is full of way more good than bad.
There isn’t one place we think everyone must see in their lifetime but checking off some of the Seven Wonders of the World is a great place to start! Four of our favorite places, Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and Christ the Redeemer, are all considered part of the New Seven Wonders of the World. They have all been magnificent!
We also visited two natural wonders of the world (Great Barrier Reef, Harbor of Rio) and three new natural wonders of the world (Iguazu Falls, Komodo Island, Ha Long Bay.) We also saw tons of amazing wildlife on our trip; we saw three wild elephants, multiple crocodiles, a leopard in Sri Lanka, koalas, kangaroos, and snakes in Australia, alpacas and llamas in Peru, 9 komodo dragons in Indonesia, tons of sea turtles, and countless different types of monkeys on our travels.
You have already seen a lot of the world. What other places do you want to visit?
This has been the tricky part of our trip. We thought our list of places we wanted to go would go down but it has just gotten longer.
Every country we visit, we meet people who have seen or done something amazing in a city we didn’t get to. We feel like every time we check one thing off, we added two more. The world is such an amazing place and the places to explore are endless.
Three places that are at the top of our list now are seeing the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, Gorilla trekking in Rwanda and kayaking in Antarctica.
What did you learn about yourselves by becoming digital nomads and embarking on this journey?
We have learned to be more patient and understanding of ourselves and each other. What was once important to us has also changed.
Traveling long-term with just a carry-on has taught us the value of minimalism—not just in packing, but in life. We’ve learned to prioritize what truly matters, embrace simplicity, and adapt to new experiences with only the essentials.
From others we have learned how important it is to do something that makes you happy every single day. We have met so many locals that prioritize daily joy and happiness to create a life that they love.
When we return, we hope to always remember this and to lead everyday with compassion, love, and kindness. You never know what people are going through. We also want to continue to live every day to the fullest because you never know what the next day will bring.
We have changed a lot on this trip. We would love to be more involved in the community. We have seen firsthand how deeply other cultures value their communities and neighbors and would like to incorporate that more when we return to Denver!
Matt Rattiner and Shannon Gudal
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