ABOUT US
We are Brandon, Kellie and our adventure dogs Moose and Meatloaf!
Our unusual adventure began in May of 2020 when we met for our first date during the beginning months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the typical first date options were all closed due to stay-at-home orders, we went for a nice two hour long hike, which turned into seven hours of tailgating in the parking lot of a Total Wine store with takeout sandwiches and a 6-pack of beer. Our second date was a weekend of camping. We knew from the beginning that the outdoors is our mutual place of freedom, calm, clarity and joy.
I’m Kellie….
I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. I grew up playing soccer and softball, and if it wasn’t dark out, I was outside riding bikes or playing games. Family vacations were most often weekends spent camping or spending time out on the water riding jet skis.
I have been working as a registered dental hygienist since 2007 and I love getting to know people through this line of work.
Although most people wouldn’t say that they love the dentist, there is a special bond between a hygienist and their patients that is hard to match. During the lockdown months of COVID-19, the temporary closure of my workplace gave me time to re-evaluate what I found to be most important in life.
Although working with the people I had been treating for the past 13 years was enjoyable, the day in & day out repetitive nature of the work was beginning to wear on me.
The desire to break away from the physical work & a scheduled day left me wanting more…more travel, more time with family & friends, more experiences outside of the typical 9 to 5.
I’m Brandon….
Brandon grew up in the Northern Sacramento area of California, where every season of the year offers something amazing for outdoor adventurers. It is a very rare occasion that you’ll find Brandon doing anything inside if he has the choice. As a scuba dive master, a landscape photographer and 4-wheel drive enthusiast, there is no terrain that he won’t explore.
Brandon started working construction at the age of fifteen. Around the age of twenty, he began his current line of work installing patio covers. With the recession in the early 2000’s and the decline of available work in the construction industry, Brandon took the opportunity to fulfill a dream of cooking. He went to culinary school to become a chef. His natural leadership skills quickly led his cooking career to running a kitchen and managing a staff capable of serving thousands of people at a time. Brandon says, “There is nothing like the rush of being in a high production kitchen.” After cooking commercially for six years, life changes drew him back to the world of construction. Although Brandon enjoys what he does for a living, after the relatively young deaths of both of his parents he has been drawn to the idea that we shouldn’t wait to live our lives. Life doesn’t begin at retirement. What is the point if we can’t enjoy life along the entire journey?
This is how BYOE Overland came to be. From the day we met, our like minded desire to break out of what we call “society’s box” has driven us to go all in and pursue a dream that few others would consider. We have committed to living on the road full-time living out of our pickup truck (“Tank”) with an off-road trailer (“Pigpen”) in order to experience the world in a way that we think few others would be brave enough to try- one backroad dirt trail at a time.
We call ourselves BYOE Overland because as I was explaining our type of travel and camping to my dental patients, I found I was constantly saying, “The way we camp, we have to bring our own everything!” (food, entertainment, shower, toilet, etc.). It was the easiest way to get the idea across and everyone understood exactly what I was talking about (especially the toilet part). When I shared this with Brandon, the name just stuck! (click here to read more about the beginning of BYOE)
We have chosen the unconventional, simpler (yet, more challenging) way to live our dreams and have decided to live them right now! Why put it off? Why wait? With this leap of faith and commitment to this journey, our mission is to do the following while also inspiring others to do the same:
Learn about ourselves, other people, places, food, cultures, regions, languages
Explore the world, challenge ourselves, push our limits & feed our curiosity
Simplify our way of living. . .re-evaluate the wants vs. needs in life
Share our experiences. . . the good, the bad & the not so pretty. . . [Brandon after a week of no shower]
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Motivate others to get out of their comfort zones & do something out of the ordinary
Observe the unique qualities, history & diversity that make up the quilt of this Earth
Relationship building, connecting with other & creating bonds and lasting friendships
Educate others about the way we travel, the importance of
Simply put… LESS is MORE. Now let’s get out & go explore!
Click here to learn more about us and how we got to this point! (VIDEO)
