Jamie Sattler - Crafting Her Dream Life
“Start living a lifestyle of being your best.” -Jamie
If your social media algorithms look anything like mine, you are regularly faced with women living their best lives in a van, traveling the country, seeing the world. I’m left sitting in my midwest apartment, wondering how on earth people get to do that and still have to work. It’s amazing to me. So when I had the opportunity to interview real-life remote worker and traveler, Jamie Sattler, I jumped at the chance to listen and learn. She is living the life that many of us wish we could live, and she took the time to chat and show me how she made it happen. Our connection was a bit spotty as she was in a remote spot in the Ozarks at the time, but it was great to learn about her brave journey.
Jamie grew up northeast Illinois where hiking, kayaking, and adventuring weren’t really on the weekend’s To-Do List. Though her family took an annual family trip to New Mexico, visiting family is a different kind of adventure than she’s living now. Jamie completed her college years in Wisconsin and made a living, like many, working cubicle jobs - from the age of 16 on! She looks back now and recalls never really feeling free to live the life she wanted to live.
Until Covid.
When her Chicago job went remote, she had a light bulb moment. Jamie remembers looking around at her too-quiet apartment, thinking, “I want to experience life. If I don’t take it now, I’m never gonna get this chance again.” So in May of 2020, Jamie started rewriting her story. What started with travel trailer research brought her onto the sales room floor where she purchased her first rig: an 18’ R-Pod travel trailer camper that she would tow with her Chevy Equinox. Her research continued with hands-on training in hooking it up, towing it, backing up, leveling, setting up, and maintaining. This wasn’t something she often saw single women doing at the campsites she visited, but that didn’t stop her from learning how. Since that time, Jamie has upgraded to a Chevy Silverado, traded in her camper for a 25’ rig, and fully explored 10 states. These upgrades have helped her to continue crafting her life into one she is proud to be living.
Jamie gave us all sorts of tips and logistical suggestions for this life, should you also be wondering how to make it happen.
Ask questions. Jamie says there is so much to learn, but no room to be too proud to ask for help when we need it. From changing a campsite to learning more about the camper or vehicle she’s driving, or needing additional help, there is always room to learn and grow. Jamie went through so many resources just to get internet while camping, but remembers, “I would not be where I am today if I didn’t ask questions.” Through asking, she also learned about Gas Buddy and UpSide, two apps that have been very helpful in making financially smart choices on the road.
Be your own best advocate. As women, we are often looked down on or dismissed when making big purchases. Jamie remembers buying her first camper and being asked, “Where’s your husband?” Whether in a relationship or single, women can have confidence being a solo purchaser. She reminds us that no one is going to just hand us the life we want - we need to make courageous and strong choices if we want to make it happen. We also need to push for the kind of help we need when we need it. At 37, Jamie is working to make tough life decisions about children, support systems, and how to balance those desires with the life she’s currently living. She hopes to continue remote work and travel until she is unable to do so.
Think through the safest choice for you. Jamie chose to go through gun safety classes and chooses to carry in order to keep herself safe. She also pays close attention to emergency weather and natural disaster areas to keep herself as safe as possible. And in staying safe, Jamie also teaches us to share our locations only with those closest - save the picture posting until after you’ve left your location. Finally, she also works to make the job choice that will help her overcome financial hurdles we all would face. Working remotely has the advantage of finding a job that suits your skills and your needs simultaneously. This is a “safety measure” that helps more for her financial safety, but is an important thing we all consider!
Take the time to process. Change can be overwhelming, so when you’re faced with a decision, don’t feel pressured to make an impulse one. Be accepting, be resilient, and learn more about yourself along the way. Jamie reminds us, too, that being mindful of your decisions at the beginning is important, but so is reflecting. She recognizes that once she started making small changes to better her life, “It felt like a veil had been lifted.” That strength and freedom then helps her to make the next one a little bit easier. She finds her creative problem-solving skills and the self-encouragement she needs to keep going.
Jamie is able to look back at the things she’s been able to do while remote working, such as completing last year’s Ice Age Trail Mammoth Challenge. And finding cool places to hike and kayak (her “happy places) is more feasible on the road with her AllTrails subscription. The National Park Service (NPS) app is super helpful in planning trips, finding good spots to camp and work, and learning more about the area while she’s there.
We at Strong Girls Travel love Jamie’s choices to craft the life she was craving back as a cubicle-working, 16-year old girl. Her choice to go fully remote and travel may not be your jam, but we all have something eating away at us, beckoning us to branch out and break the mold. Jamie’s story teaches us that stepping out of that comfort zone doesn’t have to be a huge step. Start small. Jamie says, “If you’re living in that comfortable spot, you might never know what it’s like to really be free.” Jamie sought the support she needed through her choice of jobs, therapy, and medical access, so that she can “live a lifestyle of being my best.”
