The year of 2020 changed the way we think, act, travel and live. It limited our freedom to come and go. This change in our routine forced us to think differently in order to keep moving.
Our cover illustrates just that, connecting with the world, living and thinking outside the box.
Debuts are always a challenge, and choosing who would be on the first cover story for BeyondUs Magazine was no different. We wanted a subject that could express this connection with the world, people with real experiences, an open mind and above all, that had a significant connection with our current reality. Giuliana and Elton, the “Outside of The Box Couple” represent all of this.
They travel the world in a different way than most people, with “free accommodation”, creating a strong bond with people and places. They have visited more than 30 countries, dozens of cities and experienced the diversity of cultures around the world.
If life is a journey, they literally embarked on this journey and made of something pleasurable a lifestyle. “Sometimes we even pinch ourselves and we are always thanking the life we managed to lead, after having come a long way, of course! Looking backwards, it’s kind of obvious where we got to and how we got here, after all, we’ve brought together everything that has always been important to us, to the point of no longer knowing when to have fun or work.” declares the couple, satisfied with what they have achieved.
How it all began
The process started with an immense desire to put into practice what was on the level of ideas, associating their passions and the financial cost that this would have.
“We have always been passionate about traveling and our year revolved around the preparation for our longed-for holidays! Each year, we tried to extend this period to the maximum. We lived in San Francisco-CA a few years ago when Elton was transferred by the company he worked for. Since that time, we have changed a lot as people and we do not belong to one place. Upon returning to Brazil we could no longer feel at home, some things were missing and we found out that these things were in the world! ” says Giuliana.
This thirst for new places completely changed the couple’s lifestyle. “The more we explored new destinations, the more we were molded to them and that made us stop fitting into the old molds. This would further name our channel, which without much thought emerged as something obvious, Casal Fora da Caixa (Couple outside of the box). We have felt this way for years, out of the box, out of a common standard of living.”
From dream to reality
Giuliana, who is a journalist and also studied digital marketing, was the mentor of this life project. Initially the idea was to document the couple’s experiences while traveling and to create a blog to connect with people who appreciate this lifestyle.
Elton was already working home-office for a multinational company, in which he had a fixed job, but he worked from Europe, the United States, the United Arab Emirates, or even Brazil, while Giuliana produced content for online channels.
“To summarize the story, we started to professionalize ourselves in the channel, opened a company and developed online courses for those looking for more effective ways to travel. At that time, we were already staying for free in the best destinations in the world, with the entire house at our availability, often even with a car in the garage. In return, we did a favor to the property`s owners, most of the time taking care of their pets while they were traveling. ” says Giuliana.
Thus “Casal Fora da Caixa” was born, which today is the biggest reference in Brazil in this travel model, with a collaborative economy method, teaching anyone to travel in the same way, with comfort, safety and economy. Today, after years of traveling experience, they spend less to live in the most coveted destinations in the world, than they spent in Brazil. “We as well as our students were able to save more than 90% than an average traveler, using smarter forms of accommodation, tickets and other travel expenses, and the most interesting thing is that when you do what you like, the universe conspires in favor and everything fits together. Today we live exclusively from our channels and from selling the online courses we have created.” comments Giuliana, proud of the result.
What at first was a of living on the road ended up becoming the reality of the couple who would not trade this lifestyle for any other safe haven.
Covid-19 and travelers
The pandemic disrupted the plans of thousands of people, making it impossible for them to travel and the couple outside of the box was exactly in China when the virus was announced to the world. A completely different experience among many that the couple had already experienced.
“We had been in the country for over a month and there were still about 20 days left to leave China. Our stay was close to Shanghai, taking care of a puppy named Coco and we saw a city of more than 20 million inhabitants, literally stopping overnight.
The owner of Coco was on vacation in London and contacted us the same day, giving us the option to leave early. At first, we said no, since we felt safe in her apartment, after all, there was no one else on the streets.” says Giuliana. However, a few days later, the hosts who had received them in Beijing previously, advised them to leave the country as soon as possible. They had just arrived on a flight from Italy when they were told that this would be the last flight, Europe’s air space to China would be closed. Coco was delivered to the housekeeper and Giuliana and Elton took the first flight from Shanghai to Bangkok. Thailand was one of the few countries that were still accepting flights from China. “It was a feeling that we will never forget. One of the largest airports in the world, empty, and almost all flights on the screen being canceled.
And the fear of ours also being canceled and not being able to leave the country? We couldn`t believe it when we boarded an almost empty plane towards Bangkok,” says Giuliana, relieved.
Arriving in paradise
Thailand is a destination that is in the dreams of many and it was no different for the couple outside of the box. The country was at the top of their list, but they never imagined it would be visited like that, in such a dramatic way. “We thought it would be exciting to get there, but nothing could overcome the feeling we felt when we landed at Bangkok’s airport. It was the greatest feeling of freedom we’ve had to date! Being able to breathe without a mask (there was still almost no confirmed case outside of China), walking in the busy streets, sitting in a restaurant to eat Pad Thai, swimming on Phi Phi Island and other paradisiacal islands. We were sure that Thailand would be unforgettable, but we could never imagine how much!” they reported. The truth is that whenever you travel, the experiences you have are taken back in your luggage. In the case of Giuliana and Elton, the country that is known for being ‘The Land of Smiles’ will have a little more special place in the memories, it was the country that welcomed them in a moment of so many uncertainties.
Traveling through the pandemic
Until that moment they could not imagine that the whole world would experience this chaos. For a few weeks the couple still managed to travel normally, avoiding countries with more cases. They spent two weeks in Thailand and then went to Bali, Indonesia. The period they were in Bali, there were no recorded cases of viruses. Although there were almost no tourists, everything was still open, restaurants, tours and attractions. Until April the trips took place normally in Asia. But the most difficult was yet to come.
“We had a free long-term accommodation confirmed since 2019 in Cancun, Mexico, starting in May we didn’t want to miss that opportunity, especially in the midst of a global pandemic. It was our chance to stay in a heavenly place, waiting until the world returned to normal. But how would we get to Cancun from Asia, with all flights being canceled?” says Elton.
The couple decided to leave Bali and return to Bangkok, one of the largest hubs in the world, with more possibility of flights. However, two days after arriving in the country, their airspace had been closed for international flights. And a new concern has arisen.
But professional travelers also have miracles from time to time. “Luckily for us, the Brazilian government sent help to rescue Brazilians imprisoned in the Southeast Asia. And there we went, embarked on a 32-hour repatriation flight (without being able to get off the plane) with about 300 Brazilians, but we returned to the land! As a bonus we would still be able to see our families before we parted went to Mexico. Traveler is or not a blessed being?” concludes Giuliana.
The couple spent a week in Brazil and then continued on their way to Cancun, where they remain today. They say that if there is a lesson they learned from this pandemic it is that geographical freedom gives you power. When everything seems lost in one place, the way is to go to another destination and still choose where to stay.
Experience lived over years of traveling. Check out below some more of the fantastic stories of the “Casal Fora da Caixa” (Out of the Box Couple).
We hope that in the near future everything gets better, but until this happens, it is necessary to adapt. What do you suggest in this period of restrictions?
We suggest what we had already suggested before the pandemic: to be flexible in your travels (as well as in other sectors of your life), related to destinations, dates, flights and everything that involves this experience.
As Robert Louis Stevenson already said “I travel not to anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” Every traveler, for good or bad, ends up learning this lesson.
When you learn to be flexible, you will enjoy much more the opportunities that arise in the middle of the trip; you will discover new places, meet new people, live new experiences and make a much richer trip.
To learn about new places and people is to connect with the world. Of all that you have seen and lived, what were the most impressive moments?
It’s hard to choose from the many moments we’ve already experienced around the world, but let’s go to the ones that came to our minds first. One moment we will never forget was during a safari in Africa when we came across a family of elephants. They were all crossing the road when we approached with the jeep. We already knew that this would be dangerous, especially if there were mothers with their babies.
Here we’ll leave a tip for when you go on safari: never divide a family of elephants. Stay away and wait as long as you can for everyone in the herd to cross over and follow their path. If you stop in the middle of the family, where each part is to one side, they will feel threatened and may attack you, especially if there are any puppies.
Although we waited for the whole family to pass by, we were already very close when we came across the herd. An elephant came towards our jeep roaring, shaking his ears (this is not a good sign either) and throwing dirt in the jeep, making clear that he was not happy with our presence there.
A matriarch elephant like that, with more than 6 tons, could easily roll our jeep with 8 people as if it was kicking a ball. We all became paralyzed and mute. She was just warning us not to threaten her cub.
It was tense but beautiful to see. Elton recorded the whole scene, the hands must have been shaking but this beautiful experience is registered, not only on the cell phone but in our memories forever.
Another experience we will never forget was in China. We were in a store looking for an internet SIM card, not being able to speak Mandarin and the Chinese in the store not being able to say a word in English.
Thank God nowadays we have mobile applications to save us in these situations but then we didn’t have internet. Here’s another tip: use the Baidu application in China, which works very well, at least from English to Mandarin.
Well, fortunately, a Chinese customer who was there (no, he didn’t speak English either) was willing to help us, but that store didn’t sell SIM cards to foreigners. We needed to look for another store but how to get there without internet, in China, in a city with more than 20 million inhabitants?
To our surprise, the Chinese client offered to take us to the right store on the other side of the city; he took 2 subways with us, walked a few more blocks and delivered us to the right attendant who would sell us a SIM card.
We could tell many other stories of special moments that we lived around, in different corners of the globe. Amazing people who crossed our path at the exact time and who were responsible for memories like this, which will be kept forever. Traveling has these things!
After a while, traveling ends up becoming a routine. What is it like for you?
Traveling is our routine! Nowadays, we can’t stay still for long anymore. We are one of those who during one trip are already planning the next. However, even while traveling it is possible to develop a routine of food, exercise, work and fun. Let’s not say it’s easy, but we are always trying to evolve on these issues. Some curiosities of our routine:
- We wake up without an alarm clock; we like to respect our body and our mind.
- We have 2 meals a day (even before it became fashionable, we already practiced intermittent fasting). We feel good with 2 meals and we like to eat when we are hungry, not when the clock sets the time.
- We have a “low maintenance” beauty routine, as we like to say. I (Giu) freed myself from many things that took a lot of time from my day and today they are not longer necessary. I don’t wear makeup; I don’t paint my nails (I just take the cuticles off). I also let my hair grow so I don’t have to take care of it every month. Being able to make a ponytail is very practical in certain places.
The list could go on, as many things we have readapted for years. I’ll leave a tip for women who care a lot about beauty: men like fun women, a smile on the face can shine much more than a lipstick, a hair in the wind can be very sexy and the natural look can be as (or more) beautiful than the fake one.
All this change, it was Elton who always stimulated me. Since we met, he always preferred to see me in jeans and a t-shirt than in high heels (believe it or not, at that time, I only wore heels). He always complimented me when I became more comfortable and more natural. Today, I feel good as I am, I feel beautiful being natural and I have much more time to have fun and enjoy life in a lighter and carefree way.
Do you miss having a safe harbor?
Not yet, but we are always looking for our safe harbor. When we are in a new place, we imagine what our life would be like there and between one conversation and another, we always discuss the best destinations in each one’s opinion. We have some favorites, but we are still looking for that special place that could become our safe harbor one day.
The planet Earth is immense and you have already known a good part of it. What has changed in your world perception?
As my mother (Giu) says, living is an art! We always try to live life intensely and make this journey worthwhile. Today, after fulfilling many dreams, we would like to be able to show the people who follow us how simple it is to live well.
All over the world, we observe that there are people who know how to live and others who have no idea what it means. Most people waste a lot of energy on superfluous things, which are not worthwhile, while life goes on.
If we could help someone to change just one thing, that would be it. Live what is important to you, be happy with the simplest things in life and be grateful to be here, this is the greatest gift we have received! Live simple and dream big!
“Better times to come” how do you see the future in the short term, are you positive?
We are always positive, we believe that living in today’s world is much easier than it used to be, we have much more freedom, opportunities and conveniences.
What`s been happening because of this pandemic is not the first time in nor will it be the last. We need to adapt to the new reality and do our part to diminish the impact. Just as other epidemics, pandemics, pests, etc. have been restrained, this virus will also be or we will adapt to live with it.
Before visiting a new destination, how much time do you need to prepare yourself and what are the main points you take into consideration in this preparation?
We don’t like to make long term plans; we prefer to organize a trip in a few weeks or days. Today, we don’t need much time to prepare; on the contrary, we feel comfortable even in traveling without making many plans.
For those who travel on vacation, it’s nice to organize every detail, we already feel a little bit traveling alone with this planning. However; when you live traveling, it doesn’t make much sense to stop living the moment in that place where you are, to plan the next destination in a meticulously manner.
Today we organize only what is extremely necessary for the new trip and the rest we organize along the way. What we normally organize before: our free accommodation! Having confirmed this, we can now buy the tickets and start the adventure. By eliminating the main expense of the trip, the rest is easy.
Traveling today is only difficult and expensive for those who have no information. The more you travel, the easier each new experience gets.
How much do you share your “Brazilianness” with the people you meet along the way and how much do you take with you?
Whenever possible, we like to show our culture to the new friends we make along the way. We’ve already made barbecue for the ‘gringos’, Brazilian Cheese Rolls, Strogonoff, Brigadeiro, and Caipirinha of Cachaça, of course!
Nowadays I bring my guitar in my travels (Giu) and sometimes I play my favorite songs from home. Some days ago, I was surprised by an American friend who recognized a song by Marisa Monte, a famous Brazilian singer. He had no idea which song I was singing, but said it sounded like Marisa Monte. That`s amazing, right?
Well, how much we take from the people we met along the way… A lot! Today, we don’t feel like we belong anywhere, we’re the mix of all the places we`ve been. One who travels far away, ends up feeling like a stranger in his own land. I don’t know whose quote that is, but I fully agree with it. We are the only similar people we know, because we have lived the same experiences together and have also learned together everything we know today. That’s crazy!
Do you still keep in touch with some of the people you have connected with on your trips?
Many people! Today, we can say that we have friends all over the Globe, not only human friends but the animals we take care of too. We have a piece of our heart in every corner we went to and many special friends. The house owners where we stayed for free, whenever they go traveling, they invite us to come back. We have already returned in several houses and we have open doors in several cities around the world.
Whenever we are close by, we also visit dear friends, go out for dinner, catch up.
In March, we were in Bali and an Italian friend (Susy), who accompanies us on our channels, sent us a message saying that her son lived in Bali and that he would be very happy if we`d met. We made a surprise for her son at the restaurant where he worked; it was a lot of fun. He recognized us right away, remembering the stories his mother had told about us. When we told Susy that we were there, she shared in the family group so that everyone could enjoy that moment with us.
It’s very enjoyable to travel and make friends around the world and, from time to time, meet dear friends again! We have many stories to tell.
What do you think is the hardest when you are getting to know a new culture? Any golden tips to avoid getting into trouble?
What we consider the most difficult is the adaptation in the first days, mainly in countries with very different cultures. We follow the motto: “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” We observe and try to adapt as much as possible to the new country so that we can enjoy that experience and also not feel like a fish out of water. The tip is: don’t judge before getting to know better and try to adapt to the new customs. After all, YOU are the foreigner!
Today, after many trips and stories, what else has changed in you? How have your experiences affected the way you look at life?
Today, we are other people. “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.” Heraclitus of Ephesus
One thing that has changed in the way we face life is detachment. Today, we place much more value on enjoying than having! Those who knew us back there or those who followed this process of transformation in our channels saw how much we accumulated over the years and how much we left behind.
What we can say the most that has changed in our lives is this weight that we have taken off our backs and that we do not miss today. We believe that of all the changes we have undergone, this has been the greatest and probably the one that has impacted us the most, starting this new life outside the box.
You started this path with an idea, how much of this goal has already happened and how much would you still like to achieve?
When we started this, we didn’t have much idea of where we wanted to go. The only certainty was that we wanted to accomplish this journey. We are happy to have conquered our geographic freedom, to be able to live from our passion and to be helping other people to fulfill the same dream.
Today, we have students who are traveling, just like us, and who were able to make this dream possible with the help of our training. Where do we want to go? We don’t know yet, but we are on the move, enjoying this journey and we hope not to stop too soon. The possibilities are endless for those who do not stop dreaming.
What are the greatest difficulty and the greatest pleasure of this type of life/lifestyle?
The greatest difficulty: not being able to take everyone we love on this journey, missing the ones we leave behind and the greatest pleasure: living several lives, one in each place.
Somewhere you haven’t visited yet and would like to go and why?
Many! There are still many places to visit. Japan is one of them. We spent 6 months in Asia, but we still haven’t had the opportunity to visit Japan. Countries with very different cultures from ours fascinate us. It is an opportunity to learn new things and experience a completely different life. Will we like Japan? Just by
having that experience we`ll know!
Quick answers:
Strangest Food: Cascading Sausage with Cactus fries in a restaurant in Arizona.
Place to come back several times: Bali.
Unforgettable taste: Pad Thai in the streets of Bangkok/ Margherita Pizza in Naples/ Waffle in Brussels/ Pottery Kebab in Cappadocia/ Gelato in San Gimignano…
Traveling is… changing the clothes of the soul.
How many countries have you visited? 30.
How many years in this journey? Four and a half years.
A place to always come back: California.
One regret: Not having spent our honeymoon in Paris.
A dream come true: Watch an opera in Venice/See an Elton John show at Hyde Park/Marry in Las Vegas/Balloon flying/Pedal around Amsterdam.
The best thing about living on the road is: never having a routine.
The bad thing about always traveling: missing people and places.
