Welcome to Permanently Out of Office

She’s Kaitlin and he’s James. Just a couple of working stiffs with a passion for travel. 

We’re an international couple (American and Aussie), so travel has always been a significant part of our relationship. We started off in a very long distance relationship (New York to Sydney), and quickly learned how to boost every vacation day and really stretch our (Aussie or US) dollars so that we could spend time together in real life.

Kaitlin eventually moved to Australia, and we continue to travel when our work schedules and budgets allow.

We started this blog to share what we’ve learned and help other curious travelers spend their hard earned cash on what’s really worth it.

Meet Kaitlin

  • Number One Bucket List Destination

Kayaking with whales in Alaska

  • Hidden Talent

First Place Junior – Hog Calling Contest 1991 (Coshocton, Ohio)

  • Guilty Pleasure

Listening to the Girls Next Level Podcast

  • Worst Travel Experience

Contracting viral meningitis in Lombok, an island in Indonesia (and then giving it to my best friend, who then passed it on to her husband – whoops!)

  • Best Travel Experience

Getting married (specifically to James) at Mr. Purple in NYC

Meet James

  • Number One Bucket List Destination

Lord’s Cricket Ground, London

  • Hidden Talent

Trivia team scribing (and management)

  • Guilty Pleasure

Domino’s BBQ meat lovers pizza and cheesy garlic bread

  • Worst Travel Experience

No. 2 emergency (which cleared out an entire bar) in Valparaiso, Chile

  • Best Travel Experience

Naturally, same as Kaitlin… [Also, watching the sun rise after partying all night in Grenada, Spain]

So, how do an Aussie and an American meet?

Unsurprisingly, at a bar.

Kaitlin was waiting in line for the ‘Mr. Purple’ rooftop bar in New York City, where she lived and worked at the time, when in walked James, fresh off the flight from Sydney on holiday. First impressions were that James thought Kaitlin was a trendy, sassy, Lower East Side local (correct), annoyed to be having to queue to get into the bar (also correct). Kaitlin thought James was a ‘finance douchebag’ (incorrect!).

James approached with the stellar first line: “Do you know what’s going on upstairs?” Luckily Kaitlin did know – there was a delay on entry because a Mr. Purple patron had vomited somewhere in the bar, and they were busy cleaning it up.

From that charming first note, the rest is history!

What’s Next?

Follow along on Instagram to see what we’re up to.

Although this blog is a side project, one day we hope to be Permanently Out of Office (#POOO, ya, we know).