Stefaan and I began our extensive travels in 2012. Since then we have been to every United State except for one (we’re coming for you Alaska!), every continent except for one (Antarctica you’re next!), and nearly 40 countries around the world. We’ve summited Kilimanjaro, eaten our body weight in sushi in Japan, safaried in Namibia, and traversed the grueling peaks of Torres Del Paine. It seemed nothing could slow us down, until what seemed like overnight, everything changed. When COVID-19 arrived we had no idea the magnitude of this virus and how it would change the proceeding months of lives around the world. Our travel was halted, our work was paused, and our town was on lockdown. As scary as things were and continue to be, this upheaval put a lot of things into perspective for us in regards to our careers and our relationship with home.

A lot of people wonder where we live when we’re not traveling. We did live nomadically for almost 5 years, but in 2016 we purchased a small 959 sqft farmhouse built circa 1890 on the coast of CT. Since we’ve become homeowners, our main goal has been to live minimally and sustainably, which traveling taught us how to do well. Having a house this small, projects have been manageable and we have always been sure approach things in an eco-conscious way. Over the years we have added a new roof, replaced the original boiler with a more much efficient system, refinished the floors with a natural matte finish, painted the exterior ourselves, and built plenty of furniture. When it came to our bedroom, where we humans spend 1/3 of our lives, we were adamant about having a non-toxic and eco-friendly mattress. Choosing an Avocado Green Mattress was one of the easiest decisions we’ve made. Constructed with sustainably sourced GOTS organic certified cotton, wool, and GOLS organic certified latex, we feel confident having a safe place to lay our heads every night.

We had originally planned to build a bed-frame for our new Avocado Green Mattress from Douglas-fir that we sourced from a local mill, but during the quarantine, our materials were held up so we had to come up with a plan B. In the end, we decided on plywood to build a simple platform frame, and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. We can honestly say that our Avocado Green Mattress is the most comfortable thing we’ve slept on to date. Being Greenguard Gold Certified by UL Environment, to meet the most rigorous emissions standards for chemical exposure and pollutants, we can rest assured knowing our bedroom is a sustainable and chemical-free place.

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