About No 2 The Quo
(And yes, we’re still figuring it out too.)
Hi, we’re Matt & Linda.
Married 35 years. Empty nesters. Traveling full-time via house sitting.
We have a slightly unhealthy love for travel, meaningful conversations, and doing life in a way that actually feels like ours.
And if you’re here, you might be in that familiar season where everything looks “fine” on paper… but something inside you is whispering:
There’s more.
No 2 The Quo was born out of that exact feeling.
We did the responsible thing.
We built careers.
We raised kids.
We kept going.
And then one day, the empty nest chapter showed up and we realized:
The plan worked… but it didn’t fit anymore.
Not in a dramatic “sell everything and move to Bali” kind of way.
More like a quiet, honest, “Wait… is this really the life we want for the next 15 years?” kind of way.
So we started doing something different.
Why “No 2 The Quo”?
“Maintain the status quo” means keep things exactly as they are. No changes. No disruption. No rocking the boat.
And if you grew up in American culture, you know the script:
Get good grades.
Go to college.
Get a job with good benefits and a 401k.
Buy a home and pay it off.
Get married, have kids, provide for them.
Work yourself into the ground until retirement.
Then at 70, sit in a recliner because you’re too tired to do anything else.
Die.
Well… that is NOT our story.
And that’s exactly why we’re No 2 The Quo.
Matt’s version of the script went off the rails early.
Grades were… not great.
He joined the Marine Corps before graduating high school and went to boot camp right after graduation.
Hey, he graduated.
He left the Marines for a girl. That didn’t work out.
He tried college. Nope.
Then he ran away from college to join the circus. (Disney World.)
When that ended, he drove across the country to join another circus. (Las Vegas. Didn’t work out.)
Then another circus. (Los Angeles.)
That one worked out, because that’s where he met Linda.
Worked out.
Linda’s story looked more responsible on paper.
Good grades. Business school. Smart choices.
But while she was studying business, she built a successful business before she even learned how to, and left college to keep building it.
Then we met, and it was downhill from there.
Eight weeks later, we ran off and got married at a justice of the peace’s house with two employees as witnesses.
Our reception was at TGI Fridays. (Party of 4)
Then we met the parents.
Eventually we decided the East Coast was where we oughta be, so we loaded up the truck and moved to Ra-a-leigh, North Carolina that is… (Yes, that’s the Beverly Hillbillies theme song. You’re welcome.)
Now, we really did try to be responsible adults.
We had kids.
We did the whole take-care-of-them thing.
Then we bought a house.
But the truth is, the status quo never really fit us.
Matt worked one job for 21 years. Kinda worked out.
But it came with no benefits, no 401k, and no neat little retirement package waiting at the end.
One kid tried college. Didn’t work out. (Seeing a pattern?)
The other kid ran off to join the circus. (Nashville. Is working out.)
And somewhere in there, we realized something important:
The status quo wasn’t just “not our style.”
It wasn’t working.
So when the kids left and the empty nest chapter showed up, we went after a whole new quo.
Our quo. One built on intention, not default.
That decision came with receipts. We sold our home, sold our rental home, got rid of three cars, the motorcycle (cue the tears) and let go of most of what we owned.
If you’re wondering how that actually went down, here’s the story:
Yes, We Really Did Pack Our Whole Life Into a Car and Leave
What You’ll Find Here
No 2 The Quo is built on two pillars:
✅ Life Design (the point)
How to design a life you love in this season and create the career and habits that make it possible.
You don’t need a dramatic leap. You need a bridge.
✅ Adventures (the proof)
Travel stories and experiences that remind you:
the world is bigger than errands, meetings, and whatever weird noise is coming from the laundry room.
Life design is the point. Adventure is the proof.
A Quick Note About Us
We’re not here to preach hustle culture.
We’re not here to tell you to sell everything and move to Bali.
We’re not here to pretend we’ve got it all figured out.
We’re here to share the real process:
- choosing intention over autopilot
- building meaningful work and a life we love
- collecting adventures along the way
You in?
If You’re Wondering If You Belong Here…
If you’ve ever thought:
- I worked hard for this life… why do I still feel tired?
- I want freedom, but I don’t want to blow everything up.
- I want to enjoy this chapter, not just survive it.
- I want a life that feels like mine again.
Then yes. You belong here.
Helmets optional. Detours allowed. Autopilot disengaged.
Start Here
If you’re new, start here. We’ll show you the simplest path into No 2 The Quo.
With love and laughter,
Matt & Linda
No 2 The Quo
Ready to Start Redesigning Your Life?
Download our free guide:
“How to Start Redesigning Your Life This Week
(Even If You Think It’s Too Late)”
Get the 3-step framework we used to go from burned out to full-time freedom.
No theory. No fluff. Just practical moves you can make this week.
Plus, you’ll get our weekly emails every Tuesday—Life Design strategies
and adventure stories that prove freedom is possible.
No spam. No nonsense. And yes, we’ll probably talk about helmets.