From Corporate Burnout to Slow-Mads: How Gina, Tres & Boca Are Living Life on Their Own Terms

There’s something special about the nomads who choose to live somewhere rather than just pass through — and that’s exactly what drew me to Gina and Lawrence’s story.

I first crossed paths with these two back in 2020 through a few YouTube comments, and after years of staying in touch online, the universe finally pulled us into the same place at the same time — Malta, September 2025. Two former Chicago locals, a rescue cat named Boca, and a life they built entirely on their own terms.

This month they’re sharing what it really looks like to trade corporate careers for slow travel, how they built a fully remote business that funds it all, and why they’ll always choose the local fruit stand over the tourist trail. Equal parts grounded and inspiring — this one’s for anyone who’s ever felt the pull to just… go.

Hey Gina and Tres , tell us a little bit about yourself!

We’re Gina and Lawrence, both originally from the Chicago suburbs, we’ve actually known each other since 5th grade. Our cat, Boca, found us on our honeymoon in Boca Raton, Florida, & has been traveling the world with us ever since!

We’re deeply driven by creativity, connection, & freedom, blending wellness, music, & storytelling into everything we do. You’ll usually find us talking to locals, browsing community markets for fresh fruit (we’re obsessed with mango smoothies), eating our way through whatever village we’re in. We love walking everywhere to take it all in, always choosing to stay in rural, local spots to experience the pure essence of a place.

What first inspired you to start travelling and living life on the road? Are there any countries or cities that have left a lasting impression on you?

We were burned out with our corporate careers in the United States (Gina an elementary school teacher & Lawrence, in sales). We knew there was a whole world out there & it was calling us. So we decided to quit our jobs and move to the farthest place from home😅… The Philippines.

Ever since then, we’ve been living abroad, unlearning a lot of societal norms & replacing them with our own values of wellness, connection, & community! Despite the financial poverty, San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico felt very rich in culture, history, and warmth.

What is Wave Enterprise, and can you pull back the curtain on how it helps fund your life on the road?

Wave Enterprise is our social media & podcast marketing company, where we help female-owned wellness brands share their message to connect with their audience. We handle everything from content strategy to podcast production & social media management, so our clients can focus on what they do best while we amplify their voice😊

Because our work is fully remote & built on long-term client relationships, we’re able to create consistent income while living anywhere. We’ve designed the business to run on systems, relationships, & creativity, not location, so whether we’re in a small village or a new country, we’re still building, creating, & supporting brands behind the scenes!

You guys are the ultimate “slow-mads” Can you tell us about your approach to slow travel and why it works so well for your lifestyle?

We like to call it “living” rather than traveling. Slow travel, for us, means staying in one place long enough to build a rhythm, finding our favorite fruit stand, recognizing familiar faces, & creating a sense of home wherever we are.

It helps us stay grounded by building community & real relationships wherever we are, while also giving us the stability to run & grow our business. We only know this because we’ve tried the opposite & it felt a little too chaotic for us🤪

It’s also a more sustainable way to move through the world for us, for the planet, & for the local economies we become part of.

Life on the road sounds dreamy, but it’s not without its challenges. What’s been your biggest nomad insta vs reality moment?

Ahhh, there are too many lol! Some of our biggest hurdles have been around visas & wifi. For example, when we were living in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, we once had to ride a 45-minute boat just to get wifi after a big storm 😭

Also, how to stay in countries legally has been a journey to say the least. There are many ways to stay in lots of countries on a tourist visa for up to 90 days (with an American passport), but if you want to stay longer, that’s where nomad visas, tourist extensions, or even permanent residency come into play. 

For someone dreaming of a nomadic lifestyle, what’s the number one piece of advice you’d give them?

Test it out first. Especially if you don’t have a remote job or business (yet), it’s a lot to get used to two very big changes all at once (which is what we did). So, get your remote income first & test out a short time period in a different state or country.

We also recommend using WorkAway, an exchange program where you work for a free (or sometimes paid) stay in a new country. We did this a couple of times in Mexico, and it is such an incredible way to have an immediate community, learn a new language, & test out a country too!

If you had to recommend one destination everyone should add to their travel bucket list, where would it be and why?

Oh wow, that’s a tough one! We’d recommend visiting South East Asia – specifically The Philippines & Thailand. The Philippines is a very underrated country to explore, with over 7,000 beautiful islands, all with their own culture.

The Filipino people are some of the warmest people – they will give you the shirt on their back. Thailand has such a mix of everything & the food… the inexpensive, delicious food is worth the long flight!

What does 2026 look like for you? Any fun projects coming up?

We are continuing to release monthly episodes of our podcast, Ripple FX: a space to explore connections—the seen & unseen—& how they shape the way we live, grow, & do business. Bite-sized conversations on wellness, entrepreneurship, & everything in between! 

Since we are now in Costa Rica, which is a Blue Zone, there are loads of wellness-related events & retreats. We will be launching a new package under our business to help these events create content on-site & have a live DJ (Lawrence) to set the vibe 🎶

Where can people find you?

To learn more about our offerings, check out our website. You could also listen to our podcast, Ripple FX, and connect with us on Instagram here.