“I should sack this off and go open a cafe somewhere in Europe.”
Something one of my former bosses said to me once while we were working late. We sat staring at a spreadsheet, our uninspired Pad Thai wafted throughout our dimly lit office.
She sighed looking longingly at her screensaver of a vineyard meeting a picturesque sunset—a picture she’d taken while vacationing in Tuscany the year prior.
We both laughed.
The thought that owning a hospitality business would be easier and more pleasant than an office job is a hilarious concept when you stop and truly consider it. Opening any venture on your own is a gruelling experience, and being in the restaurant business, well that’s for fools with grit as we’ve come to know. But the concept of escapism and wanting something new or different to what we currently have, well that is alive and well for all of us.
I looked around our office adorned with trendy light fixtures, brick walls, comfy chairs and sofas. Our job—while annoying— didn’t require us to do nearly 1/3 of the mental and physical labour it takes to open a hospitality business.
I suppose that’s how people burnout. It’s often not a case of doing too much, rather doing too much of what doesn’t inspire you.
That doesn’t mean you can’t dream nor want to change your mind. It simply boils down to knowing that life will never truly be easy, but if you can pick your battles and decide that they’re worth fighting for, then maybe you’re playing the game correctly.
Years later, I find myself considering similar thoughts. Not necessarily about opening up a cafe, rather what life would be like had I stayed in the UK all those years ago. Or what life would be like if I too sacked everything off to live in small house in Provence where I could eat croissants and jump in the sea for the rest of my days.
Lost in thought, I stumble upon Aaron O’Leary a former chef-turn-techie who traded his knives for his keyboard many years ago. Aaron also runs Outta Town a newsletter that curates some of the most picturesque (and often inexpensive) pieces of real estate in rural European towns and villages. Together with his collaborator Madeline Lawrence they’ve designed a beautiful brand, one that echoes the one-of-a-kind nature of the homes they share every week.
As I scroll, I’m astonished that some of these homes are relatively ‘cheap’ by comparison to North American, UK, and Irish standards for housing costs. Needless to say, Aaron and Madeline have already created a following of thousands of people who eagerly anticipate the weekly drop of unique and at times off-grid homes for sale. These people are enticed by the beauty of the homes, and what these represent for them too—something different to escape to, new adventures to seek out, and the thought of what life could be like if you flipped it on its’ head.
So what’s the catch? I ask Aaron as we start our conversation.
“Well, you have to live there.” Aaron jokes as we dive in to the concept of Outta Town, and Aaron’s story.
It started as most chef stories do, a thirst for creating something from nothing, for putting smiles on people’s faces when trying new dishes. Aaron’s days were not uncommonly long with shifts averaging 14hrs at a time, at times at the expense of his own wellbeing. When he had some free time he’d find himself tinkering with technology, learning about tech communities and building his own projects. Until he realized that working in tech meant a more flexible schedule, the ability to not burn yourself on a daily basis, and an industry that often promotes healthy habits.
Note: I am absolutely not idolizing working in tech. This industry has many draw backs too.
Over time Aaron made the pivot from the kitchen to his desk and throughout his journey has always paid attention to the cultural landscape. He asks similar questions we all do about the looming global housing crisis. The solve may just be buying homes in communities that actually want people there to stimulate their local economies, build communities and perhaps trade in our keyboards for a more hands on experience.
Outta Town was born when Aaron would find escapism and solace perusing unique homes with a sticker price that felt surreal. He’d immediately find himself considering moving to rural parts of France, Spain or Italy. What that would mean for his life, the communities he could take part in and the thought of perhaps running a kitchen again.
What’s interesting about Outta Town isn’t just the properties that are listed, rather the mindset of which Aaron and Madeline curate these with. Creepy homes, cheap homes, homes with a view, massive villas in the middle of Romania—it’s all there waiting.
We talk about how in essence this sounds ideal, and likely to be especially appealing to Digital Nomads. We also talk about some of the draw backs of nomadic culture and how promoting far away homes could potentially entice crowds of people lacking in respect to the cultural traditions and communities. And so, it’s with an open minded approach of acknowledging the features of the home, but also the features of the communities these homes are in, that Outta Town is written. Because, if we hoard real estate as billionaires hoard wealth then we are doing a great disservice to ourselves and to other people. So yes, it’s a great idea to save your money and fulfill your dream of moving abroad, but it’s what you do with your privilege that deeply matters. This way, you’re not looking at buying property, you’re looking at what you’ll do with that property once you have it, and how it’ll benefit the people around you, too. Everybody wins.
It lends itself to a bigger conversation, one about how tech workers have definitely impacted the housing market in more ways than one. Where many people who work in the industry have had the ability to purchase primary residences, others have supported their wealth by investing in multiple properties. Often with the latter, driving up local rent costs, increasing vacancy rates and pushing out communities. It’s not all down to the individual, though. We’ve also seen this with corporations who capitalize off of tenants during peak pandemic lock down periods. Rent increases, revenue stagnation, etc.
Now, we’re seeing this come full circle. There’s a craving for community, third places, and housing. The problem often lies in price, interest rates, and maintenance fees, and the question of whether the communities we can afford are the same as the ones we want to contribute towards. With that in mind, why not look beyond local borders if your dream property suddenly becomes more attainable than the average home in your local town?
This is especially enticing to those who’ve seen massive exists from Big Tech companies over the last couple years. Many of these people tend to adopt hobbies —like home renovation— before understanding what’s fully required of them. In a similar vain, I once found myself on a boat in Silicon Valley owned by a 24yr old “retired” CEO (pause for absurdity) who claimed he wanted to learn how to sail because he just “bought this bad boy.” I’ve never reached for a life vest fast enough. A similar mindset often applies where people whimsically make choices they have to be in integrity with or they run the risk of causing problems for other people. In rural European villages, you’d be far from welcome if you purchased a home without the knowledge and care for those who came before you and turned it in to a glass rectangle monstrosity.
So you see, these homes are about dreaming but they require you to make wise choices. As Aaron says “you have to live there.”
We dive into aspects of digital nomad culture, and how co working and co living have thrived as a result. Many countries are encouraging people to set up shop in their capital cities to stimulate the economy. While there’s certainly some needed guidelines to this (such as ensuring digital nomads aren’t overstaying their welcome, respecting local cultures and landscapes) it also comes with an interesting positive spin. If as a nomad you’re willing and able to explore a variety of cities, work within communities that uplift one another, and live amongst people with whom you can create community, then is that not a well rounded life worth living?
While Outta Town doesn’t particularly feature co-living spaces necessarily, it does beg the question that if you were to purchase a 12 bedroom villa in Italy, perhaps you’d do that with a few friends to keep you company.
It’s also a way for people to thwart the ongoing housing crisis. After all, we’d rather these places have new life breathed into them than not.
As for Aaron, as we close out I ask him if he’d ever go back to being a chef.
He perks up in his seat saying he absolutely would love to. His vision is an intimate 8 seater space where he can serve local ingredients made with quality, care, and flavour. Likely in Europe where he can work into the community and share it with people he cares about.
I wonder if upon his curation of properties he’ll stumble upon a restaurant to call his own.
I’d certainly check it out when the time comes.
Bon Appétit!
xx
Erika
