wool& Spotlight: Valerie Sauers

Valerie sauers is an American expat living in Spain, working remotely and adventuring around the world when she can.

She first caught our eye during her 100 Day Dress Challenge as she began sharing her experience on social media. We’ve loved reading about her on-the-go lifestyle and asked if we could feature her in our Spotlight Series.

• Valerie wore the Sierra Tank Dress for the 100 Day Dress Challenge.

• Read more of the wool& Spotlight Series here.
  

What is your background?

I’m 33 years old and live in San Sebastian, Spain with my boyfriend and our dog. I go back and forth between feeling like an adult and a kid, and I love that! While I’ve never had a dream job, my current remote job feels as close to one as I’ll ever get. I spend the week taking Basque language classes, working from home, going on dog walks/jogs, and trying to appreciate the little things. My favorite weekends are the ones spent out in nature. I’m proud that I’ve learned to surf and ski as an adult, I love sleeping in a tent, and I successfully completed an iconic 100km mountain race here in the Basque Country in 2021 (it took 20 hours!). I live in Spain, but I love visiting friends and family as often as possible, sometimes in Europe and sometimes in different parts of the USA.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in a small town outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. We lived in a Victorian house in the center of the town and spent the weekends at a log cabin in Pine Grove Furnace State Park. My parents always encouraged me and my brother to explore and get dirty. I caught tons of critters, ran around barefoot, pretended I had a million pets (horses, dogs, lizards… you name it, I had it), showered in the creek and built a strong relationship with nature. Sometimes when I’m feeling homesick I think back to those moments around the campfire, and the warmth and love I associate with those memories.  

Where do you find inspiration?

I never knew you could learn so much about being a human from an animal. My dog is a middle-aged rescue pup who has patiently taught us how to be good owners.  He has overcome most of his fears and inspired me to do the same. He always celebrates the little things that I might otherwise take for granted, like cut up hotdogs, and has shown me that you should never give up on your dreams (sleeping on the human bed) because everything is always possible.

On the human side, I’ve been very inspired by the wool& community. I love that it’s a mix of all different types of people with diverse backgrounds, mentalities, and insights to share. I’ve learned a lot about sustainable fashion, alternative lifestyles, art, meditation and life in general. I think having real life references like this has helped me grow and inspired me to ponder parts of life I would have otherwise never thought about.

Tell us about your work/travel/lifestyle.

I love the USA, but I always knew that I wanted to live and work abroad for an extended period of time. I’ve taught English in Spain to adults and children, and I’ve completed a Fulbright Scholarship in a small town in Thailand. During my teaching days I worked as a part-time blogger and content writer. After COVID the part time job turned into a full time “Support Team” position for a company that creates Spanish educational resources for teachers, students, and families.  

My job allows me the freedom to work from anywhere (van included!), and lets me have the type of lifestyle I want. Some days are less exciting, but most days I feel good about helping others and working with my small, but very lively team of coworkers.  

Tell us about something memorable that happened in the last year.

We bought a new van! I spontaneously started my 100 day challenge with the final weekend away in our old camper. We bought our original van for next to nothing and built the interior ourselves. The idea was to see if we liked van travel and six years later, we can confidently say that we love it! That old van took us from Spain to Slovenia and back (in 27 days) and a million places in between. Even though we loved it, we wanted a more comfortable experience that included heat, electricity, a bathroom, etc., so we upgraded to what I now think of as “a traveling hotel room”. For me, the beauty of van life is moving slowly. In today’s world of instant everything and tons of plans, it feels like a complete luxury to be able to wake up and ask over skillet cooked pancakes: “So, where do you want to go today?”.  Since getting the new van we’ve done a lot more winter trips (yay for heat!) and shared some cross country trips with friends and family. 

Have you participated in any of our challenges? How did it go? Do you have any takeaways?

I jumped directly into the 100 Day Dress Challenge after reading a newspaper article about it and feeling like I needed a change in my life. To be honest, I didn’t think too hard about it and I’m not sure that I really realized how long 100 days is. I chose the color and style of dress I most liked and just went with it. In hindsight, a Sierra in Dusty Blue probably wasn’t the best selection for my outdoor lifestyle (specifically dirty dog paws), but I made it work and learned a lot. I was not one of the people who finished the 100 days with a pristine looking garment, but I love my dress even more for how well it held up in so many different situations, and how it allowed me to live my life in a comfortable and confident way, no matter the activity.   

I expected the challenge to be about clothing, but I quickly realized that it was about life in general. I took daily photos and posted them on Instagram. Over the 100 days I got more comfortable with seeing myself as I am right now; perfect and imperfect moments all captured on camera. Little flaws that once stuck out seemed to fade into the background when I used the snapshots as a way to reflect on my life and acknowledge the little happy moments of each day. I liked it so much that I did a 30 day challenge in a Marine Blue Maggie Dress, and I’ll probably do another one this spring in another blue color.  

What sort of impact has wool / wool& had on your life?

Wearing my Dusty Blue Sierra dress for 100 days changed my life. I’ve never felt “good at” fashion or knowing what to wear. Removing the anxiety around getting dressed allowed me to focus on what’s really important: doing what I love with people I love, being in the moment, feeling comfortable in my own skin, and more.  Towards the end of the 100 days and after, I’ve noticed that I am so much more confident in myself. I never thought that what you wear could have such an impact on mood, but I’m learning that quality and comfort really do make the difference. When I feel good and look good, I feel capable of anything.  

What is your favorite wool& product?

This is a tough one. My all time favorite is my black Sierra dress because I feel like it is an all terrain garment that can do anything and go anywhere, no questions asked. That being said, I recently started wearing the Summit shorts for running and I love them! I also love the Aspen sweatshirt for its versatility. I can wear it in regular life and as a mid-layer for hiking or skiing. All garments that can effortlessly move from one activity to the next are winners for me.

You can follow Valerie’s Instagram account here.