Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandi Moore.
Hi Brandi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My husband, Chris Thorn, and I were living in the Florida Keys back in 2019 loving the outdoor lifestyle that the Keys has to offer. In February that year, he suffered a brain hemorrhage. After three weeks in the Miami hospital, the neurologist diagnosed him with an aneurysm and an AVM. The cause of the hemorrhage was unknown and it stopped bleeding on its own and three weeks later they sent him home and told him to live a stress-free life. After being on his death bed for three weeks and then being sent home to live a stress-free life, we knew changes had to me made. We both worked in the construction industry at the time and there is nothing stress-free about that. The doctors gave us a timeline for his brain to heal. The first 6 months was critical that he rest. The next 18 months was the next time frame to get through. During that 18 months, we sold our house and boat and moved to the Lake Tahoe area, and bought an RV. All Chris wanted to do was hike and I love to travel so the RV was perfect. We found ourselves filming our hikes and travels for our kids and granddaughter to watch (just in case something happens to Chris). Creating those memories for the kids was important to him. Then we decided to create Wandered Off and share our story and adventures on YouTube and social media for everyone to enjoy. February 2022 will be three years for Chris with no other issues and all we do is travel and hike. I work remote out of the RV and Chris’ goal is to hit the five-year mark because the doctors said his chances of a re-bleed are slim to none at that five-year mark. We find ourselves in the RV traveling to multiple states at a time for months at a time. Chris has pushed himself as much as he can including hiking R2R in the Grand Canyon over five nights this last June. Our favorite state to travel and explore is Utah. We just spent the month of September in Utah exploring Moab, Grand Escalante, and Kanab and we return in February to hike the Wave!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Creating a brand is the easy part but staying true to ourselves can be the difficult part. We find ourselves sometimes thinking of doing things that we normally wouldn’t do knowing it will be shared on YouTube and social media. We created Wandered Off because we love exploring the “off the beaten path” trails and areas and have no problem hopping in the Jeep and seeing where the day takes us. So far, we have stayed true to ourselves and only take the adventures that we would have taken prior to Wandered Off. As for Chris’ health, so far so good. He pushes himself on the trails but frequent breaks, snacks, and tons of water is the perfect recipe for a successful hike or adventure.
The other big struggle we have is where do we go next. Utah, Wyoming and South Dakota have so much to offer and we haven’t even ventured over to the East coast yet in our RV. We spent the month of October 2020 in Southern Utah and cannot get enough of that area!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently work for a large real estate company as a Senior Project Manager. I lead a team that renovates health care clinics and work remote with business travel as necessary. I started my career in architecture back in 1997 and after about 5 years of that, I moved over to construction management and have been managing construction ever since. It is my passion and I love what I do. I love renovating health care clinics and providing the patients with a new and refreshed facility to get treated in. My biggest accomplishment is attaining my MBA in Finance at the age of 40 while raising two daughters and working full time.
Chris is a union carpenter and was working as a high-end residential superintendent in Miami prior to his brain hemorrhage. When we moved to the Tahoe/Reno area, we bought a house and he has since flipped the house in between our travels. This keeps him busy and doing what he loves as well. We are currently looking to sell this house and flip our next one, possibly in Southern Utah.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
We just want to share that life can be too short. I know, it is a total cliche but it is the absolute truth! Some realize it when it is too late and we were given a second chance with Chris. We are taking full advantage of his second chance! But… you cannot wait. Some do not get a second chance.
Do what you love. Live life to the fullest. Do you.
Nike has always said it best… Just do it.
Contact Info:
- Email: wanderedoffvlog@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.wandered-off.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wanderingbrandi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wanderingbrandi
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/WanderedOff
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/wanderedoffchris
Image Credits
Brandi Moore
Chris Thorn
