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WE ARE

SCHO & JO

also known as Elliot and Jen

We’re Jen and Elliot, high school sweethearts with dreams of seeing the world. What started as a gap year, before settling down, turned into a lifestyle as each day we are presented with new challenges and excitement. To learn about Scho & Jo, let’s start with the beginning.

Jenn and Elliot at the Peterborough Lift Lock, CA

AT A GLANCE

  • We’ve explored 19 states and 16 countries.
  • We are Gold Loopers.
  • We’re AGLCA Speakers.
  • We’re published in various magazines.
  • We’ve self-converted a camper van.
  • We’ve been full time traveling for 5.5 years.
  • We travel with our dog, Ollie, who is 9.5 years old.
  • We’re documentary filmmakers.
  • We’re Waterway Guide Contributing Editors.

THE TIMELINE

2019
ORIGIN

After Jennifer graduates from graduate school with a double Master’s in Architecture and Urban Design, Elliot takes a sabbatical from Software Engineering. We take a one-way flight to Colombia on September 15th, 2019.

2019-2020
WORLD TRAVEL

Visiting South America first, we had a tight budget of $30k for the year. This includes flights, food, lodging, and whatever else popped up. This trip took our spark for travel and fanned the flame. We saw so much but here are a few highlights:

2020
LOCKDOWN IN INDIA

As we all know, 2020 was not the year for travel, and we were stuck in India for five months. For 100 of those days, we were stuck in a hotel… You might think this ruined travel for us but it cemented it. The hospitality and how immersive we were able to get in Indian culture made us feel like we had to experience more in other cultures.

2021
BUYING A BOAT

At this point, we decided the only way to sustain traveling was to make it our business. We decided to go all in and reinvent ourselves as Scho & Jo. With all the shutdowns, we thought, “why not buy a boat and do a 6,000 mile adventure around Eastern North America called the Great Loop“. We named our boat Pivot, which became an ethos for us. We never planned living on a boat, and with zero boating experience many thought we were crazy. But when you embrace life’s pivots, they can turn out better than you can imagine. We were welcomed with wide open arms into the boating culture in the US before Elliot had a boating injury halting our Great Loop. We didn’t give up though, we Embraced the Pivot and made the most of our time now that we couldn’t Loop.

2022-2023
AMERICA’S GREAT LOOP

We kicked off our 2nd attempt at America’s Great Loop in March, 2022 in Key West, Florida. We cruised through 16 states, two countries, and innumerable rivers and lakes before we crossed our wake in Stuart, Florida. It was the adventure of a lifetime, and we made a documentary about the experience.

2024
BUILDING A CAMPER VAN

As we saw the seas in our last adventure, the next takes us to the summits. We self-converted a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Van over the course of 7 Months. It was a tough challenge, using some of the skills we learned maintaining our boat and learning so many more.

2025 – Present
EXPLORING NORTH AMERICA

We’re visiting all US National Parks, every State, and each Canadian Province.

THE MISSION

We want to help others travel now by showing authentic experiences, discussing the challenges and costs, and relating the true, unbridled joy that comes with chasing your dreams

THE CURRENT ADVENTURE

4/63

National Parks

18/50

States

1/10

Canadian Provinces

THE MEANING OF SCHO & JO

Scho & Jo is shorthand for each of our last names. Elliot’s last name is Schoenfeld and Jennifer’s last name is Johnson, so shorting the two and putting them together makes Scho & Jo.

While we were traveling in Australia in early 2020, we visited a coffee cart that was traveling around Australia and had these beautiful books about where they traveled. It spurred our idea of possibly doing something similar one day but still posting on YouTube, creating a “show” while serving a cup of “joe.” That immediately sparked the idea for Scho and Jo. The coffee cart idea was put on the back burner, but the name stuck with us.

THE CREW

Meet Elliot

Elliot has a background in software engineering and worked at corporate jobs before we left for our adventure. Elliot began a software consulting company in preparation for our adventure, and being able to work on the road. Elliot loves pizza and beer and reading books. He read over 50 books last year.

He is our captain, diesel mechanic, van builder, photographer, and the primary Ollie walker.

He is into running and completed his first Marathon in 2023 and his first Ultra-Marathon in 2024.

Meet Jen

Jennifer has a background in architecture and city and regional planning. She worked at a private architecture firm, a non-profit, and government organizations before leaving on our adventure. Jennifer loves pistachio ice cream and drinking tea. 

She is our first mate, galley chef, primary line handler, the main travel planner, B-Roll Queen, and CHG (Chief Hype Girl).

As a child, Jen loved going to New York City with her family as well as going to the beach. The contrast between the urban environment and the natural environment is something she still enjoys today.

Meet Ollie

Ollie has a background in long naps and specializes in snuggling. Her soft spot is belly rubs and treats. She loves long walks on the beach, playing in the waves, and going on adventures with her parents.

She was the boat deck swab, making sure everything was in order. Ollie took her duties very seriously each morning for her routine checks for Dolphins.

She is the princess, or first class passenger in Summit, but will be the first to hike a trail!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How did we meet?

We both attended the same high school for the International Baccalaureate program in 2006. We started dating in 2008 after Jen received a bad grade in math and needed a math tutor, so she asked Elliot. Eight years later, we got engaged on a glacier in Iceland. Now, we’ve been together for more time in our lives than we’ve been apart.

Are we married?

When Jen was about to graduate from graduate school in 2019, we had saved up money and were between three options: 1- move across the country for a job, 2- get married and have a big wedding, or 3- travel abroad for a year. In September of 2019, we left the United States with a one-way ticket for our year of international travel. Traveling and seeing the world was amazing, so we haven’t stopped. We haven’t prioritized getting married over traveling, but let’s see what this year holds!

How do we afford to travel?

We saved up money before we left on our year of international travel. During that year abroad, Elliot worked on his software consulting business doing about 10 hours a week, which helped to sustain our travel funds. Now, Scho & Jo, as our full time jobs pays the bills. We make money through ad revenue on our content, partnerships with businesses, and through our store.

How did we decide on our boat?

When we first decided to pursue boat life, it was on Jen’s stepdad’s old sailboat that was damaged in a hurricane a few years back. We were working on repairing the sailboat when we finished the repair work and began the work to make the boat more livable for a full-time liveaboard. The boat was a little small to the point where Elliot couldn’t stand up straight in our salon/galley and the boat didn’t have the capacity to hold all of the batteries we needed to work while traveling. So we actually stubbled upon PIVOT who was sitting in the same boatyard as Jenn’s stepdad’s sailboat and was up for sale. We took a few looks at her and were told the long list of projects the previous owners did to the boat. We didn’t shop around. We had not even been on a trawler before stepping on this boat (on land). Overall, we’re really happy with our boat. It’s the perfect boat for two young adults interested in learning about boats. Learn more about our boat here.

Why did we decide to do the Great Loop?

The Great Loop was the perfect boating adventure for us, as we had zero prior experience. The Great Loop consists of all inland and coastal cruising, so we felt comfortable knowing we’d always be within distance of help if we needed it. Also, the Loop has a start and end date which meant if we didn’t like cruising or living on a boat, we could quit. Overall we are very glad we took this leap and decided to do America’s Great Loop!

What type of dog is Ollie?

Ollie is a mutt from the Atlanta Humane Society and we’re unsure of her breed. She was advertised as a “Labrador mix” (many of the dogs were listed as that), but we believe she’s a Jack Russel terrier beagle German Shepard mix. Regardless, we love her wholeheartedly and wouldn’t have her any other way!

What gear do you use?

We share our camera gear, vlogging and photography gear, boat gear, outdoor gear, and travel gear on our gear page.

Do you have an additional question for us? Send us an email at contact@schoandjo.com. We’re happy to answer your questions.

STAY TUNED

We try to make it easy to follow our journey, which is why we are virtually everywhere. You can join us and subscribe to our weekly email, chat with us on Facebook, see what we’re up to on Instagram, and of course, virtually join the adventures on YouTube!