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Adventure is not out of reach—It’s just down the road.
Bryan Findell didn’t want to wait for retirement to see the world. The 39-year-old motion designer has mastered the art of the extended weekend, transforming what could be two-day local trips into rich experiences across the country.
“It’s not Omaha’s fault, but it’s 10 hours from the mountains, 20 hours from the ocean,” Findell said. “We like to travel, and we didn’t want to wait around until we were older.”
As a motion designer for Gallup and freelance animator, Findell has built a career that allows him to work from anywhere. His philosophy is simple, yet profound: “If I can work from anywhere, I might as well work from everywhere.”
This mindset led to an innovative approach to weekend travel. Instead of the traditional Friday night departure and Sunday afternoon rush home that many Midwesterners know well, Findell and his girlfriend extend their adventures by working remotely on both ends of the weekend.
“We’ll leave Thursday night, work remotely Friday,” he explained. “Then Saturday and Sunday, we’ll do all the things we want to do. We’ll work remotely on Monday and drive back part of the way Monday night and then the next half Tuesday night. It just makes the trip way more worth it.”
These long trips began as extensions to concert trips and professional conferences.
“We’ll go spend a week somewhere remote to see a show or festival, or I spend a month in Oregon knowing I was going to spend a few days at a conference,” he said. “It’s a way to not take time off all in one chunk but to use one or two days of PTO to ‘extend the weekend’ and make a trip worth it.”
This travel strategy has enabled them to explore far beyond Nebraska’s borders, often with their dog in tow. Their setup includes a camper van for longer trips and a truck with a rooftop tent for shorter adventures, both outfitted to let them travel and work from campsites and coffee shops.
The choice of vehicle depends on the season and destination. The vehicles also enable Findell’s adventuring lifestyle.
“The camping rigs make that possible by keeping the cost down,” he said.
When he’s in Omaha, he still likes a little adventure, often working at various spots around town rather than from his home.
Recently, Findell’s adventuring reached its peak during a months-long journey that took them from Omaha to sites in the western United States and Canada, including Yellowstone, Banff, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Big Sur, Joshua Tree, and the Grand Canyon.
Findell was hard at work the whole time.
“I was always working, just from different locations,” he said.
Findell’s mobile office setup rivals many traditional workspaces. Boasting Starlink satellite internet for a reliable connection, solar panels and a battery array for power, and a careful eye on campgrounds with electrical hookups, Findell has created a sustainable way to blend work and wanderlust. During the week, he and his girlfriend seek out campgrounds with amenities like laundry facilities. Weekends are reserved for more remote locations like mountain terrain and national parks.
Findell hails from Omaha, and his professional journey began as a teenaged skateboarder teaching himself video editing to capture tricks and stunts. That led him to adding graphics to his videos, eventually landing him work at a video production company.
His career evolution continued through Omaha’s creative scene, with stops at local agencies including Secret Penguin and Grain & Mortar. After several years, he ventured into full-time freelance work before landing at Gallup. Five years into that role, he maintains both his corporate position and a thriving freelance business, Findell Design.
“The freelance side just sharpens the toolkit constantly,” Findell said, “So that I can bring that into Gallup and be a better partner at the company and still continue to grow.”
His clients’ work is varied, and he uses a multitude of physical and digital tools to bring his designs to life, often starting with pencil and paper before graduating to his computer. He’s also adapted these tools for remote work, allowing him to maintain productivity from anywhere with an internet connection.
When he’s not on the road, Findell keeps his adventurous spirit alive in Omaha. He’s camped every month this year, whether in the bitter cold or bubbling heat, including a recent trip to a reservoir near Ashland. His hobbies reflect his active lifestyle; he snowboards (complete with a backyard setup featuring a six-foot drop-in and rails for tricks) and rides in Toyota overlanding groups.
With travel, creative work, friends, family, a house, and outdoor adventures, Findell’s plate is full.
“I don’t need anything else right now,” he said with a laugh. He’s happy with his life blending work and adventure.
For Findell, the extended weekend is about expanding what’s possible within the constraints of a regular work week, challenging the notion that life requires choosing between career and exploration. Sometimes, all it takes is a different approach to time and technology alongside a willingness to go wherever the road leads.
As more companies embrace remote work, Findell hopes his lifestyle serves as a blueprint for others looking to maximize their time away from the office. His message is clear: with some creativity and planning, the adventure of a lifetime doesn’t have to wait—it can start with the next long weekend.
For more information, visit bryanfindell.com.
This article originally appeared in the March/April 2025 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
