We got the idea for a company catering to independent travelers while in Malta, March 1995, during an extended backpacking trip through Europe. We had previously backpacked Southeast Asia and understood what budget travelers actually needed. We returned home early and used our remaining travel funds to start the company. The internet had just emerged, and we became one of the earliest online businesses. The website was successful from the start. We chose Moab, Utah as our base of operations and opened a short-lived retail store before deciding to focus entirely on the internet.