Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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    • Europe
      • Albania
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    • Middle East
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    • North America
      • Canada
      • Mexico
    • South America
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
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    • Asia
      • Thailand
  • About Us
  • Welcome
  • Binge!
  • Popular
    • What’s New
    • Plan for Travel
    • Airbnb Living
    • Real Costs
    • Travel with Dogs
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Serbia
      • Slovakia
      • Spain
      • Ukraine
      • United Kingdom
    • Middle East
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Mexico
    • South America
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
    • Asia
      • Thailand
  • About Us
  • Mexico,  United Kingdom,  What's New

    It’s England’s Most Beautiful Hike – and We Got it on Video

    June 1, 2025 /

    We’re back from our 10-day springtime hike in England and here’s the good news: Contrary to expectations, it did not rain every single day of the hike.

    read more
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    You May Also Like

    What You’ll Find in Puerto Escondido, Mexico’s Most Underrated Beach Town 

    June 19, 2022

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022

    The Picture-Perfect Town of San Miguel de Allende Doesn’t Come Cheap

    July 17, 2022
  • Thailand,  What's New

    What’s New: We’re Sharing the Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Thailand

    April 7, 2025 /

    We hopped across beaches in the Gulf islands; headed north to Chiang Mai; and then ended our journey with the big city vibes of Bangkok. This adventure included all the classic Thailand highlights we could hope for.

    read more
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    The Perfect Itinerary for an Epic Adventure in Thailand

    April 7, 2025
  • Asia,  Thailand

    The Perfect Itinerary for an Epic Adventure in Thailand

    April 7, 2025 /

    After visiting almost every country in Southeast Asia, we can easily say that Thailand was our favourite. We’d each been there over a dozen times and felt confident about coming up with the perfect itinerary.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments
  • Mexico,  What's New

    Winter Escape to One of the World’s Most Vibrant Cities

    March 10, 2025 /

    While we love our new home in Ontario, we knew that once the cold and snow set in it would be time to take flight to sunnier climes.

    read more
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    Funchal Madeira

    Lisbon in 2023 was Even More Crowded Than We Expected

    December 3, 2023
    Springtime in our town

    19 Countries, Amazing Memories, Countless Mistakes: Our Nomad Life Recap

    June 2, 2024

    It’s Been Three Years of Full-Time Travel and Still Nothing Ever Goes to Plan

    September 1, 2024
  • Austria,  Colombia,  Czech Republic,  Hungary,  Portugal,  Romania,  Slovakia,  What's New

    The Very Last Chapter in our Four-Year, Around-the-World Adventure 

    October 6, 2024 /

    The final year of our adventure kicked off in Medellin, a city that turned out to be one of our least favourite destinations.

    read more
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    Snowy Toronto in January

    We’re Saying Goodbye to a Very Adventurous 2023 – and Hello to a New Chapter

    January 7, 2024
    Vienna, Austria

    We Found a Wonderful Hidden Gem in the Czech Republic (Only Locals Know About It)

    June 4, 2023
  • Ecuador,  Mexico,  Spain,  Turkey,  What's New

    It’s Been Three Years of Full-Time Travel and Still Nothing Ever Goes to Plan

    September 1, 2024 /

    By the third year, you'd think that we would have gotten the hang of expecting the unexpected.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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    Is Cuenca Really as Affordable as its Reputation?

    December 25, 2022
  • Patio in Belgrade, Serbia
    What's New

    Heading to Canada's North — and This Time It's a Solo Adventure

    August 4, 2024 /

    Plus more misadventures from our early days of travel

    read more
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    Snowy Toronto in January

    We’re Saying Goodbye to a Very Adventurous 2023 – and Hello to a New Chapter

    January 7, 2024
    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

    5 Important Lessons that We’ve Learned About Full-Time Travel

    November 5, 2023

    Winter Escape to One of the World’s Most Vibrant Cities

    March 10, 2025
  • Malta
    Albania,  Malta,  Serbia,  Spain,  What's New

    We Were Chasing the Adventure of a Lifetime – then Family Tragedy Hit

    August 4, 2024 /

    We started the year in Malta, which was a breath of fresh air after our somewhat grim month of COVID lockdown in Istanbul.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

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    Albania is Europe’s Last Hidden Gem — For Now

    November 30, 2021

    How Much for a Month in Albania’s Biggest City?

    October 31, 2021

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
  • What's New

    It Was Way More Adventure than We Bargained for

    July 7, 2024 /

    Our first year of nomad life

    read more
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    Toronto, Canada

    Travel is Suddenly a Lot More Expensive

    October 1, 2023
    Stephanie and Gillian at home

    Finally, the Big Reveal of our New Home

    April 7, 2024
    Patio in Belgrade, Serbia

    Heading to Canada's North — and This Time It's a Solo Adventure

    August 4, 2024
  • Croatia,  Greece,  Italy,  Poland,  Turkey,  Ukraine,  What's New

    Adventure of a Lifetime Quickly Goes Off the Rails

    July 7, 2024 /

    Our adventure began with a less-than-graceful exit from Singapore, our home for over six years. We had sold or donated most of what we owned yet still had far too much to bring with us.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

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    Look What $2,500/Month Gets You in Europe

    April 18, 2021

    How Affordable is a Week in Zagreb, Croatia?

    December 27, 2020

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
 Older Posts

ourfreedomyears

Stephanie & Gillian
🌎 Traveled the world with our dogs
❤️ Now making a home in Ontario
⬇️ Watch our latest video

A final glimpse of our time in Georgia — medieval A final glimpse of our time in Georgia — medieval villages in Svaneti, misty mountain views, and a whirlwind wander through Kutaisi. 

Don’t miss the full adventure on YouTube, including our unforgettable stay at @baias_wine — complete with warm Georgian hospitality, a feast of traditional dishes, and more wine than we could drink in a month. 

Just click on the link in our profile to watch now.
There were plenty of misadventures to go round, bu There were plenty of misadventures to go round, but we still managed to have an incredible time on our first trip to the country of Georgia. Watch the full-length video by clicking on the link in our profile.
It's part two of our trip to Georgia, and this is It's part two of our trip to Georgia, and this is where all our carefully-made plans started to fall apart. 

The misadventures began when our easy 45-minute flight to the mountains was replaced with a 10-hour odyssey by train and mini-van. However, despite all ups and downs of the trip, we still managed to enjoy the highlights of western Georgia, including the medieval villages of the Svaneti region and a ridiculously huge feast at a winery.  

You can catch the full adventure in a new video going live this Sunday. See you then!
The final round of shots from our time in Tbilisi. The final round of shots from our time in Tbilisi. We just couldn't get enough of all those atmospheric mansions and apartment buildings as we wandered the neighbourhoods. 

If you haven't seen our video yet, it's a whirlwind sampler of Tbilisi highlights from our first day on the ground. You can check it out by clicking on the link in our profile.
It's our first full day in Tbilisi, and we're brin It's our first full day in Tbilisi, and we're bringing you along for the ride. Check out the full video on YouTube -- just click on the link in our profile to watch now.
We're back from our trip to the country of Georgia We're back from our trip to the country of Georgia, and what an adventure it was. This trip was exciting and interesting but also demanding in all kinds of unexpected ways. 

We're excited to share the entire journey with you, starting with a new video this Sunday. We're bringing you along for our first day in Tbilisi, including powering through some of the major sights, tucking into classic Georgian dishes, and a look at a truly spectacular Airbnb. 

See you then!
The final batch of photos from our beautiful 10-da The final batch of photos from our beautiful 10-day hike along the Cotswolds Way. This is a hike we'd recommend for anyone who wants to start off with a hearty English breakfast and then spend the day passing through some truly lovely countryside. The adorable lambs and spring blossoms are just a bonus. 

#cotswoldway #cotswolds
We spent 10 glorious days hiking along the Cotswol We spent 10 glorious days hiking along the Cotswolds Way in England.  To watch the full video, click on the link in our profile. 

#cotswoldway  #cotswolds
We’re back from our 10-day springtime hike in Engl We’re back from our 10-day springtime hike in England, and here’s the good news: Contrary to expectations, it did not rain every single day of the hike. 

Here’s the even better news: the Cotswolds is an absolutely beautiful corner of England, filled with quaint villages, rolling hills, and frolicking lambs (honestly, they really do frolic). It truly is a storybook landscape.

And the best news of all: You can see it all for yourself in our latest YouTube video. That’s right, after a very lengthy hiatus from YouTube, we finally have a new video to share with you. 

We knew going into the Cotswold Way that it would be particularly scenic and made sure to bring along our video equipment. The end product is a fun round up of the highs and lows of the Cotswold Way (including the costs, of course). And it’s coming your way this Sunday.
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