Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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    • Europe
      • Albania
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      • Czech Republic
      • Greece
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      • Malta
      • Poland
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      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Mexico
    • South America
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
    • 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
  • How To Budget For A Month In Florence
    Italy

    How To Budget For A Month In Florence

    May 7, 2020 /

    We’ve just spent a full month in Florence enjoying everything this city has to offer, from incredible architecture to amazing meals to beautiful Renaissance art.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    The 5 Worst Airbnbs We’ve Ever Stayed in (and How to Avoid Them) 

    February 27, 2022

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

    April 18, 2021

    Adventure of a Lifetime Quickly Goes Off the Rails

    July 7, 2024
  • How To Save More Than Half Of Your Income For Early Retirement
    Retire Early,  Save and Invest

    How To Save More Than Half Of Your Income For Early Retirement

    April 30, 2020 /

    We were never people who bothered to keep a budget or even track our spending. Money came in, money came out and, as long as we tucked something into our investments each month, we were happy with this situation.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 1 Comment

    You May Also Like

    Getting Ready To Retire Early And Travel

    December 6, 2020

    Biggest Financial Mistakes When Trying to Retire Early

    September 3, 2020

    How Much Do I Need To Retire Early And Travel?

    March 6, 2020
  • How To Keep Fit While Traveling Long Term
    Slow Travel

    How To Keep Fit While Traveling Long Term

    April 14, 2020 /

    One of the downsides of being a full-time traveller is that it's very easy to fall out of a healthy routine.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 8 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Why You Shouldn’t Travel Full Time

    December 13, 2020

    Is It Safe to Travel During COVID-19?

    August 6, 2020

    Summer Travel During COVID-19

    August 13, 2020
  • Long Term Travel with a Dog
    How-Tos,  Travel with Dogs

    Long-Term Travel With A Dog

    April 9, 2020 /

    It’s been six months since we first bundled our dogs into their carriers, hopped on a one-way flight from Singapore to Poland and began our life of full-time travel.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 8 Comments
  • How much to budget for one month in Istanbul Turkey
    Real Costs,  Turkey

    How Much To Budget For One Month In Istanbul

    April 6, 2020 /

    With the colder weather closing in, we decided to bid farewell to Ukraine and chase the sun to Turkey.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How Much for a Month of Luxury on the Albanian Riviera?

    December 12, 2021

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

    July 17, 2022

    How to Travel the World on Any Budget

    March 7, 2021
  • How Much To Budget For Two-Week Trip To Lviv, Ukraine
    Real Costs,  Ukraine

    How Much To Budget For Two-Week Trip To Lviv, Ukraine

    April 4, 2020 /

    When we arrived in Lviv, Ukraine, we were ready to indulge a little.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022

    Wowed by the Low-Cost Lifestyle in Izmir, Turkey

    April 11, 2022
    How much to budget for one month in Istanbul Turkey

    How Much To Budget For One Month In Istanbul

    April 6, 2020
  • How Much Does It Cost To Stay In Krakow For Two Weeks
    Poland,  Real Costs

    How Much Does It Cost To Stay In Krakow For Two Weeks

    April 4, 2020 /

    Krakow was an ideal place to recharge after all the work of downsizing our possessions and leaving Singapore.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Adventure of a Lifetime Quickly Goes Off the Rails

    July 7, 2024
  • Lessons From Long-Term Travel
    Plan for Travel

    Lessons From Long-Term Travel

    April 2, 2020 /

    It’s been six months since we sold almost all our possessions, packed our bags and headed off with our two dogs for a life of adventure and full-time travel.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 5 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How Much Do I Need To Retire Early And Travel?

    March 6, 2020

    Our Bucket List for Slow Travel

    May 28, 2020

    Money, Travel, Relationship + More

    October 8, 2020
  • Lessons from Early Retirement
    Real Life in Retirement

    Lessons from Early Retirement

    March 26, 2020 /

    Six months ago, after many years of saving and investing, we were fortunate enough to reach our goal of financial independence.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    What Was Surprising About Our First Year Of Early Retirement

    September 17, 2020

    Money Worries And Retirement

    July 9, 2020

    8 Reasons We Love Early Retirement

    November 8, 2020
  • Plan for Travel

    How To Get Rid Of Everything You Own To Travel

    March 20, 2020 /

    We are officially homeless. We have to carry almost everything we own, including two large suitcases, two knapsacks and two dogs.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 7 Comments

    You May Also Like

    All the Practical Details that You Need to Know About Full-Time Travel

    August 27, 2023

    The Truth About Full-Time Travel (After Three Years on the Road)

    October 16, 2022

    The Truth About Life On The Road

    June 20, 2021
 Older Posts
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ourfreedomyears

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

We’re officially closing out our winter series fro We’re officially closing out our winter series from the Canary Islands with a final installment from Tenerife, the largest and most popular island.

We spent a month based in the very special neighbourhood of Punta Brava, enjoying what I can only describe as one of the best views that we’ve ever had in any Airbnb. Add to that historic towns, a few menu del dias, and some excellent coastal hiking, and it was a perfect ending to a winter of island hopping and slow exploration.  

Our latest video drops this Sunday and it’s got all the highlights from Tenerife. Let’s just say that the bar has officially been raised for future winter getaways.
Big views, quiet trails, and two very happy hiking Big views, quiet trails, and two very happy hiking dogs. 🐾

Our full-length La Gomera video is now live — tap the link in our bio to watch.
While we were hopping our way through the Canary I While we were hopping our way through the Canary Islands this winter, we couldn’t resist a side trip to La Gomera. This is one of the smallest islands of the archipelago and feels much like a hidden gem. There are just a handful of villages across the island; the volcanic mountains and misty forests are the real draw and the reason that hikers make the journey here. 

After five days of hiking, we’re officially adding La Gomera to our list of best winter hiking destinations. It offers an excellent trail system, decent lodgings, lots of sunshine, and enough challenging ascents to make it a proper workout. 

Of course, we had to capture our journey across La Gomera on video. If you’re ready for sweeping coastal views (plus the sight of two adorable dogs making their way along the trail), our La Gomera adventure goes live this Sunday.
After a month in Gran Canaria, a week hiking the w After a month in Gran Canaria, a week hiking the wild landscapes of La Gomera, and another sun-filled month in Tenerife, we’re soaking in our final days in the Canary Islands. 

In just a few days, we’ll be making the long journey back to snowy Ontario.  Which is why we’re savoring every last moment of the incredible ocean view from our Airbnb in Puerto de la Cruz, where we fall asleep to the sound of waves every night.

Curious about what the Canary Islands are like as a winter destination? Our latest YouTube video is live — just tap the link in our profile. And more island adventures are coming your way soon!
What makes a great winter base? For us: beautifu What makes a great winter base? 

For us: beautiful neighborhoods, easy hiking, warm days… and space to settle into a routine.

Did the Canary Islands just become our go-to winter destination?

Watch the full video — just click on the link in our profile.
For years, the Canary Islands sat on our “maybe so For years, the Canary Islands sat on our “maybe someday” list. They never quite beat out places like Mexico or Portugal when winter planning season rolled around. Now we’re wondering why we waited so long.

After a month in Gran Canaria, we’ve had some surprising takeaways about what really makes a place work as a winter base.

Our full YouTube video drops this Sunday. Stay tuned.
When we look back on 2025, it’s hard to believe ho When we look back on 2025, it’s hard to believe how much we packed into one year. 

🇲🇽 slow travel in Mexico

🥾 100+ miles on the Cotswold Way,

🐕 time inside a 400-dog shelter

🇬🇪 an unexpected detour through Georgia

…and a few big reflections on life after financial independence.

It was a year of travel, volunteering, and learning (again) that freedom looks different in every season.

We’ve wrapped it all up — plus a new podcast conversation with @OurFamilyInvests about what comes after the career ladder — in our January newsletter.

📬 Read the full story — just click on the link in our profile.
Living in Ontario’s snow belt means one thing: we Living in Ontario’s snow belt means one thing: we must escape winter. We’ve been hit with multiple snowstorms since the beginning of November and there are still months of snow and ice ahead of us. 

As much as we love seeing our little village blanketed in white, a few weeks of winter is enough to satisfy for the year. 

After a few misfires during our years of full-time travel (rainstorms in Florence, a chilly apartment in Malta, an unseasonable cold front in Izmir), we finally know exactly what we’re looking for in a winter base.

For the winter of 2026, our wishlist got very specific:

☀️ warm weather
🥗 great food
🏋🏽‍♀️ a decent gym
🐶 stylish Airbnbs that also happen to be pet-friendly
🌳 easy access to nature
✨ enough variety to keep us entertained for three full months

We compared many wildly different options—Taiwan, Argentina, and Cyprus to name just a few—and yes, there was a spreadsheet and a scoring system involved.

So where did we finally choose for winter 2026? We’re sharing the full story (and the big reveal) in this month’s newsletter.

👉 Read now by clicking on the link in our profile.
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.
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