Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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  • Binge!
  • Popular
    • What’s New
    • Plan for Travel
    • Airbnb Living
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  • 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
  • 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
  • Toronto, Canada
    Romania,  What's New

    Travel is Suddenly a Lot More Expensive

    October 1, 2023 /

    As much as we were surprised by the inflation we saw in Europe - our expensive apartment in Budapest springs to mind - we’ve been floored by what we’re encountering here in Canada.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

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    Brasov, Romania

    This is the Romania that Most Tourists Never See

    September 3, 2023

    Why Brasov is the Ultimate Base for Exploring Transylvania

    September 17, 2023

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

    October 6, 2024
  • Real Costs,  Romania

    Why Brasov is the Ultimate Base for Exploring Transylvania

    September 17, 2023 /

    Let's be honest: the city of Brasov in Romania is a little on the small side. And yet we stayed for an entire month. 

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022

    Honest Thoughts After a Month in Medellin (and What it Costs)

    January 29, 2023

    Can a Month in Istanbul Really Be This Cheap?

    January 24, 2021
  • Brasov, Romania
    Romania,  What's New

    This is the Romania that Most Tourists Never See

    September 3, 2023 /

    Plus all the essentials for life on the road

    read more
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    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023
    Snowy Toronto in January

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

    January 7, 2024

    Why Brasov is the Ultimate Base for Exploring Transylvania

    September 17, 2023
  • Plan for Travel,  Travel Logistics

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

    August 27, 2023 /

    All those pesky administrative details that life demands can take a lot of research to figure out. 

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Medical Coverage Abroad

    July 30, 2020

    The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Trip Around the World

    July 25, 2021

    The Truth About Life On The Road

    June 20, 2021
  • Brasov, Romania
    Hungary,  Romania,  What's New

    Is Beautiful, Gritty Budapest Still a Low-Cost Destination in 2023?

    August 6, 2023 /

    We initially came to Budapest thinking it was a low-cost option. Well, that might have been true ten years ago but it’s not the case today.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 9 Comments

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

    October 6, 2024

    We Came to Budapest to See if it’s Still a Low-Cost Destination

    July 30, 2023
    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023
  • Hungary,  Real Costs

    We Came to Budapest to See if it’s Still a Low-Cost Destination

    July 30, 2023 /

    I honestly think that our impression of Budapest was maybe ten years out of date. We thought Budapest was supposed to be the less expensive alternative to Prague

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Brasov, Romania

    Is Beautiful, Gritty Budapest Still a Low-Cost Destination in 2023?

    August 6, 2023
    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023

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

    October 6, 2024
  • Boat cruise on the Danube in Budapest
    Hungary,  Slovakia,  What's New

    Most People Come to Bratislava for Just One Day; We Booked an Entire Month

    July 2, 2023 /

    Bratislava is the type of city where tourists usually just stop by for a short visit. We were if we had made a huge mistake booking an entire month.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 6 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Brasov, Romania

    Is Beautiful, Gritty Budapest Still a Low-Cost Destination in 2023?

    August 6, 2023
    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023

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

    October 6, 2024
  • Vienna, Austria
    Austria,  Czech Republic,  Slovakia,  What's New

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

    June 4, 2023 /

    We discovered a region of the Czech Republic that we’ve never seen on any top ten list or even heard of before. 

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

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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

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

    October 6, 2024
  • Austria,  Czech Republic,  Hungary,  Romania,  Slovakia,  What's New

    We’re Kicking off our Adventure in one of the Most Expensive Parts of Europe (but it’s Worth it)

    May 7, 2023 /

    Our latest journey through Europe is well underway. This month’s newsletter comes to you from a charming little pension in the countryside of the Czech Republic. 

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 9 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    October 6, 2024
    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
  • Travel with Dogs

    The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with a Dog

    May 7, 2023 /

    Wherever we travel with our two toy poodles, other tourists come up to us in amazement and ask if it’s really difficult to travel with our dogs. 

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 8 Comments

    You May Also Like

    We Thought We’d Have to Leave Our Dogs Behind

    May 30, 2021

    Traveling the World With A Dog

    November 22, 2020

    How to Take an International Flight with a Dog in Cabin

    February 27, 2020
 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

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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