Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

  • 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
  • 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
  • Real Life in Retirement

    Travel During COVID, Money, & Nomad Life Q&A

    March 21, 2021 /

    We did our last Q&A video five months ago to celebrate our community of 1,000. Since then we’ve been to Croatia, Turkey and Malta and there are now over 3,000 tuning in every week.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 1 Comment

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    What Life Really Looks Like In Early Retirement

    October 1, 2020
    How To Manage Risk In Early Retirement

    How To Manage Risk In Early Retirement

    May 14, 2020

    Money Worries And Retirement

    July 9, 2020
  • Malta,  Real Costs

    Can You Afford Europe’s Best Winter Sun Destination?

    March 14, 2021 /

    We’ve just spent a month in Malta in the dead of winter and we can’t believe the blue skies and sunshine and warm temperatures.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 5 Comments

    You May Also Like

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022

    Our Top 5 Favourite Airbnbs (and Why They Weren’t Perfect)

    March 6, 2022

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

    April 18, 2021
  • Real Costs

    How to Travel the World on Any Budget

    March 7, 2021 /

    We’ve really tried it all. We’ve been shoestring backpackers, we’ve done the luxury travel thing and everything in between.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Novi Sad Offered the Authentic Serbia That We’ve Been Dreaming of

    September 26, 2021
    How much to budget for one month in Istanbul Turkey

    How Much To Budget For One Month In Istanbul

    April 6, 2020

    Living Large in Affordable Belgrade

    September 5, 2021
  • Airbnb Living

    How to Score the Airbnb of Your Dreams Every Time

    February 28, 2021 /

    We love living in beautiful spaces. With that in mind, every apartment we stay in needs to be comfortable enough to call home -- at least for a month.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 9 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Living in Airbnbs Full Time isn’t Easy

    June 6, 2021

    What the Full-Time Airbnb Lifestyle Really Costs 

    February 26, 2023

    Our Top 5 Favourite Airbnbs (and Why They Weren’t Perfect)

    March 6, 2022
  • Malta

    Five Reasons to Make Malta Your Home in Early Retirement

    February 21, 2021 /

    We love being full-time travellers. However, we know a time will come when we’ll want to feel more settled.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Can You Afford Europe’s Best Winter Sun Destination?

    March 14, 2021

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
    Malta

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

    August 4, 2024
  • Plan for Travel

    Do You Have to be a Minimalist to Travel Full Time?

    February 14, 2021 /

    Today our lives are pretty simple. We’re full-time travelers who spend a month or two in each country and then move onto the next.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 1 Comment

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    Lessons From Long-Term Travel

    Lessons From Long-Term Travel

    April 2, 2020

    Our Bucket List for Slow Travel

    May 28, 2020

    The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Trip Around the World

    July 25, 2021
  • Malta

    Behind the Scenes of Our Travel Planning

    January 31, 2021 /

    We’ll be honest, choosing our next destination has never been more difficult.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Five Reasons to Make Malta Your Home in Early Retirement

    February 21, 2021

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
    Malta

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

    August 4, 2024
  • Real Costs,  Turkey

    Can a Month in Istanbul Really Be This Cheap?

    January 24, 2021 /

    We love Istanbul. We were here last year and just fell in love with the city and the food and the people.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 9 Comments

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    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 2022

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

    January 29, 2023

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

    July 17, 2022
  • Real Life in Retirement

    You Don’t Need a Job to Have a Fulfilling Life

    January 23, 2021 /

    Those considering early retirement might be worried that their life will feel empty once they no longer have a job to go to everyday.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    What’s It Like To Retire In My 30s?

    November 22, 2020

    What Was Surprising About Our First Year Of Early Retirement

    September 17, 2020
    Lessons from Early Retirement

    Lessons from Early Retirement

    March 26, 2020
  • Real Costs

    How to Travel the World Without Blowing Your Budget

    January 17, 2021 /

    Despite the global pandemic and travel bans, we still managed to travel to five countries this past year and come in on budget.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 5 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How Full-time Travel Keeps Our Costs Low

    October 15, 2020

    Novi Sad Offered the Authentic Serbia That We’ve Been Dreaming of

    September 26, 2021

    Wowed by the Low-Cost Lifestyle in Izmir, Turkey

    April 11, 2022
 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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