Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Serbia
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    • 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
  • Machu Picchu
    Peru,  Real Costs

    We had a Once-in-a-Lifetime Visit to Machu Picchu (Now We Know What it’s Really Like )

    May 5, 2024 /

    I’ve wanted to visit Machu Picchu for many years but I hadn’t anticipated what it’s like to visit a wildly popular world heritage site with tourism on the rise. Whoops.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Stephanie and Gillian at home

    Finally, the Big Reveal of our New Home

    April 7, 2024
    Gillian cross-country skiing in the countryside

    We Planned Another Exciting Trip to Peru – and This Time We’re Actually Going

    March 3, 2024
    Stephanie with Jasper and Huxley

    After Four Years of Retirement, I Have a New Job – Sort of

    May 5, 2024
  • Airbnb Living,  Real Costs

    What the Full-Time Airbnb Lifestyle Really Costs 

    February 26, 2023 /

    There’s no end of information available about how to save money while traveling. But none of the usual advice was quite right for us.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How to Score the Airbnb of Your Dreams Every Time

    February 28, 2021

    Living in Airbnbs Full Time isn’t Easy

    June 6, 2021

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

    February 27, 2022
  • Real Costs

    How Much it Really Costs to Travel Full Time

    May 9, 2022 /

    We haven’t been honest about how much travel costs. If you’re serious about travelling, there are a slew of other costs you need to know about.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    December 12, 2021

    Can a Month in Istanbul Really Be This Cheap?

    January 24, 2021

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

    July 17, 2022
  • Albania,  Croatia,  Greece,  Italy,  Malta,  Real Costs,  Serbia,  Spain,  Turkey

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022 /

    Since we’re traveling full time, we love it when our money goes a long way. We’re always looking for places where we can get the most value.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023

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

    March 6, 2022

    What it Takes to Survive the Balkan Wilderness

    October 10, 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

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022

    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
  • 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

    Making Belgrade Our Home for the Month

    August 15, 2021

    How Full-time Travel Keeps Our Costs Low

    October 15, 2020

    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 2022
  • Real Costs

    How Full-time Travel Keeps Our Costs Low

    October 15, 2020 /

    Back when we were working full time, travel was a luxury. Now it's a great way to manage our cost of living.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 3 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    April 18, 2021

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

    September 26, 2021

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
  • Plan for Travel

    Medical Coverage Abroad

    July 30, 2020 /

    It’s everyone’s least favourite part of planning for travel. And yet it could turn out to be the most important.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 6 Comments

    You May Also Like

    The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Trip Around the World

    July 25, 2021

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

    February 14, 2021

    Our Bucket List for Slow Travel

    May 28, 2020
  • Canada

    How Much is the Cost Of Living In Toronto?

    July 2, 2020 /

    Upon arriving in Toronto, we had two weeks of quarantine and since then we’ve been sheltering in place. So how did that affect our cost of living this past month?

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 14 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Climbing a mountain in Albania

    It’s Official: We’ve Given Up On Travel — For Now

    February 4, 2024

    Could Country Living be the Perfect Lifestyle For Us?

    July 4, 2021

    Why We Can’t Wait To Get Back To Europe

    June 27, 2021
  • Real Costs

    How To Budget For Year Of Slow Travel

    June 11, 2020 /

    It's the number one question we receive from our audience: How much does our life of full-time travel cost?

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 3 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How Full-time Travel Keeps Our Costs Low

    October 15, 2020

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

    June 19, 2022

    Is a Month in Seville Worth the Splurge?

    February 13, 2022
 Older Posts

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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