Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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    • Europe
      • Albania
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      • Canada
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    • 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
  • 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

    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 and Gillian at home

    Finally, the Big Reveal of our New Home

    April 7, 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

    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

    How to Score the Airbnb of Your Dreams Every Time

    February 28, 2021
  • 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

    Wowed by the Low-Cost Lifestyle in Izmir, Turkey

    April 11, 2022

    Why Brasov is the Ultimate Base for Exploring Transylvania

    September 17, 2023

    How to Travel the World Without Blowing Your Budget

    January 17, 2021
  • 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

    Albania is Europe’s Last Hidden Gem — For Now

    November 30, 2021

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

    March 6, 2022

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

    October 31, 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

    What the Full-Time Airbnb Lifestyle Really Costs 

    February 26, 2023

    Why Brasov is the Ultimate Base for Exploring Transylvania

    September 17, 2023

    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 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

    Living Large in Affordable Belgrade

    September 5, 2021

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

    December 12, 2021
    How Much To Budget For Two-Week Trip To Lviv, Ukraine

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

    April 4, 2020
  • 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

    Cost of Living in Northern Greece

    October 15, 2020

    How To Budget For Year Of Slow Travel

    June 11, 2020

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

    January 29, 2023
  • 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

    What Not to Pack for a Year of Travel

    May 23, 2021

    5 Crucial Lessons About Full-Time Travel That You Need to Know

    November 5, 2023

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

    August 27, 2023
  • 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

    Why We Can’t Wait To Get Back To Europe

    June 27, 2021
    Climbing a mountain in Albania

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

    February 4, 2024

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

    February 27, 2022
  • 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

    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 2022
    How Expensive Is Fethiye?

    How Expensive Is Fethiye?

    May 9, 2020

    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

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.
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.
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