Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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    • What’s New
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  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Austria
      • Croatia
      • Czech Republic
      • Greece
      • Hungary
      • Italy
      • Malta
      • Poland
      • Portugal
      • Romania
      • Serbia
      • Slovakia
      • Spain
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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
  • Portugal

    5 Tips for Experiencing Beautiful Lisbon Without the Crowds

    February 25, 2024 /

    We came to Lisbon to see a destination famous for architecture, scenic lookouts and historic trams still running across town. What we weren’t expecting was the huge number of other tourists.

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    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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

    October 6, 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
    Funchal Madeira

    Lisbon in 2023 was Even More Crowded Than We Expected

    December 3, 2023
  • 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. 

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    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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

    September 26, 2021

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022

    What We Spent Living in Athens For One Month

    September 24, 2020
  • 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

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    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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    Boat cruise on the Danube in Budapest

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

    July 2, 2023
    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023
    Brasov, Romania

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

    August 6, 2023
  • 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

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    Living in Airbnbs Full Time isn’t Easy

    June 6, 2021

    How to Score the Airbnb of Your Dreams Every Time

    February 28, 2021

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

    February 27, 2022
  • Colombia,  Real Costs

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

    January 29, 2023 /

    Medellin is a city that has been on our bucket list for a really long time. We knew that whenever we finally got to South America, Medellin had to be on the itinerary.

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    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

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    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
    Gillian in a plane

    We Never Want This to Happen Again: We Got Stranded at the Airport in Colombia

    April 2, 2023
  • Ecuador,  Real Costs

    Is Cuenca Really as Affordable as its Reputation?

    December 25, 2022 /

    We’re always on the hunt for value when we travel. We don’t mind spending a bit more as long as we see great value for our dollar.

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    It’s Been Three Years of Full-Time Travel and Still Nothing Ever Goes to Plan

    September 1, 2024
  • Mexico,  Real Costs

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022 /

    We’re always on the hunt for authentic travel experiences; we don’t want our trip to be all about fancy restaurants and tours.

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    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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    It’s Been Three Years of Full-Time Travel and Still Nothing Ever Goes to Plan

    September 1, 2024

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

    June 19, 2022

    Winter Escape to One of the World’s Most Vibrant Cities

    March 10, 2025
  • Mexico,  Real Costs

    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 2022 /

    We came to Mexico City thinking we feel overwhelmed by the traffic and and crowds. After spending a month here, our main issue is that there’s just way too much fun stuff to do here.

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    Our Freedom Years 6 Comments

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    It’s England’s Most Beautiful Hike – and We Got it on Video

    June 1, 2025

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

    July 17, 2022
    Springtime in our town

    19 Countries, Amazing Memories, Countless Mistakes: Our Nomad Life Recap

    June 2, 2024
  • Mexico,  Real Costs

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

    July 17, 2022 /

    When we arrived at what’s billed as one of Mexico’s most beautiful towns, we were feeling a little worried about our month-long stay.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 15 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    June 19, 2022

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022

    It’s England’s Most Beautiful Hike – and We Got it on Video

    June 1, 2025
  • Mexico,  Real Costs

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

    June 19, 2022 /

    We were looking to spend a month at the beach and we could have picked literally anywhere in Mexico.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    It’s Been Three Years of Full-Time Travel and Still Nothing Ever Goes to Plan

    September 1, 2024

    Winter Escape to One of the World’s Most Vibrant Cities

    March 10, 2025

    It’s England’s Most Beautiful Hike – and We Got it on Video

    June 1, 2025
 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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