Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

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  • 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
  • Retire Early

    Working Overseas Could be Your Ticket to Early Retirement

    August 29, 2021 /

    Today we have a life that we could have only dreamed of. But just a decade ago, we were a regular couple living in the same city where we were born.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Could Country Living be the Perfect Lifestyle For Us?

    July 4, 2021

    Biggest Financial Mistakes When Trying to Retire Early

    September 3, 2020

    How to Introduce Your Partner To Financial Independence

    June 4, 2020
  • Retire Early

    How We Can Afford to Travel Full Time (and It’s Not By Being Digital Nomads)

    July 11, 2021 /

    A few years ago we felt stuck. We were burnt out from our corporate jobs but didn’t know how to leave them.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Mindset That Helped Us Achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early

    October 7, 2020

    How Much Do I Need To Retire Early And Travel?

    March 6, 2020
    How To Manage Risk In Early Retirement

    How To Manage Risk In Early Retirement

    May 14, 2020
  • Retire Early

    In Just 7 Easy Steps, You Can Retire Early & Travel

    January 3, 2021 /

    So many people dream of quitting work forever but have no idea how to get started.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 1 Comment

    You May Also Like

    How We Can Afford to Travel Full Time (and It’s Not By Being Digital Nomads)

    July 11, 2021

    Could Country Living be the Perfect Lifestyle For Us?

    July 4, 2021
    How To Manage Risk In Early Retirement

    How To Manage Risk In Early Retirement

    May 14, 2020
  • Real Life in Retirement

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

    November 22, 2020 /

    With my 40th birthday approaching this month, it’s a good time to reflect on the experience of having retired from work in my 30s.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 5 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    January 23, 2021

    Money Worries And Retirement

    July 9, 2020

    What Was Surprising About Our First Year Of Early Retirement

    September 17, 2020
  • Plan for Travel,  Real Life in Retirement

    Money, Travel, Relationship + More

    October 8, 2020 /

    It’s been a full year of early retirement. In celebration of this year of ups, downs, surprises and discoveries, we’ve opened the floor to questions.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 7 Comments

    You May Also Like

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

    August 27, 2023

    The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Trip Around the World

    July 25, 2021

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

    November 5, 2023
  • Real Life in Retirement

    What Life Really Looks Like In Early Retirement

    October 1, 2020 /

    When we first announced plans to give up our careers to travel the world, we quickly encountered a lot of misconceptions about life in early retirement.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 10 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How to Survive Your First Year of Early Retirement

    April 4, 2021
    Lessons from Early Retirement

    Lessons from Early Retirement

    March 26, 2020

    Five Things You Won’t Miss About Work Once You’ve Retired

    January 10, 2021
  • Retire Early

    Why You Shouldn’t Retire Early

    September 10, 2020 /

    Here's something odd to hear from us: Early retirement might not be right for you.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    In Just 7 Easy Steps, You Can Retire Early & Travel

    January 3, 2021

    Staying Motivated To Retire Early

    May 21, 2020

    Money Worries And Retirement

    July 9, 2020
  • Retire Early

    Biggest Financial Mistakes When Trying to Retire Early

    September 3, 2020 /

    In the spirit of learning from our mistakes, we're putting aside our egos to share our worst financial blunders with you.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 3 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How Much Do I Need To Retire Early And Travel?

    March 6, 2020

    Working Overseas Could be Your Ticket to Early Retirement

    August 29, 2021

    Money Worries And Retirement

    July 9, 2020
  • Retire Early

    What We Got Right to Retire Early

    August 27, 2020 /

    In order to retire so early, we made a few good financial decisions along the way.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

    You May Also Like

    How Much Do I Need To Retire Early And Travel?

    March 6, 2020

    Staying Motivated To Retire Early

    May 21, 2020

    How We Can Afford to Travel Full Time (and It’s Not By Being Digital Nomads)

    July 11, 2021
  • Retire Early

    What We Got Right to Retire Early

    August 10, 2020 /

    In order to retire so early -- when Gillian was in her 30s and I was in my 40s -- we got a few things right.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

    You May Also Like

    In Just 7 Easy Steps, You Can Retire Early & Travel

    January 3, 2021

    How Much Do I Need To Retire Early And Travel?

    March 6, 2020

    Staying Motivated To Retire Early

    May 21, 2020
 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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