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
  • Thailand,  What's New

    What’s New: We’re Sharing the Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Thailand

    April 7, 2025 /

    We hopped across beaches in the Gulf islands; headed north to Chiang Mai; and then ended our journey with the big city vibes of Bangkok. This adventure included all the classic Thailand highlights we could hope for.

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    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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    The Perfect Itinerary for an Epic Adventure in Thailand

    April 7, 2025
  • Mexico,  What's New

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

    March 10, 2025 /

    While we love our new home in Ontario, we knew that once the cold and snow set in it would be time to take flight to sunnier climes.

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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

    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 2022

    Why Mexico’s Top Foodie Destination is Worth the Trip

    September 11, 2022
  • What's New

    My Most Challenging Trip Yet: Volunteering in a First Nations Community

    September 1, 2024 /

    Plus highlights from year three of nomad life

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    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

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    Snowy Toronto in January

    We’re Saying Goodbye to a Very Adventurous 2023 – and Hello to a New Chapter

    January 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 and Gillian at home

    Finally, the Big Reveal of our New Home

    April 7, 2024
  • Patio in Belgrade, Serbia
    What's New

    Heading to Canada's North — and This Time It's a Solo Adventure

    August 4, 2024 /

    Plus more misadventures from our early days of travel

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    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

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    Climbing a mountain in Albania

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

    February 4, 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
    Springtime in our town

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

    June 2, 2024
  • What's New

    It Was Way More Adventure than We Bargained for

    July 7, 2024 /

    Our first year of nomad life

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    Our Freedom Years 3 Comments

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    Stephanie with Jasper and Huxley

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

    May 5, 2024

    My Most Challenging Trip Yet: Volunteering in a First Nations Community

    September 1, 2024

    What’s New: We’re Sharing the Perfect Itinerary for a Month in Thailand

    April 7, 2025

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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