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
  • Austria,  Colombia,  Czech Republic,  Hungary,  Portugal,  Romania,  Slovakia,  What's New

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

    October 6, 2024 /

    The final year of our adventure kicked off in Medellin, a city that turned out to be one of our least favourite destinations.

    read more
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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
    Vienna, Austria

    We Found a Wonderful Hidden Gem in the Czech Republic (Only Locals Know About It)

    June 4, 2023
  • Ecuador,  Mexico,  Spain,  Turkey,  What's New

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

    September 1, 2024 /

    By the third year, you'd think that we would have gotten the hang of expecting the unexpected.

    read more
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    Is Cuenca Really as Affordable as its Reputation?

    December 25, 2022
  • Malta
    Albania,  Malta,  Serbia,  Spain,  What's New

    We Were Chasing the Adventure of a Lifetime – then Family Tragedy Hit

    August 4, 2024 /

    We started the year in Malta, which was a breath of fresh air after our somewhat grim month of COVID lockdown in Istanbul.

    read more
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    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
    Alfama, Lisbon, Portugal

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

    November 5, 2023

    Albania is Europe’s Last Hidden Gem — For Now

    November 30, 2021
  • Croatia,  Greece,  Italy,  Poland,  Turkey,  Ukraine,  What's New

    Adventure of a Lifetime Quickly Goes Off the Rails

    July 7, 2024 /

    Our adventure began with a less-than-graceful exit from Singapore, our home for over six years. We had sold or donated most of what we owned yet still had far too much to bring with us.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 4 Comments

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    Find Out Why Croatia is the Ultimate Base for Europe

    March 28, 2021

    How Affordable is a Week in Zagreb, Croatia?

    December 27, 2020

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022
  • Plan for Travel

    The Truth About Life On The Road

    June 20, 2021 /

    When we originally imagined taking up travel as a full-time lifestyle, we thought it was going to be just like all the travel vlogs.

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    How To Get Rid Of Everything You Own To Travel

    March 20, 2020
    Lessons From Long-Term Travel

    Lessons From Long-Term Travel

    April 2, 2020

    The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Trip Around the World

    July 25, 2021
  • Plan for Travel

    What Not to Pack for a Year of Travel

    May 23, 2021 /

    We headed off for a trip around the world and our suitcases were just jam-packed full with a ton of stuff that we didn’t need.

    read more
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    Money, Travel, Relationship + More

    October 8, 2020

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

    August 27, 2023

    The Truth About Life On The Road

    June 20, 2021
  • Plan for Travel

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

    February 14, 2021 /

    Today our lives are pretty simple. We’re full-time travelers who spend a month or two in each country and then move onto the next.

    read more
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    The Truth About Full-Time Travel (After Three Years on the Road)

    October 16, 2022

    The Ultimate Packing Guide for a Trip Around the World

    July 25, 2021

    Money, Travel, Relationship + More

    October 8, 2020
  • 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

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    How much to budget for one month in Istanbul Turkey

    How Much To Budget For One Month In Istanbul

    April 6, 2020

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

    April 18, 2021

    Can a Month in Istanbul Really Be This Cheap?

    January 24, 2021
  • Plan for Travel

    Our Bucket List for Slow Travel

    May 28, 2020 /

    With planes grounded worldwide and borders closed, what better time to share our bucket list for our future travels?

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

    You May Also Like

    Money, Travel, Relationship + More

    October 8, 2020

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

    August 27, 2023

    The Truth About Full-Time Travel (After Three Years on the Road)

    October 16, 2022
  • Retire Early

    Staying Motivated To Retire Early

    May 21, 2020 /

    It’s one thing to decide on the goal of becoming financially independent . It’s quite another to get through the long years of earning, saving and investing to achieve your goal.

    read more
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    Mindset That Helped Us Achieve Financial Independence and Retire Early

    October 7, 2020

    Could Country Living be the Perfect Lifestyle For Us?

    July 4, 2021

    What We Got Right to Retire Early

    August 27, 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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