Our Freedom Years

Financial independence, early retirement & slow travel

  • 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
  • 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
  • Real Costs,  Turkey

    Wowed by the Low-Cost Lifestyle in Izmir, Turkey

    April 11, 2022 /

    Izmir is a huge city; it’s Turkey’s third-largest and it seems like there’s something exciting going on around every corner.  

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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    Why Mexico City Blew Our Minds (and Our Budget)

    August 15, 2022

    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022

    How to Travel the World on Any Budget

    March 7, 2021
  • Real Costs,  Turkey

    This is Why We Keep Coming Back to Turkey

    March 13, 2022 /

    It’s our third visit to Turkey and so far this one is our very best. And a lot of that has to do with being here in Antalya.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 2 Comments

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    How Much Does It Cost To Stay In Krakow For Two Weeks

    How Much Does It Cost To Stay In Krakow For Two Weeks

    April 4, 2020

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

    July 17, 2022

    Making Belgrade Our Home for the Month

    August 15, 2021
  • Croatia,  Greece,  Italy,  Malta,  Real Costs,  Turkey

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

    April 18, 2021 /

    When we first started traveling Europe in 2019, we weren’t sure how far a budget of $2500 USD a month would take us.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 7 Comments

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    7 European Destinations that Won’t Break the Bank

    January 2, 2022

    How Affordable is a Week in Zagreb, Croatia?

    December 27, 2020

    Find Out Why Croatia is the Ultimate Base for Europe

    March 28, 2021
  • Turkey

    The Lifestyle You Want at a Fraction of the Cost in Turkey

    April 11, 2021 /

    We all fantasize about what our ideal home could look like. Maybe it includes a beautiful setting, great food and lots of interesting things to do.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 1 Comment

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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

    Can a Month in Istanbul Really Be This Cheap?

    January 24, 2021

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

    April 18, 2021
  • Real Costs,  Turkey

    Can a Month in Istanbul Really Be This Cheap?

    January 24, 2021 /

    We love Istanbul. We were here last year and just fell in love with the city and the food and the people.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 9 Comments

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    What the Full-Time Airbnb Lifestyle Really Costs 

    February 26, 2023

    How Full-time Travel Keeps Our Costs Low

    October 15, 2020

    How to Travel the World on Any Budget

    March 7, 2021
  • How Expensive Is Fethiye?
    Real Costs,  Turkey

    How Expensive Is Fethiye?

    May 9, 2020 /

    From Istanbul we headed further south to the Turquoise Coast for sunshine, hiking and taking tea with the locals along the Mediterranean coastline.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 12 Comments

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

    September 26, 2021

    How to Travel the World Without Blowing Your Budget

    January 17, 2021

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

    July 17, 2022
  • How much to budget for one month in Istanbul Turkey
    Real Costs,  Turkey

    How Much To Budget For One Month In Istanbul

    April 6, 2020 /

    With the colder weather closing in, we decided to bid farewell to Ukraine and chase the sun to Turkey.

    read more
    Our Freedom Years 0 Comments

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    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

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

    June 19, 2022

ourfreedomyears

Stephanie & Gillian
🌎 Traveled the world with our dogs
❤️ Now making a home in Ontario
⬇️ Watch our latest video

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.
It's part two of our trip to Georgia, and this is It's part two of our trip to Georgia, and this is where all our carefully-made plans started to fall apart. 

The misadventures began when our easy 45-minute flight to the mountains was replaced with a 10-hour odyssey by train and mini-van. However, despite all ups and downs of the trip, we still managed to enjoy the highlights of western Georgia, including the medieval villages of the Svaneti region and a ridiculously huge feast at a winery.  

You can catch the full adventure in a new video going live this Sunday. See you then!
The final round of shots from our time in Tbilisi. The final round of shots from our time in Tbilisi. We just couldn't get enough of all those atmospheric mansions and apartment buildings as we wandered the neighbourhoods. 

If you haven't seen our video yet, it's a whirlwind sampler of Tbilisi highlights from our first day on the ground. You can check it out by clicking on the link in our profile.
It's our first full day in Tbilisi, and we're brin It's our first full day in Tbilisi, and we're bringing you along for the ride. Check out the full video on YouTube -- just click on the link in our profile to watch now.
We're back from our trip to the country of Georgia We're back from our trip to the country of Georgia, and what an adventure it was. This trip was exciting and interesting but also demanding in all kinds of unexpected ways. 

We're excited to share the entire journey with you, starting with a new video this Sunday. We're bringing you along for our first day in Tbilisi, including powering through some of the major sights, tucking into classic Georgian dishes, and a look at a truly spectacular Airbnb. 

See you then!
The final batch of photos from our beautiful 10-da The final batch of photos from our beautiful 10-day hike along the Cotswolds Way. This is a hike we'd recommend for anyone who wants to start off with a hearty English breakfast and then spend the day passing through some truly lovely countryside. The adorable lambs and spring blossoms are just a bonus. 

#cotswoldway #cotswolds
We spent 10 glorious days hiking along the Cotswol We spent 10 glorious days hiking along the Cotswolds Way in England.  To watch the full video, click on the link in our profile. 

#cotswoldway  #cotswolds
We’re back from our 10-day springtime hike in Engl We’re back from our 10-day springtime hike in England, and here’s the good news: Contrary to expectations, it did not rain every single day of the hike. 

Here’s the even better news: the Cotswolds is an absolutely beautiful corner of England, filled with quaint villages, rolling hills, and frolicking lambs (honestly, they really do frolic). It truly is a storybook landscape.

And the best news of all: You can see it all for yourself in our latest YouTube video. That’s right, after a very lengthy hiatus from YouTube, we finally have a new video to share with you. 

We knew going into the Cotswold Way that it would be particularly scenic and made sure to bring along our video equipment. The end product is a fun round up of the highs and lows of the Cotswold Way (including the costs, of course). And it’s coming your way this Sunday.
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