The Adventure of a Lifetime

We’re Off to See the World!

We are getting ready to head out on the adventure of a lifetime! Next week, we will be getting on a plane to Lisbon, Portugal, our first stop on an 18-month trip around the world, each with nothing more than a small carry-on suitcase and a travel backpack. Over the next year and a half, we hope to keep you updated on our travels via this blog, as well as on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter. We’re looking forward to showing you what we are doing and seeing; sharing our experiences with you as we go.

How Did We Get Here?

We first met in at the breakfast table of a youth hostel in Prague in 1994. We had each decided to take a year off to travel around Europe. Ann had just graduated from the University of Washington, and I had just left my job at Microsoft. (If you would like to read about that trip, I wrote a blog about it before the word “blog” even existed.) We spent eight months traveling together before returning home and getting married in 1996.

As much as we loved traveling, we did a lot less of it after having children. Instead, we focused on raising our kids, but knew that we would begin traveling again once they were grown.

In March, 2016 we were in Thailand, on a trip that was half work and half vacation, when we made a five-year plan. We agreed that, in five years, we would return to Thailand for six months to a year.

You see, we realized that traveling doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, in many countries the cost of living is so much less than in the US that it can actually be less expensive to travel than to stay home. Because I make my living as a writer, I can work from anywhere as long as I have a laptop and an internet connection. So why stay home in snowy Spokane when we could be on a beach in some tropical paradise?

In other words, this trip isn’t retirement or vacation. Rather, we will be digital nomads, simply living and working while seeing the world at the same time.

For the past five years–and especially for the last two years–we have been working toward our goal. Last year, we sold our house and moved into one of the apartments we own. We got rid of at least half of our belongings in the process. Last week we moved out of the apartment, sold one of our cars, and put the rest of our belongings in storage. We are pretty much packed and ready to go.

Why Portugal?

The biggest change to our five-year plan is that, because of Covid restrictions, we don’t plan to go to Thailand just yet. Instead, we will begin our trip with three months in Portugal.

I have wanted to visit Portugal for a few years now. My interest in this country was first piqued when I read that Portugal was ranked #3 among countries on the Global Peace Index, and that it was the least expensive country in the top ten. After doing more research on Portugal, I realized it was place I was very interested in visiting.

At the beginning of 2020, I started learning the Portuguese language. After a year and a half of study, I am very much looking forward to trying out my new language skills for real. We are also both eager to experience Portuguese culture and food. We have already booked a food and wine tour for the week after we arrive.

We will fly to Lisbon where we plan to stay for a couple of weeks before exploring more of the country, including Porto and the Algarve. We hope to spend the month of December on the island of Madeira.

What’s Next?

When we leave Portugal in January, we will go to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for several months. After that, we’re not really sure. We’re just making it up as we go along.

Along the way, we will try to keep you posted with lots of pictures, videos, and blog posts. Thanks for following along with us on this journey!