Even under the best of circumstances, the process of traveling can be challenging
Whether you go by car, bus, boat, plane, or any other means, it always involves packing, and itineraries, and hoping (praying!) that everything falls into place.
And when your life is ALWAYS on the road, it is even more challenging…until you figure it out.
As much as we might (foolishly) think that we have ALL the answers, we don’t. We learn. We learn by our own mistakes along with the advice and experiences of others. And every time we get better. And since the world and travel is always changing, our knowledge is always changing as well.
Kathleen and I met in November 2017, and less than 60 days later we ventured on our first international trip to Spain and France. It was a trip I had scheduled already, and six months later we had a chance to do it again for three days in Madrid, Spain. We turned that into a six-week tour of Spain and Portugal via bus, train, and motorcycle, and realized that we could live better and cheaper traveling than living in California. During our journey we considered the possibilities and asked ourselves, “Can we do ‘this?’” Can we leave our home country, shed most of our personal possessions and travel with just a few backpacks?
The answer was a resounding YES, and six months later, on February 17, 2019, we started our journey. We learned a lot about the world, about ourselves, and especially, about each other, and the lessons were life changing. It still is and we will continue as long as it’s fun!
When we left everything was new, but we both had some experience with international travel, so we were not complete novices. But packing for an undefined amount of time, and not knowing exactly where we were going, was much different!
Prior to actually leaving, we had months of purging, getting rid of big things as well as small things. Things that had no sentimental value, and many that did, including photos and journals, and items that had a story. They all had to go. Clothing was probably the BIGGEST item to deal with since we had to determine what we wanted and needed, and what we didn’t. We purged the majority and bought new items that we thought would wear and travel well, plus offer the right amount of protection against cold weather as well as hot.
Even the night before we left we purged about 20 additional pounds, and had two 28” suitcases, two large, and two small backpacks to carry. Six weeks later when we left Valencia, Spain, our first stop, we already eliminated one large suitcase and about half the stuff we brought with us. And since then this process has been in constant motion: buy, wear, purge, repeat.
When we started Traveling Younger we KNEW we would learn, and we were committed to sharing and inspiring you. I hope we are succeeding.
Travelers embrace the culture and vibe of new experiences and don’t need to cram everything into a short time period.
Being a Tourist is terrific and allows you to travel and visit new lands, but it’s easy to fall into “tourist traps” and spend too much money. It can also be stressful since time is limited and often you start counting the days remaining the day you get there! Wouldn’t it be nice to stroll around Paris, Istanbul, or Prague, instead of rushing??
Travelers (ideally) should spend several weeks to several months in each location, which allows for amazing benefits:
- cheaper lodging due to long-term discounts
- time to see most of the sights in the area
- the flexibility to enjoy many eateries and local events
- having one “base” allows you the time to use it as a launch point to visit other areas via bus, train, car, or plane.
If this sounds like you– or if you would like to travel like this– then you are our people! Traveling like this is attainable, it is possible, and it is affordable. You do not need to “abandon everything,” but you can live life the way you want. Welcome to Travel Younger.
You may fit into one of these categories:
For me, I fell into the first category, and even though I had a foreign born Hungarian mother, traveling overseas was not on my wish list for most of my life.
To my detriment. She wanted me to go with her to Hungary and see Budapest and her hometown, and arrogant Norm said, “No, I’m too cool to travel with Mom.” Big mistake, and one I regret even today, many years after her passing. It wasn’t until 1996 that I visited Italy with my ex-wife, and chaperoned her daughter’s Latin class, along with one teacher and about two dozen other high school juniors, and we spent seven days in Italy. It really did blow my mind, but the time was not right yet for me to fully appreciate it.
That time didn’t come until I was 62 years old, and I highly encourage you to not wait that long…
It’s possible you wanted to travel overseas your entire life, but circumstances didn’t allow it. There are many legitimate roadblocks, from financial limitations to career climbs to family ties and relationships that prevented it. That unrealized dream can be a huge part of our lives, and we can only say, “It is never too late!”
Along our journey, we met many empty nesters who had to wait until the kids were fully launched, but we have met others who brought/ bring their children along from infancy to teens! I believe there is no better education than traveling and learning about other cultures. I interviewed dozens of fellow nomads for my book, “Nomadic Life for All Ages,” and included many of their stories of traveling with their children.
Ah, these are the ones who traveled when they were footloose, fancy-free, and had no obligations! These are the teens and twenty-somethings that we sometimes refer to as Millennials, who can sleep anywhere, camp on a park bench or the beach, and enjoy every moment.
For many Baby Boomers who reached adulthood in the 1960-1980 time period, life was easy, and so was travel. But there were no smartphones or computers and these novice travelers dealt with paper maps and discovered things much more slowly. As fun as it was, it was also uncomfortable, and many who are now “older” recognize that they do not want to, and will not travel like that again!
The good news is that you don’t need to!
Even with the complexity of the world today, travel is pretty easy, and we will teach you how to make it even easier!
Expats (ex-patriots) is the collective name of citizens of one country who decide to live elsewhere
It is estimated that over 50 million ex-pats all over the world live in non-native countries. Some of them work, some are students, and many are retirees who want to live a different or less expensive lifestyle. The US State Department estimates there are almost ten million Americans living outside the US.
Living in another country can be tricky since most countries will not just “open the doors indefinitely” for visitors. Most places allow a 90-day stay, but some will only give you 30 days. Some require a visa, some don’t. And then there’s the big European deterrent: The Schengen Zone.
The Schengen is a collective of 28 countries that share border control, which allows effortless transportation for citizens from any of those countries to cross them, but it’s different if you are an outsider.
Until we traveled I never heard of Schengen, but we have learned how to play the “chess game,” and can show you, too. The European Union, ie, the EU, is one of the most popular destinations for travelers and those who want to live abroad. There are some solutions with Residency and Digital Nomad visas, and they afford you many options.
Asia has its own set of challenges since many countries require entry visas, and their duration varies from 30-90 days. In Bali (Indonesia), we found out–the hard way–that getting a 30 day “Visa on Arrival,” a VOE, was NOT the best choice if you plan to stay longer than 30 days. We learned THAT workaround the hard way, and gladly share it with you.
If you are thinking about becoming an ex-pat and starting new somewhere else, you will learn from Travel Younger. You will get insight into the visa processes and ways to do things easier, but especially into the mental and emotional progression of leaving everything (and everyone) behind and moving to a new country. And if you are not sure where you want to go, maybe we can help! If we’ve been there, we’ll share, and if not, just ask!
As a side note, I want to add this: You do NOT need to leave everything behind all at once. We recommend that potential ex-pats try different places for various time periods, and we suggest the six-week stay since it offers so many things. Too many people have this fantasy of moving to Tuscany, Italy or buying a beachfront home in Bali. In most cases Reality is much different than Fantasy, so it’s best to move slowly and with knowledge. We will teach you.
