08.26.25
I recently posted a two-part newsletter that revisited all the places we’ve been over our 6.5 years of travel, and broke them down into “acts,” like a stage play. Each act was so different, so unique, and here, at Act VI, the show MAY be coming to an end. You can read both right here.
The Voyage of 1000 Miles Must Begin Somewhere
How does Shakespeare’s famous quote apply to your life–and travels?
It’s a famous line from As You Like It, one of Shakespeare’s more well-known plays, and is a metaphor to how we—everyone— plays their roles on different stages at different times during our lives. The world in this context, is not metaphorical, however, but truly means the planet, the globe, that we all live on, starting from our infancy through childhood, to our teens, young adulthood, the middle years, and eventually, to the last stage, when we hopefully acquire the wisdom we’d been seeking from the beginning.
That got me thinking about our, Kathleen’s and my, nomadic journey, which started on February 17, 2019, and continues six and a half years later. Upon reflection, I noted stages that our journey went through, and still is, and wondered: Where is the end? When is the “final act,” when the “fat lady” sings, to coin a phrase? We can never know the “when” the curtain falls, but we do have some control over the where!
Here’s how our “acts” unfolded since 2019:
Act I: “Let the Show begin!”
In the summer of 2018, Kat and I spent six weeks traveling throughout Spain and Portugal via bus, train, and motorcycle. We had been together less than a year, and although “seeing the world and living in different countries,” was HER dream, it was not mine.
But I recognized that it could be, and was very possible.
Six months later, with everything sold that we did not want, we were off to Valencia, Spain, for six weeks, followed by Tivoli, Italy for six more. Our 90 days in the Schengen Zone was well spent, so off we went to a country we really didn’t know much about: Croatia, which we loved, and have lived in several more times. We utilized most of our allotted 90 days there, then, in quick succession, were off in a whirlwind, prompted by a Eurail Pass that had to be used, or lost! Hungary, Austria, and Poland, is where we started, and we stayed in Europe through Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Tunisia, and finally finished Year One in Greece.
From there it was a BIG step: Asia, landing in Singapore on New Years Day, 2020, then on to Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia—and that was all in three months! Just as we started this leg, the pandemic hit, jeopardizing our travels as well as our health, but circumstances took us back to the US for Kat’s son’s wedding, and from there, it was on to what was supposed to be a “two-week stay” in Puerto Morelos, Mexico. But, just like Gilligan and his mates on their island, our “three hour tour” turned into 15 months. By the way, I have all these stops on a spreadsheet which is still current today.
Act II: The Heroes Journey is in Jeopardy!
After traveling non-stop for 13 months, chilling out in Mexico was not a catastrophe, COVID aside. We rented a nice 2br/2ba apartment just 15 minute’s bike ride from the beautiful Caribbean, and made some great friends. We were all in the same literal boat together, unable to travel beyond certain borders, but when it was done, we counted our blessings that we got stuck where we did. We even dealt with COVID boredom without killing each other! For the first few months even the ocean was off limits, but that restriction was removed, and gradually the world returned to normal—but this was a NEW Normal.
Finally, in June 2021, we were able to move on, and were itching to do exactly that. Kat went to Ohio to visit her family and new (first) grandson, and I adventured to other parts of Mexico and into Ecuador, my first steps in South America. I loved it there, made a great friend, and Kat and I reconnected in Peru, which we toured via bus, finishing up in Machu Picchu. And now—FINALLY—it was time to return to Europe.
Act III: On the Road Again
Since we loved Croatia the first time we were there, we decided to pick up our European leg in that same place, and we stayed for 90 more days. But, winter was coming, and we asked ourselves, “Where can we go that is ‘warm?’” by our wimpy standards. The answer was Turkey (now Turkiye) since it was SOUTH, large, affordable, plus I got enamored with the town of Antalya, so that’s where we went. The world was just starting to ease travel restrictions, but when we found out how easy it was to get “residency” there, we went for it—and got approved for a two-year stay. Sweet! Prices were really cheap back then (before the Ukraine Crisis), and we truly loved Turkey and thought we would return.
But, as is normally the case, we got itchy feet after a while, and another summer was coming (with crowds, heat, and higher rent), so we looked for a new direction. That direction was north, since we were invited to tour the northern Greece area and document our travels. Fifteen cities in 30 days was amazing and that partnership with the tourism bureau was glorious. We also loved Greece.
However, we did a little “intermission” before that trip started, and returned to the US for a month. We hadn’t been back for a while, I had some business events to attend to, plus Kat wanted to see her family, and on top of that, I won a trip to the island of Domenica in the Caribbean, all expenses paid. How could we miss that?!
Oh, and we got married…
On July 4th of that year (2022) we left Antalya on two wheels, and started what became an 88 day bike trip. We traveled all the way up the western Turkish coastline—spectacular by the way!!–, continued into Greece for the balance of our 88 days, and finished up in Bulgaria and Romania, where we returned “Max,” our trusty BMW310, to his home. During that entire almost three months we had incredible weather with just 15 minutes of rain. Then, on to Athens, stayed there for six weeks, and, once again, we had to leave the Schengen. Now what??
Where did we go next??
Great question, but it’s intermission, so grab some popcorn, maybe a bathroom break, and the play (show) will go on in our next installment.
The END of the Road??
The “acts” of our nomadic life play may be coming to an end…
At the end of Act III (our last letter), I was reviewing the first three “acts” of our nomadic travel play. Starting in 2019, when Kat and I were both pretty green and new to this life, then onward to COVID lockdown, which is called “the Supreme Ordeal” in fiction writing parlance. You know, when you wonder, “HOW will the hero get out of this mess?” since we know there is usually a Happy Ever After. Well, of course, Kat and I DID get out of the COVID mess, as did all of you, and Act III continued our journey back to where it began: Europe.
A few months in Europe, and then Turkey, and when we finished up our stay there, our plan was to return and use it as a long term base. Laws and residency rules changed, so that idea was cast aside, and Act IV took us to a new country for us: Albania.
Act IV: A New Chapter Unfolds
If ever there was a country that was “misunderstood,” it’s this one. Too many movies and shows include Albanian gangsters, spies, and assorted bad asses, but the country is far from dangerous, and the people are lovely. AND they appreciate Americans, as well as most tourists.
We arrived in November 2022, and since we could stay a year, we had no end game in mind. We lived in three different units over 7 months, including a 2br/2ba unit that was less than a year old, and with a pano view of the island of Corfu. For that we paid $500 USD, which, unfortunately, has gone up since the country has become very well-known over the past few years. Between one of our stays we took a radical time out and went to the Middle East, and visited Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.
I could write a book on THAT six week period, but suffice to say, it was breathtaking. Walking the streets of Jerusalem and the Old City, with the four different areas inside for Jews, Muslims, Christians, and Armenians, really brought home the separation between these four that have gone on for thousands of years. Walking inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which houses the Calvary where Christ was crucified, is as thought provoking as anything we have ever done.
Our five weeks in Israel (including Tel Aviv) allowed us to take a tour to Jordan, which included an overnight stay at a Bedouin camp, and walk through Petra, another ancient marvel. Then, back to Jerusalem, and finally on to Cairo and Giza, where we spent about 12 days in total, visiting the Great Pyramids, Luxor, and Abu Simbel. After those countries it was back to Albania for another three months, then another 87 days on a motorcycle (Aragon we named him) through eastern Europe, including many of the Balkan countries, and finishing up in Paris as the summer of 2023 came to a close. Just in time, too, since we pushed our Schengen time to the very last day (not recommended).
Act V: And Now for Something Completely Different: Hawaii, OZ, NZ, Asia
Paris was our last European port of call since the French Bee airlines had great flights back to the US, which is where we were heading: Hawaii to be exact, to stay at my timeshare I had not visited for six years, and Kat had never been to. But our visit to the mainland of the US was short lived, about 2.5 weeks, as we were about to do “Something Completely Different,” to borrow a movie title from Monty Python. Our time on the mainland was followed by a week at my Maui timeshare, and 10 days on the Big Island. As expensive as the US and Hawaii is, it was surprisingly manageable. Finally, the first week of October, we flew to Honolulu to catch our 18 day, one-way repositioning cruise to Sydney, Australia.
This was significant in many ways. It was our first “real cruise,” beyond a 3 day jaunt we each took years ago, plus we passed the International Date Line, and had ports of call in French Polynesia, which is something impractical and expensive if we were flying there. Tahiti was stop number one, which was a disappointment, and way too touristy and unauthentic. But Moorea was a gem, and one of the few tours we actually took, and Raiatea, where we rented a scooter and circumnavigated the island perimeter, was heavenly.
Finally, after 18 days at sea, we woke up at dawn to look out our porthole and see the iconic Sydney Opera House lit all aglow—amazing! We only spent nine days in Oz—mostly on a Ducati Monster motorcycle (not ideal for touring!)— and that was spent between Sydney and Canberra and a few coastal towns on the way. We continuously were impressed with the hospitality of the Aussies, and many invited us to their home—which we plan to do next year.
As you can see, Act V is a long one!!
Our flight from Oz took us to Bali (again), followed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and finally, Cambodia. Overall, we spent 17 months in southeast Asia and confirmed our thoughts that Vietnam, specifically Da Nang, was definitely a place to consider for a long term stay.
Act VI: Is the Curtain Coming Down?
Last April we returned to Europe for an intended five month bike ride through Greece, Italy, and the Balkans. That trip was shortened to 43 days by the theft of Hermes, and as I write this, we are in Tirana, Albania, three months into a seven month stay. In January we head back to Asia, but that’s another story.
So, Albania.
It’s affordable, and we can stay for a year with no paperwork or visa. The people, the food, and the country, are amazing, and there’s little we don’t like about it. We can get residency for five years with little effort, and we have bounced that idea around many times. By the time we return here (probably two years), we will have been on the road for almost nine years. That’s a long time without a “home.” Can we, should we, DO we make Albania our last stop, where we say NO MAS?
The Fat Lady may sing, and our final curtain may draw to a close. Time will tell, but so far, that’s the way it’s looking.
