Finding that "perfect"—or even near-perfect—balance that truly suits our lives is rarely easy. Sometimes life's unexpected events gently nudge us in a new direction; at other times, it's the quiet whisper of our own soul calling us towards a different path.
I've always believed that if we take the time to listen to those silent inner promptings, they'll lead us exactly where we're meant to be. They rarely steer us wrong and, in the end, they never let us down.
You've found your balance, and that's a wonderful gift. May you continue to savour every precious moment in this breathtakingly beautiful world we share, embracing both its extraordinary beauty and its inevitable contradictions with grace and gratitude.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment - much appreciated! It certainly does feel like a gift to be a place of balance. Hopefully this chapter will prove to be just as interesting as the previous one!
The kittens are so much fun! And just as they get old enough to become real trouble makers, it’s time to hand them back to the humane society for adoption! We’re always relieved to get our house back at that point. 😅
The opportunity to foster has been such a delight. And knowing that we’re heading off again over the winter each year makes it easier to not adopt every single one of them. 😂
For shorter getaways, e.g. under a month, we use Trusted Housesitters so that we can leave the dogs at home. For our longer trips during the winter, we always bring them with us. It’s always complicated to travel with them but we wouldn’t want to be apart from our pups for that long!
We've always been inspired by your travel stories and enthusiasm. After 5+ years of full-time travel, we're starting to talk about options including a house in Europe or 3-month stays in each location. I like the way you've figured out a balance, and I look forward to hearing about your winter plans.
Great to hear - thanks for sharing! We’ve also talked many times about having a home in Europe one day. Right now, we’re still keen to explore new destinations each winter…and we’re particularly excited about what we’ve lined up for winter 2027 (more on that to follow soon 😉).
I've been learning from your travels from the very beginning, and it's uncanny how my husband and I are on a similar trajectory to yours. After three years of glorious full-time slow travel, we decided to set up a temporary home base in the US so we could help elderly parents transition to an assisted living facility. A huge draw for me was having a garden again, and my husband is enjoying his music room. Like you, our new home base is in a small walkable town with tough snowy winters, so our plan is to head back to Europe for six or seven winter months each year, returning for late spring into early autumn. Congratulations on your finding your new nest, and the fostering sounds wonderful. And thank you for sharing your experiences, the information you've provided has helped us.
So great to hear that you’ve found our content helpful. And it does seem like we’re on similar trajectories. I had never imagined myself buying a home in a small town — it’s amazing how much needs and preferences change after seeing more of the world!
I'm getting ready to up-end my life in approximately 18 months (retirement) and am looking forward to it. I think balance changes over time and is never perfect. The best it can be, and I think you're very close to it, is a shared conversation and being so very willing to try something new, and to compromise. I'm so lucky I'll be doing this solo. It cuts down on the compromise part of it.
You’re so close - amazing! I think you’ll find that the 18 months just flies by. Enjoy the journey…it can be an incredible learning experience and a time for so much personal growth.
Finding that "perfect"—or even near-perfect—balance that truly suits our lives is rarely easy. Sometimes life's unexpected events gently nudge us in a new direction; at other times, it's the quiet whisper of our own soul calling us towards a different path.
I've always believed that if we take the time to listen to those silent inner promptings, they'll lead us exactly where we're meant to be. They rarely steer us wrong and, in the end, they never let us down.
You've found your balance, and that's a wonderful gift. May you continue to savour every precious moment in this breathtakingly beautiful world we share, embracing both its extraordinary beauty and its inevitable contradictions with grace and gratitude.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment - much appreciated! It certainly does feel like a gift to be a place of balance. Hopefully this chapter will prove to be just as interesting as the previous one!
Great to get a glimpse of village life. Also, kittens!!
The kittens are so much fun! And just as they get old enough to become real trouble makers, it’s time to hand them back to the humane society for adoption! We’re always relieved to get our house back at that point. 😅
I love the balance you found…and your foster furbabies!!!! Enjoy!
The opportunity to foster has been such a delight. And knowing that we’re heading off again over the winter each year makes it easier to not adopt every single one of them. 😂
Congratulations!! I’m in Ontario Canada too. Curious which small town you chose.
Nice! We’re in one of the scenic little towns between Toronto and Collingwood. Such a lovely part of Ontario.
Aw that sounds like such a perfect rhythm! Would love to design my life like this one day.
Enjoy the journey to get there! It took us many years of trial and error. 😅
We get that and are having some version of the same discussion ourselves.
And would you also characterize your discussions as “highly spirited”? 😂
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Hi, what do you do about your dogs when away ?
For shorter getaways, e.g. under a month, we use Trusted Housesitters so that we can leave the dogs at home. For our longer trips during the winter, we always bring them with us. It’s always complicated to travel with them but we wouldn’t want to be apart from our pups for that long!
Happy to hear how things are evolving and always glad to watch your journey.
Thanks for coming along with us! We’ve really enjoyed sharing as we go.
We've always been inspired by your travel stories and enthusiasm. After 5+ years of full-time travel, we're starting to talk about options including a house in Europe or 3-month stays in each location. I like the way you've figured out a balance, and I look forward to hearing about your winter plans.
Great to hear - thanks for sharing! We’ve also talked many times about having a home in Europe one day. Right now, we’re still keen to explore new destinations each winter…and we’re particularly excited about what we’ve lined up for winter 2027 (more on that to follow soon 😉).
I've been learning from your travels from the very beginning, and it's uncanny how my husband and I are on a similar trajectory to yours. After three years of glorious full-time slow travel, we decided to set up a temporary home base in the US so we could help elderly parents transition to an assisted living facility. A huge draw for me was having a garden again, and my husband is enjoying his music room. Like you, our new home base is in a small walkable town with tough snowy winters, so our plan is to head back to Europe for six or seven winter months each year, returning for late spring into early autumn. Congratulations on your finding your new nest, and the fostering sounds wonderful. And thank you for sharing your experiences, the information you've provided has helped us.
So great to hear that you’ve found our content helpful. And it does seem like we’re on similar trajectories. I had never imagined myself buying a home in a small town — it’s amazing how much needs and preferences change after seeing more of the world!
I'm getting ready to up-end my life in approximately 18 months (retirement) and am looking forward to it. I think balance changes over time and is never perfect. The best it can be, and I think you're very close to it, is a shared conversation and being so very willing to try something new, and to compromise. I'm so lucky I'll be doing this solo. It cuts down on the compromise part of it.
You’re so close - amazing! I think you’ll find that the 18 months just flies by. Enjoy the journey…it can be an incredible learning experience and a time for so much personal growth.