Extended Slow Travel Following Fall Weather

Ben and I have wanted to spend time abroad since before we were married (so, at least 5 years). Both of us lived overseas for much of our childhoods and we’ve traveled internationally a lot since, too. Global-mindedness is a core value we share. And while we love the US and are fortunate to be Americans, more often than not we’re itching to see the other 94% of the earth and be among the other 96% of humans!

But if there’s anything we learned from 2020, it’s the need to be flexible. Ben and I are both type-A planners, so this was a hard pill to swallow. We live by Evernote checklists, shared spreadsheets, and household whiteboards. It’s both exciting and scary to leave our itinerary so loose on this trip. Then again, this may be the only period in our lives that we can make into anything we want it to be.

We love living in Colorado! Boulder has been our home for five years and it will be hard to leave. Photo by Alison Travis

So, why not follow mild weather? Not only does that just sound pleasant, but it works out well with our timeline and makes packing simpler. Because the global pandemic is ongoing, there’s an added layer of uncertainty. We can’t be sure that COVID-19 cases will have calmed down enough or that vaccinations will be widespread enough this summer. Our tentative departure date is early September, which will also give us time to visit family and friends stateside first.

Here’s what we do know so far:

• We acknowledge that we’re extremely privileged to be able to go on this trip. We’ve been given a lot of help and had many lucky breaks in our lives. We’ve also worked hard, lived frugally, and invested diligently for years. We’re able-bodied, in good health, and have no current obligations or dependents. Our budget will allow us to travel for at least 6 months, so we’re planning September 2021 through February 2022.

• We’re choosing not to work day jobs remotely while traveling - the digital nomad life isn’t for us. Instead, we’ll immerse ourselves in the present by volunteering, learning, exploring, and creating. We hope to find interesting opportunities through Workaway, a global network that connects travelers with locals who need help in exchange for room and board. We may also dabble in some creative projects of our own.

Photo by Alison Travis

• We want to follow weather that averages 70-50°F (21-10°C) in the regions while we’re there. The rough idea is to start in Northern Europe at the end of summer, move through Central Europe in early-mid fall, and finally stay in Southern and Western Europe into December. Ben has family in Germany that we’re excited to spend Christmas with! Then, hop over to the summery southern hemisphere in the first months of 2022. Options include Singapore (where I grew up), Australia and New Zealand if they’re open, or South America.

• We want to travel slowly and get to know the culture and people of a few places. This is not meant to be a whirlwind backpacking tour of as many countries as possible. We hope to stay at our Workaway jobs for at least 2-3 weeks at a time in smaller cities or towns. Then, we’ll take a week on the way to the next job to do some sight-seeing in bigger cities. Ben and I are lucky to have seen many different parts of the world already. For this trip, we decided to stay in countries with higher costs-of-living.

• This trip will be more psychologically adventurous than physically adventurous. We’re not planning to do a lot of roughing it or outdoor activity. We’re not staying in hostels, camping, or hiking. On our to-do list: eat good food, meet interesting people, try new skills, photograph beautiful places, learn some history, and grow in the face of challenges.

• We know this isn’t going to be a Constant Adventure of Wonderment Around Every Corner. There will be stressful situations, boring days, down time, disagreements, and mishaps. We’ll probably get homesick, sick to our stomachs, and sick of each other along the way (although we’re preparing ways to combat all three). Ben and I are seasoned travelers and have developed a good dynamic on the road over our 10 years together. We’ll get to test and hone it more now!

Photo by Alison Travis

Here’s what we don’t know yet:

• We haven’t picked exactly which Workaways we’ll do, which countries we’ll go to, and for how long we’ll be there. Ben and I started browsing and narrowing down types of projects that are a good fit. Our interests and skills are better suited for teaching English, hospitality, or non-profit work rather than farm labor, landscaping, or home renovation. The pandemic forces us to be more spontaneous than we normally would!

• We’re not trying to decide yet where we’ll settle after our trip. We plan to be gone for 6 months (roughly 4 in Europe and 2 elsewhere), but we could cut it short. Or, we could love it and keep going. Maybe we’ll return to Colorado, a beautiful and welcoming state that’s hard to leave. Maybe we’ll move back to the East Coast to be closer to most of our families and friends. Or maybe we’ll stay abroad. Both of us appreciate our past expat lives and how they formed us.

• We’re unsure how our values, priorities, relationship, and mindsets will shift. We’re open to gaining a lot from this experience and being slightly different people when we decide we’re done.