Considering selling off everything to travel the world...maybe
 

I'm looking for opinions, please and thank you.

Here's the situation. Husband and I have lived on our farm the last 27 years. Both our girls will be off to college soon, and with that we lose our two best helpers.

Husband is not up to the work anymore, and I'm working constantly just to keep paying for the last thing that broke. We get little to no enjoyment from the place anymore; we're frankly exhausted.

So...we're thinking about selling everything and spending 6 months or a year traveling before we (maybe) settle down again. We've traveled some but it's always hard to get away between the girls' school, extracurriculars and the general incarceration of owning a farm.

Husband has a pension that could follow us wherever we go. It wouldn't be luxurious, but if we sell everything we'll be debt-free. Selling everything would also pay for about 3/4 of our daughters' college (a huge plus!).

Do you know anyone who's done this? Tips? Suggestions? Considerations? Cautions?

Thanks.

Travel where? If Europe, keep in mind if you are U.S. Citizen you can't stay in many of the popular countries for more than 90 days in a 180 period of time.

Thanks. Yes, we're aware of the 90-day limit. We'd like to explore more of German-speaking countries, plus Iceland, Italy, France, Spain and England. We're pretty frugal travelers and would plan to rent an apartment in each location as a home base so we would have a more relaxed schedule than we've had in our rare and frantic travels before.

I've done it, a version of it. I owned a house and a studio next door. I'd been thinking about traveling to see more of the world than I had already and one day I got a phone call from a friend. She said there was a couple at her house wanting to buy a house in our small town, she didn't want to sell but would I consider it? I would, said I, and to cut to the chase, during the next month the couple bought my house, I moved into the studio, my husband and I divorced amicably, I quit my job and my sweet cat died. Really, all in 1 month, in 2003.

I locked the door behind me and first went around the world for 6 months. This went on for 3 years with short spells in my little house. After 3 years my old job came open and I was asked if I'd return. I said I'd return if I could work half the year and travel the other half. Done. I worked 3 months on, 3 off, and continued to travel for another 6 years. I sold the remaining home early in the last year, put my things in storage and kept going.

Now, after relocating and a hiatus of 2+ years, I'm now getting ready to resume my travels. I'm not able to leave this house as easily as the last and I'm finding it's a problem. So I suggest to you that the best of all possible travel worlds is to not own a house while you do the bulk of your traveling, or have one, as I did, that you can lock up and leave and not worry. But I recommend doing it in whatever way you can, without reservation. That month I was radically divested of my former life was the most constructive month ever and it allowed me to do exactly what I wanted to do for as long as I chose to do it.

Thanks, MmePerdue. Incredible opportunity for you! I do wonder, though...did you struggle with homesickness? Did you miss your old home? This kind of life change really terrifies a part of me. It's not something people in our family do...but I feel like we're dying before death where we currently are.

There are very few families on the planet that have people that do what I did and what you're thinking of doing. That's no reason whatever to not do it. I was homesick as I locked the door behind me and it went away a few miles up the road. The prospect of whatever adventure was before me so far outweighed concern for what I was leaving as to not be an issue at all, once I was on my way. Definitely not a struggle. I'm guessing, if it's something you really want, you'll never be sorry if you go, only sorry if you don't.

By the way, despite not being homesick, it was always a thrill to come home again. Don't be terrified, only be terrified of missing the opportunity if what you describe is how you really feel.

A friend did this, here's her blog. She started out differently but they are now on the road with no home.

http://theworldinbetween.com

Do it. If you can find a way, do it.

I got rid of all my furniture, put other stuff into storage and was on the road for 20 months from January 2010 to October 2012. One of the best times of my life; sometimes I wish I still had my stuff in storage.

Research is important in the early stage, to find those places where you can live reasonably. And then once you get somewhere, budget, budget, budget. I ate a lot of picnics. I ate a lot of pasta with butter and steamed broccoli. But I had some Saturday lunches that were glorious because I saved up for them.

I have never been there but I have heard Iceland is kind of expensive. Spain - you will have no problems if you plan right, food in the markets is excellent quality and fairly inexpensive. If you stay out of the main tourist cities in Italy you will find things very affordable.

Also consider Croatia in your plans as you can rent apartments quite cheaply in off season, and it is outside the Schengen area.

Let your friends know to spread the word and ask friends if they need housesitters.. you never know!

Good luck and happy planning

If you're at all interested, think outside Europe. I found it was as cheap to travel in Asia, excluding a few big cities, as it was to stay home. I'm drawn to places with a bit of an edge and if the food is great too, nothing better.

We found all of Scandanavia to be expensive as compared to other locations in Europe.

Of course, I was thinking the same thing, Mme Perdu. SE Asia is very cheap. The locals are welcoming and many people speak English...

Great ideas, thank you. We haven't really ruled out anyplace, but we love Europe so we knew that would be on the list. We thought we would start with 6 months and see how we feel at the end of it. Our most cherished possessions we would put into storage, so if we do change our minds there will be some familiar furnishings to return to. Beyond that ... not sure, but the freedom of not knowing is pretty exhilarating!

I say go do it!

We did it on the other end of our lives; sold everything and took off with four little kids. Bought a boat and sailed the inland waterways of Europe and crossed the Med. for a few years until the money ran out ---- and so did the Wife.

Never regretted a moment of it or begrudged a penny, and life has turned out splendidly for all of us.

We had our family right with us, so loneliness did not enter the picture. You will still have your family with you; each other.

One of my favourite sayings - "Better to regret things you've done than things you haven't". Go for it. Plan, research as much as you can but do it. Do you want to be still thinking this way in 2 years, in 10 years? Life is short.

This is different from what you are planning but we moved from Australia to England for a year which turned into 5 years. We had a fabulous time, not all easy but overall brilliant. Now we have sold our house and moved interstate, again not all easy but we are loving it.

Let us all know how you get on.

Kay

Go for it.

Oh, I hope you do it. All I can add is that do it before your daughters give you grandchildren. I have always wanted to leave here but now that I have grandchildren, I don't want to be anywhere that they are not.

While your daughters are in college seems a great time to go. To me, that is when they are independent and liking it.

This is as perfect a time as you will ever have.
Do it now!

Illness can happen anytime.
Do it now!

Kids will probably get married and have babies.
Do it now!

You are unhappy the way things are.
Do it now!

You will get older and not have the energy.
Do it now!

See where this is going?
Do it Now!

College in France is between 11 years old and 17.
How old are your daughters ?
Do they need you (I mean like constantly) ?

pariswat: >>College in France is between 11 years old and 17<<

That is middle and high school in the States. In the US College/University Used sort of interchangeably) is 18+

Kandace: My situation is different I moved to the UK in my late 20's and stayed for 5 years (immigration rules were different back then). I didn't move around to other countries. But it was the defining period in my life. Do it . . .

There are many if us here who want to see the world but simply cannot gather the courage to wrap things up and just leave. At least, in my part of the world this is almost unheard of- you will be considered an ascetic or a very irresponsible person for even thinking something like this. You have already thought thru your immediate responsibilities, i.e. your children. You should definitely take the leap and go for it!