Slow Travel May Be Better Than Being Expats!

Many thanks for all of the great comments that expand on the discussion! We got rid of most of our belongings, and headed to Portugal to move overseas. But it didn't really work out for a number of reasons. But we are really happy with the alternative - being slow travelers and part-time expats! This video identifies some of the characteristics of Slow Travel and Part Time expats.

We have a small home in the USA that is our home base, and spend 1-3 months at a time in one place overseas, several times a year. We stay long enough to really learn about a place's people and the history, and experience living in the culture.

This video provides a brief overview of why being a slow traveler / part-time expat may be right for you, and some tips on how to prepare.

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Panoramas of many places we have been:

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And in case you were wondering, our channel title "89 Days Away" refers to the typical 90-day visitor limit for staying in a country or area (such as the EU Schengen Zone) before having to become an official resident.

We try to maintain a lean, scaled back lifestyle in the US, and spend around 1/2 of our year living overseas as "slow travelers", within those time limits, to get the overall expat experience without having to become a full time resident of the foreign country.

Our channel started out talking about that lifestyle, but has morphed into other topics related to this stage of life that we find interesting.

We hope that you find the topics interesting as well.

[daysaway]

We got rid of most of our belongings, and headed to Portugal to move overseas. But it didn't really work out for a number of reasons. But we are really happy with the alternative - being slow travelers and part-time expats!

We have a small home in the USA that is our home base, and spend 1-3 months at a time in one place overseas, several times a year. We stay long enough to really learn about a place's people and the history, and experience living in the culture. This video provides a brief overview of why being a slow traveler / part-time expat may be right for you, and some tips on how to prepare.

👇👇👇Our FREE weekly newsletter where we share travel info, but also talk about how to navigate midlife, aging, and the years leading up to retirement: 👇👇👇

[ZhizniEyeTayni]

Been to 25 countries. It worked great for a few years, then eventually you fall in love with one amazing spot and stay there longer, recharge your energy. Its a cool approach not to decide long term and see how you feel about it all. Sometimes its fun to be on the road for a long time and sometimes you want to build a nest. So go with a flow ❤ it is all funnnn

[Kurtasn]

I have done this for 15 years, it works for me. I am out of country 11 months a year. I have no home base, but did have a home base in the Philippoines for 3 years.

[jackschreur]

Terrific video that explains exactly how we currently live. Retired at 55 to do more with less. Cannot emphasize enough how important downsizing your US footprint is to make this happen. Not just for reducing costs, but also freeing up the time and space in your life to get away for months at a time. Heading out for our third slow- travel trip since retirement, 114 days with month-long stays in Spain, Portugal, and Scotland… for us the key is to mix in low cost places like Spain and Portugal with HCOL like Paris (11 days on this trip) and Scotland.

[StamfordBridge]

I’m not yet at retirement age, but this video is describing a lifestyle I have so often said would be my ideal.

[Nyhiker]

We’re with you. We retired five years ago and have been maintaining our small home in upstate NY while traveling about 6-8 months a year. It doesn’t cost much to maintain our base and little car and we still get to visit all the amazing places overseas. I subscribed to your channel just now. Thanks for posting your great video. By the way, we were in Lisbon last June and had a sangria at the same cafe shown in your video next to the kiosk. We loved that place and the bartender was so welcoming too.

[Anima_Libera_]

I have traveled like this for many years, and for me it's the *only* way to travel. I like the idea of getting to know a country a bit better than you would in just a few days. The history, the customs, the dos and don'ts are all interesting. You get to know some of the neighbors and they start treating you as one of them, especially if you are able to communicate with them. This is one of the reasons why it's important to learn at least a few words of the local language and the longer you stay, the more you learn.
I always end up buying a few things for the apartment, and for the most part I just leave them there. It's much easier than trying the sell them and less expensive than putting them into storage. Holding on to things also doesn't make sense because I don't usually visit the same country twice, and even if I did, I wouldn't go back to the same city.
It's a great way to get to know the world.

[MauiMana]

My wife and I have been seriously contemplating a very similar change in our living situation. The expat route is complicated and emotionally daunting to say the least but downsizing one’s US base residence in a way where it is still a nice situation to come home to and then spending several months a year in other interesting locations sounds less risky and perhaps more enjoyable. Staying in an apartment for weeks at a time also allows one to “set up shop” so to speak and get some work done. Thank you for your video

[ryanbenedict]

This is the most helpful video on this topic I've seen. Jam packed with practical, thoughtful, actionable advice.

[nikkistgreen]

This is exactly what hubby & I are planning for! Thank you for this video 🙂We are from the UK and have been calling it our 'semi-retirement'.

[chrisdavisunofficial]

My family just did an 11 month slow travel through SE Asia. My wife used to be a teacher, so she did homeschooling. We typically stayed for 2-6 weeks in a given location and it worked out great. We came back to the US so that the kids could go to public schools (their request), but they keep begging to go back to Thailand and the Philippines.

[beautifulplacesonearth]

I really like the definition of "Part Time Expat". That is exactly what we have done and it has been one of the most fulfilling experiences. The level of adventure and immersion that it gives you is one of a kind- so many lessons to be learned while living on the road, months at a time. Being at home does sometimes make us miss the time abroad, so we started filming everything we did- the drives, the hikes, the skiing, the train rides, all to then watch from home and take us right back to those places. It has also helped with showing family the beauty that is out in this big, beautiful world. We hope to be able to continue being "part time expats" because there is so much to learn and grow from a slow travel way of immersion in this world.

Thank you for sharing your experience, looking forward to more videos :)

[JasmineApple]

What a great video! I've been thinking about doing this for a long time -- 2-3 months in one country, then traveling onto the next country, and just keep moving like that. I don't want to give up my home -- I live in a great area, and I want a home. base to come back to -- after a year or so!! So looking forward to more of your videos. I'm not ready for the move yet, but in the next year or so, I will be.

[hulafriends]

Great idea! I have been thinking along the same line.

[meandyouagainstthealgorithm]

When I retire I could sell my home, collect the cash, and rent a home in Costa Rica or Mexico while having a new home built in the US close to my daughters. I could rent a home for a thousand dollars a month less in Puebla, and get all my dental work done for a fraction of the cost. The idea of traveling and saving money at the same time sounds too good to be true.

[DCFerguson]

Thank You! Your response cleared up what was confusing to me after I read some online material. Great website.

[isabellejaubert-fried]

This is plan on doing and I’m two years out in the waters and it is Wonderful.

[JackRT]

I've just started doing this very thing after considering a move abroad, and for many of the same reasons. One of my main considerations is that I have excellent healthcare at home in Canada and a wide range of medical professionals I have built up over the years, so I wouldn't want to lose all that. The other consideration is that I don't want to have all my money or capital in a foreign country- no matter how friendly- because my executor would have a helluva time trying to get all that collected and distributed to my heirs after my death. Better, as you say, to rent somewhere for a few months and enjoy the country, then move on without assuming any risk.

[CaptCanuck]

Agree completely. Due to geopolitical risk, buying a home abroad is a precarious proposition for the foreseeable future.

One of my favorite things to do when living in another city for a few weeks is to join a gym. For me, that makes it feel more like home and I meet like minded locals that way.

[Mike-ymrl]

Finding decent, affordable and centrally located accommodation is always the most challenging aspect of travel. Perhaps you'd be kind enough to share places you could recommend? Many thanks.