Who We Are

We are Kristi and Darren, a middle aged couple from Canada who sold everything to slow travel the world. Here's the story of how we got there.

Mid Life Epiphany

Many people have asked me how we came to decide to sell everything and become full time travelers and the answer is short....and long. It started spring of 2025, and also many years ago. In a way, the spark has always been there just waiting for ignition.

In my early 20s, I obsessed over travel books, clung to other people's travel stories, and fell asleep dreaming of distant places. I made lists of where I’d go once I had the time and money. Aside from trips to Mexico and the U.S. with my family, it all felt like a pipe dream. Then I met Darren, and he took me to Maui our first winter together. That trip was electric—our love for travel was instant and addictive. From then on, every spare dollar and vacation day went to new adventures: Australia, Costa Rica, Mexico, much of the U.S., Fiji, Samoa, and most recently, Italy. But even after a decade of travel, the itch wasn’t scratched. Italy, our first taste of Europe, only fueled the desire. I came home restless, already planning the next escape.

That spring, while venting in the hot tub about politics and bills, Darren mentioned he’d applied for a job in the Caribbean. At first, it seemed absurd—but the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. We could see more of the world from a different base. He didn’t get the job, but the idea stuck - and then evolved . What if we worked abroad to travel more? That seemed complicated—visas, limited time off. Then another thought: what if Darren’s business ran without him, and we traveled full-time? Still not enough income. But if we sold the house and our things, we'd have a financial cushion and a small income from the business. It began to feel possible. Could we really leave the home we’d poured so much into and say goodbye to our collected treasures? After careful thought and research, the answer was yes.

As I further researched the costs, healthcare systems, visa requirements, credit cards, and residency options, I realized that life on the road could not only be affordable—but significantly cheaper than living at home. Without a mortgage, property taxes, utility bills, regular shopping expenses, or vehicle leases, our financial burden would be drastically reduced. In many parts of the world, the cost of living is far lower than in Canada and if we slow traveled instead of our usual whirlwind sightseeing two week trips, our stress and budget would be reduced. Many people ask if we are concerned about giving up our Canadian healthcare, and the truth is, while healthcare here is technically "free," the system is overwhelmed, and timely care is hard to access—plus prescriptions, dental, vision, hearing, and preventative care all come at an extra cost.

It was settled. We would take the leap into the unknown to follow our dreams of seeing the world and start a brand new chapter.

Down The Rabbit Hole

Of course, this lifestyle shift wouldn’t come without sacrifices. We’d have to say goodbye to our beloved pets and prepare for seeing family and friends far less often. There would be emotional moments—parting with cherished belongings and reimagining what home, the future, and daily life truly mean.

Once the decision was made though, it was surprising how quickly my mindset shifted to minimalism. Suddenly, so many of our possessions felt unnecessary. Even my entire outlook on life seemed to lighten. It was as if everything I’d bought—and every fleeting hobby or trend I’d clung to—had been a quiet attempt to feel content while rooted in a life the world expected of me, but never truly felt like mine. The possibility of this travel life was the most alive I'd felt in years and we listed the house and got to work cataloging and selling everything we own.

Once the house sold, the real work began. The decision to sell, trash or store everything single thing we've acquired over our lifetime is a daunting task. Not to mention revamping phone plans, credit cards, insurance and deciding on what few things would be awarded space in our carry on luggage was even harder. But as the closing date of our house sale approached, we had succeeded in booking accommodations, flights, visas, insurance, vaccinations, licenses and packed our sentimental items into storage. We were off.

We hope you'll follow us on our travels, we'll be posting new stories about every country we visit. We'll tell you all the things we ate, the critters we spotted and the culture we absorbed. We'll share the good and the lessons learned.