Three weeks to Financial Freedom – The Interview
Look out Richard and Judy! We’ve interviewed each other, asking some of the questions we’ve been asked over the last few months. This will hopefully give you an idea of how we are feeling right now and our plans for the future.
It’s 30 minutes long, so grab a brew, pop your feet up and enjoy.
Ju x
Listened to all of this!!
Re. going straight on at Calais…that’s what we did when we met you in Slovenia. The drive straight south was incredible. Especially once we hit Austria.
Going to miss you, but so glad we get to pull you back for the New Year (sorry, but also not sorry…if you know what I mean). Lots of Love. xx
Anne, we don’t plan to be going quite as fast as you two did :)
We’re honoured to be coming back for your big day – already got my dress, can’t wait.
Ju x
Hi,
Just listened to your recent video blog. My husband and I are in a similar position to you, although we’ve only managed a meager 5 weeks away in our van (converted vivaro) although we’ve recently bought a proper motorhome and rescued two pups, so we are just planning a Europe trip for the spring next year.
Have a fab time on your trip (s) and we’ll subscribe to your blog, so we will look forward to getting updates!
Emma and Shaun Grant (Dorset)
Thanks Emma & Shaun
Only five weeks? Imagine being sat in the office and offered five weeks holiday, you’d think you’d won the lottery! It sounds like you are fortunate like us to be able to travel when you want, it truly is amazing. Have a great adventure in the Spring and hopefully our paths may cross for a cheeky beer somewhere.
Ju x
YES the snoring was noticeable. especially when played on a 300w sound bar and subwoofer. My house shook!
Very glad I mentioned it now or you’d have wondered what it was. That was Charlie on quiet mode :)
Brilliant !Hopefully it may remove a few pairs of “I want stuff” blinkers. Chin chin to you both & kind regards from a wet and blustery French Aire.
Thanks guys. We’re so pleased our ‘blinkers’ were removed, this life is amazing. Very jealous, it’s wet and blustery here too, but we aren’t in France (yet) with cupboards stocked with tasty French food, can’t wait to hit Carrefour!
Enjoy x
With you on the passive investing – did the same research!!
I also have some investments in ‘Investment Trusts'(similar to ETF’s – spreading some risk although they are listed companies). I digress.
Want to wish you three all the best for your future traveling. We will be following you (not literally) metaphorically and look forward to reading all about the trip(s).
Thanks Ian.
I really enjoyed the interview, lots of similar experiences to ours especially regarding people’s reactions and about getting rid of stuff. We are still in the de-cluttering phase and also a bit depressed. I started my first full time job in 15 years last week and Nathanial is getting to grips with housework and school runs with a lot of DIY thrown in. We’ll try not to turn too green reading your updates but obviously wish you well with your adventures and will hopefully bump into you one day, ideally somewhere hot; we’ll have a BBQ and some beers ;) All the best, Beth x
Thanks Beth – enjoyed following you guys along, with the added dimension of children being along with you, fascinating for me. I wondered what impact that kind of experience might have had on me as a child; I imagine a fabulous one. Congratulations on starting work again, 15 years is an impressive ‘gap’ although I imagine doing a job to be FAR simpler (!) than bringing up kids. :-) It’s an interesting experience getting back from a long trip out, finding your way again back here. Lots of attitudes and beliefs suddenly seem alien? Someone once wrote about it being the ‘dark side’ of travel – dealing with the ‘come down’ of getting back. We dealt with it by setting out the goals we wanted to achieve and focusing on them – changing whatever we felt we needed to change to get things right. Not easy though, keep an eye out for one another. Thanks again for your writing and photos – helped me along as we eyeballed those goals from an office window. Cheers, Jay
Currently sitting in our VW lwb (not a campervan technically) in very wet and windy campsite in Sanxenxo, Galicia making the most of free WiFi. I’ve been following your blog for a while now, so your video very interesting. We are on week 3 of a 5 week trip, love the freedom. This trip we have decided that a bigger van required as we travel with 2 woofers if we end up travelling for longer.Our plan is to enjoy Cornwall in the summer and escape the winters seeking out sunshine. We also have a big spreadsheet and gearing up for the escape from FT work.
Ah windy and rainy Galicia, the home of ‘Galicia face’ – scrunched up against the cold and wet, happy memories. We’ve met people who did similar tours to us in smaller vans and I take my hat off to them. The maximum I could manage in Autosleeper was two weeks, after that I was too grumpy from having to make up the bed every night from a confusion of cushions (surely that is the collective term for cushions in a camper!).
Great to hear you are also on the path to FI – we can’t wait to get out there and see what it’s like. Hopefully our paths may cross in person one day for a cheeky beer and to discuss the important stuff in life such as investments and toilets :)
Ju x
Hi guys, great blog and very honest. Just want to comment on the section of what people think, and it’s like you said Jason that once you have experienced the total freedom of long term travel it opens your eyes and thoughts as too why we are here and what we want in life. (Hope that doesn’t sound too deep).
I am excited for you for your trip and look forward to reading your blogs, I still have a whole year till I go so your travels will keep me excited and inspired. Best wishes Matt
Hi Matt, Thanks for getting in touch. That year will fly by and before you know it you’ll be on the road – keep in touch and let us know how you are getting on.
Ju x
We really enjoyed your video, so thanks for posting, very inspirational. We plan to go full timing in just over three years, when I hit 55 and can get my hands on my pension! In the meantime we’re de-cluttering, saving, and picking up all the useful tips and info that we can. Really looking forward to your next chapter!
Hi. Great interview. Great to hear the same thoughts from someone else that rattle round our heads. Currently we live in Australia, but spent 6 years living in the UK and travelling in the 90’s, including 6 months in a van round Europe. We still look back on that as our best trip. Took the family for a quick trip in 2012 which was different to say the least, but the girls think it was great, (forgetting the long drives). I have followed your interesting journey over the last few months as you gear up. We plan on heading back over when the girls have left home and buy a van and head off round Europe again. Yesterday I showed my wife your video and while we have been thinking of downsizing, by the end of the day we had bought a townhouse and it feels great. Now for the decluttering. Will continue to follow your travels to keep us on track. All the best as you head off on your new adventures.
I can understand that updating the blog daily may not be an absolute priority for you but there is a particular joy for the rest of us in reading your daily updates! Please bear this in mind!!! :-)
:-) will see what we can do Mark! We’re not expecting to be moving as quickly as last time though, so daily updates might quickly get very dull… Cheers, Jay
Really enjoyed the video. We are a lot older than you two, being in our early 70s. Brought back memories of sailing. I built my own boat and we went off for a year to the Canaries, Africa and the Med. It was great. I have now sold everything beginning with “B” and now have a Hymer. The selection was easy and I had a tag axle version. Over the next four years we have owned 4 different versions. It really is the same as buying a boat. The ideal one is always 1 metre longer than your existing one! However now we have a 2013 Hymer with twin berths and it is brilliant. If I had to start again I would buy one about 1995/96. Don’t be in a hurry to buy the latest version. In February we are off to Morocco and really looking forward to it. For me, as with our boating ventures, the pleasure is in meeting other interesting people as well as the local environment.. I’m glad I discovered your web page and look forward with great interest to your activities.
Richard and Helen Weston.
PS Have taken on board your decluttering activities. Fortunately my wife is a minimalist: I am the reverse!!