Checking in with Married With Luggage

Betsy and Warren Talbot of Married With Luggage are celebrating six months of travel with this phenomenal post about what they’ve learned along the way.

You may remember Betsy and Warren from this guest post a few months ago, called “How Downsizing Upsized Our Lives.”  The adventurous duo spent two years getting rid of everything they owned, selling their house, and saving money for their dream of traveling the world. They started with the goal of a year of travel, and by the time they embarked on their journey it had stretched to at least three years on the road. Since then, they’ve trekked through South America, taken a cruise to Antartica and camped on the ice, and witnessed a volcanic eruption, just to name a few of the highlights.

At this moment, they’re hitching a ride on a cruise ship on its way to Falmouth, England as the only passengers on board. They’ve got 5 weeks to watch sunrises and sunsets, count stars at night, and get to know the crew. And they’ve written up a long list of several other things they’ve got in mind as well.

Their latest post is so inspiring I just had to share it with you. It’s so insightful, and I could relate to much of it. Their blog is much more than an inventory of their travels. It’s all about living your dream, and their dream happens to be seeing the world. They’re a marvelous example of how to recognize and be true to your own unique path.

So take a minute to read the post. One of my favorite insights is about boldness and how we often don’t ask for what we want because we’re afraid of being embarrassed or getting “no” for an answer. The post also talks about how the hardest part of long-term travel is being away from the people you love. The idea that “…we’ll always hear about the big stuff, but we’ll miss 1000 little things…” reminds us of what we have to be thankful for, no matter where we are in our lives or how near or far from our own dreams we may be.

What about you? Do you know what your dreams are? Are you taking steps to make them come true? Maybe you’re living your dream right now. Share your thoughts in the Comments section.

Comments

  1. says

    Angela, thanks for the kind mention. Just like The Compact, our trip is an experiment in living in a different way – a way more true to our values – and I love how both of our journeys intersect in so many ways.

  2. Marie-Josée says

    I just loved Betsy’s post. What great food for thought. We have downsized our ownership of things in an incremental manner. We sold our home in the burbs six years ago because my husband could no longer tolerate the 45 minute to one hour commute stuck in traffic. We held out until our youngest child finished high school, then moved to the city where both my husband and I worked, our youngest son was entering college in the city, and our eldest daughter was already attending univeristy there as well. My daughter bought my car, so that was the second major downsize. By the same token we were freed from maintaining a three story home and 4000 square feet of lawn, swimming pool, snow shoveling – apart from snow shoveling (which my husband loves), we always resented the time and money that was required to maintain and renovate our home. Having raised our children in the suburbs, we felt we needed to be especially caring and sensitive to the needs of our son who found it very difficult to be uprooted from his friends, now a 25 minute drive away. Downsizing, like most major decisions, are harder to navigate when children are involved. Although we still often feel overwhelmed by our lives, between both working full time, living in a housing coop that requires us to invest time and share our skills for the maintenance and management of the coop, caring for our children, my granny, our extended families and friends – our lives are definately richer since the downsize. The greatest benefit, way ahead of the fact that we are saving a lot of money, is that we have more time to devote to family and friends which is what really makes my heart sing.

  3. says

    I finally got a university degree at age 52. Now I’m 53 and still don’t have a “real” job. I decided to remain a freelance writer, and was willing to live frugally to keep doing that — and to travel. My journeys aren’t particularly adventurous, mostly just trips to see family and friends in different parts of the U.S. Recently I did three (frugal) weeks in the U.K., thanks to hostels.
    My next trips are: two months in Alaska (house-sitting and then visiting), a few days at BlogHer (where I’ll meet up with my daughter), and a few days at Affiliate Marketing Summit followed by about three weeks exploring New York City and Washington D.C. and then visiting family in New Jersey. Those last two trips are business-related so some expenses will be tax-deductible. And I’ve just about talked myself into attending the PF Bloggers Conference in Chicago in October; also business-related, but I will stay a few extra days at the downtown hostel and see a little more of the city.
    My mantra is “save where you can so you can spend where you want.” It’s worked for me so far. I hope it keeps working.

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