Retirement travel does not have to mean short, rushed vacations or luxury-tour pricing. Slow travel means basing yourself in a destination long enough to settle into daily life — using local markets, cooking some meals, choosing longer-stay accommodation, and exploring beyond headline attractions. My book, Budget Slow Travel in Retirement, turns eight years of travel across…
The Question Every Retiree on a Budget Should Be Asking A haircut costs $85 in Seattle and $16 in Murcia, tip included. A dental crown runs into four figures in the United States and under $300 in Vietnam — with a ten-year guarantee attached. A private hospital stay in Athens, including surgery, a titanium rod,…
For many, retirement conjures images of sandy beaches and endless margaritas. That dream holds real appeal — and honestly, we’ve lived a good chunk of it ourselves. But an increasing number of retirees are opting for a different kind of adventure alongside the beach chair: retirement abroad with a purpose. Volunteering your time and skills…
Every few months, someone in our Budget Slow Travel in Retirement group asks a version of the same question: “Has anyone gotten TEFL or TESOL certified and taught English abroad in retirement?” And every time, the thread explodes. Hundreds of comments, dozens of countries, a few war stories, and — if you read closely —…
Eight years ago, Jeff, our Yorkie, Cookie, and I packed a Toyota with two suitcases and a rooftop bag, and drove from New Jersey to Mazatlán to start our beachfront retirement. Turns out there’s only so much time you can spend on a beach. So we started traveling — and eight years and 100 countries…
Navigating a medical emergency is stressful enough when you’re in your own neighborhood, speaking your own language, and holding a familiar insurance card. But when you’re in the heart of Argentina and a surgeon demands payment for an appendectomy in physical U.S. Dollar bills, the stress moves from “medical” to “existential.” This week, Kirsty Exelby…
If you’re searching for cheap spicy food destinations where every meal costs less than the spare change in your pocket, you’re going to love this guide. Our Facebook group — now over 170,000 members strong — recently exploded when one member shared her £1 dosa in Kuala Lumpur. The thread grew into a global chili-fueled brainstorm, with dozens of travelers shouting out the hottest (literally) places to eat well for less. My husband Jeff and I chimed in with our own stories too, including a Maldives kitchen discovery that still makes us laugh.
This guide blends the best recommendations from our community with the moments Jeff and I will never forget.
Selling your home to travel in retirement is the ultimate question for many. It feels like a huge, irreversible step! We dive into the pros, cons, and smart hybrid strategies (including what we did!) to help you decide what’s right for you.
Reverse culture shock is one of the strangest and most disorienting experiences a long-term traveler can face. It’s the “travel hangover” nobody warns you about. You spend years, months, or even just a few weeks adapting to a new way of life abroad, and then you return “home”—only to find that “home” now feels completely…
This guide offers a four-step process for managing travel photos, transforming them from digital clutter into sources of joy. It emphasizes culling, organizing, creating tangible projects, and sharing adventures with others. Various creative ideas for preserving and displaying photos are provided, encouraging travelers to enjoy and narrate their journeys.
