We arrived in Seattle on December 1st and it was a whirlwind of holiday gatherings, catching up with friends, and clinging to family. And, of course, having ongoing discussions about 2020. We wondered if it was time for us to settle down ? See more of the world? Or, just see a shrink? It seems these are the questions we always ask ourselves when we are “home”. Especially now that we’ve been living as Senior Nomads for over six and a half years!
The easiest way to make a decision was to revisit the criteria we set back in 2013: “We will continue to travel as long as we are learning every day, we are close to budget, we are in good health, we are having fun, and we are still in love.” I am happy to report we can still tick all of those boxes. So far so good.
We also drilled down on the budget question. “Could we travel the world full-time living in other people’s houses for the same amount of money we would spend if we’d retired to our rocking chairs in Seattle?” And again, the answer was positive.
So, well before Christmas, we made our decision. Drum roll…we are off again! And we are just as excited as we were in the beginning because there so much more of the world to see, and much, much more to learn.
So far we’ve visited 85 countries. That’s less than half of the nations recognized by the United Nations.
As we sat at the table working on our “wish list” for 2020, we took a moment to look back at 2019. We were on the road for 11 months - the longest we’ve been away from home in once stretch. There were many wonderful moments along the way, and also a few challenges. Here’s how the conversation went.
“What were highlights for the year?”
Debbie: Oh my - there were so many! I loved following the sun. Starting in Mexico in January and all through our South America travels we were warm. Then on to Portugal, as we eased into Spring in Europe. I enjoyed exploring different beaches in the South of France, summertime with the grandchildren in France was delightful, and Italy in the fall was warm, even when it was raining. I don’t think we wore more than a windbreaker for 9 months!
Suds and sand in Ipanema
The beaches of Portugal
Tuscany was so beautiful in the fall - and the roads were almost free of traffic.
Michael: It was such a wonderful year with so many special memories. We both enjoyed going to the Scrabble Club in San Miguel de Allende. I even went to the Bridge Club one day. One of my favorite cities of the year was Buenos Aries which is often called the Paris of South America. And, we had our first ever stay on a barge for two weeks on the Seine south of Paris in Veneux-Les-Sablons. Even better, it was close to the grandchildren. As usual, we visited dozens of museums but the one that stood out for me was the Maritime Museum in Hamburg which, as a life-long-boater, I loved.
The view from our barge on a spur of the Seine
Hamburg was a revelation. So much history. So much art. So much great food!
Debbie: I really enjoyed our two car trips. It was sort of crazy for us to rent cars twice in one year, but we couldn’t have explored all the beautiful towns in the Jutland region of Denmark or the hidden gems of Tuscany without wheels.
Michael: The football matches (soccer) we went to this year in South America were off the charts cool. I got a rare ticket to see one of the most famous teams in the world, the Boca Juniors in Buenos Aries. The game was at night and I was packed in with 50,000 crazy fans in one of the world’s most revered stadiums. I liked it when we went to matches together. I think the first one was in Santiago where were we saw Colo Colo win on a brilliant, sunny Sunday afternoon. Then, in Rio de Janeiro we went to a sold-out Flamingos nighttime match in the famous Maracana Stadium.
Night Magic in Rio de Janeiro
And then there was the French Open where we took Marcel and Colette to Roland Garros to see their first-ever Grand Slam tennis event. On top of that, we were able to take them to the USA vs Chile Women’s World Cup match! All in all, a sports nuts dream year!
Our day at the French Open with our friend Francoise Durr, the 1967 Women’s Single Champion was a memory we’ll cherish forever.
“What were some disappointments from last year?”
Michael: Getting pick-pocketed in the Paris Metro. I still feel pretty stupid that my wallet was not in my front pocket in such a vulnerable location - I know better! We are seasoned travelers and that was a rookie mistake. But I can take some solace in the fact that Rick Steves was pickpocketed at exactly the same place. When in Paris always be cautious, but be especially aware on the Metro Line 1 - that’s the one that connects tourists to most of the major sights, so it’s like taking candy from babies.
And then there was my bronchitis. I got sick in Rio de Janerio, and even though I loved the doctor we found there, his treatment didn’t make the cough go away. The fatigue and the cough stayed with me until a local doctor just outside of Paris prescribed the right antibiotic. I think I was coughing for nearly two months!
The good news was the health care in both countries was good and affordable. In fact, less than the deductible on our traveling medical insurance.
We’ve probably visited 1,000 churches and attended services in hundreds of them! Maybe that’s why we’ve been so blessed.
Debbie: In early summer we were trying our best to “parent from afar” with Kelly, our oldest daughter. That is a challenge for me, not being close when the family needs us. But it all worked out. I know our kids are proud of us and happy that we are enjoying this lifestyle - and out of their hair!
Also, because of some of the places we wanted to visit and things we wanted to do with the grandkids we found ourselves in Europe during the peak travel season. That meant we dealt with more crowds than usual, and higher Airbnb and transportation prices. Especially in Rome and Barcelona!
Other than that I think things went smoothly in 2019. Only one train in the wrong direction, one Airbnb that wasn’t as nice as we’d hoped, and one lost necklace. Not bad.
“Favorite destinations in 2019?”
Debbie: That question is never easy to answer! It’s like naming your favorite child. But in the spirit of our conversation, I chose Buenos Aires, Argentina; Aarhus, Denmark; Nuremberg, Germany; Sete and Lyon, in France; and return trips to Florence and Siena in Italy, as well as Malta. I could live in Malta.
Revisiting our favorite cities in over the summer gave us a chance to see things we had missed.
Michael: I mentioned the museum in Hamburg earlier but I would have to say that I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the city itself. I also liked the tiny coastal city of Ribe in Denmark. It personifies the word “quaint” when thinking of a small European village. Finally, I loved the beaches near Agde in the South of France.
Our tour of Denmark’s Jutland peninsula was the perfect summer road trip. Just one beautiful village after another ending in Copenhagen - one of our favorite places.
What are the best parts of being a Senior Nomad?” And of course, “What are the challenges?”
Michael: I love the travel planning, the learning, and the exploring. Every day is different. New cities, new cultures, new reasons to do internet searches to expand our understanding of history, of conflicts and how cultures compare around the world. Now, in our 7th year, I truly feel like a Global Citizen AND still a very proud American.
In some ways, the challenges of our lifestyle are the same as if we had a permanent home. We need to shop, cook, do dishes, do laundry, pay our bills, get exercise and take care of our health. On the other hand, we have incredible freedom to travel anywhere in the world within our “retirement nest egg budget.” We have traded “things” for “experiences” and it feels great!
Debbie: Even though we stayed in 42 cities in 14 countries, I like the pace of our daily lives. Yes, we move around a lot, but we still find so much time to read and walk and just “live our lives” around the world. I enjoyed sampling many new cuisines this year - and cooking in so many different kitchens. That is really fun for me.
One of my all time favorite Airbnbs was in Sanremo, Italy. Where the Panattone was as big as your head!
My biggest challenge is living out of a suitcase day after day. And hauling those bags around. I know we could slim down, I just don’t see how to do it when we are gone for almost a year at a time. And, even though I said I liked cooking in all those kitchens, I long for my good pans, sharp knives and condiments!
Michael: We both agree that meeting interesting people, including most of our hosts, keeps us young and engaged. This past year we made several new friends starting in Mexico in San Miguel and Guanajuato - we can’t wait to get back to the Scrabble Club in SMA! Our host Annabella in Estoril was amazing, and we will never forget Claudio and Guisy, our jitterbug loving hosts in Bologna. We also connected with some newly launched nomads in Lisbon and met up with friends in Lisbon and Barcelona. We made new friends with a rowdy bunch of Expats in Santiago, Chile, and best of all, we connected with Francoise Durr, our dear friend and tennis legend that made our day with the grandkids at the French Open unforgettable..
There are some hosts we’ll never forget! Claudio and Guicy in Bologna will be forever friends.
And finally “Where would you like to go in 2020?”
Michael: We have always been drawn to cities and countries in the news. We were in London for the 2016 Brexit vote, we’ve gone deep into Eastern Europe including Ukraine. And we’ve been to Russia, parts of the Middle East, Israel, South America, New Zealand, Australia and most of Asia - including South Korea and Hong Kong. I’ve been swept up in protests in France, Italy, and Sardinia, and we experienced the terror attack in Paris in 2015. In fact, many of the places we’ve been are on the front pages every day!
Just one of many protests we came across in 2019. This one in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
So I’d like to continue to follow the headlines. And I’d like to finish visiting the 15 former Soviet Republics. We three more “Stan” to go: Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. But I’m always up for the beaches in the South of France and more time on Airbnb boats in between.
Debbie: Okay. I’ll go to “The Stans” That’s a fascinating part of the world. And I am intrigued by the Trans Siberian Railway, so I am glad we recently were approved for three-year Russian visas. But for the moment I’m happy we’re spending the next two months in Mexico, first in Puerto Vallarta and then San Miguel de Allende. I found South America more interesting than I thought, so I might so I’d like to visit Ecuador, Colombia, and Bolivia before we head to Europe in June.
We are looking forward to getting back to the colors, the food and our friends in Mexico.
As you can see, we’ve got some planning (and budgeting) to do! Right now we are in Hermosa Beach, Calfornia spending time with our family. Our grandchildren Spencer and Lucy are 12 and 14 and have become bonafide people. We love hearing their perspectives on the world and watching them navigate adolescence. And, we don’t mind their big TV, (and 1 billion channels), the full kitchen, the endless beach and all the sun and fun to be found in SoCal. Goodbye, America. We’ll miss you.
Thank you for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
The Senior Nomads
P.S. Anything you find interesting in this recap will no doubt be covered in detail in one of over 190 blogs. Just search for a city, a topic, or a subject in the search box on the blog page of our website.