Reflections on Our First Month of Full-Time Travel

Actually realizing that we are doing what we dreamed of for a long time.

As I write this, we are just four days away from embarking on a month-long journey of full-time travel. This blog post is dedicated to recounting our experiences, challenges, and best moments during this time. However, this post isn't a typical travel journal detailing where we ate or what we saw. While there may be a few recommendations, our focus is on sharing our journey rather than a conventional travelogue. I plan to do this every month and provide you with a brief summary.

Additionally, this blog post won't delve into any financial matters, as those details will be addressed in a future post that's currently in the works with Noah. By the end of the month, we will have stayed in five different places. Let's walk through each of them.

1. Arbonne-la-forêt, France

Originally, we aimed for a more central location in mid-France, planning to visit Dune du Pilat. However, a few days before departure, Noah received a photography job offer in Tuscany, Italy. Consequently, we rerouted our journey, looking for places near Paris airport. Noah would fly to Italy, return to Paris, and then head south to the dunes. We contacted several Airbnb hosts in the region, pitching our offer. Three days before our initial departure, faced with only cancellations, we reconsidered our budget. With some anxiety, we realized that without a successful pitch, our budget would only allow for non-decent accommodations that were nothing like we imagined our housing to be. It was the first time I acknowledged that without securing accommodation, our travel plans were at risk. Despite initial setbacks, two days before departure, someone accepted our pitch, and we eagerly embarked on our journey, albeit knowing little about our first stop.

We arrived in a magical forest region called Arbonne-la-forêt, France. Our host, a kind woman, welcomed us to her tiny house on her land. The one-bedroom studio provided all the essentials, and we spent eight days exploring the enchanting forest, visiting nearby towns, and gradually settling into our new lifestyle. Noah went to Italy for a few days, therefore Yuma and me were on our own for three days. We reunited at a new Airbnb near the airport for one night, then drove 630 km south to Pyla-sur-Mer, France.

2. Pyla-sur-Mer, France

Once again, we were fortunate to have a wonderful host and an upgraded apartment with a separate bedroom. Our choice of this location was influenced by its proximity to the dunes, which Noah had fond memories of from his childhood. We visited the dunes multiple times, each experience breathtaking.

My birthday was celebrated here, and through Noah, I had the pleasure of meeting an inspiring woman/mother who has now become a friend. I was gifted a massage and after that the women and i started chatting and it just clicked. Encounters like this, was exactly what i hope for during our travels - meeting inspiring like minded humans. Grateful for this encounter, we left Pyla-sur-Mer on the 20th of November, packing our belongings and heading further south to our next stop in Spain.

3. Santander, Spain

Similar to our previous stops, we didn't conduct a background check before booking our stay in Santander. We sent out our pitch to several Airbnb hosts in a specific region, and when an invitation came, we briefly checked the apartment but did not delve into researching the area.

Overall, we had a great stay and were able to collect beautiful memories. However, it was not our favorite week nor our favorite stay. The arrival was somewhat challenging. As usual, we did not research the neighborhood of our apartment (we will focus on this in another post), so we had no clue where we were really staying. We landed in a suburban settlement—not a bad neighborhood, but there was nothing to do, and no nature within walking distance. This was something we were not used to. We usually spend most of our days outdoors, going back inside only for our yuma‘s nap and lunch/dinner. The rest of the time is usually spent outside. However, this time, we felt kind of stuck. We went out the door of our apartment, and there was nowhere to go with Yuma, nowhere for him to run around, play, and observe. There were only streets, cars, and a lot of concrete.

By car, everything was nearby. But every parent knows that going out by car is not just a quick trip; it feels like a whole mission. You plan, prepare, create a time schedule, and so on. It just didn't fit our daily routines, and we were kind of lost. Eventually, we found our groove and adapted, so by midweek, the overall mood was lighter and more enjoyable.

Through this experience, we weren't really able to connect with this city; no spark was ignited. We are now heading west towards Galicia and looking forward to our next stay back in the countryside. A significant lesson was revealed within this trip. We now have a clearer idea of the environment we want to live in, what our surroundings should look like, and therefore, the kind of places we want to visit.

4. A Coruna, Spain

Our final destination for the month was selected with the goal of traveling a maximum of 5 hours south. Since we have a family reunion in mid-December, our stays are relatively brief. We chose a rental in the countryside, close to accessible beaches, and with our own yard. As of writing this, we arrived here three days ago. It feels rejuvenating to be surrounded by nature. The climate is rather damp, making the days pleasantly laid-back. Our routine includes daily walks to the forest or beach, grocery shopping, savoring homemade meals, and reading books with Yuma. On top of that, both of us work around 2-4 hours a day. We are hopeful that the weather will clear up by the end of the week so we can explore more places.

To be honest, during week-long stays, none of us is particularly keen on getting in the car and driving somewhere, even if it's just for 45 minutes. I'm certain we will engage in more daily getaways when staying in a place for a longer duration. For these short trips, we relish the simplicity and the surroundings within walking distance.

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In summary, our first month has been a dream come true. While everything seemed to fall into place, we acknowledge that it's too early to draw conclusions. The beginning is likely the easiest part, and challenges may arise over time. Nevertheless, we are proud and happy for taking this step. Even if we were to return to Switzerland tomorrow, it would still be a success.

We eagerly anticipate what the next month will bring and look forward to sharing our journey with you.

Sending love, Santemi

PS: Let us know what you are dying to know with this monthly recaps.

PS2: Also have you seen Noah's first Youtube Video ? Make sure to subscribe and show some love.