Wow – thanks for sharing your story, Dunny!
Sounds like you’ve got lots of victories in your travel repertoire and lifestyle. Keep em coming! 🙂

For me, travelling is enough work in itself, so I can’t imagine maintaining a blog properly. I send a lot of emails though, describing impressions and incidents along the way (for myself, but it’s always nice if people read them too). Very few or no photographs though — interferes with my experience. However, it just occurred to me that perhaps my travel could be described as sustainable as my home provides the money for travel in the form of rental income.

My triumphs are my solo road trips, one of my favourite ways to travel. Most recent was 3 weeks driving in Mexico this March — Mexico City, Puebla, Palenque, San Sebastian, Oaxaca round trip. I was warned by friends in Canada, USA, and Mexico not to do it, but it was easy and amazing. There were a few challenges but Mexican people helped me many times. What a victory to do that and have enjoyed myself immensely and met so many terrific people.

Last spring I drove 6 weeks through 10 Central European/Balkan countries with no problems whatsoever, can’t get the memories out of my mind, and made lifelong friends.

The more mundane victories I celebrate are conquering making flight and other bookings and using technology.

Booking flights to remote places such as the Orkneys and Shetlands, Chechnya and Dagestan for later this year – done. Booking complicated (for me) itineraries — Vancouver to Moscow, Moscow to Madrid — Madrid to Vancouver – done.

Using GPS, booking.com, downloading city maps from Google to phone, using Google translate including photo, downloading audio books to phone, loading the kindle, backing-up and transferring things between all devices – done. Next challenge — buying a sim card for data in Russia and using it.

Travelling with carry-on size luggage – done for the last two years (for as long as 3 months on the road).

Figuring how to travel for long periods alone without yearning for home – done (it’s down to the right comfort level, MacBook Air + WIFI, and intervals hooking up with friends or joining tours).

I travel about 6 months of the year but always return to home base in Vancouver. I am ready to set up for a longer period somewhere. I think it will be Germany.

Hi Valerie,
These aren´t travel goals, such as benchmarks or goalposts along the way. And you´re right – everybody has different victories to celebrate along the way. Enjoy!

Thanks, Izy! It´s all been amazing… 🙂

Hi Tim,
Good point! It’s especially rough in developing countries, where the ATMs spit out large bills and nobody seems to have change. I struggle with this in Peru on a daily basis! One way to often get change is to buy something at a supermarket – in my experience, they normally can break bigger bills pretty easily.

Hi Gray,
Nice one! I love people-watching in different places. It’s a great way to soak in the culture and flavour of a place.