Journey & Adventure

J and I are constantly sharing our hopes and dreams for our early retirement.   For the most part we have been on the same page since the beginning – we agree on what we want and on what we need to do to get there; however we aren’t necessarily on the same page as to where “there” is.   As I’ve shared previously, Bonaire was an early contender for the place we wanted to call home, then Ecuador, then Panama, then Nicaragua stopped by for some contemplation time and then somehow, we’ve arrived back in Bonaire.     On paper, they all make sense.     Bonaire has world-class scuba diving, English is widely spoken, amenities are easily accessible, quality housing is somewhat affordable and there is potential for side businesses to make some additional income.   But as with everything, there is a downside – increasing crime rates, high cost of living (i.e. electricity, water, gas, groceries), expensive to get to and of course the l...

Over the past few months, J and I have been procrastinating on many, many things. Apart from finishing the spare room renovation project, we have been putting off the inevitable – the start of liquidating our household of stuff, lots and lots of stuff. I’m not a knick knack person and am not fond of clutter. Our decorative taste is pretty minimalistic, so I didn’t think I had that much stuff to liquidate. Well, I now think otherwise. I now think I’m on the verge of becoming a hoarder. Eeek! Who knew we had so much space to stuff…stuff? The basement is full of stuff, the closets are full of stuff, the kitchen cupboards and drawers are packed to the brim with stuff. Stuff is everywhere.  No wonder my house appears to be free of clutter - it's because it's hiding.  Good thing the spare room is not finished, or else there'd be stuff stuffed in there too! Where did it come from? Not sure, but I suspect it was just easier to stuff it somewhere than to box it up and ...

Continuing with the 5 4 Year plan discussions, and in order to get cracking on my need to learn the Spanish language before our move, I’ve ordered my Spanish language DVD’s. Once again, I realize we still have 4 years, but at the rate things are moving along, I better get started. After much research and watching online demonstrations, I’ve chosen the Fluenz program. From what I can tell, it’s similar to Rosetta Stone, but Fluenz seemed more progressive and includes DVDs, audio CDs and podcasts. I spend so much time commuting, I figure the audio CD’s and podcasts will be put to good use.  I’ll let you know how I progress with this independent learning thing. Maybe one day, I’ll write an entire blog post in Spanish. Ha! Seriously, that was just crazy talk.

By the time our early retirement plan comes to fruition, you will be either too dizzy or too confused to follow this blog. Remember how I said, Ecuador would most likely be our retirement destination of choice and then we had a change of heart and thought perhaps Bonaire could work for us and then we were back to Ecuador and then I think when I last left you we were back in Bonaire mindset. Well, after doing some pre-retirement homework while we were on island in Bonaire, reality has again kicked us in the pants. Guess what? We apparently are not made of money and once we quit our jobs, we will no longer have a bi-weekly income in which to support the lifestyle we’ve become accustomed to. So while we could financially make Bonaire work short term, we aren’t convinced it could be sustainable long term. Housing is more than what we want to spend, groceries are on average 5-10% higher than they are here in Canada and the daily housing costs (hydro, propane, water) are significant...

In our quest for reaching the 5 Year Plan and as a means of maintaining our early retirement, J and I have been tossing about ideas on how to make some extra money. As you know, I already have my back-up plan – Flamingo Tongue Designs , although I don’t suspect this to be as successful in a third world country as it currently is here in Canada, but I guess only time will tell. As you also know, J is the resident photographer in our family. He takes 100’s of photographs when we travel – both on land and underwater, so it seemed only natural that he use his God given talent for good and tries to sell some of them. This is also a hobby/business that would be ongoing and self-sustaining no matter where we end up. If you ask me it’s a win, win. So with that said, J’s been spending hours, upon hours, sifting through his photos, organizing and submitting them for approval to various micro stock photography sites. It’s been a tedious and sometimes frustrating process - the submi...

As I type this post (which won’t likely get posted for another day), I’m waiting for news from J. He’s at the hospital with his immediate family (mom, brother, sister) where his Dad is undergoing open heart surgery today. I decided to come to work instead of being with the family because I thought “one more cook” might be too much for the kitchen to handle…if you know what I mean. Needless to say, I’m distracted.   UPDATE:   The father-in-law came through his triple bypass surgery just fine and now the recovery begins. There are times like this when I wonder about leaving for Ecuador. I realize 5 years is a long way off, but I still worry about the “what ifs” of having aging parents and The Boy still in Canada. On the “getting ready to escape to Ecuador” front, J and I have made a list of things that need to be done around the house before we can sell it. Once again, I know 5 years is a long way off, BUT it’s a big list. About 5 years ago we completed a major...

I wish I could tell you that I have it all figured out and that our relocate plan is 100% foolproof, but let’s be honest…I don’t really have it all sorted out just yet.   Here are some highlights to date:   1.        Become Debt Free.   Our main plan of action is still to pay off the mortgage, credit line and any other debts we might have within the next 3-5 years.  When the time comes to sell here, the equity we have in our current house will easily pay for our house or condo in Ecuador.  Believe me, we don’t have an extravagant house now, but housing costs in Ecuador are substantially less than houses in North America, which will give us a nice nest egg left over.   2.        Downsizing.   Slowly we will begin to purge everything non-essential from our lives.  Apart from our laptops and iPods and some personal meaningful items, we don’t plan...

You might remember me telling you about my 7-10 year plan .   You know the one - when I pay off my mortgage and debts, be totally irresponsible and quit my day job and then run away…far, far away to somewhere warm.   Well, I know this might sound absolutely ridiculous, but the planning has begun.    Put the date on your calendar – 2017.   By end of year 2017, J and I plan to be living in…. (insert drum roll)…Ecuador.   Exact location to be determined, but I can tell you that it will be somewhere on the coast of Ecuador.     There you have it.   There’s no turning back now that it’s on paper.   You, my Blogger friends, are the first to know our little secret.   We don’t plan on telling other friends or family members anytime soon because let’s face it - 5 years is a long way off and there is no sense in stressing them out long before we have to.   Obviously, we plan on taking a few research trip...