We retired around age 58. Our 3 kids all married from 2019-2022. There was so much joy during these years despite the unpredictabilities of COVID. 2023 has been amazing because the kids are all settled and for the first time in 37 yrs we are very free. We have travelled internationally for over 20 yrs and love it. Sometimes it was connected to business, sometimes all pleasure, but❤ it caught us and we love it❤. We want to sell our big “family” home next. Then travel twice as much.
This video inspired me to pull the trigger and decide to do a “gap year”. It’s scary to think I won’t have a steady paycheck for a while but your informative videos are helping calm those fears down.
This makes us SO happy to hear. Send us a picture of your adventures when you get going. Hopefully you can find some ways to save costs at home while you are gone. We haven’t done it, but many of our viewers have tried “housesitting” and stayed places for free. Safe travels and good luck. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
Just found your website! Look forward to following you as you travel the world! We retired in 2019 right before COVID. So we took advantage to 20 hikes in 2020, and 21 hikes in 2021 in the US. We are 68 years young and blessed with good health ! We plan on traveling and exploring as long as we can. Oh and by the way my parents took my brother and I out of school for a month in 1965! We explored the Mediterranean countries and Israel. Now are giving the gift of travel with our 7 grands. Safe travels ! You are never too old to learn something new!
Thanks for following along and you guys are so inspirational as well on so many levels. We love hearing stories like yours. Let’s stay connected. John and Bev
We have taken 2 gaps years, our first in Europe and North Africa in 1989 before kids, our second with our first daughter when she was 18 months old. Both amazing experiences!! Your videos are inspiring us in our early 60’s to take another gap year or 2! Thank you for your wonderful channel!
If you are considering a gap year at any stage of your your life, we would love to hear from you. We know what traveling the world has done for us and hope to share that excitement with others. Thanks for watching and hope you can follow along on our journey around the world. John and Bev
Thanks for the video! We are anticipating full time travel when we retire. Wanted to do a gap year after college, but got sucked into a very good job offer, and before we knew it, 38 years have gone by, house, mortgage, send kid to college, etc. Kind of hard to part with our house, but it will be worth it!! Looking back, the best times we had were while traveling. Currently building a van to hit the road, then hope to trade with other RVers worldwide. Can’t wait!!!
Completely agree that traveling changes you. I know I have more of an appreciation for what I have and the opportunities that came my way after seeing how people live in other parts of the world. Thanks for sharing!
Traveling has certainly changed us and we knew it would. The one that surprised us was the downsizing. It has been really impactful as well. Happy journeys, John and Bev retirementtravelers.com/
So funny I found your video as last summer I told friends and family I was taking the summer off for a gap summer in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Egypt and Andorra. Its the best thing I ever did and I am planning for a year when I retire in a year.
We love it! Sounds like an amazing trip. Best of luck with your retirement and hope you can follow along on our journey. John and Bev retirementtravelers.com
This is so great.The best video yet! We are NZers, late 50's (early retired) heading away with our kids and grandkids in September-October to Spain to walk the camino. You probaby know that is an 800km pilgrimmage walk. We've booked rooms so we can stay together. We have more adventures planned but love following your journey. If you come to NZ do get in touch. We'd love you to come and stay and we can show you some of our beautiful country.
Thanks and that’s awesome! Can’t wait to hear about your Spain adventure. We plan to be in New Zealand for sure next February and would love to get together. Can you message us on Instagram to connect. Thanks, John and Bev
I love this video. You guys reminded me what’s important in life! I took a couple of gap year in between careers, and it’s the best thing I did for myself.
@@RetirementTravelers we went to Tianjin, and took a 3 day 2 night tour, to the great wall, forbidden city, we saw a play, and went to a traditional tea house for a ceremony, and had a lunch in a small community village, in someone's house. The tour company, was well the government ultimately. So we weren't always aware of where the bus was taking us, but it was all a great adventure. Our tour guide was wonderful and saw to all of the details. We had a hot pot dinner in our hotel restaurant that was incredible. We honestly are willing to do it again. We will take trains, and check on tours offered, to be able to get in and out of areas easily.
@@RetirementTravelersI almost forgot 😅, I thought I was booking an adjacent airport to Shanghai, no it was 45 minutes away in Xi an. We must have been the only Americans who ever flew out of there. We had a 6 hour wait for our flight, and we were on display for everyone to pass by us and stare. The security made multiple passes, until the saw us eating noodles from the gift shop in cups. Okay, now we are good.
I absolutely love your videos. Never heard the term “Gap Year” before, but it makes so much sense. I believe we’re of similar demographics, and I’ve traveled quite a bit in my lifetime as well. But this year is the year that the slow travel begins. Thanks for sharing and continued good health to both of you. Hope one day our travels will intersect.
Thanks so much and glad you are enjoying our videos! Best of luck with your slow travels and we love meeting people around the world, so hopefully our paths will cross. Where do you begin your journey? John and Bev
We’re planning on Central and South America beginning with Mexico for the next two to three years. Although we also have plans to be in Panama in June and Jamaica in July/August.
Not tired of those uniforms at all! I love them!!! Unfortunately, with student loans breathing down your neck as soon as you graduate from college, taking a gap year is not an option for many😒 I'm actually encouraging our daughter to take a year or two off before going to college, to travel, which is what I wish I had done.
Thanks so much and glad you like the “uniforms”. They bring us joy through the people we meet. So happy that your daughter may take a gap year. That is so exciting. Keep us posted. John and Bev
yessss, great idea! u guys have def inspired me to do a cross state journey to my new retirement location of florida’s together with my furr babii’s!! why not start out small and c all that i can see on my way there🥳🥰 ty!!! continued blessings and travel mercies to you both 💜🙏🏽💜
Thanks so much. Glad we could inspire you to travel. Enjoy the journey and definitely see all you can see. Hope you can follow along on our crazy adventure around the world. John and Bev
Today I suddenly wondered "What about footwear?" Do you both travel with a spare pair of walking/hiking shoes? Do you rotate your shoes every few days with all the walking you do? Does John have shoes just for running? Have you been running while travelling abroad?
No spares on walking/running shoes. We buy a new pair of Hokas every 6 months. I always run when traveling, unless I’m injured, which is now. 😔☹️ Thanks so much for following along. John and Bev
Thanks Joe. The learning curve with full-time world travel is steep, but we are loving it. Keep up the great videos and come meet us somewhere 😀 John and Bev
Great info! We are 4 years away from early retirement but want to leave now! Can I ask what age you started full time travel? We will be 54 when we start! Safe travels!
Thanks and that’s awesome. We retired at age 55 at the end of 2019. The pandemic changed our plans around, but it all worked out. Best of luck with your retirement and travels and hope you can follow along on our journey. Safe travels, John and Bev
Thanks and we do hope to inspire you to take the plunge of early retirement. We are loving our journey around the world. Best of luck with your decision and let us know if we can help in anyway possible. John and Bev
Thanks for following along! They were one of the few things we didn’t part with 😳. We still get to play a few times per year and they are with a family member since we don’t own a home. John and Bev
Heeeelllloooo! Firstly we were worried John had lost his uniform 😂. Secondly, what a fantastic positive message in this vlog, thank you....we've sent it to all of our kids, so maybe they will see that's what we are planning to do in 411 days, is not that crazy 😅😂...its just a gap decade, or two or three. We cannot wait to meet you two, safe travels.
What apps do you use to locate great things to see and do in an area you are interested in visiting? How do you hunt a place to stay overnight? How do you find the best places to eat? How do you pay for most things? Cash? Venmo? Do you use Uber and Lyft more than renting cars?
We use of Chase travel card for as much as possible to earn points, cash otherwise. We try to take public transportation whenever possible, with an occasional taxi or Uber. John and Bev
We are currently still on John’s retiree policy, but looking to go to a cheaper, very high deductible policy this fall. We are currently getting our dental, medical and prescriptions In Medellin, Colombia because it is SO MUCH CHEAPER than in the US. John and Bev
@@RetirementTravelers Just found your vlog so we're catching up! I know it's a decade off for you, two but will you take Medicare too? PartB, Part D and/or Medigap/Advantage plan? What are your early considerations?
@@preventionmsw We’ve just assumed “Medicare” at this point and haven’t really researched the details yet given that we are still 7 years away and we’ve been so busy with current travel and vlogging. John and Bev
Oh yeah, I didn't even notice that this is the first video I've seen in AGES where you aren't wearing the uniform! I guess you do bring other clothes, then?
