My 2017 goal has been to enjoy living with the unknown, rather than jumping to solve for it. I wanted our nomadic adventure to push us to exist in the now. I wanted us to take a breath, look around, and go in whatever direction we see fit.
Doing so is a challenge. I’m a perpetual planner and organizer. Joe is constantly on the go, looking for his next undertaking.
But we’re learning. Accepting the unknown has best manifested itself in our 2018 planning. It’s now early November and we don’t know where we’re living in January. I’m both proud of us and slightly terrified we’ll be homeless.
We’ve slowly bounced around ideas. Do we stay domestic? Go international? How far are we comfortable going while maintaining smooth work schedules? Do we revisit places we’ve loved? Try something totally new?
These collective daydreams, of sorts, have been a ton of fun to talk through. I’ve loved grabbing a beer and exploring our options without committing to anything. We’ve slowly but surely established our plan over Bunker beers in Portland, Maine, pancakes at Nashville’s Pancake Pantry, and long car rides to New Orleans.
We’re thinking Europe. Specifically, over the course of six months, some mixture of:
- Eastern Europe: Likely Croatia.
- Italy: Literally anywhere. Just give me pasta and sunshine.
- France: Likely Brittany and Paris for vacation.
- UK: Likely Edinburgh or Dublin, with a visit to London.
Here are some interesting reads that we’re using to enjoy the process… while we slowly solve for the future.
Our Europe planning is largely dictated by the Schengen zone’s rules. Essentially, Americans can travel visa-free in Western Europe for 90 days — then, they have to leave for 90 days. We’ll solve for this with our time in Eastern Europe and the UK.
This Saveur article has me excited to feast on Croatia’s Mediterranean bounty, like brodet (aka fish stew).
Our time in Croatia will likely include hunting down Game of Thrones filming locations. King’s Landing is actually the city of Dubrovnik, and our (probable) home base Split includes plenty of shoutouts too.
Scott’s Cheap Flights shows the latest international flight deals, which is fun to monitor and daydream about where your next trip will take you.
All The Light You Cannot See is one of my all-time favorite books. So I’m already obsessively researching a trip to magical (albeit touristy?) Saint-Malo in Brittany, France.
David Lebovitz’s ode to fresh salted butter from Brittany takes the form of sable cookies.
As I finish writing this, Joe is in the other room creating a shortlist of Italian cities to spend a month in. I’m in a deep AirBnB black hole for homes in Split, Croatia. We don’t yet know where we’ll be in three months’ time. And that’s an unknown I’m happy living with.
OH… and please weigh in: Where in Italy would YOU want to spend a month?
Amsterdam ??
Salzburg, Austria was my favorite place to visit while I lived in the UK although I hear its not quite as amazing once all the Christmas markets close. If you’re interested in hiking and living in the UK maybe send a few days exploring the Welsh Coastal Trail. I’d recommend the area around Ffestiniog as its got easy, beautiful trails and the area is easy to get to via train lines, though the bus service isn’t exactly reliable.
These recommendations are so great, thank you Emma! One of the things we’re most excited for in the UK is exploring the beautiful countryside. We’ll definitely have to check out the Welsh Coastal Trail.