Every Adventure Has A Starting point

Leaving home for 6 weeks in the UK!

April 6, 2017.

"That thing you kinda want to do someday? Do it now. I mean, literally, pause reading this column, pick up the phone, and book that skydiving session. RIGHT NOW. I’ll wait.....

Don’t wait until you have the time to really relax and enjoy it. That will be approximately three decades from now, and it's highly possible you won't be able to enjoy it."

- Rule #8 '12 Rules for Life' by Megan McArdle

Episode I begins. We have talked about early retirement and traveling for almost two years now. Every night at dinner we would review "The Road To Bali". It was almost all we talked about because both of us were nervous about making such a leap. We wanted to get it right. We would imagine all sorts of scenarios and then rethink them again and again.

We knew we wanted to travel but we never considered going overseas for such a long time. Our longest vacations were only nine days and they were often exhausting. You had a short amount of time so you would try to cram in as much as possible.

We discovered there was a huge online community of fellow travelers who supplied ample advice. We discovered everything from youthful backpackers to senior nomads. How would we budget our finances and time so we would not run out of money? Are we staying in 4 star hotels or camping? Do we move around a lot or stay in one place? Are we tourists or travelers? (There is a difference)

Fish and Chips at the local Pub with mushy peas and a good ale. Classic

We felt going the the UK was a good and safe first step for our traveling education. England shares our language and is modern and easy to navigate. (Except for that whole driving on the wrong side of the road).

There was so much to learn. We wanted an immersive experience. We didn't want to just tour London, we wanted to live there. We would shop at local markets, cook at our apartment, go to the laundromat, and learn to use public transportation intimately.

We didn't want to just go to the Tower of London, we also wanted to spend lazy days just walking in the many local parks. We wanted to absorb as much of the local area as we could and learn how other people live. And in doing so we would be changed for the better.

Kensington Palace in Hyde Park. Our apartment was next to the park and it was a short walk away. Princess Diana lived here before she died. Will and Kate live here today. It was also the principle home of Queen Victoria in her day.

So Episode I started on this day. We each brought only a single carry on case. We came nervous, but lean and well equipped for what promised to be the start of a very exciting new chapter of our lives.

It's going to be epic.