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Was Full-Time Travel Worth It? What 18 Months of International Travel Taught Us

Retired Nomad Adventures

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If you’re considering full-time or long-term travel, this video is for you.

After 18 months of international full-time travel, we’re sharing what actually worked for us, what didn’t, and what surprised us most. This isn’t advice, just our real experience after a year and a half of slow traveling around the world.

We talk honestly about when this lifestyle stopped feeling like a vacation and started feeling like real life. We share how our pace changed, what caused burnout and decision fatigue, and how missing family fits into a life we still truly love.

We also break down the practical side of long-term travel, including:
• Planning long-term international travel
• Airbnbs vs hotels and what worked best
• Using points and miles
• Packing lighter over time
• The apps we actually rely on

We answer the questions we get asked most about health care abroad, money, retirement, and how we think about the future. We finish with a rapid-fire Q&A covering favorite places, biggest regrets, what we’d do differently if starting today, and whether we’d still choose full-time travel again.

Everyone’s version of long-term travel looks different. This is simply what worked and didn’t work for us.

If you’re thinking about full-time or international travel, leave your questions in the comments. We’ll answer them there or turn them into a future video.
Thanks so much for being here and traveling along with us.

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See you next week in Mexico!
Rick & Daphne

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20 Comments

@notlosttoday 8 months ago

I am sitting in a nearly empty apartment about to begin my travels in 2026. I am also military retired widower so it will be solo travel, but very excited about this journey. Thank you for the advice!

@lindadorman2869 8 months ago

I enjoy hearing about full-time travel even though I did it in reverse. After a long career in international development that took me to 40 countries, I came back to the US in 2017 and settled in my home town of Chicago. At 65, I sometimes think about spending months in another country but then I realize how much I enjoy being at home where everything is familiar. I might have one or two long trips still ahead of me, but I feel like I've been everywhere I ever wanted to go. As I get older, knowing I have a reliable home base where I can come and go whenever I want is comforting. 20+ years of travel and living abroad was enough for me. Do all your travel in your 40's, 50's and 60's while you can!

@michyn4959 2 months ago

Thank you so much for your videos. My husband and I are 42 and plan on retiring in about 10 years give or take a year or two. We don’t really plan on doing the slow travel the way you guys are doing it, but when retire we plan on having an actual homebase, preferably in Italy and then traveling at our leisure for weeks or weekends elsewhere. It is very helpful to hear about your financial breakdown. That is incredibly helpful and useful information. I really appreciate seeing your travel experiences. I am genuinely enjoying watching your journey.

@MartinSheldon-r7e 8 months ago (edited)

Come on folks. Give them a hype! No clue what it does but its free! Great video.

@leapintothewild 6 months ago (edited)

Just an amazing video filled with great info, thanks so much! And I think you’re spot-on about leading with kindness. A smile and friendly tone of voice translates to every language, and you both have such lovely demeanors. 😊

@beautifulcrazygoodlife 8 months ago

Been watching since your first video. We left for our travels November 18th. Currently in Lagos, Portugal. We just watched your video together and really enjoyed, as we do all of them. I am happy to hear this adventure has been great for both of you, and that you have more scheduled for 2026! It is wonderful to see people curating lives that are both fulfilling and meaningful to them. Great video! PS. I am trying to get up the courage to drop a video and start documenting. You guys make it look easy.

@traciallen4581 8 months ago

Great video. Thank you. It will be a sad day for your viewers when you stop traveling. I want to watch your adventures as long as possible. ❤

@Fr3dSpud 8 months ago

This was a great video! I haven't seen many others doing something quite the same. LOVED all the information and the answers to so many questions that I didn't even realize I had. Really appreciate you being so open. One thing I really like (which is going to sound bad) is when you say 'negative things' about a place or describe the things you 'didn't love' (and places you wouldn't go back to). Its easy to get lots of recommendations and hear lots about the things that people like about a place but it seems that everyone is hesitant to talk about the things they 'didn't love' about a place (probably because of the trolls on the internet) but I find it REALLY helpful and insightful. Thank you for being real! 👍

@RetiredNomadAdventures Creator 8 months ago

Thanks for the kind words and the fantastic advice on getting started with house sitting! It sounds like your experiences have been positive? We will be eager to watch your two year anniversary video! The time really flies, doesn’t it?! 😊

@TheDallasMelanie 8 months ago

My husband and I will launch in 9 weeks. It has been such a joy to watch your journey. You make it look so easy. I hope to see you two on the road.

@cathieperkins805 8 months ago

Decision fatigue is the perfect description.

@ncalcamper 8 months ago

Great video! Glad to see your dream has really worked out. I too retired early from local government and left money on the table, but don’t regret it one bit! Like you, I’m living my best life! 🎉

@TheWalkingThomasGuide 8 months ago

I love this type of video and plan on doing a similar one for my two year retire-anniversary (!?) It was so fun to learn more about you and to hear how you feel after your time on the road! Daphne, I can totally see you as an elementary school principal! You are firm but friendly and you seem like you'd be great with kids! Re Trusted Housesitter, I found that most international people don't want to try someone with no reviews, so it would help to do a few one or two or three day stints closer to home (like during your time in Seattle for example) so that you can have some reviews. The longer ones are more desirable too so if you are willing to do a one day one, it will help your profile get beefed up faster! Good luck and I hope you are having fun in Mexico!

@LoriLWorden 7 months ago

I dream of a slow travel lifestyle one day. I loved that you said the accommodations you have tend to feel like home fairly quickly :)

@jennym1979 8 months ago

Rick and Daphne, I just want to say thank you. It has been a successful 18 months ,Congratulations!
We've been following you all these time and I must say that you have a huge impact on planning our own retirement.:)
Daphne, I agree with you and it is true that as long as you treat other people within kindness, language comes easy. Once, again thank you for taking us along with your travel journey. Cheers to another year of travel!

@RussandSherri1996 8 months ago

Excellent video guys, thank you! We’re setting out on our two year (but we’re open to longer) adventure on March 12th. 🙌🏼😳💃🏻 Wishing you continued health and happy travels in 2026

@KevinZhang-f3r 8 months ago

Very informative, and thanks for sharing! It is nice to know your background and inspiring to know your early retirement decision (Congratulations!), which reassured our upcoming early retirement decision. Sometimes it is hard to quit jobs when we are still in a career-ascending stage...but time and freedom are priceless!

@sharroncruz8584 8 months ago (edited)

This was super helpful. I think you are the couple I have been searching for. I really connected with you guys. I am now a subscriber and look forward to your new videos. 😃

@MimiandMore5678 8 months ago

Thanks so much for the great recap here! I loved your best and worst of take on it all. After watching you all on your journey I love the way that Rick has evolved on camera from your first video to today where he is an absolute pro!😎 Daphne, you know we share a love of skin care! Can't wait to share more with you both.