We sold everything to pursue slow travel throughout Europe. Would we do it again?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

What brave/scary decision have you made recently? Do you look back at what you've learned since making the change?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Yes, when we reflect on what we did, selling everything and leaving, we are convinced we made the right decision. Our first 6 months have been wonderful and we've learned a new way of life and are loving it!

[@freetowandernow]

I would love to hear more about your transition. We are currently finishing renovations and listing our house. We leave for Europe in 3 weeks and I have to admit I am anxious. I feel like these preparations have already taken sooo long. Selling our businesses, getting rid of most of our stuff (we do have a small storage unit)and this Reno project but we are sure of what we want and don't want so one day we will get there! Thanks for your experience, it helps!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you for your comment, Jessie. We have had similar questions from others and have found that communicating offline via video call is more efficient. Please reach out to us via our two creative travelers Instagram or Facebook account and we can get connected. We'd love to help answer some of the questions you may have.

[@definitelydaphne777]

Yes, please include the preparation for your adventure

[@reelhappytravellers2691]

The more you travel, the more you see that there are so many wonderful things in the world. It can be difficult to settle for something great when you can see that there could always be something better just round the next corner. Travel can sometimes simply be about a quest for perfection. This quest for perfection that we are looking for,we found just now in your video so the only that we have to say on you: Huge thank you and keep going!!!!!!!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

There certainly is a big beautiful world out there to be explored! We're so glad we have been able to influence you a bit to follow your desires and make your best life💞 Thank you so much for watching and your lovely comment💞

[@autordijanaferkovic]

I love your story. I laughed when you said small Fiat :) that's not a small car at all in Europe, but I am sure great size that fits your lifestyle and needs. Enjoy the trip and life in general! You are the inspiration.

[@BrokenDreamsReborn]

This sounds like such a fun adventure! Thanks for sharing! ~ Shion and Matthew

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We truly are happy and loving this new way of life so far! Thank you so much for watching and we hope you check out some of our other videos where we share more of living a life of slow travel😊

[@RetirementTravelers]

So glad we found your channel. New subscriber. We have so much in common and look forward to following your journey. We sold everything this spring and plan a 10-year journey of world travel. After we are done with the US National Parks, we are headed to Central America and then Europe next year. We love what you are doing and definitely think you made the right decision. Hope we can connect someday. Safe travels and enjoy your adventures. John and Bev

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

So nice to meet you John and Bev! Gosh, we truly do have a ton in common! We are loving the decision we made with no regrets at all. I don't even miss all my "Stuff" LOL!! It would be so great to meet each other somewhere in this big beautiful amazing World! We've met one other full time travel couple while we were in Portugal, and we instantly felt like we were long time friends who hadn't seen each other in a very long time! Thank you so much for subscribing and we just hit that button on your channel as well. See you on our next adventure! Debbie & Stijn

[@k-grannysophia3994]

sold everything... you are very brave... and real creative travelers !! Hope you always enjoy your free creative life !! 👍👍👍

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We know, crazy huh? So far we're loving it and have no regrets!

[@JohnandCaraRetiredTravellers]

Please share all the logistics, visa’s, purchasing the car. Etc. love the idea of the car! It truly gives you flexibility and cuts down on stress. We find travel days are stressful. Great video! ~Cara

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you for your input! We were thinking people might want to know more details so we've been seriously considering putting a video together with our information and how we did it. We love, love having our own car! Thank you guys for watching and for the comment!

[@odisseiaetc3909]

Nice to see and hear about your story again our friends. Did almost the same thing moving from Brazil to Algarve, Portugal. See you all always and get to know our channel as well. Ferragudo is nice. Greetings from amazing Albufeira, Algarve to all over the world. Saudades do Brasil anyway tmj.

[@TravelingTramps]

We think the idea of slow travel sounds wonderful! Gives you a little time to really see things and experience the beauty!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Indeed! Best thing we ever did! We're loving not having to pack up every few days and go to the next place. Right not we're itching to get to Italy for the next several months🇮🇹💞

[@elizavillatoro6063]

You guys look so happy there traveling and got me even more excited to take the leap. I wish you two the best and thanks for sharing your traveling experience.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Aww, thank you! We're so happy to know we have inspired you to just go for it! Life is just way to short to not do what brings you joy💞 We are still having a blast but now in Italy💞🇮🇹 Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Debbie and Stijn

[@Fiwithoptions]

Just discovered this channel today. Great content. Enjoy your slow travel. Could you also publish a monthly video summarizes your expenses?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Welcome to our channel, we're so happy to hear that you're enjoying our videos. We will be sharing all kinds of fun stuff as it relates to expenses and buying a house in Italy soon!

[@FrugalTravellers]

It's great you did this video to explain the definite pros of slow travel. Love the overlays of the food which really got my mouth drooling! 😋😋. We totally see how the car is a huge bonus for flexibility of travel and envy you for that! Very good explanatory video and looking forward to seeing many more! 👍👍😍

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thanks guys! We love your input! I'm sure there will be some cons someday, but so far it's been perfect! We're so missing all the good food and can not wait for the restaurants to open!! So glad you enjoyed the video, thank you so much for your support!

[@G.J..Journeys]

Well done, looking forward to the video's of your travels.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you so much! Thank you for watching and Welcome to our channel!

[@brad5534]

Nice presentation, however, so many more questions such as costs, visa process for a year of European travel, even your background would be interesting. I subscribed and will see if I can find another one of your videos with some of the aforementioned questions. Happy travels!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Hi Brad, thank you so much for watching and welcome to our channel! Short answers to your great questions are Stijn is also a Belgian citizen so I was able to get Belgian resident status. We do have a video that might be a little helpful for background, "We just moved to Europe". We were also recently interviewed by "Live in Italy Magazine" on their KZbin channel by the same name, you might find some answers there as well. Yes, we're in Italy now and our story even gets more interesting. Please feel free to reach out to us by sending us an email to the address listed here as others have done in the past and we will be happy to answer all your questions in detail. We will be doing a more detailed video soon. Again, thank you and welcome 💞 Debbie and Stijn

[@DiannaDiary]

Love your energy. How do you support your brilliant ideas? You guys are amazing!!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you so much R!! Don't know if we have brilliant ideas, but Debbie is retired and receives a great pension! Thank you for watching our videos. Debbie & Stijn

[@urbanart7325]

​@@ouritaliandestiny7955. Pension? What is that?

[@FrugalTravellers]

Mandy this time 😁 Great video, and I absolutely loved Stijn''s comment "there's a whole other alphabet of plans out there "... so true! Brilliant food shots and explanations of the things you've put into place. I totally agree that flexibility is everything, especially at this point in time, and having a car certainly gives you that! No need to book and change flights, you can just jump into your trusty Fifi and drive away 😁😀 Thank you for sharing your experiences and we look forward to seeing what happens next! 😀🙏😁👍

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Hi Mandy, we so love your comments sharing what you loved about our videos! You inspire us to keep on sharing our new life with others😊 Thank you for all your support!

[@FrugalTravellers]

@@ouritaliandestiny7955 We love your videos, and going along with you on your adventures! 😀😁

[@TheJourneyAwaits]

Enjoyed the story. Enjoy life and see everything you can.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We have a big list of places to visit and hope to see as many as possible! Thank you for watching 💞

[@oneimperfectjourney237]

Looking forward to join you someday! Keep at it guys!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We're looking forward to that day as well!! Love and miss you guys!!

[@OngoingExploring]

Great video! Sounds like a great life! Would love to hear more about the prep!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you! So glad you enjoyed our video 💞 We're adding your interest in how to prepare for a life of slow travel to our list of other requests on what to share in a future video. Quick answer, first step, start down sizing! That was the hardest part for me (Debbie) 😂 Thank you again for your support and watching our videos💞

[@DutchTravellingCouple]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing my friend 😀👍

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you friends for stopping by and watching our video. We do feel very good about our decision 💞

[@costat9995]

Wonderful thoughts guys! Your story motivates me ❤️

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Awe thank you💞 Our hope is that people do realize you can make your hopes, dreams and desires come true💞 Thank you so much for watching and joining us on our journey! 💗

[@JayandSarah]

How did you buy and insure a car without local residency? This is a huge obstacle that is almost insurmountable. An international drivers permit doesn't necessarily cut it.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Stijn is a Belgian citizen and was therefore able to purchase and insure a car in Belgium where we started our full time travel. We now reside in Italy and he has become an Italian resident (am still waiting for my approval) and we have now imported our car to Italy. Stijn is driving on his Belgian license and I recently swapped my US drivers license for a Belgian one which also works in Italy. Great question and thank you for watching!

[@JayandSarah]

@@ouritaliandestiny7955 thanks for answering! We are in the midst of prep on our house to sell and retiring early beginning of 2024 we hope. Travel full time.

[@suelewis1687]

Thanks for the info, would love to find out about how you stayed for 5 months ? Visa etc

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Hi Sue, we did have a special circumstance. Stijn is an EU citizen and we were able to fly to Belgium during Covid on a "family re-unite" situation. And because I'm his wife I was able to go as well with that special visa. I then applied for residency which is good for 5 years. We are currently living in Italy and Stijn just last week received his approval for residency here and my application is in the process. We never imagined at the time we made this video that we would be living in Italy!

[@AMCalatoreste]

You guys are very bravely but enjoy all your trips🥰

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

It definitely was a big step, but we have not once regretted taking that big step. We've done and seen so much already, even through a pandemic! Thank you so much for your well wishes Anamaria. 💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn

[@sammiesmith6690]

Great 😊 video on living in Europe.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you so much, Sam, we're so glad you enjoyed our video and our story ~ Debbie and Stijn

[@trendingwwwandw]

thanks for sharing this great information about your experiences New SUb 🤔

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you so glad you enjoyed our video. Welcome to our channel, we really appreciate your support💞 Debbie and Stijn

[@JakeMillerDoesTravel]

Interesting perspective! Thanks for sharing

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you for watching!

[@beaumac]

congratulations on doing this! Two questions: 1. how did you get the Schengen visa? 2. What would you suggest to a couple doing this with a 2-year-old?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Well since I (Stijn) am Belgian I was able to sponsor Debbie for her schengen visa. As far as advice; I would do some genealogy to see if you have any path to european citizenship. If that doesn't work and you have a remote job then there are several countries where you could obtain residency in the interim and then later move within Europe.

[@RemuSimona_Oficial]

Very nice.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you💞

[@Julietnboyd1]

Would love more info and details of your journey.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Hi Julie, we will be sharing some more details in a video soon😊 Thank you so much for your interest and watching our video. Debbie & Stijn

[@NaomisAdventures]

Thanks for sharing. Very interesting

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We're glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for watching 💞

[@jjkchannel456]

thanks for sharing this my dear new friend here

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you so much for joining us on our adventures!

[@celtics2008champs1]

Love to hear how the conversation went initially when one of you was thinking of this and talked about it with the other. This is clearly not a standard way to retire, but it looks and sounds amazing. How does it work overseas with banking? How much of an impact has the value of the US dollar been in other countries ? Are there forums or websites that you could direct us to that has info on this topic?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Debbie was already retired so when Stijn brought up the idea, I jumped on it! The exchange rate was pretty darn close and as you may know, its now pretty much the same. Stijn is the one big in forums etc, so I'll have to check with him if he did and which ones they were. Great questions, thank you for watching 💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn

[@johnl7443]

I wonder why you didn't choose to rent out your home, have it professionally managed for 10% of the gross rent income, and thereby have increasing equity? But congratulations on making the move and following your dreams! I'm getting set to do the same thing on my own a year from now!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We certainly went back and forth with that idea. In the end we just didn't want to be long distance landlords. We made over $200,000 in equity, invested it, and in the end we were able to purchase our new home in Italy And do some remodeling with the equity☺️

[@jw_nomad]

Great, but how do you register the car and purchase insurance? Besides, does 90 days restriction hinder your plan?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Depending on the country it may be challenging to purchase a car. Options are available though, such as the short term lease and 3 month rentals. If you're in sticking to relatively large cities you can even get by using trains and buses. You can buy a train pass with unlimited travel across Europe for 90 days at about 1000$ per person which seems like a good deal.

[@EmilioExploring]

Great info!

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We're so glad that you found our video helpful! Thank you for watching 💞

[@thelongroadhome7582]

Congratulations on your freedom! We did the same thing in 2019 but came back to Canada when the pandemic hit. It seems to be a non-event in Portugal for you though?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thank you! We have had to endure some restrictions during these first 6 months at varying levels. The first being the day we landed, we had to get a test and quarantine for 2 weeks in Belgium. While in Portugal we've seen closing and opening and then re-close again. It's a yo-yo for sure! We're happy that this is where we are during all of this and hope it will all end soon. Thank you so much for watching. Stay safe and healthy!

[@InfiniteWanderlust]

Interesting story. Not always easy to make them big decisions.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

So far it seems to be a great decision! We're loving life with no stress for sure! We're so glad you enjoyed our story, thank you so much for watching 😊

[@InfiniteWanderlust]

@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Sure 😊

[@josephinedaly6635]

Bet it was hard to leave Ferragudo as its magical

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Ferragudo definitely gets in your heart and soul💞 We absolutely have loved coming here over the years. But yes leaving this time after such a long stay was so bittersweet. We are looking forward to new adventures but also to the time when we come back. Thank you so much for watching our video💞

[@PaulKolbusz]

Definitely interested in learning more re: the visa process. I am an EU citizen and my wife only has American citizenship. We would like to stay and travel around the EU for 12+ months, is this possible?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thanks for your comment. While it's impossible to say definitively from your comment, I would venture to say that it is certainly possible. It depends on whether or not either of you intend to work, which country you hold citizenship etc. We're adding your interest regarding our visa process to our list of other requests on what to share in a future video. Thank you so much for watching and leaving us a comment.

[@terryrobinrivero3037]

Three questions: How much of a language barrier have you encountered and what do you do? How is the banking handled? And last and least liked question, how does the health care work if someone falls ill or gets injured?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Hi guys! Well, pretty much everybody here speaks English and Stijn knows more Portuguese then I do if needed, but it's rare. We still have our bank account in the US and we opened one in Belgium just so we can have a european bank card. But all our bank cards work perfectly fine here. My health plan will work here just fine, I just will have a higher deductible and co-pay because I'm out of network. Stijn has a Belgium issued plan because he is a Belgian citizen that we pay $100usd per year for. We both got our teeth cleaned in January here in Portugal and it cost $180 usd for both of us with x-rays. Part of Stijns will be reimbursed and I'm not even going to bother submitting a claim. Hope I've answered your questions and if you have any others, just shoot me a message on FB. Also, if you would like to receive our newsletter, just shoot us an email at the address listed in our profile. Thank you so much for your support and watching our videos! Love you guys!!

[@terryrobinrivero3037]

@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Sounds way easier than I thought. Thanks Debbie.

[@christinabayma119]

Not just how did you prepare to travel in Europe, but what visas did you get in order to stay longer than 3 months in the Schengen zone?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Hi, thanks for your comment. We were able to obtain a long term EU visa based on the fact that Stijn is a European Citizen, certainly made things much easier.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

My husband is a Belgian citizen and because I'm his wife, I was able to get a family reunion visa (this was during Covid when you weren't allowed to fly to Europe) that allowed us to even go. I applied for and received a Belgian residency which also allowed me to stay in Europe longer then 3 months. We now live in Italy! Watch our next videos as well, they're pretty fun! Great question and thank you for watching 💞🇮🇹

[@melissatravelgal]

5 months in Portugal? How do you get by with the Schengen rule?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Stijn is a EU citizen from Belgium and because I'm his wife I was able to get a special visa good for 5 years. We will be applying for Italian residency soon, so keep an eye out for that video 😊 Great question and thank you so much for watching 💞 Debbie and Stijn

[@jorgerojas1576]

I’m planning to do that but I think I will rent my house in Miami instead of selling it. It’s paid off.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We went back and forth on whether we should sell or rent. But after renting out my house in Vegas for a few years I knew I didn't want to be a long distance landlord again. Yes, I could have paid a property management company but I didn't want to. We're thrilled to hear you have a plan and that it's working out for you. Life is to short not to figure out how you can live it the way you want. Good luck and safe travels. Debbie and Stijn

[@HaiNguyen-zh8cv]

Hi, I would like to whether you still have healthcare in US or you bought healthcare plan in Europe. Thanks

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

I, Debbie have a healthcare plan that I'm covered under through my retirement that I never use because because healthcare is so inexpensive here. Stijn just recently became a resident of Italy (he is a Belgian citizen) and that required him to acquire a private health plan, which was also very inexpensive compared to the USA (roughly 1800 usd per year).

[@sarahharris5359]

would love to hear about your budget.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

We will be sharing that soon!

[@PDZ1122]

And when the money runs out? What about health insurance?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Debbie is retired so the money keeps coming🤣😂 Health care is so inexpensive here it hasn't been a problem.

[@carlosvictor8679]

lord & lady of the castle,lol

[@jerryjenkins5739]

Congratulations on saving 6 % on the sale of your house in realtor fees when the avg. for sale by owner nets 8% less.

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

It was really an easy process/experience, and yes, saved us a ton of money. Which by the way we've ended up using to buy a house in Italy... Unexpectedly 😁 Thank you for watching 💞🇮🇹 Debbie and Stijn

[@travellinman382]

How did you register/buy your car with no permanent address?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Stijn is an EU citizen and we paid cash. We also registered as residents in the community of his parents and used their address as our home base.

[@travellinman382]

@@ouritaliandestiny7955 thank you. I couldn’t even rent a car in France without using my friends residence for an address. It’s these little things that worry me about “pulling the trigger”.

[@robocop581]

How long can you continue to travel before using up all your savings?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Great question! We have kind of a unique situation. I, Debbie, get a nice retirement check every month, so basically until I die😊

[@Querenciatv]

Sweet ☺️ ❤️&✌️

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Yes, we are very happy with our decision 💞 thank you for watching!

[@liverpix]

Did you learn Portuguese before going or can you get by with English ?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

You can easily get by with English, and the basics are easy, obrigada (o), (thank you), Bom Dia (good day), etc. Thank you for watching our video ~ Debbie and Stijn

[@liverpix]

@@ouritaliandestiny7955 Thank you.

[@RemuSimona_Oficial]

I love you

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Thanks!

[@JR-eq6jz]

6 big suitcases is not selling everything. What the hell did you need those for?

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

😂🤣😂 It was me (Debbie) I'm a girl😂😂😂

[@andrewpower7743]

are you sure you sold everything, it looks like you packed it and took it with you, lol

[@ouritaliandestiny7955]

Stored some family heirlooms at my sons but honestly only took 6 suitcases with us full of clothes and toiletries.😂