After the chaos of Kathmandu, we found peace at Begnas Lake, painting, writing, and enjoying local food with glimpses of the Himalayas. Highlights included jungle walks with rhesus macaques, lakeside adventures, and volunteering with the fledgling University of Nepal—helping staff and students create promotional videos in a building damaged during recent unrest. Nepal’s landscapes, culture, and warm hospitality made it an unforgettable stop on our journey.

We started out in Porto which was funky, gritty, and vibrant. Monsanto was our little escape from the farm, all stone lanes and Templar mystery. But the permaculture farm was the real deal: long days, sore muscles, and a renewed sense of purpose.

We finally arrived in Puglia, Italy—our home for the next seven weeks at a co-living space centred on permaculture, community, and slow living. On our first night, we were taken out to the local restaurant for pizza, and were instantly reminded of how deeply Italians understand the finer things in life. I was thrilled for wholesome food and the chance to settle into our new temporary life.

After a month visiting friends and family in BC, we set off on part two of our adventure. First stop: the UK. We decided to spend the summer here for a couple of reasons. One was to escape the increasingly brutal heatwaves in continental Europe. The other was practical—we’d already used up our 90-day Schengen allowance in Italy and Greece, and needed to sit out the required three months before we could return.

We landed in southern France with plans to volunteer on a farm, but things didn’t exactly go as scheduled. A big volunteer turnover delayed our arrival by a few days, which left us with unexpected time to fill. A Google search for “hidden gem small towns near Toulouse” led me to Limoux, and within an hour we’d booked a cute little apartment for five nights.

After three weeks of lazy days in Crete, the clock was ticking on our 90-day Schengen limit. With our two-month stay in an intentional community in Italy already booked for March and April, it was time to exit the EU. We wanted to stay somewhere near the Mediterranean but outside the Schengen zone.

Part one -- Istanbul, Turgutreis and PamukkaleVideoIstanbulMeetups, inflation and hot air balloonsI flew from Montenegro to Istanbul, at long last to meet my new partner Randy. He was freshly retired and flying out from Vancouver. He was just a few months behind my...

After my house-sit in Switzerland, I needed to escape the Schengen zone (the EU’s passport control scheme, allowing 90 days at a time for Canadians). So off to the UK it was to visit my relatives! My cousins & aunts live in Sussex and Norfolk, which counties to the north east of London.

Montenegro is a Balkan country south of Croatia and north of Albania and Greece. I’m in a small city of 30,000 called Herceg Novi, south of Dubrovnik.

I had arranged a two month house-sit through a family connection located in the outskirts of Geneva, looking after an elderly lab named Skeena. I was looking forward to staying put for a bit as I don’t have a lot of energy on the best of days, and I was exhausted from the previous few months of packing and emotional goodbyes.