Countdown

Well less than 2 weeks to go now until the escape.

I have been sorting out the bank accounts and putting money aside into an easy access account. I have thrown a lot of stuff out.

Today I made enquiries with an estate agent about the possibility of a 6 month apartment rental in north west Mallorca. If we could get it at the right price I think we may go for it. Browsing on the internet this morning it just caught my eye. Bang on the sea front with beautiful vistas in a quiet residential area, adults only. The sea at the front and the pine woods and mountains at the back. The trouble is that I don't really want to commit to 6 months. I really would prefer 3 months but I think that a short term agreement would cost me a lot more. Anyway lets just see how it goes. I've put the feeler out and its no big deal if they don't go for it. We still plan on going to Mallorca in September for at least a few months irrespective of whether we enter into a long term rental agreement.

After being land locked in a gritty urban area in the North West for so long I am desperate to be live near the coast for a while. Being near the ocean makes me feel different, calmer more zen.

The beauty about planning to go to Mallorca is that I dont need a visa, I can stay as along as I want, I can buy a one way flight (which is what I plan to do) and they wont throw me out if I overstay. I can just turn up and go with the flow. We also plan to spend some time in Menorca and Ibiza.

I just want to go NOW.

But you cant LIVE anywhere in the world....

I read a lot of travelling blogs or lifestyle design blogs that scream out that you can go anywhere in the world.

Yes I know I can go anywhere in the world, and now I am at a point where I really CAN go anywhere in the world. But I cant LIVE anywhere in the world. There is a huge difference.

The trouble is, I don't just want to go anywhere and everywhere, I have specific places that I want to go and see but I am not into travel just for the sake of it. I am more interested in finding a sustainable living solution. If you are a long time reader of this blog you will know that if I could LIVE anywhere I would live in North Amercia. But, as I have discussed many times on this blog there are no viable visa options. And no I am not about to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a "business (fools) visa" like a lot of expat brits have done and have got into hot water.

And that's the problem. The V word. You cant LIVE anywhere in the world because you need a VISA. I do not want to play hide and seek with the border authorities. I want to be free to come and go as I please.

I have spent a long time living temporarily in places because I have to be there for work to earn money to live etc etc. Now I want find a sustainable living solution.

Just my random thoughts for today.

Getting Excited

Its almost a month since my last post. I must post more often.

I'm really starting to get excited now. There are now 5 working weeks to go (it still seems too long!) until the escape.

I am REALLY looking forward to being freeeeeeeeee, I will be getting my life back. I realised the other day just how unhappy this life has made me for a long long time. I am feeling a lot more positive about the escape, we just might be able to pull this off.

Having time out of the rat race was never an option for me, I wanted OUT COMPLETELY. When I did locum and contract work I had the opportunity to take some time off for a few months, but nothing had really changed for me. I was still living in the same place, still having to make a living so I could give up work and escape the grind.

So we we are out at the end of July. Initially we are housesitting and dog sitting for a friend for a few weeks. August will be spent here and there in this country. Then in September the rough plan is to go to the Balearic islands (all of them) potentially for 2 - 3 months. Then we may go to the Caribbean and then who knows?

Next spring I fancy travelling around the west coast of North America in a motorhome. From some initial research hiring an RV or a week could run to $1,000k. It appears to be prohibitively expensive to hire an RV for 3 - 6 months. So instead we are considering the idea of buying one on the way in and hopefully selling it on the way out. We need something reliable but we also do not want to spend too much on an RV in case we don't have time to sell it. We would probably start off in Canada so we can go in on 6 month visitors visa. Any tips?

So thats the plan for the next 12 months, although we dont have a concrete itinerary. We are just going to start off in Mallorca and see what feels right and see what comes.

Who knows we may end up being permanent bums in Ibiza beating the drums with the dudes that drive the magic vans :)