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These last few months have been well spent. You may have read our recent post about why we decided to settle down for a bit. As much as our soles need to explore, our bodies needed to catch up. Myles was able to devote the time he needed to rehab his body while we escaped winter. With our heart’s longing for more, our brains knew how important this time was for us.

vanlife, camping, Europe, van life, backpacking, travel, road trip, roadtrip

As the days grow warmer we are spending more and more time outside. We are surprising ourselves at how much we missed living 100% of our life outside. It’s not just us, our dogs feel it too. Despite their daily walks and endless love, they are BORED! We are moving into our van in a couple of days and Myles said to me “I can’t believe how much better I feel, I can’t wait to start actually living again.”

Just like that, I knew we made the right decision. Staying still wasn’t lavish but I am so grateful that our admittedly hectic life gives us enough flexibility to move (or stay) how we need to. As hard as it was to give up our life of mobility, I am so thankful that we were in tune with our bodies enough to know what it is we needed.

Europe, vanlife, van life, spain, travel, backpacking, back pack

As our bodies began to regain their strength we found ourselves turning our talks and dreams into a reality. Lying in bed one night we started with a simple “wouldn’t it be cool to do this extended Euro trip, where we jump from the beaches in Sicily to the islands in Greece?

We can sip wine in Nice and get in a massive food fight in Barcelona (it’s a real thing and we couldn’t be more excited for it!)”. Somehow, this transformed into an overwhelming “holy shit we are moving in less than 2 months.”

I can’t confidently tell you how in less than a month we went from an idea to plane tickets and dog vaccinations. But I can confidently tell you one thing: Always marry someone as crazy as you are. Or don’t and save A LOT of money ;).

I am going to be honest here, Europe has never been at the top of my list of places to explore. I know, the history is amazing. The architecture, the food, the castles, the cobblestone streets… the list is endless. I have travelled to Rome and the Netherlands before and loved both trips.

The vastly different day-to-day life experienced in other parts of the world has always been appealing to me. Asia, Central and South America have always been the areas on my radar. Recently, my wanderlust has skyrocketed and you’d be hard-pressed to find a country I don’t want to visit.

There are 195 countries in the world and I want to explore all of them

The beauty of Europe is the range you can see in a shorter time. On our Canadian road trips, we drive for 6 hours and are still in the same province. In Europe, we could be in 3 different countries. Not ready to give up our time in the mountains and forests quite yet, we will be devoting our next two months to nightly campfires and getting lost in the woods (hopefully not literally FRECKLES). Mid-June we will be ON A PLANE TO… well, who knows.

This is how we see our next few months shaping up. Our plan as of today (keep in mind this changes HOURLY):

  • Throw our pups on a plane
  • Land in EUROPE – we’re thinking London or Amsterdam.
  • Hunt through the streets for a van #vanlife FOREVER
  • Spend the summer driving anywhere and everywhere throughout Europe

*DID YOU KNOW that Sweden has a “Freedom to roam” act. This allows you to camp on ANY land that is not privately owned!! That’s right the stunning mountains, coastlines and archipelagos are all fair game! GO SWEDEN! 🙂

  • Find an apartment in Barcelona for the winter to act as our home base.

*Their winter months average around 16 degrees, we can live with that!

Any advice could not be more welcomed!!!!

We get asked “Where are you going next?” almost every day. Usually, we respond with “We have no idea!”. But secretly we always have a list of upcoming destinations. We told you — we can’t sit still.

So, we decided to make it a new tradition every year to write down our yearly travel plans. But here’s the kicker: GO OUT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Here is a sneak peak of all the countries we plan to conquer this year. The list isn’t small, but what can I say, we are dreamers. I CANNOT WAIT to review this list in December to see how we make out with this list. Our life is never turns out how we predict. This list will evolve, and more than likely grow, as time goes on. I expect this list to look a bit different in the end.

Pour yourself a glass of wine and get comfortable because I am dreaming big here people!

Spainworld, spain, travel, flight, castle, country side

While I have never explored Barcelona, it has my whole heart. From the salsa dancing, the stunning beaches to the delicious food – I mean SIESTAS PEOPLE… this place literally dedicates a country wide nap… that is something I can definitely get behind!

I have only heard good things about the sights in Madrid. The shopping, the architecture… this whole country just seems like a dream. What I am truly most excited for though is the countryside. I have dreams of renting a bicycle and just exploring the streets (aka, getting ridiculously lost). I am definitely going to have to brush up on my high school Spanish and educate my palate to some Spanish wines.

Germany

explore, germany, flight, travel, oktoberfest That is right people, I plan to cross enjoying Oktoberfest in Munich right off my bucket list. Myles went to Germany right after high school and absolutely loved it. He has been dying to go back ever since, and I couldn’t be more on board. Myles is incredibly interested in WWII history so I plan to get a full history tour from him, when we aren’t beer in hand enjoying the Oktoberfest shenanigans. I will admit that I am nervous to be in Germany in winter but I am just thinking LAYERS on LAYERS.

Portugal

explore, portugal, flight, travel, sand, sun

If you haven’t already, Google beaches in PortugalAMIRIGHT!!! Ya, that is just something I HAVE TO BE A PART OF! The colour in this country looks so vibrant it is a must see for me!

As a bonus, due to how ‘far away’ Portugal is (in European standards… I am used to driving through Canada though..) it is far less tourist based than other European countries. This means cheaper prices and a rich culture. Ok by me 😉

France

explore, france, flight, travel, sand, sun

Nearly every single day Myles is forced to listen to me all but beg for us to run away to the south of France. While my love of wine definitely has something to do with it, the warm sun, the delicious food and the stunning coast has much more (well, not MUCH more…). I have this beautiful dream of me enjoying a breakfast on a balcony overlooking the water.

Well, this WILL HAPPEN this year.

Italy

explore, italy, flight, travel, sand, sun

I went to Rome when I was in high school and let’s just say it was an absolute whirlwind. From tours through Vatican City and the Colosseum, to enjoying the unbelievable food. I only have good memories. I loved it so much that I can’t wait to explore it with Myles.

Last time I was only there for a couple of days on a layover (yet another reason I recommend extended layovers) which has given me an undeniable urge to go back.

Italy has countless places in which I want to explore. The scuba diver in me is mostly pushing for Sicily. Exploring through these crystal clear tropical waters is an absolute must.

Morocco

explore, morroco, flight, travel, sand, sun

This one is at the top of the must see list for both Myles and I. Although realistically we know we may have to wait until 2019 to conquer this beautiful land. I truthfully don’t know how I will keep myself from buying everything I see. The rich colours, the beautiful boho style… BOOK ME A TICKET! This is one area where I would love to partake in the full glamping experience in the middle of the Sahara desert.

Well, there you have it. My beautiful, albeit ambitious, travel plans for 2018. This is just a brief update about our plans for this year. Trust us, we are madly researching and putting pieces together to make all of this happen ;).

Alright Myles, let’s get started.. 🙂

What countries are on your to do list for this year? We love hearing about your ideas and suggestions!