Inside: the full Slow Travel Toolkit we use to plan a life on the move — seasons, budgets, belonging, monthly stays, and the rhythm that keeps us grounded.
Ahh thank you, Tegan! I’m really excited about this release too — and I hope it answers some of the questions you (and so many others) have been asking about how we actually plan this life. Really grateful you’re here for it!
I'm sure that many people are going to benefit from your extensive experience. The only piece that I'd add is around - what if you want a break from travelling? or what happens afterwards? Not to stop or hinder the process but it may impact some of the decisions.
Glenda, this is such a thoughtful point — thank you for raising it!
You’re right: the “what if you want a break?” and “what happens after?” questions shape so many decisions — budget, pacing, visas, even how you set up your life back home. Everyone handles it differently. For us, keeping a small home base in Houston has been the safety valve: we can come back anytime, reset, catch our breath, or save money before a bigger trip.
I’ll weave this into how I talk about the Toolkit — it’s too important to leave unsaid.
Kelly - You have no idea how valuable this is. Or maybe you do! 😉 I’ve found that half of the anxiety that arises around choosing destinations and schedules comes from the logistics part feeling overwhelming. The other half comes from mindset around uncertainty and feeling “not ready enough.” So thank you for addressing all of this with The Toolkit and your writing. I’m looking forward to the details and what’s to come.
Michael, this means a lot to hear — because those are the exact two halves I’m trying to hold with the Toolkit: the logistics that make your brain spin and the mindset stuff that whispers “not ready.”
If it can take even a little of that pressure off and make choosing destinations feel more grounded and less like a guessing game, then it’s doing its job!
I’m really glad you’re here for the next pieces, and I’d genuinely love your feedback as you start to play with it.
Kitty — so glad it landed for you! The Toolkit has been such a labor of love for Nigel and me — years of spreadsheets, shoulder-season charts, and “what if we tried it this way?” finally coming together.
Awesome post! So, my wife and I are self-employed, and our kids have left the nest. We live in Canada and have a house; however, we are thinking of selling and travelling for a few months out of the year, or using our home as a base and traveling a few months out of the year, specifically, December to March. So many decisions!
And the nice thing is: neither option locks you in. Keep the house and travel December–March, or sell and roam more freely — both can work, and both can be adjusted as you go. Nigel and I kept a home base, and it made the whole thing feel less like a cliff jump and more like a season-by-season rhythm we could refine.
We also did a trial-balloon month about eight months before quitting our jobs — just to make sure we wouldn’t kill each other living in tight quarters with no routine and no escape hatch. Turns out we liked each other even more when the days slowed down. That gave us the confidence to take the bigger leap.
So yes, there are a lot of decisions… but none of them are irreversible. You get to build this in layers, not all at once.
Cheering you both on as you figure out what “next” looks like.
This is amazing, Kelly, and is going to help demystify the fantasy for so many people. I love what you’re building here, including the amazing community of folks who see what you and Nigel have accomplished and think, “wow, can I do that too!?” Then they realize, “of course I can! Kelly did it and showed me how!”
I also love that you differentiate between types of freedom — there are different types, indeed! We can maximize for the ones that make sense to us.
On our sailboat, we have the type where we don’t need to be anywhere at a specific time or day; no other human tells us what to do or interferes much at all; and we get decide where we go next. Lots of boat maintenance and unexpected costs, but the benefits are priceless.
looks terrific. Can’t wait to see what you have in the tool kit.
Absolutely — that’s the whole aim. We just want to encourage people to choose their version of adventure, whatever shape it takes.
We’re all so different, yet wanting many of the same things: freedom, curiosity, and a life that fits.
💛 Kelly
Perfect offering for a paid sub! Looking forward to this
Ahh thank you, Tegan! I’m really excited about this release too — and I hope it answers some of the questions you (and so many others) have been asking about how we actually plan this life. Really grateful you’re here for it!
💛 Kelly
I'm sure that many people are going to benefit from your extensive experience. The only piece that I'd add is around - what if you want a break from travelling? or what happens afterwards? Not to stop or hinder the process but it may impact some of the decisions.
Glenda, this is such a thoughtful point — thank you for raising it!
You’re right: the “what if you want a break?” and “what happens after?” questions shape so many decisions — budget, pacing, visas, even how you set up your life back home. Everyone handles it differently. For us, keeping a small home base in Houston has been the safety valve: we can come back anytime, reset, catch our breath, or save money before a bigger trip.
I’ll weave this into how I talk about the Toolkit — it’s too important to leave unsaid.
💛 Kelly
Kelly - You have no idea how valuable this is. Or maybe you do! 😉 I’ve found that half of the anxiety that arises around choosing destinations and schedules comes from the logistics part feeling overwhelming. The other half comes from mindset around uncertainty and feeling “not ready enough.” So thank you for addressing all of this with The Toolkit and your writing. I’m looking forward to the details and what’s to come.
Michael, this means a lot to hear — because those are the exact two halves I’m trying to hold with the Toolkit: the logistics that make your brain spin and the mindset stuff that whispers “not ready.”
If it can take even a little of that pressure off and make choosing destinations feel more grounded and less like a guessing game, then it’s doing its job!
I’m really glad you’re here for the next pieces, and I’d genuinely love your feedback as you start to play with it.
💛 Kelly
Love this!
Kitty — so glad it landed for you! The Toolkit has been such a labor of love for Nigel and me — years of spreadsheets, shoulder-season charts, and “what if we tried it this way?” finally coming together.
Can’t wait to share the full thing soon.
💛 Kelly
Awesome post! So, my wife and I are self-employed, and our kids have left the nest. We live in Canada and have a house; however, we are thinking of selling and travelling for a few months out of the year, or using our home as a base and traveling a few months out of the year, specifically, December to March. So many decisions!
Ken — it really is an exciting crossroads!
And the nice thing is: neither option locks you in. Keep the house and travel December–March, or sell and roam more freely — both can work, and both can be adjusted as you go. Nigel and I kept a home base, and it made the whole thing feel less like a cliff jump and more like a season-by-season rhythm we could refine.
We also did a trial-balloon month about eight months before quitting our jobs — just to make sure we wouldn’t kill each other living in tight quarters with no routine and no escape hatch. Turns out we liked each other even more when the days slowed down. That gave us the confidence to take the bigger leap.
So yes, there are a lot of decisions… but none of them are irreversible. You get to build this in layers, not all at once.
Cheering you both on as you figure out what “next” looks like.
💛 Kelly
Thank you!!!
This is amazing, Kelly, and is going to help demystify the fantasy for so many people. I love what you’re building here, including the amazing community of folks who see what you and Nigel have accomplished and think, “wow, can I do that too!?” Then they realize, “of course I can! Kelly did it and showed me how!”
I also love that you differentiate between types of freedom — there are different types, indeed! We can maximize for the ones that make sense to us.
On our sailboat, we have the type where we don’t need to be anywhere at a specific time or day; no other human tells us what to do or interferes much at all; and we get decide where we go next. Lots of boat maintenance and unexpected costs, but the benefits are priceless.