We've sold our Chicago condo to set out on a year-long adventure to travel the world. From cooking classes in Paris to visiting family in Cam Ranh, Vietnam, we're ready to experience all that the world has to offer. Many have asked us how we started planning and ultimately took the plunge into this adventure, so we've decided to answer some of these questions here. We hope this will inspire you to embark on a similar adventure of your own!
Why did we decide to do this?
After graduating from college, we decided that we wanted to live in a big city and experience life abroad before starting our family. After achieving our first goal by living in Chicago for four years, we felt it was time to work towards our next adventure!
We considered moving to one international location for a year, but ultimately decided that we wanted to spend about one month in various locations over the course of a year to immerse ourselves in an array of cultures and experiences.
What does our year-long itinerary look like and how did we decide on these destinations?
We chose our itinerary considering our shared interests, seasonal climate, and when we could visit family and friends. We began with a long list of countries we wanted to visit and narrowed it down after researching and prioritizing our top destinations. Since we’re only bringing one suitcase and backpack per person, we’re traveling to each destination during their warmer seasons to accommodate for our small load. From there, we began mapping out our path based on warm weather and opportunities to visit family and friends.
We are planning about 3 months in advance, allowing flexibility to adjust our itinerary, incorporate new destinations, or modify the duration of our stay in each location.
Our journey begins with one week in London, England where we will indulge in afternoon tea, meet friends, and attend a Fulham vs. West Ham soccer match. From there we will head to France for one month where we will take a cooking class, visit Disneyland, meet friends, and eat as many croissants as possible!
To see where we are heading next, check out our itinerary on our Williams World Tour Page.
Where will we be staying?
We are staying in a combination of hotels and Airbnb rentals depending on how long we are staying in each destination. Airbnb rentals are convenient for long-term stays since they offer discounts for stays lasting at least one month and they also provide us with more space and fully-equipped kitchens.
How can people follow along with us?
We're sad to be leaving our friends and family for so long but are so excited to share this adventure with everyone. See all the ways you can keep in touch with us and follow along on our journey:
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Keep up with our blog posts where we will be sharing our experiences and recommendations for each location.
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