Courtesy of Shelly Peterson
- Two years ago, my husband and I sold nearly everything we owned to travel full-time. We'd been dreaming of doing it for years and decided to take the plunge. We live on a $3,000 a month budget and make sure to stay connected to family.
At 55, my husband Shayne and I did something most people only dream about. We sold our home, our cars, and the business we had spent years building, and traded it all for a couple of suitcases and a one-way ticket to Bali.
It wasn't a midlife crisis or a dramatic escape. This was the result of years of dreaming, planning, and figuring out what we truly wanted from the rest of our lives. But after a health scare and living through the pandemic, everything sped up. Suddenly, our "someday" turned into "now or never."
Letting go of everything was strangely liberating
The first step was selling the physical therapy practice Shayne had built from the ground up. After having it on the market for a few months with little interest, we were thrilled to sell it to one of his longtime employees. This gave us peace of mind and made the transition simple and feel more meaningful.
Then came our house. It sold the first weekend it hit the market, and to our surprise, the buyers wanted to purchase most of our furniture too. After that, we donated, sold, or gave away nearly everything else. Both of our cars sold quickly, and some sentimental things went into storage.
I never imagined that letting go of most of our possessions would turn out to be one of the most freeing parts of this journey. We created space. Not just in our closets, but in our lives.
Courtesy of Shelly Peterson
We built our life intentionally
We didn't win the lottery or stumble into early retirement. We are not rich. We simply got clear on what kind of life we wanted, and then built a plan to support it.
After selling our assets, we dramatically reduced our expenses and created a few modest income streams to help sustain long-term travel. We launched JetSetClub.co, a cheap flight alert service, and started blogging at JetSetPetersons.com.
We set a monthly budget of $3,000. For the most part, we've been able to stick to it, even in places like Paris, Barcelona, and Mexico. One of our biggest strategies? We let the deal determine the destination. That means choosing locations not only based on airfare, but also on affordable lodging, local transportation, food costs, weather, and visa limits.
Avoiding the high season and traveling during the shoulder season really helps keep costs down. And as a bonus, there are usually fewer crowds to contend with! As a rule, we only stay at places with a kitchen so we can cook most of our meals. This hack not only helps us save money, but also helps us eat healthier. Our lifestyle is simpler now, and we seek out low-cost or free experiences like walking tours, free museum nights, farmers markets, and long afternoons on the beach.
Courtesy of Shelly Peterson
Full-time travel is not one long vacation
People sometimes imagine our life is just one big holiday, but it's far more grounded than that. There have been challenges: minor illnesses, language mix-ups, SIM card issues, missed flights, and moments of homesickness. But there have also been rice fields in Bali, night markets in Thailand, slow mornings in European cafés, and beachside sunsets we still talk about months later.
It's not perfect, but we've found the best memories come from the imperfect moments.
Courtesy of Shelly Peterson
We left home, but we're still connected to family
The hardest part wasn't letting go of our house or belongings. It was saying goodbye to our close-knit family of four daughters and nine grandchildren, all under the age of 7.
Even though we are not in the same country as our family most of the year, we have found ways to show up differently now. We read stories over FaceTime, send postcards and little gifts from every country we visit, and post videos they love to watch.
We've virtually attended dance recitals and cheer competitions. Our oldest granddaughter even practices piano with me on video calls. And when we come home to visit, we soak in every second, and it feels more meaningful.
Distance hasn't weakened our bond. If anything, it's made it stronger.
Courtesy of Shelly Peterson
Two years later, we've never felt more alive
Since we left, we've traveled over 120,000 miles across 15 countries. We've learned how little we need to feel fulfilled, and how much joy there is in slowing down and saying yes to curiosity.
We've also learned that adventure, reinvention, and dreams don't have an age limit.
We have learned that there is no such thing as a "one-size-fits-all" version of early retirement or full-time travel. Everyone and every situation is different. But if you've ever felt that quiet nudge, the sense that life could look different, I hope our story shows you that it's possible. You don't need to have it all figured out. You just have to be willing to take the first step.
