A few years ago, my family and I took a one month mini-retirement to Ireland and England.  Before that trip, we applied for two British Airways Visa cards (one for my wife, one for me).  Each card gave 100,000 frequent flier miles for signing up and meeting a minimum spend.  We used some of the miles on that trip, but most of them have been sitting unused (dumb!).  I recently got an email that said the miles were about to expire, so I did what most people would do.  I booked an 18-day, 25,000-mile trip around the world.  I’m leaving soon and I’d love to have you follow along.

A bit about the trip

I’ll keep the specific destinations under wraps for now, other than to say I’ll be leaving home and flying west.  My itinerary has 10 flights and I’ll be spending time in 4 countries (plus two more for connecting flights).  That’s waaaaay more stops than I would normally recommend for a trip of this length, but I’m not really looking at the trip as a relaxing vacation.  Instead I’m viewing it as a bit of a combo between a work trip and a lifestyle experiment that will give me some interesting things to write about at Intentional Retirement (as well as our Facebook page).  I’m able to connect into my work computer remotely and I have a phone plan that works seamlessly in 170 countries, so I’ll be communicating with clients and working a “normal” day most days.  I also have some fun activities booked at each destination, so I’ll be writing about those, as well as about things like how I plan trips, how to pack, demystifying travel, spontaneity, being proactive in retirement, designing your ideal lifestyle, taking risks, finding your purpose, location independence, remote work, overcoming excuses and living an intentional life.

Why?

The expiring miles were a good excuse, but truth be told, the trip has a bigger purpose.  My goal with Intentional Retirement is not just to sell books or write articles, but to help people actually make positive changes in their lives.  To nudge them from apathy to action.  So I hope the trip is fun and interesting, but mostly I hope it inspires you, in some small way, to get your own dreams off the drawing board.

Up next

Next week I’ll post an article or two about how I plan trips and what I’m packing for this trip (hint: almost nothing).  Then I’ll hit the road.  I’ll be posting articles to the site as I go, but I’ll also be posting some pictures and videos to our Facebook page, so follow along there to see the good, the bad and the ugly of how the trip is going.  And if you have any friends who might be interested in following along (or who, like you, want to live an intentional, meaningful life), please email this article to them or share it on social media.  Have a great weekend!  And as always…

Be Intentional,

Joe