It’s been three months since we left the sunny shores of Barbados and the two adorable dogs we were pet-sitting. Over these past months, we’ve had some amazing experiences traveling through fascinating countries like Turkey, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy.
If you’ve been following our adventures, you might be wondering why we’ve suddenly landed in Malta, a place that wasn’t part of our original plans. Let me explain…
The Balkans and Italy are incredible destinations and among our favorite parts of the world. In Albania, we navigated through the wild landscapes on our own. In Istanbul, we gave our first talk at the World Tourism Forum and met some fantastic bloggers. We drove across Macedonia and even went skiing in a national park. We fell in love with Plovdiv in Bulgaria and enjoyed road-tripping along the stunning Mediterranean coast of Montenegro and Croatia.
Italy was a unique experience with its fantastic cuisine, amazing ruins, rich history, and an enchanting vibe that’s hard to describe. We’re definitely planning to return to Italy.
Our travels were thrilling and exactly what we needed after staying in Grenada and Barbados for six months. We were eager to explore cities rather than beach towns, and Europe was calling. We fully embraced the backpacking lifestyle, exploring new places, trying different foods, meeting friendly people, and experiencing local festivals. We learned about the region’s history, got lost a few times, and enjoyed local wines. To us, this is what travel is all about.
However, there was one downside. Keeping up with our website and all the work that comes with it was challenging. Instead of wanting to write articles, respond to emails, or manage social media, we wanted to immerse ourselves in the destinations we were visiting. While running a travel blog isn’t too much work, during the past three months, we barely managed to work three hours a week on it because traveling was just so much fun. Who wants to be cooped up in a hostel room on their computer when they’re in Rome?
Balancing being a travel blogger and a traveler can be tough. That’s why we’ve been traveling slowly for the past few years, spending several months in countries like Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Grenada, and Barbados. This way, we can both experience the destinations and work on our online business, which funds our travels.
This recent trip through the Balkans, Italy, and Turkey wasn’t our usual pace. We moved from place to place every five nights, eager to see as much as possible, but it wasn’t sustainable. We had originally planned to visit Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, and Ukraine, but with just over two months left before our next house-sitting gig in the Caribbean, it wasn’t feasible to visit all those countries properly.
Unlike most travelers who have a home to return to, we’re full-time travelers and location independent. We don’t have to go back to a traditional job; we can work from our laptops anywhere in the world, creating temporary homes along the way. When we’re settled somewhere, we take the time to make it comfy, do laundry, and settle into a routine. This is our downtime—to reflect, be productive, and enjoy some creature comforts.
In Venice, Italy, two weeks ago, we made a much-needed decision: to travel to Malta and rent an apartment for a couple of months, which really excited us. Malta is relatively off the beaten path, perfect for our travel style. We’ve embraced our travel pace, which is slow and steady, allowing us to truly get to know destinations and build real connections with locals.
Our earlier travels in 2008 through SE Asia and the Subcontinent were incredible, but we’re okay with our current style, which doesn’t have an end date. We’re now comfortably settled in a beautiful apartment in Malta, spending mornings working online and afternoons exploring. This balance allows us to write more guides, tips, and budget hacks about our recent travels.
We’re excited to discover more of Malta and share this underrated gem with you all. Stay tuned!
Are you a digital nomad or a full-time traveler? Do you find it hard to balance travel with work? For those who travel and return home in between trips, do you think you could live location independently? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
