I have a new year resolution - after 34 years of teaching (including falling for "one more year" syndrome for 2 years) my resolution is to retire early at age 59 at the end of the summer term.
Thanks for this Rob. Thinking back we had a number of colleagues that fell for that syndrome! 2025 really is going to be an exciting time for you...we are quite jealous. Make sure you enjoy the last couple of terms- it is a great profession and you want to go out on an emotional high. We loved the planning for retirement, but we love the reality of it more. Have a fab year👍
Personally I’d advise leaving as soon as you are able to so Easter. There’s no reason to continue if you’ve already decided. A new teacher out there will be looking for an Easter start…. so don’t feel bad. Prioritise your needs, it’s a good way to start your retirement. Also it’s a new tax year in April and you don’t want to earn too much 2025/26 by working a term plus then getting TPS. Do the maths
Have taken your lead and taken early retirement. We have the campervan and will look to do the fulfilment of life, travel and all associated aspects you promote. You both inspire 👍 ....thank you.
We're getting ready ... this channel has been invaluable to us we have learned so much, its given us so much more confidence we are just starting to look for a Van !
I've just discovered your channel. I was also a teacher, retired almost 20 years ago and since then have travelled extensively - including to the high Arctic and Antarctica. Wherever I go, my DSLR comes too - I'll never capture great wildlife photos if my camera is at home! VW California's are indeed eye-wateringly expensive but they come with everything, and everything has its place. As we get older, we tend to rely more on our creature-comforts so good luck choosing your next camper van!
Wow - I bet your Arctic and Antarctic adventures were incredible! I am looking forward to getting out more with the camera 📷 We have narrowed the new van down to a couple - we are getting excited now as we may be able to get it ready for next winter which would open up a whole new world for our skiing options 😊
OMG the kick start we need for 2025, ahead of our last 3 months working full time, we retire at 56 and 55. Grow but don’t change the essence of your channel, keep your USP to keep it real. All the best from motorhome Avabel.
Exciting times ahead then - a great time to retire as you have the spring and summer ahead of you in your motorhome 🚐 Hope you have some nice trips planned. We don't intend to change the channel - we love talking about all aspects of early retirement which includes the van life travelling 😊
My partner and I absolutely love your videos. We are both early retired and I am also an ex-teacher, and have similar goals to you, in that we want to travel in our campervan, have a long haul trip and spend quality time with family and friends, as well as with each other. Having lived in Spain and being half Spanish, there is just so much to see. We drove through NW France, Northern Spain and Portugal on the N2, before going back into Spain, over the Pyrénées and through France, before taking our ferry from Dieppe to Newhaven. Both these ports seem a lot calmer than Calais and Dover. We have also taken the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao which is lovely. We have a 7.2 m van, so we tend to avoid big cities due to the difficulty parking. Park4night was invaluable in the following locations in France (Pyrénées), Spain and Portugal: (museums tend to shut on Monday): 1. Park at Aire in Cambo les Bains and walk to Espelette and Ainhoa 2. Cross over to Lesaka 3. Loyola 4. Gernika 5. Puente Viesgo (book visiting prehistoric caves in advance) 6. Comillas 7. San Vicente de la Barquera 8. Potes 9. Covadonga 10. Cangas de Onís 11. Ribadesella 12. Gijón 13. Cudillero 14. Ribadeo - Playa de las Catedrales 15. Lugo 16. Santiago de Compostela 17. Combarro 18. Pontevedra 19. Ria de Vigo - PonteSampaio 20. Guimareas (Portugal) 21. Peso da Regua 22. Viseu 23. Gois 24. Trujillo 25. Cáceres 26. Plasencia (look up green routes: disused train tracks are now cycle routes) 27. Béjar 28. Salamanca 29. Valladolid We then took a long drive across Spain to la Laguna Negra in Soria province, then to Zaragoza and then up to CANFRANC. This is a must go to place in the Pyrénées full of history and amazing walks. There are so many more places to see in Spain, but these are places we were able to park in easily. Enjoy! Thank you for sharing all your wisdom on your amazing videos!
Thank you so much for this Monique...so much valuable information that we will definitely use in our planning. We are so excited about the summer trip, and are about to start getting the google maps out and hitting the guide books👍 It is a strange one as we have very little experience of this part of the world. Thanks again for the lovely feedback too🙏
Another fantastic video! ❤ I don't know how you managed 30 weeks of travels with so many destinations....I'm doing half what you guys do and it's plenty! 😂 Pleased to hear you are "sticking to your knitting" in terms of key YT themes - travel, wellness etc Frankly I think your YT creation/format/editing is fabulous (relaxed, authentic, informative) .....I'd be wary of trying to become "too expert".....what you produce is fabulously natural/authentic and engaging. Your "sit down in jumpers with occasional spliced shots of your travels" works really well and 25 min videos is perfect duration - easy to engage/consume.
Thank you...you are both so kind! One thing we set out to do when we first started ERW was to stay as genuine as possible. We dont think we are typical UA-camrs (if there is really such a thing?), we are just us...muddling through this life having as many adventures as we can. The fact that other people are interested in what we do actually fries our heads😂
Hi Jenni, thanks for this. It is not a road we are wanting to go down, and we don't need to at the moment. We are adamant that we would only ever collaborate with products that fit with our values and something that we would genuinely use. Nothing has fit the bill so far😂 Most entertaining offer so far was a toilet seat booster for people in their retirement...how rude😂😂😂
Only just found you and I LOVE your videos. We are a little older and early retirement just happened in a way to us, due to a combination of van travel, COVID and Brexit. We now have a tiny house in Portugal and, like you, spend a lot of the time in our van. If you want advice re Spain and Portugal, feel free to ask. With a shorter trip I would concentrate on one area and don’t forget Iberia can be very hot in a van in the summer! Ferries to Santander or Bilbão obviously cut down on the driving needed.
Thanks for this Gill - we may take you up on the offer of advice as it all seems very alien to us at the moment. We spent a week in the Picos de Europa and northern Spain coast a couple of years ago which we loved but have never ventured any further in Spain and neither of us have ever been to Portugal. Isn't early retirement just wonderful! We can't believe how much we have already packed in during our 2 and a half years 😊
I’ve just found your channel at the perfect time as my husband and I are taking early retirement this year, I’m a teacher and he works for the NHS. We are both really excited about making plans and having more control over our time 😊
A very exciting year ahead for you both - we have never regretted our decision - the time that you free up is the biggest bonus and we do quite like after years as teachers not having to answer to anyone - being able to do what ever we choose and not being stuck to the expensive, busy school holidays 😊
I really enjoy your channel Richard & Jackie… thank you for creating such interesting and varied content. Wishing you both good health and happiness for 2025! Very best wishes, Jan (& Turner 🐾) xx
Thanks you two...and a very happy 2025 to you too. Your support of the channel has been very much appreciated and you are definitely a great friend of the channel. Stay safe and have a good one. 👍🙏
Really enjoyed watching a lot of videos on your channel. Slightly different scenario in that I had to retire from the NHS at the age of 51 at then end of 2023 due to ill health. My wife retired during the middle of last year and we are now looking forward to some new adventures. Keep making your videos 😀
Thanks for watching the channel. Hopefully you have got some great plans for this coming year now that you are both retired - we just love the freedom of time to do as we please 😊
Hi Jackie and Richard…just discovered your channel! I’m 59 this year and you’ve got me thinking of retirement, and I’ve got a VW T5 campervan that I love travelling in. Thanks so much for your honest content, really fun and interesting. Thanks!
Thanks for this Bill- very much appreciated. It's always nice to hear nice things and it genuinely means so much to us that others see what we are trying to do on the channel. 👍
Hiring a van before buying is a good shout. We have a 6m Autotrail Tribute camping van and feel it's the right balance for accessing remote locations and comfort. We spend three to four months a year roaming around the UK and Europe. We applaud your approach to sponsorship and advertising, although I should mention that there is now a Smeg toaster in our Amazon basket! You've inadvertently placed a product haha. Best wishes.
Thanks for this you two- we had a good old belly laugh at our inadvertent product placement😂 We do love the toaster BTW- but not as much as the coffee machine❤️ We are just really looking forward to a bit more storage space and facilities in our new van that will open up a whole range of aires in Europe. Thanks for the support👍
Completely endorse CrossFit, and also more specific strength training. The 5x5 StrongLifts programme is a grest one for simplicity - just stick a couple of dumbbells/kettlebells in the van and you'll be great - it doesn't matter how much you lift provided you do as many reps to get as close to failure as possible.
We absolutely loved our cross fit days - we both even entered the rainfall trials which were great fun! We are going to invest in some dumbbells to keep in the van and create our own WODs to have a go at 🏋🏻♀️
Happy new year to you both, I’m so looking forward to seeing your travels this year, and i must admit how nice it is that you don’t ask any of your viewers to like and subscribe to your channel, your channel is just fantastic, if I do miss any I binge watch like I did when I first found your channel 😂, I used to say to myself when I first found you just one more video🤣🤣 have a great year on your adventures and everything else you have planned for this year, safe travels to you both
Thanks for this Maxine...not sure how many people realise this, but it was something that we were adamant about when setting up the channel. It's just us being us😉 Many thanks for your lovely, kind words👍 Have a great 2015.
I always chuckle when you discuss your difference in goal setting - Richard's personality sounds like my husband and I seem to be like Jackie. It's fun to find others like us. And Jackie, I'm like you with the driving issue. Our daughter lives in Australia and I keep thinking I need to drive there when I visit but it causes absolute panic. I can't wait to hear how you get on! Lastly, every time you vlog from your house, I think how fantastic it looks after the remodel. Happy New Year and Happy Travels! (We are visiting the Outer Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland for our first time this spring- and possibly even Orkney - and I am over the moon excited!)
We still pinch ourselves that we live here and it still feels like we go home to a lovely holiday cottage 🏡 I hope you love Scotland as much as we do - the islands are beautiful - do I remember correctly that you live out in Colorado? Happy new year x
@@earlyretirementwanderlust Yes, I'm in beautiful Colorado. And this will be my fourth visit to Scotland - obviously, one of my favorite places to visit - but my very first to the Highlands and Islands.
We retired early to Embsay from Manchester and also bought a campervan. Fitness wise, I’ve started playing Padel at the courts in Skipton. It’s a great way of keeping fit and there’s a sizeable retired community playing of all different levels. Great way to meet new people whilst learning a new activity and having a chat. Ideal for either the pair of you or individually.
Embsay is a lovely little village - it was on our list when we were house hunting. Someone else has mentioned Padel previously - sounds great and as you say - the social side is an added bonus.
Love this. We're retired 4 years and are finally downsizing to have a simpler life and free up money to travel in our van. The health goals have really hit home. Thanks.
Thank you - we found down sizing quite cathartic in the end - it helps that we absolutely love the Dales and have never regretted relocating! Good luck - hope all your plans go well x
Great to hear about your goals for this year. I haven’t set any for the last few years but am thinking about what I want to do/achieve in 2025. The main one is to leave my job, have a few months off and then find something less stressful and fewer hours. I love watching your videos as I find them informative and down to earth!
Glad that you found it of use Ros, and glad that you have a plan in place. It's quite a change that you are thinking about, but that is also quite exciting. We believe that life is too short to do things that you don't enjoy. A period of time away from the job and space to reflect will hopefully bring some clarity to where you want to go next. Thanks for sharing this with us. Have an exciting 2025👍
☀️🚐 Love the channel and love your inspiration.. this is my first time commenting on here. One thing I can advise on is the new Campervan choice. We sold our T6 swb 2 years ago and bought a 6 meter Fiat Ducato and can honestly say it is brilliant but definitely try before you buy just to get a feel for the size difference.. if it’s going to be a daily commute vehicle, like the T6, you will realise parking it is quite a bit more of a challenge, especially in built up areas, car parks and some small supermarkets but not the end of the world you just have to plan ahead if you can. The pro’s of the Ducato over the t6 are Space! No pop top, on board bathroom and a big sliding side door to maximise the views (unlike a motor home door) oh and a bigger fridge! No more playing fridge Tetris to fit it all in. Oh and try to get one with the ECO button fitted, We did a 2 week road trip around north Wales, travelling from Manchester and back, and only spent £90 on fuel. All the best Russ in Manchester.
Thanks for this Russ- and many thanks for such an insightful and helpful comment. We really do appreciate this kind of advice and support from our subscribers. We are pretty sold on the Duccato as it is one of the only vans that comes in a 5.4m version. We don't think that we would fit a 6m van behind our house😂 The parking one for us is a real consideration. We see lots of visitors to the Dales that struggle to park 6m+ vans for the local shops. The sliding door observation is spot on and one of the main reasons why we are not going for a compact MH. We have not heard of the eco button, but will look out for that, it sounds like a real game changer. Thanks again for the comment and for supporting us in this big investment decision. 👍
@ Ours is a 2022 plate Xlwb Fiat Ducato, the Eco button is to the right of the steering wheel on the dash board and I believe it’s an optional extra. Also currently to keep the Fiat warranty up to date it will need an oil change in the first 12 months and a full service in the second year.. bare this in mind especially if your buying a used vehicle .. check the service history to make sure your warranty is still valid from the previous owner. Russ
Really enjoyed this video. I’ve adopted the categories you’ve used and spent the evening writing down quite a lengthy list of goals which should help me focus my time more and expand more life fulfilling opportunities. Many thanks
😊 Yes - we get so many offers of the most bizarre things to promote on the channel 😂 There will probably be the odd thing that catches our interest if it is something that we really want and would buy anyway or like the stop over at a campsite down the road and just promoting that area of the Yorkshire Dales which we absolutely so won't be too hard! We do smile at some of the things you see people trying to shoe horn into their vlogs as it was a freebie.
Hi both. Been following you here and on Instagram since the early days and its been wonderful to be part of your journey. You've inspired us both. We bought a van last year and got it converted in November. So excited for our travel adventures for this year. We are also planning to early retire at 60, so for me that's just 3 years away now. So the focus is on save save save! Looking forward to seeing what the future holds for you both and your channel. Loving the plans you have.
Thank you so much ☺️ Where have you got planned for some of your trips this year? We loved planning where to go on our free weekends when we were still working which made our last few years fly past so quickly! In our last year teaching we tried to live as much as we could on our early retirement budget which 1- gave us an idea of it was a reasonable budget and 2 - helped us save a significant amount each month! All the best for 2025 and your new found van life x
I've not done it yet myself , but a slow road trip around Portugal is high on my list of road trips to do, it might have to be next year. This year I am 3 weeks in Japan and a week in Hong, not in the van, never been to Japan before so will be very interesting. My partner is currently still working so holidays are a bit restricted. But looking at your life style, gets me seriously thinking we need to find away to retire or refire soon.
We are really excited about going to Portugal and Northern Spain this summer. We have heard so many good things about the Douro valley particularly and we want to explore the Pyrenees. Japan and Hong Kong will be a tremendous experience. My niece recently spent 2 weeks in Japan and loved it. Good luck with all your plans 😊
The West Highland Way looks a fantastic walk. We did a very, very, very small part of it last year and loved it. It's 96 miles long, and some people do it in 4 to 5 days, whilst others take a bit longer. One of the bits of advice many walkers on the Facebook group say is don't forget to look back to ensure you don't miss where you've been. A x
It's on the bucket list at some point Angela - but it would have to be planned for outside of midge season! We have walked short stretches of it on some of our van adventures. You always have to look back to some of the best views x
Thank you for mentioning I walk around the world challenge in this video. It gave me a real boost, especially when considering whether to go for a walk on this snow covered Winter morning😁. The Facebook group sounds like a good idea. I am not personally a fan of social media in general, so I am not sure if I will be joining but I wish you every success with this and all your other goals.
You're welcome! It sounded such a great challenge! When I worked out I had only done 1000km this year and it would take me nearly 40 years - it highlighted what a fab target you had set yourself!!
Happy New 2025 adventures to you both. It's exciting planning the year ahead. We are in the same predicament, we planned a lot last year, but this year we have ideas in our head, but it's a bit more laid back. Definitely one overseas backpacking adventure, two big motorhome adventures ( Spain & Portugal on our list too ) and some hiking, sightseeing long weekends. We are not retired yet, but lucky we can work a bit on route and take extended holidays. We look forward to seeing all your adventures for 2025, we find you both very inspiring thank you 👏
Happy New Year to you both 🥳 Where are you headed on your backpacking trip this year? _ have started watching some of your Vietnam trip which looked awesome. We are looking forward to Spain and Portugal - fingers crossed the weather is better than when we were there 2 years ago. All the best for 2025 x
@earlyretirementwanderlust at the moment researching ' The Philippines, Malaysia, and Peru' But smaller hiking trips are Yorkshire & the peak district. We also took your advice and bought ' The Wild Guide book for Southern & Eastern England for shorter weekends closer to home. Have a great skiing trip 👍
I feel you pain Jackie withe the prospect of driving abroad. I’ve done it in the past in the US but now at nearly 66 I’m terrified at the prospect of driving in Europe. ps joined your FB group as watched you from the start on here. Good luck in all of your endeavours for 2025. x
I know I just need to crack on with it and every year I say I will but chicken out so 2025 is going to be the year!!! Thanks for your support over the past couple of years and happy New Year x
Loved your comment about your ‘big girl pants’ on driving…I had to do this 18 months ago when I moved to Bahrain & hadn’t driven in years. I was shaking the first few times I drove there. Best of luck , I’ll be rooting for you! Love your channel and very relevant as I’m retiring end of June x
Wow - a big change moving to Bahrain! We are driving down to skiing soon and the toll road is usually pretty quiet so I really should just get on with it 😬 Thanks for watching and supporting the channel - enjoy your last few months before retiring x
Really enjoyed listening to this. I actually often listen when doing my strength training and Pilates so it felt quite appropriate while I stretched this evening! TRX is brill while travelling - such a brilliant bit of kit. After being away in the van for over 9 months last year I’m just about settled back at home though LOTS of plans are afoot! And Jackie, you’ll be fine driving. I’m still struggling with being back on the left side of the road… Like you guys, I have categories of goals and try to regularly evaluate progress. I’m trying to tackle the van nutrition issues while at home at the moment, working on more veggie recipes with things that will be easy to source anywhere.
Thanks for this Claire- wow- 9 months on the road- that is epic- congratulations! We recall the TRX system for a few years ago- the real risk for us would be getting in a tangle! Agreed however that they are a good solution for the road. Fitness on the road is fine until the weather turns sour in our small van. We are looking however to mix up our fitness on the road and take a more holistic view of what we do in 2025. Good luck with your goals for 2025. Have a good one👍
Not sure if you’ve looked at the Wildax Pulsar Mk2 it’s 5.4m long. We love ours as we find it really versatile. More than happy to share with you why we love it so much. Take care Gill
Hi Gill - thanks for this - we didn't see one at the campervan show but we are on a mission in the spring and we are home to go to a few showrooms to be have a look at vans - we will add it to the list 🚐😊
I'm so glad I found your channel! I just joined your FB group. My husband's and I's dream is to full-time slow travel the world. We're really going to be working hard this year getting in shape, so we'll be healthy and ready to travel by the end of 2025. 🎉
Hi Melissa, we are so glad that you found us! We absolutely love our early retirement and travel adventures. For us it is simply the time that makes the difference. Good luck with your plans and we look forward to seeing them develop on the FB group👍 Have an amazing 2025🎉
Love your 2025 goals! You are inspiring me to sit down with my husband and actually make some goals. Life has been a bit directionless the past couple of years, but after moving from the Canadian Rockies to north west Canada, travelling in our camper van for a total of 6 months out of 12 and now buying a house just maybe some vocalized goals would be beneficial.😄 I will be catching up on your previous episodes. Thank you for your content.
Thank you - we do find just having some goals in mind does help give us some direction now we are not working. All the best in your new home and with your plans x
I haven’t set any challenges yet, but have joined the Facebook group. We hope to be retiring from farming this year. I only started my recovery from Fibromyalgia in early 2024, so excited to be able to do any regular movement. Started running again and have a short horse riding lesson booked for next week
Hopefully you will keep going from strength to strength in 2025 especially once you have retired and will have more time to focus on yourself 😊 Horse riding is one thing I have never tried - they are such big animals! Happy New Year x
I was a regular rider until 2011, and then stopped completely in 2013. I don’t have big ambitions with riding now, but look forward to getting out for treks
Happy new year to you ! Solid new year resolutions there, am paralleling a few of those. Re the collaboration announcement, I inwardly groaned when I saw the word but thankfully the kind of collaboration you are talking about makes a lot of sense for the channel and I look forward to hearing more. Exciting times ahead ! 🎉
Happy new year! We have enjoyed thinking about what goals we want for the new year, although I think I might regret putting into words that I 'may' drive in France this year - Richard will try and hold me to it 😬
🎉Happy 2025 R and J🎉 Haven't tuned in over Christmas but have been totally engrossed in your 2025 goals and travel plans. We too have the Outer Hebrides booked for 2 weeks end June beg July ( last year of having to go peak season as retiring from teaching end June🎉) Belfast to Bergen was our 2024 trip and Jackie I had to be thrown into the driver's seat in the middle of Danish motorway as hubby didn't feel 100% and we had a ferry to catch so I know if I can do it, you definitely can! Last time on Barra I was 10 years old..it was so magical. Your strengthening comments rang true for me too as I've recently had a knee injury and have had to cut back on walking until it starts to heal but had an injection so will be doing rehab soon. The plus point of this has been more books read and a patchwork throw for the van started. Agree re garden projects..they just need to be broken down. We have t really had the weather to sit in ours anyway but the views out back are great over the Irish countryside. Look forward to joining Jackie's FB page when I'm feeling back to fitness. Going to also have to fit in helping our daughter and girlfriend move into their new home this year which no doubt will involve some decorating and fence replacing..but it's an exciting time for us. Keep doing what you're doing. I love your steadfastness and how you haven't got sucked into the click and buy culture. Looking forward to seeing your ski trip and hearing about the Nelson replacement😢. Xx
Happy New Year! Retiring in June is a great plan as you get those precious few weeks before the summer chaos begins 😊 That has been the biggest thing we have loved - not being limited to the expensive term time holidays - it makes our early retired budget go so much further! I think being thrown into driving as there is no other choice is probably a good way of getting around the fear as you don't have time to worry 😬 Both our children have bought houses in the last year but we have left them to it - I can't face any more painting after doing our cottage renovations 😂 We are getting really excited about our ski trip - we had a night away in the lakes this weekend to make sure Nelson is all ready for the cold winters nights again x
@earlyretirementwanderlust Yes thrown into the deep end is often the solution to a lot of fears! Saw your pics on the new FB page of your hike in the Langdales. Looked spectacular! Our DIY skills are basic so I think your idea of letting them fend for themselves sounds like a plan. Hops Nelson knows what's expected of him this winter!❄️🎿🚌
Some fantastic goals Richard and Jackie and look forward to seeing how your year develops. Think the 4 areas you have split the goals into is a great idea and will certainly be adopting that approach. Thanks as ever and my very best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025.
What a treat! To take a break from adventure and travel to ground yourselves in your tried and true goal process. We did our annual retreat yesterday and have set our theme for 2025 as Live Our Freedom! It sounds simple, but since we retired early just in mid-Aug. 2024, we want this year to be about embracing the freedom and flexibility available to us (and somewhat counter our nature) and also embrace our spending plan (previously called budget) to maximize the dividends on purchases and experiences (aka savoring moments and memories). Thanks for always being transparent and sharing yourselves and your plans with us. Cheers to an amazing 2025!
Thanks for this Susan- what a great process you go through. It sounds like 2025 is going to be an epic one. For us, the time and the freedom is absolutely central in our Early Retirement- it takes some getting used to, and at times we have to be quite intentional in what we do, but we absolutely love it and wouldn't change a thing. Investing in memories rather than stuff has been a life changer for us. Have a fantastic 2025.👍
Thank you for a wonderful video again, I was feeling a little low and just didn’t which direction to go in so this gave me the kick I needed to sit down and make some plans.
You are welcome! Hope you are ok? January is a strange time of year - especially now we are not working and having that Sunday night feeling before term starts x
driving in Europe. If you are using your own right hand drive van The driver will always be kerbside . (Compared with the UK where the driver seat is effectively in the middle of the road) Keep that in you head for turning left , right and roundabout direction . That’s what I did
Thanks Lucy...I will be reminding Jackie to sit in the gutter when driving. I still use that one today when I get confused. The real challenge however remains supermarket car parks...I cannot even navigate UK ones, so I am lost in Europe. I think that Jackie is genuinely looking forward to it. Thanks for the support🙏 R
We have been to france several times, Normandy 80th remeberance being the latest, and I always have to drive, but on the way back I made Sam drive for 70 miles on the motorway, where she could get started, settle down, no junctions, lights, etc, and just get the feel for being on the opposite side of the road. It worked well and she didnt get us both killed so that was a bonus. Qu: if you had the choice of a new campervan, forgetting money, what would you buy and why ?.
Thanks Michael- this is our plan for the journey home. Unfortunatly the weather on the way down didn't fill Jackie with confidence. Re the van- For Jackie it would be the Adria Twin for the design features and the general high spec. For me, it would be the Hymer 4x4 crossover, fully kitted out- completely over speced for our needs, but they are so striking to look at😂 Thanks for the comment and the tip👍
Happy New Year 🎉Great video with very clear goals. You have made me think about setting some health goals as well as travel and the rest. Early retired at 51 in 2020 and certainly have a lot more time for doing the things we love but sometimes lack motivation for the things I don't really enjoy like strength training so a clear goal on where I want to be this year and what I want to achieve will help. Keep up the good work guys 👍❤
Happy New year to you too 🥳 I am doing well with my fitness challenges so far getting out each day - we need to start thinking about how to do the strength work - also the thing that I am not as motivated about! Good luck with your goals x
Happy New year to you both 🎉your channel is unique, we really have enjoyed your vlogs. We are not organised like you have been regarding travels. We are often asked, when is your next trip, and we sometimes say, when ever, wherever the mood takes us. We might book a flight a few weeks in advance like last year we went to Athens and to Rome, we loved the History. After a few days back home we packed the camper and enjoyed walking hols in the Yorkshire Dales,Yorkshire coast, Northumberland, Peak District, Norfolk, we pop home in between the trips😅we will be off to Spain, Portugal in September probably, hoping for reasonable weather in the North of Portugal if we don't go too late in Sept. Wherever we are we always watch your vlogs. All the best for 2025 😘
Happy new year to you too Christine! I guess we need to move a little closer to your way of opperating after 2024. We have so many ideas for the year, but are going to play it by ear for a while. We are very excited for Spain and Portugal. Have a great 2025👍
As someone who worked in financial services for years and suffered a bombardment on targets goals performance reviews spreadsheets and stats my goal is to have no goal, don’t measure anything, relax chilll do what I enjoy and it won’t include stats targets and measuring of any kind .☮️❤.
Another excellent video, thank you. I did short bursts of driving when in Spain and it really is easier than our overactive minds lead us to believe. Just pick a quiet road for the first few sessions. Thanks to your Atomic Habits recommendation I am adding a few more things to my routine this year as this method really works for me and has given me a sense of being back in control rather than ruled by a health condition. I look forward to following your journey through 2025.
Thanks for this Diane- Jackie is really reassured by your kind words. She will be fine and is targeting one off the toll roads to get her started. Glad that you enjoyed Atomic Habits, it's a real game changer and yet so simple to implement in small doses. It will come as no surprise that a few new habits have crept onto my daily list in 2025😂 Thanks for your support👍
Oh my, I feel your pain. We are just arranging care for my mum who is in hospital. I've just discovered subsidence in her house and started a claim. It's going to be a long road. However, the upside is that we know she will be well looked after and we can go on more trips in our little camper.
Hi Beverly- so are so right. The relief that Mum is safe and happy is such a blessing and we do not care how much it costs. They can have the lot as long as Mum is happy in this phase of her life. The subsidence claim has moved slowly, but TBF hasn't been too bad...just slow. Things take a while to get going, but they do keep moving. Try to remain calm and patient and you will be fine👍 All the best for 2025, and do not underestimate the restorative power of your happy place in the van😉 Nelson keeps us sane🙏
Just wanted to say I really enjoy your channel and look forward to your twice weekly videos. Your 2025 goals sound exciting and I thought it interesting that you felt perhaps you didn’t have long enough between travels. I’m particularly glad you are going ahead with your new van. I did wonder if after your Thailand trip you’d decided that further afield travel without the driving was the way to go. Jackie you will be fine driving in Europe. I did it some years go when we were driving to the south of France to give my husband a break. I’m not the most confident driver and set off down the auto route shaking like a leaf! But I actually found it ok. I preferred the two lanes rather than our three much better to deal with and much quieter, only getting busy round the major cities. It’s all very exiting stuff you have planned and I for one will look forward with anticipation. I wish you safe travels.
Although we really enjoyed our travels in Thailand - I absolutely love going away in the van and it will always be our preferred way of travelling. We like having our home on wheels with everything that we need and there is so much of Europe and the UK that we have still got to discover. On the driving front - I know I just need to get on with it! There is a really quiet stretch between Reims and Dijon that I might have a go at on the way down to the Alps 🚐 Happy new and have a great 2025 x
Happy New Year both. That’s quite s structured plan you’ve both put together …. but if it works for you that’s fantastic. For your exercise, my 10cents is to weight your effort more to flexibility ahead of (but not excluding) cardio or strength. Yoga all the way - and you can take it with you on your travels.
We think that you are so right. We are definately looking for a holistic fitness dicipline that hits a number of domains. We have a number of friends into their Yoga and they claim it has been transformational for them. We will look into it.👍
Happy New Year to you. Another great insight into retirement, which I plan to start in five years. Your advice continues to help my wife and I prepare! Have a great year.
For hiring a campervan try Swift go. We used them to hire a Motorhome but then decided to keep our caravan and tow with a Mercedes Marco Polo campervan. Best of both worlds for us. Swiftgo have bases in Manchester and Edinburgh. And have panel van conversions and Motorhomes. I early retired nearly 20 years ago!! Never regretted it.
@@earlyretirementwanderlust we used what was their London base near Heathrow but that closed as they could not renew the lease. Found them to be a straight forward company with no extras needed.
Hi, ive been following you for a while and love to watch, particularly your campervan adventures as i have a small van 😊 ive joined your fb group for inspiration. Thanks for all of the content you share!
How exciting - hopefully you will love the freedom that your retirement will give you to get out travelling more in the van ❤️🚐 It was good to get a night away this weekend as we have not been away since September
Hi Richard and Jackie 🥰🤗! Happy, healthy, adventurous and prosperous new year for you and your family ❤! As you mentioned Spain and Portugal as prospective future destinations, I would like to take the opportunity to recommend the videos of another UA-cam couple: „Reds go travel”! They went on a long term trip through Spain and Portugal back in 2024 and I wouldn’t be at all surprised, if their experiences would be of great assistance for your plans, especially their bad experiences road and traffic wise in general and security concerns/ installations in reference of aires/ overnight parking in dodgy places and driving in between a to b especially! Ferry Ports and the south of France seem to be of particular danger! Not that’d put me off, but if I were to go for an RV-Trip down there, I’d surely be grateful to know about obstacles as much as possible! Thank you very much for all the insights you have given us admirers and followers, it’s always a pleasure 🤩😍🎉! Stay safe, sound and healthy ’til next time, Ingo from Germany 😍🥰🤗😘!
Thanks for this tip off Ingo- absolute gold! We will check out the series you have recommended as UA-cam is so good for that. We are a bit in the dark about that part of the world, so we have a lot of reading and research to do before we depart. Always nice to get the inside track on problems before heading off on adventures. Thanks again and Happy New Year to you. Wishing you and yours a fabulous 2025. 👍
Great video again guys . 😊 looking forward to seeing your future adventures. 😊I would love to join the challenge. Need to get rid of my plantar first.. having shockwave therapy soon. So hope that will help ☺️
Thanks Clare - I hope the shock wave therapy works - I had not heard of that before to help relieve it. My sister really struggled with it a few years ago. Hopefully you will be up and about again on your feet soon into 2025. Happy New Year x
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on your research for a new van. We have a small camper and are looking to upgrade, as early retirement from teaching is happening this summer! It's quite tricky to move from the compact, handy drivable size to something a little bigger but not too big! Maybe one of your weekly videos ....
Hi Maria- we have done a video on potential 5.4m vans earlier in the year if you want to check that out? We think the 5.4m range fits our needs for daily drive to extended travel. Thanks for the comment🙏
I’ll be cheering you on Jackie when you drive in Europe! I’ll have to get over the fear too as I’d love to visit France. ‘Curb right’ I keep being told. I’ve just dug out my kindle & last night charged the batteries of the digital camera! Do you have a favourite walking app? I thought one might be quite useful. Have an amazing 2025. X
Happy New Year Richard keeps telling me all I need to remember is to drive in the gutter. I have really enjoyed a week now of reading the kindle before I go to sleep and have noticed a difference so I must keep it up 😊
My goals for this year include 1. Spend more time practising my Saxophone playing. 2. Start piano lessons and improve my understanding of music theory. 3. Spend more time going to music gigs. 4. Research and buy an ebike.
And to enjoy travelling in SE Asia - hope all is going well. Neither of us has an ear for music - I had to teach it being a primary teacher which was always fun - oh to have been a fly on the wall in those lessons 😂
Not sure what time as yet Stephen, but yes it would be great to bump into you guys. We love the Hebrides and cannot wait to get back there. It has been too long. We do however want to miss the bug season that the locals warned us about on our last visit. Thanks for the comment👍
Hi Guys Love you vids, glad you enjoyed wonderful Thailand 🇹🇭 my fav place to travel…and eat! 😋 We hired a Fiat Ducato Swift 122, it was wonderful! Standing space, toilet/ shower and small enough to still park in a normal space! 😅
Great video again. Love your style. We are currently away in the van in a snowy Scotland. We are also ex cross fitters and have started to define a van strength routine that divides into and upper and lower body. Just learning as we have limited space and limited weights. Keep sharing your goals and approach as it so motivates us
I bet it has been lovely up in Scotland today - it has been a blue sky day here. We loved cross fit when we were working and living in Cheshire both for the fitness and the really friendly community that it encourages. We are going to invest in a pair of dumbbells to keep in the van and build up some strength work that we can do in the very limited space we have! Thanks for your continued support x
Looking forward to seeing your 2025 adventures. I’m the same with the European driving Jackie but my hubby doesn’t drive at all so it’s the taking full responsibility that stops me from hiring a car! I’m also 53 so probably need to just go for it!!😂
I know once I have done it - it will be fine. I think Richard will take me at my word next week when we drive down to the Alps 😬 Happy New Year and all the best for 2025 x
As part of your fitness have you considered parkrun. I’m 58yo and started 3.5 years ago after putting in lockdown weight and wfh a lot so not getting out much other than for shopping. I am absolutely addicted to it as a fantastic supportive community (I volunteer at thd junior one on a Sunday too) and when we are away anywhere I do parkrun tourism which has taken me to some fabulous parkrun locations . I always say that it’s the only thing in my life I do entirely for me, and it’s imprint me to do some 10ks and maybe a half marathon one day when I have some time
Thanks for this Lucy. We know that we have a number of subscribers who are avid Park Runners, and it is a great initiative to promote movement. Unfortunately there are not too many around here in the Dales...they much prefer fell running or Ultra races😬😂 As an ex-triathlete in my younger years, I fear that I have been scarred for life with running. As much as I want to love it, I find it tough to find it enjoyable TBH. We are however constantly working on our mountain fitness in the hills and are even know to do a bit of running on the decents if our legs are in good shape. Good luck with the running and 2025. Have a good one.👍
Hey Richard - if any of your walks take you to Scotland, let me know. Not many places in Scotland I haven't wandered around over the years. More than happy to share any knowledge I've gathered over the years if you would find that helpful. We retired to live near Fort William, so have "local knowledge"!!
You live in a beautiful part of the country then - The area from the top of Loch Lomond, over Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe to Fort William is one of our happy places. Are there any 5-7 walks that you would recommend around there?
@@earlyretirementwanderlust The West Highland Way is the obvious one. Walked it with my daughter a few years ago. Scenery is pretty special ...... but it's very busy, and very touristy. More remote, and way, way longer (you really need 3 weeks) is the Cape Wrath Trail (did it a as an escape from lock down in 2020). But you can do sections of it. It is very special, and takes you to some of the most remote and spectacular parts of Scotland (Knoydart, Glen Shiel, Letterewe etc). Logistics are more challenging - it's point to point, and you need to organise resupply - but I could help with that if you want (drop offs and pick ups). The Great Glen way is another option. Easier than the CWT, (physically and logistically). My wife did it with our daughter last year. However, there is huge scope for piecing together walks all over the country (I did a self planned coast to coast in 2021). In Scotland, we can walk wherever we like in the hills, no need to stick to right of way.
I have seen the Cape Wrath Trail - not sure I am up for that one just yet! We did a hike to and around Sandalwood Bay a few years ago - which was stunning and we had it to ourself as it was a stormy February day. We both really want to get out into the hills around Glencoe and Rannoch Moor. Thanks for the suggestions - I will look into them 🥾
@@earlyretirementwanderlust The CWT has a reputation .... but it's not that hard if your navigation is sound. Glen come and Ranch are pretty close to us. If you need any "local advice" let me know.
Thanks for this Michelle- once we got going, we actually found that part quite enjoyable. It was the getting started that we found hard😂 Clearing the clutter really helped in our preparation for retirement and a simpler life. Life with out the clutter is infinitely better. Have a great 2025 and good luck with the plans. 👍
Driving in EU, actually empty roads are biggest risk with habit without reference causes driving wrong side, when setting off in morning or on single lane road . As a guy, Richard should build something epic, the garden is his chance. I expect a Guinness record water feature or Garden railway. And yeah Retirement Merch: motivating phrase coffee mugs, baseball caps. Did expect new activity ambitions Scuba diving challenges, new skills like Welding or learning Japanese, scrap booking, world is your very large oyster
Thanks for this Lilrom- you have high exceptions of us😂 Not sure about a record breaking water feature, will just settle for flower beds at this moment in time😂 I was tempeted with the scuba idea, but I have vowed only ever to do it in warm water, so it really does depend on our travel plans for 2025 that are not yet set. Thanks as always for the encouragement👍
We needed to tell our insurance company specifically what countries we will travel through for their records (no extra cost) and we have European breakdown included in our VW assist policy. You do need to travel with original V5, insurance document copy and obviously driving licences.
Hi Guys, I joined your Facebook group yesterday, thank you for setting it up. I was wondering if there is a reason you have kept it to a public Facebook? I am not keen on just anyone seeing the info I post. Thanks Jan
Hi - we only kept it open so people could find the group easily but I think after this weekend when most people will have seen the goal setting video we will make it private so only members can comment and see the posts 😊
Thanks for this Andrew- I have read a lot about the Camino, amongst many other "uber" distance treks, but I just don't think I am at that stage yet. I need to build up my multi-day endurance slowly...but I have a few ideas for 2025. Hopefully I have many years of happy trekking ahead of me👍
Not as yet, but I know that it is getting increasingly popular and starting to struggle with erosion on the trail. I am pretty sure that there is an informal "walking season" to help the trail recover each winter. The combination of the geography and Roman History will be right up my street, so it is on the ever increasing bucket list of treks to do. 👍
Ah- sorry about that- don't know why that is. I cannot get in to edit it now as it is embedded in the video rather than a UA-cam add on. Thanks for the heads up👍
Love your channel but please, please don’t start doing merch. There is so much of that stuff that get used for a short while and then end up in the trash. I’m sure there are other ways you can make money from your channel in a more climate friendly way. Take care!
It is only a thought for some time in the future and definitely not some mass online shop if we did go that way! Thanks for watching and supporting the channel 😊
Thanks for this Steven- it's one heck of a challenge and definitely not for everyone. The key thing is to get something that really fires you up, and that will be different for different people. Glad it has given you something to ponder on. Have a good one👍
Hi both, great to hear your goals for 2025. We too have followed your lead this year and set some goals for ourselves, initially for me to finally retire and join my hubby so we can escape on many more adventures in Vinny and for longer periods at a time 😍 🚐
Sounds like you will have an exciting year ahead - being able to get away in the van whenever you like - especially when you see a good weather window 🚐
Happy new year and very helpful episode, I scribbled some ideas on my post-its 🫶🏻 I like how you acknowledge that you are also balancing exciting plans alongside still caring about elderly parents, Thursdays in 2025 will now be my parent LPA ‘focus’ day and I’ll book that crafting course . Thank you for sharing your story 😊
Thank you - it is quite a commitment at times especially with all the issues surrounding Richards mums house but you only get one mum. I can see that we may need to cut down on our travels a little in the next few years as my mum gets older - it is nice spending quality time with her while we can and luckily at the moment she enjoys her travels so we can get away with her on some trips. Enjoy your crafting course - always good to be a life long learner 😊
Happy New Year! May I firstly say how much I appreciate your personalised responses to my comments❤ Jackie, you will be fine driving in Europe, there is so much less traffic and often after the initial 15 minutes to 1 hour, you will be driving on the other side without any issues. I had a mantra in my head which I still use when I swap sides when I come back to the UK. "Right is right". I think the worst thing is remembering to fo the right way round roundabouts but Richard can just remind you each time until you sort that one. As you know I live in Spain. This year I will have lived here for 10 years. We travel a lot around the country and Portugal and there is still so much we have not seen. There are so many mountains here for a start! Please plan a trip to Aragon and Asturias. You will not regret it. Here's to a fantastic new year of adventures. Oh and by the way, I have been attempting the walk a 1000 miles boots on challenge for 4 years now, still to achieve it! But I have loved it and have come very close each year. It is the getting out and walking in nature which is the important part!🌲🥾🏜🏔⛰️. This year I will have been retired for 11 years and finally can claim my state pensión. What a roller coaster of experiences life has blessed me with since I made that decisión. Love following your steps. Thank you again for sharing your adventures. ¡Feliz año nuevo!
Happy New Year to you too 🥳 I don't know why I get so worried about it - nothing can be worse than the drive down from Yorkshire to Dover, the motorways are pretty awful and extremely busy all the way down and then we get 10 minutes from Calais and sail all the way down to the Alps!! Richard always says 'drive in the gutter' I will look up the 2 places you suggested as Spain is still such an open book to us - only having done 3 weeks on the mainland last year. We loved the Picos de Europa and are desperate to finally get into the Pyrenees. I tried doing 1000 miles hiking a few years ago - like you we got close but it is actually harder than I thought it would be. This year we did just under 1000km according to Strava and it felt like we did a lot of hiking! I hope we are still this content after 11 years of retirement 😊 Thanks for your continued support of our channel and all the best for 2025 and your challenges x
I have a new year resolution - after 34 years of teaching (including falling for "one more year" syndrome for 2 years) my resolution is to retire early at age 59 at the end of the summer term.
Thanks for this Rob. Thinking back we had a number of colleagues that fell for that syndrome! 2025 really is going to be an exciting time for you...we are quite jealous. Make sure you enjoy the last couple of terms- it is a great profession and you want to go out on an emotional high. We loved the planning for retirement, but we love the reality of it more.
Have a fab year👍
Thanks for teaching generations of children. Best wishes on your retirement journey. 🎉
Personally I’d advise leaving as soon as you are able to so Easter. There’s no reason to continue if you’ve already decided. A new teacher out there will be looking for an Easter start…. so don’t feel bad. Prioritise your needs, it’s a good way to start your retirement. Also it’s a new tax year in April and you don’t want to earn too much 2025/26 by working a term plus then getting TPS. Do the maths
Oh you will not regret it!
Do it. And do active stuff as early as possible.
Have taken your lead and taken early retirement.
We have the campervan and will look to do the fulfilment of life, travel and all associated aspects you promote.
You both inspire 👍 ....thank you.
Very exciting - have a great 2025 and enjoy all your new found freedom and van life - it really is amazing being able to set off with very few plans x
We're getting ready ... this channel has been invaluable to us we have learned so much, its given us so much more confidence we are just starting to look for a Van !
Thank you and good luck with the van search - probably one of our best decisions ever!
I've just discovered your channel. I was also a teacher, retired almost 20 years ago and since then have travelled extensively - including to the high Arctic and Antarctica. Wherever I go, my DSLR comes too - I'll never capture great wildlife photos if my camera is at home! VW California's are indeed eye-wateringly expensive but they come with everything, and everything has its place. As we get older, we tend to rely more on our creature-comforts so good luck choosing your next camper van!
Wow - I bet your Arctic and Antarctic adventures were incredible! I am looking forward to getting out more with the camera 📷 We have narrowed the new van down to a couple - we are getting excited now as we may be able to get it ready for next winter which would open up a whole new world for our skiing options 😊
OMG the kick start we need for 2025, ahead of our last 3 months working full time, we retire at 56 and 55. Grow but don’t change the essence of your channel, keep your USP to keep it real. All the best from motorhome Avabel.
Exciting times ahead then - a great time to retire as you have the spring and summer ahead of you in your motorhome 🚐 Hope you have some nice trips planned. We don't intend to change the channel - we love talking about all aspects of early retirement which includes the van life travelling 😊
My partner and I absolutely love your videos. We are both early retired and I am also an ex-teacher, and have similar goals to you, in that we want to travel in our campervan, have a long haul trip and spend quality time with family and friends, as well as with each other.
Having lived in Spain and being half Spanish, there is just so much to see. We drove through NW France, Northern Spain and Portugal on the N2, before going back into Spain, over the Pyrénées and through France, before taking our ferry from Dieppe to Newhaven. Both these ports seem a lot calmer than Calais and Dover.
We have also taken the ferry from Portsmouth to Bilbao which is lovely.
We have a 7.2 m van, so we tend to avoid big cities due to the difficulty parking. Park4night was invaluable in the following locations in France (Pyrénées), Spain and Portugal: (museums tend to shut on Monday):
1. Park at Aire in Cambo les Bains and walk to Espelette and Ainhoa
2. Cross over to Lesaka
3. Loyola
4. Gernika
5. Puente Viesgo (book visiting prehistoric caves in advance)
6. Comillas
7. San Vicente de la Barquera
8. Potes
9. Covadonga
10. Cangas de Onís
11. Ribadesella
12. Gijón
13. Cudillero
14. Ribadeo - Playa de las Catedrales
15. Lugo
16. Santiago de Compostela
17. Combarro
18. Pontevedra
19. Ria de Vigo - PonteSampaio
20. Guimareas (Portugal)
21. Peso da Regua
22. Viseu
23. Gois
24. Trujillo
25. Cáceres
26. Plasencia (look up green routes: disused train tracks are now cycle routes)
27. Béjar
28. Salamanca
29. Valladolid
We then took a long drive across Spain to la Laguna Negra in Soria province, then to Zaragoza and then up to CANFRANC. This is a must go to place in the Pyrénées full of history and amazing walks.
There are so many more places to see in Spain, but these are places we were able to park in easily.
Enjoy!
Thank you for sharing all your wisdom on your amazing videos!
Thank you so much for this Monique...so much valuable information that we will definitely use in our planning. We are so excited about the summer trip, and are about to start getting the google maps out and hitting the guide books👍
It is a strange one as we have very little experience of this part of the world.
Thanks again for the lovely feedback too🙏
@earlyretirementwanderlust Happy to share the good parking spots we stayed at. Happy travels!
Another fantastic video! ❤
I don't know how you managed 30 weeks of travels with so many destinations....I'm doing half what you guys do and it's plenty! 😂
Pleased to hear you are "sticking to your knitting" in terms of key YT themes - travel, wellness etc
Frankly I think your YT creation/format/editing is fabulous (relaxed, authentic, informative) .....I'd be wary of trying to become "too expert".....what you produce is fabulously natural/authentic and engaging. Your "sit down in jumpers with occasional spliced shots of your travels" works really well and 25 min videos is perfect duration - easy to engage/consume.
I agree completely with your comment, your vlogs are genuine, authentic, relaxing and informative, that's why we all enjoy watching you.
Thank you...you are both so kind! One thing we set out to do when we first started ERW was to stay as genuine as possible. We dont think we are typical UA-camrs (if there is really such a thing?), we are just us...muddling through this life having as many adventures as we can. The fact that other people are interested in what we do actually fries our heads😂
We love you just the way you are. No need to sell stuff unless you need it for income. All the best for 2025
Hi Jenni, thanks for this. It is not a road we are wanting to go down, and we don't need to at the moment. We are adamant that we would only ever collaborate with products that fit with our values and something that we would genuinely use. Nothing has fit the bill so far😂 Most entertaining offer so far was a toilet seat booster for people in their retirement...how rude😂😂😂
Only just found you and I LOVE your videos.
We are a little older and early retirement just happened in a way to us, due to a combination of van travel, COVID and Brexit. We now have a tiny house in Portugal and, like you, spend a lot of the time in our van.
If you want advice re Spain and Portugal, feel free to ask. With a shorter trip I would concentrate on one area and don’t forget Iberia can be very hot in a van in the summer! Ferries to Santander or Bilbão obviously cut down on the driving needed.
Thanks for this Gill - we may take you up on the offer of advice as it all seems very alien to us at the moment. We spent a week in the Picos de Europa and northern Spain coast a couple of years ago which we loved but have never ventured any further in Spain and neither of us have ever been to Portugal. Isn't early retirement just wonderful! We can't believe how much we have already packed in during our 2 and a half years 😊
I’ve just found your channel at the perfect time as my husband and I are taking early retirement this year, I’m a teacher and he works for the NHS. We are both really excited about making plans and having more control over our time 😊
A very exciting year ahead for you both - we have never regretted our decision - the time that you free up is the biggest bonus and we do quite like after years as teachers not having to answer to anyone - being able to do what ever we choose and not being stuck to the expensive, busy school holidays 😊
I really enjoy your channel Richard & Jackie… thank you for creating such interesting and varied content. Wishing you both good health and happiness for 2025! Very best wishes, Jan (& Turner 🐾) xx
Thanks you two...and a very happy 2025 to you too. Your support of the channel has been very much appreciated and you are definitely a great friend of the channel.
Stay safe and have a good one. 👍🙏
Really enjoyed watching a lot of videos on your channel. Slightly different scenario in that I had to retire from the NHS at the age of 51 at then end of 2023 due to ill health. My wife retired during the middle of last year and we are now looking forward to some new adventures. Keep making your videos 😀
Thanks for watching the channel. Hopefully you have got some great plans for this coming year now that you are both retired - we just love the freedom of time to do as we please 😊
Hi Jackie and Richard…just discovered your channel! I’m 59 this year and you’ve got me thinking of retirement, and I’ve got a VW T5 campervan that I love travelling in. Thanks so much for your honest content, really fun and interesting. Thanks!
Thanks for this Bill- very much appreciated. It's always nice to hear nice things and it genuinely means so much to us that others see what we are trying to do on the channel. 👍
Hiring a van before buying is a good shout. We have a 6m Autotrail Tribute camping van and feel it's the right balance for accessing remote locations and comfort. We spend three to four months a year roaming around the UK and Europe. We applaud your approach to sponsorship and advertising, although I should mention that there is now a Smeg toaster in our Amazon basket! You've inadvertently placed a product haha. Best wishes.
Thanks for this you two- we had a good old belly laugh at our inadvertent product placement😂 We do love the toaster BTW- but not as much as the coffee machine❤️
We are just really looking forward to a bit more storage space and facilities in our new van that will open up a whole range of aires in Europe.
Thanks for the support👍
Completely endorse CrossFit, and also more specific strength training. The 5x5 StrongLifts programme is a grest one for simplicity - just stick a couple of dumbbells/kettlebells in the van and you'll be great - it doesn't matter how much you lift provided you do as many reps to get as close to failure as possible.
We absolutely loved our cross fit days - we both even entered the rainfall trials which were great fun! We are going to invest in some dumbbells to keep in the van and create our own WODs to have a go at 🏋🏻♀️
Happy new year to you both, I’m so looking forward to seeing your travels this year, and i must admit how nice it is that you don’t ask any of your viewers to like and subscribe to your channel, your channel is just fantastic, if I do miss any I binge watch like I did when I first found your channel 😂, I used to say to myself when I first found you just one more video🤣🤣 have a great year on your adventures and everything else you have planned for this year, safe travels to you both
Thanks for this Maxine...not sure how many people realise this, but it was something that we were adamant about when setting up the channel. It's just us being us😉
Many thanks for your lovely, kind words👍 Have a great 2015.
I always chuckle when you discuss your difference in goal setting - Richard's personality sounds like my husband and I seem to be like Jackie. It's fun to find others like us. And Jackie, I'm like you with the driving issue. Our daughter lives in Australia and I keep thinking I need to drive there when I visit but it causes absolute panic. I can't wait to hear how you get on! Lastly, every time you vlog from your house, I think how fantastic it looks after the remodel. Happy New Year and Happy Travels! (We are visiting the Outer Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland for our first time this spring- and possibly even Orkney - and I am over the moon excited!)
We still pinch ourselves that we live here and it still feels like we go home to a lovely holiday cottage 🏡 I hope you love Scotland as much as we do - the islands are beautiful - do I remember correctly that you live out in Colorado? Happy new year x
@@earlyretirementwanderlust Yes, I'm in beautiful Colorado. And this will be my fourth visit to Scotland - obviously, one of my favorite places to visit - but my very first to the Highlands and Islands.
We retired early to Embsay from Manchester and also bought a campervan. Fitness wise, I’ve started playing Padel at the courts in Skipton. It’s a great way of keeping fit and there’s a sizeable retired community playing of all different levels. Great way to meet new people whilst learning a new activity and having a chat. Ideal for either the pair of you or individually.
Embsay is a lovely little village - it was on our list when we were house hunting. Someone else has mentioned Padel previously - sounds great and as you say - the social side is an added bonus.
Love this. We're retired 4 years and are finally downsizing to have a simpler life and free up money to travel in our van. The health goals have really hit home. Thanks.
Thank you - we found down sizing quite cathartic in the end - it helps that we absolutely love the Dales and have never regretted relocating! Good luck - hope all your plans go well x
Great to hear about your goals for this year. I haven’t set any for the last few years but am thinking about what I want to do/achieve in 2025. The main one is to leave my job, have a few months off and then find something less stressful and fewer hours. I love watching your videos as I find them informative and down to earth!
Glad that you found it of use Ros, and glad that you have a plan in place. It's quite a change that you are thinking about, but that is also quite exciting. We believe that life is too short to do things that you don't enjoy. A period of time away from the job and space to reflect will hopefully bring some clarity to where you want to go next.
Thanks for sharing this with us. Have an exciting 2025👍
☀️🚐 Love the channel and love your inspiration.. this is my first time commenting on here. One thing I can advise on is the new Campervan choice. We sold our T6 swb 2 years ago and bought a 6 meter Fiat Ducato and can honestly say it is brilliant but definitely try before you buy just to get a feel for the size difference.. if it’s going to be a daily commute vehicle, like the T6, you will realise parking it is quite a bit more of a challenge, especially in built up areas, car parks and some small supermarkets but not the end of the world you just have to plan ahead if you can. The pro’s of the Ducato over the t6 are Space! No pop top, on board bathroom and a big sliding side door to maximise the views (unlike a motor home door) oh and a bigger fridge! No more playing fridge Tetris to fit it all in. Oh and try to get one with the ECO button fitted, We did a 2 week road trip around north Wales, travelling from Manchester and back, and only spent £90 on fuel. All the best Russ in Manchester.
Thanks for this Russ- and many thanks for such an insightful and helpful comment. We really do appreciate this kind of advice and support from our subscribers. We are pretty sold on the Duccato as it is one of the only vans that comes in a 5.4m version. We don't think that we would fit a 6m van behind our house😂 The parking one for us is a real consideration. We see lots of visitors to the Dales that struggle to park 6m+ vans for the local shops.
The sliding door observation is spot on and one of the main reasons why we are not going for a compact MH.
We have not heard of the eco button, but will look out for that, it sounds like a real game changer.
Thanks again for the comment and for supporting us in this big investment decision. 👍
@ Ours is a 2022 plate Xlwb Fiat Ducato, the Eco button is to the right of the steering wheel on the dash board and I believe it’s an optional extra. Also currently to keep the Fiat warranty up to date it will need an oil change in the first 12 months and a full service in the second year.. bare this in mind especially if your buying a used vehicle .. check the service history to make sure your warranty is still valid from the previous owner. Russ
Really enjoyed this video. I’ve adopted the categories you’ve used and spent the evening writing down quite a lengthy list of goals which should help me focus my time more and expand more life fulfilling opportunities.
Many thanks
Thank you - hope you enjoyed the process and that the goals give you a focus - I know they do for us 😊
I'm really pleased you're not going down the collaboration route. It drives me insane to see people pushing free stuff
😊 Yes - we get so many offers of the most bizarre things to promote on the channel 😂 There will probably be the odd thing that catches our interest if it is something that we really want and would buy anyway or like the stop over at a campsite down the road and just promoting that area of the Yorkshire Dales which we absolutely so won't be too hard! We do smile at some of the things you see people trying to shoe horn into their vlogs as it was a freebie.
Hi both. Been following you here and on Instagram since the early days and its been wonderful to be part of your journey. You've inspired us both. We bought a van last year and got it converted in November. So excited for our travel adventures for this year. We are also planning to early retire at 60, so for me that's just 3 years away now. So the focus is on save save save! Looking forward to seeing what the future holds for you both and your channel. Loving the plans you have.
Thank you so much ☺️
Where have you got planned for some of your trips this year? We loved planning where to go on our free weekends when we were still working which made our last few years fly past so quickly! In our last year teaching we tried to live as much as we could on our early retirement budget which 1- gave us an idea of it was a reasonable budget and 2 - helped us save a significant amount each month! All the best for 2025 and your new found van life x
I have started my early retirement at age 60. Your channel is a great inspiration, thanks.
Thank you - have a great 2025 and enjoy your retirement.
I've not done it yet myself , but a slow road trip around Portugal is high on my list of road trips to do, it might have to be next year. This year I am 3 weeks in Japan and a week in Hong, not in the van, never been to Japan before so will be very interesting. My partner is currently still working so holidays are a bit restricted. But looking at your life style, gets me seriously thinking we need to find away to retire or refire soon.
We are really excited about going to Portugal and Northern Spain this summer. We have heard so many good things about the Douro valley particularly and we want to explore the Pyrenees. Japan and Hong Kong will be a tremendous experience. My niece recently spent 2 weeks in Japan and loved it. Good luck with all your plans 😊
The West Highland Way looks a fantastic walk. We did a very, very, very small part of it last year and loved it. It's 96 miles long, and some people do it in 4 to 5 days, whilst others take a bit longer. One of the bits of advice many walkers on the Facebook group say is don't forget to look back to ensure you don't miss where you've been. A x
It's on the bucket list at some point Angela - but it would have to be planned for outside of midge season! We have walked short stretches of it on some of our van adventures. You always have to look back to some of the best views x
Thank you for mentioning I walk around the world challenge in this video. It gave me a real boost, especially when considering whether to go for a walk on this snow covered Winter morning😁. The Facebook group sounds like a good idea. I am not personally a fan of social media in general, so I am not sure if I will be joining but I wish you every success with this and all your other goals.
You're welcome! It sounded such a great challenge! When I worked out I had only done 1000km this year and it would take me nearly 40 years - it highlighted what a fab target you had set yourself!!
Happy New 2025 adventures to you both.
It's exciting planning the year ahead. We are in the same predicament, we planned a lot last year, but this year we have ideas in our head, but it's a bit more laid back. Definitely one overseas backpacking adventure, two big motorhome adventures ( Spain & Portugal on our list too ) and some hiking, sightseeing long weekends. We are not retired yet, but lucky we can work a bit on route and take extended holidays. We look forward to seeing all your adventures for 2025, we find you both very inspiring thank you 👏
Happy New Year to you both 🥳
Where are you headed on your backpacking trip this year? _ have started watching some of your Vietnam trip which looked awesome. We are looking forward to Spain and Portugal - fingers crossed the weather is better than when we were there 2 years ago. All the best for 2025 x
@earlyretirementwanderlust at the moment researching ' The Philippines, Malaysia, and Peru'
But smaller hiking trips are Yorkshire & the peak district. We also took your advice and bought ' The Wild Guide book for Southern & Eastern England for shorter weekends closer to home. Have a great skiing trip 👍
Nice - at some I would like to go to the Philippines
I feel you pain Jackie withe the prospect of driving abroad. I’ve done it in the past in the US but now at nearly 66 I’m terrified at the prospect of driving in Europe. ps joined your FB group as watched you from the start on here. Good luck in all of your endeavours for 2025. x
I know I just need to crack on with it and every year I say I will but chicken out so 2025 is going to be the year!!! Thanks for your support over the past couple of years and happy New Year x
Loved your comment about your ‘big girl pants’ on driving…I had to do this 18 months ago when I moved to Bahrain & hadn’t driven in years. I was shaking the first few times I drove there. Best of luck , I’ll be rooting for you! Love your channel and very relevant as I’m retiring end of June x
Wow - a big change moving to Bahrain! We are driving down to skiing soon and the toll road is usually pretty quiet so I really should just get on with it 😬 Thanks for watching and supporting the channel - enjoy your last few months before retiring x
Really enjoyed listening to this. I actually often listen when doing my strength training and Pilates so it felt quite appropriate while I stretched this evening! TRX is brill while travelling - such a brilliant bit of kit.
After being away in the van for over 9 months last year I’m just about settled back at home though LOTS of plans are afoot! And Jackie, you’ll be fine driving. I’m still struggling with being back on the left side of the road…
Like you guys, I have categories of goals and try to regularly evaluate progress. I’m trying to tackle the van nutrition issues while at home at the moment, working on more veggie recipes with things that will be easy to source anywhere.
Thanks for this Claire- wow- 9 months on the road- that is epic- congratulations!
We recall the TRX system for a few years ago- the real risk for us would be getting in a tangle! Agreed however that they are a good solution for the road. Fitness on the road is fine until the weather turns sour in our small van. We are looking however to mix up our fitness on the road and take a more holistic view of what we do in 2025.
Good luck with your goals for 2025. Have a good one👍
Not sure if you’ve looked at the Wildax Pulsar Mk2 it’s 5.4m long. We love ours as we find it really versatile. More than happy to share with you why we love it so much. Take care Gill
Hi Gill - thanks for this - we didn't see one at the campervan show but we are on a mission in the spring and we are home to go to a few showrooms to be have a look at vans - we will add it to the list 🚐😊
I'm so glad I found your channel! I just joined your FB group. My husband's and I's dream is to full-time slow travel the world. We're really going to be working hard this year getting in shape, so we'll be healthy and ready to travel by the end of 2025. 🎉
Hi Melissa, we are so glad that you found us! We absolutely love our early retirement and travel adventures. For us it is simply the time that makes the difference. Good luck with your plans and we look forward to seeing them develop on the FB group👍
Have an amazing 2025🎉
Love your 2025 goals! You are inspiring me to sit down with my husband and actually make some goals. Life has been a bit directionless the past couple of years, but after moving from the Canadian Rockies to north west Canada, travelling in our camper van for a total of 6 months out of 12 and now buying a house just maybe some vocalized goals would be beneficial.😄 I will be catching up on your previous episodes. Thank you for your content.
Thank you - we do find just having some goals in mind does help give us some direction now we are not working. All the best in your new home and with your plans x
I haven’t set any challenges yet, but have joined the Facebook group. We hope to be retiring from farming this year. I only started my recovery from Fibromyalgia in early 2024, so excited to be able to do any regular movement. Started running again and have a short horse riding lesson booked for next week
Hopefully you will keep going from strength to strength in 2025 especially once you have retired and will have more time to focus on yourself 😊 Horse riding is one thing I have never tried - they are such big animals! Happy New Year x
I was a regular rider until 2011, and then stopped completely in 2013. I don’t have big ambitions with riding now, but look forward to getting out for treks
Happy new year to you ! Solid new year resolutions there, am paralleling a few of those. Re the collaboration announcement, I inwardly groaned when I saw the word but thankfully the kind of collaboration you are talking about makes a lot of sense for the channel and I look forward to hearing more. Exciting times ahead ! 🎉
Happy new year! We have enjoyed thinking about what goals we want for the new year, although I think I might regret putting into words that I 'may' drive in France this year - Richard will try and hold me to it 😬
🎉Happy 2025 R and J🎉
Haven't tuned in over Christmas but have been totally engrossed in your 2025 goals and travel plans. We too have the Outer Hebrides booked for 2 weeks end June beg July ( last year of having to go peak season as retiring from teaching end June🎉) Belfast to Bergen was our 2024 trip and Jackie I had to be thrown into the driver's seat in the middle of Danish motorway as hubby didn't feel 100% and we had a ferry to catch so I know if I can do it, you definitely can!
Last time on Barra I was 10 years old..it was so magical.
Your strengthening comments rang true for me too as I've recently had a knee injury and have had to cut back on walking until it starts to heal but had an injection so will be doing rehab soon. The plus point of this has been more books read and a patchwork throw for the van started. Agree re garden projects..they just need to be broken down. We have t really had the weather to sit in ours anyway but the views out back are great over the Irish countryside.
Look forward to joining Jackie's FB page when I'm feeling back to fitness. Going to also have to fit in helping our daughter and girlfriend move into their new home this year which no doubt will involve some decorating and fence replacing..but it's an exciting time for us. Keep doing what you're doing. I love your steadfastness and how you haven't got sucked into the click and buy culture. Looking forward to seeing your ski trip and hearing about the Nelson replacement😢. Xx
Happy New Year!
Retiring in June is a great plan as you get those precious few weeks before the summer chaos begins 😊 That has been the biggest thing we have loved - not being limited to the expensive term time holidays - it makes our early retired budget go so much further!
I think being thrown into driving as there is no other choice is probably a good way of getting around the fear as you don't have time to worry 😬
Both our children have bought houses in the last year but we have left them to it - I can't face any more painting after doing our cottage renovations 😂
We are getting really excited about our ski trip - we had a night away in the lakes this weekend to make sure Nelson is all ready for the cold winters nights again x
@earlyretirementwanderlust Yes thrown into the deep end is often the solution to a lot of fears! Saw your pics on the new FB page of your hike in the Langdales. Looked spectacular! Our DIY skills are basic so I think your idea of letting them fend for themselves sounds like a plan. Hops Nelson knows what's expected of him this winter!❄️🎿🚌
Omg so excited for the Facebook Group!!! Just joined!!! Thanks for the inspiration you two❤️❤️❤️
Your welcome - hopefully we will all keep each other motivated 🥾
Some fantastic goals Richard and Jackie and look forward to seeing how your year develops.
Think the 4 areas you have split the goals into is a great idea and will certainly be adopting that approach.
Thanks as ever and my very best wishes for a happy and healthy 2025.
Happy New Year to you too x
We are excited to get on with 2025 - although we have had such an amazing year in 2024 - it has a lot to live up to!!
What a treat! To take a break from adventure and travel to ground yourselves in your tried and true goal process. We did our annual retreat yesterday and have set our theme for 2025 as Live Our Freedom! It sounds simple, but since we retired early just in mid-Aug. 2024, we want this year to be about embracing the freedom and flexibility available to us (and somewhat counter our nature) and also embrace our spending plan (previously called budget) to maximize the dividends on purchases and experiences (aka savoring moments and memories). Thanks for always being transparent and sharing yourselves and your plans with us. Cheers to an amazing 2025!
Thanks for this Susan- what a great process you go through. It sounds like 2025 is going to be an epic one. For us, the time and the freedom is absolutely central in our Early Retirement- it takes some getting used to, and at times we have to be quite intentional in what we do, but we absolutely love it and wouldn't change a thing.
Investing in memories rather than stuff has been a life changer for us.
Have a fantastic 2025.👍
Thank you for a wonderful video again, I was feeling a little low and just didn’t which direction to go in so this gave me the kick I needed to sit down and make some plans.
You are welcome! Hope you are ok? January is a strange time of year - especially now we are not working and having that Sunday night feeling before term starts x
driving in Europe. If you are using your own right hand drive van The driver will always be kerbside . (Compared with the UK where the driver seat is effectively in the middle of the road) Keep that in you head for turning left , right and roundabout direction . That’s what I did
Thanks Lucy...I will be reminding Jackie to sit in the gutter when driving. I still use that one today when I get confused. The real challenge however remains supermarket car parks...I cannot even navigate UK ones, so I am lost in Europe.
I think that Jackie is genuinely looking forward to it.
Thanks for the support🙏 R
We have been to france several times, Normandy 80th remeberance being the latest, and I always have to drive, but on the way back I made Sam drive for 70 miles on the motorway, where she could get started, settle down, no junctions, lights, etc, and just get the feel for being on the opposite side of the road. It worked well and she didnt get us both killed so that was a bonus.
Qu: if you had the choice of a new campervan, forgetting money, what would you buy and why ?.
Thanks Michael- this is our plan for the journey home. Unfortunatly the weather on the way down didn't fill Jackie with confidence.
Re the van- For Jackie it would be the Adria Twin for the design features and the general high spec. For me, it would be the Hymer 4x4 crossover, fully kitted out- completely over speced for our needs, but they are so striking to look at😂
Thanks for the comment and the tip👍
@@earlyretirementwanderlust If you moved up from campervan to motor home, wouldnt that reduce the parking options for you as they are much taller ?.
Loving the Facebook group idea - I've joined. Now I just need to set myself some goals and get on with them!
We thought of you particularly when we were setting up the Facebook group - I am glad you have joined 🥾
Perfect video ive joined the Facebook group looking forward to meeting thr early retirement community x
Thanks Amanda- we are really looking forward to getting the community together in a really supportive way.
Thanks for the comment and the support👍
Happy New Year 🎉Great video with very clear goals. You have made me think about setting some health goals as well as travel and the rest. Early retired at 51 in 2020 and certainly have a lot more time for doing the things we love but sometimes lack motivation for the things I don't really enjoy like strength training so a clear goal on where I want to be this year and what I want to achieve will help. Keep up the good work guys 👍❤
Happy New year to you too 🥳 I am doing well with my fitness challenges so far getting out each day - we need to start thinking about how to do the strength work - also the thing that I am not as motivated about! Good luck with your goals x
Happy new year2025🎉from Japan. I will keep watching your great videos this year as well.
Thank you and happy new year to you too 🥳
Happy New year to you both 🎉your channel is unique, we really have enjoyed your vlogs. We are not organised like you have been regarding travels. We are often asked, when is your next trip, and we sometimes say, when ever, wherever the mood takes us. We might book a flight a few weeks in advance like last year we went to Athens and to Rome, we loved the History. After a few days back home we packed the camper and enjoyed walking hols in the Yorkshire Dales,Yorkshire coast, Northumberland, Peak District, Norfolk, we pop home in between the trips😅we will be off to Spain, Portugal in September probably, hoping for reasonable weather in the North of Portugal if we don't go too late in Sept. Wherever we are we always watch your vlogs. All the best for 2025 😘
Happy new year to you too Christine! I guess we need to move a little closer to your way of opperating after 2024. We have so many ideas for the year, but are going to play it by ear for a while.
We are very excited for Spain and Portugal.
Have a great 2025👍
As someone who worked in financial services for years and suffered a bombardment on targets goals performance reviews spreadsheets and stats my goal is to have no goal, don’t measure anything, relax chilll do what I enjoy and it won’t include stats targets and measuring of any kind .☮️❤.
Thanks Barry- absolutely- if it works for you then that is great! Have a fantastic year ahead and enjoy the journey👍
Another really great video. You work so well together on screen. I love your positive and intentional outlook.
Thank you so much! I think we have finally got comfortable talking to a camera after 2 years!
Another excellent video, thank you. I did short bursts of driving when in Spain and it really is easier than our overactive minds lead us to believe. Just pick a quiet road for the first few sessions. Thanks to your Atomic Habits recommendation I am adding a few more things to my routine this year as this method really works for me and has given me a sense of being back in control rather than ruled by a health condition. I look forward to following your journey through 2025.
Thanks for this Diane- Jackie is really reassured by your kind words. She will be fine and is targeting one off the toll roads to get her started.
Glad that you enjoyed Atomic Habits, it's a real game changer and yet so simple to implement in small doses. It will come as no surprise that a few new habits have crept onto my daily list in 2025😂
Thanks for your support👍
Oh my, I feel your pain. We are just arranging care for my mum who is in hospital. I've just discovered subsidence in her house and started a claim. It's going to be a long road. However, the upside is that we know she will be well looked after and we can go on more trips in our little camper.
Hi Beverly- so are so right. The relief that Mum is safe and happy is such a blessing and we do not care how much it costs. They can have the lot as long as Mum is happy in this phase of her life.
The subsidence claim has moved slowly, but TBF hasn't been too bad...just slow. Things take a while to get going, but they do keep moving. Try to remain calm and patient and you will be fine👍
All the best for 2025, and do not underestimate the restorative power of your happy place in the van😉 Nelson keeps us sane🙏
Thank you ❤@@earlyretirementwanderlust
Just wanted to say I really enjoy your channel and look forward to your twice weekly videos. Your 2025 goals sound exciting and I thought it interesting that you felt perhaps you didn’t have long enough between travels. I’m particularly glad you are going ahead with your new van. I did wonder if after your Thailand trip you’d decided that further afield travel without the driving was the way to go. Jackie you will be fine driving in Europe. I did it some years go when we were driving to the south of France to give my husband a break. I’m not the most confident driver and set off down the auto route shaking like a leaf! But I actually found it ok. I preferred the two lanes rather than our three much better to deal with and much quieter, only getting busy round the major cities. It’s all very exiting stuff you have planned and I for one will look forward with anticipation. I wish you safe travels.
Although we really enjoyed our travels in Thailand - I absolutely love going away in the van and it will always be our preferred way of travelling. We like having our home on wheels with everything that we need and there is so much of Europe and the UK that we have still got to discover.
On the driving front - I know I just need to get on with it! There is a really quiet stretch between Reims and Dijon that I might have a go at on the way down to the Alps 🚐 Happy new and have a great 2025 x
Happy New Year to you both and good luck with all of your goals for 2025 🎉
Thanks Helen...best of luck to you too👍
Happy New Year both. That’s quite s structured plan you’ve both put together …. but if it works for you that’s fantastic. For your exercise, my 10cents is to weight your effort more to flexibility ahead of (but not excluding) cardio or strength. Yoga all the way - and you can take it with you on your travels.
We think that you are so right. We are definately looking for a holistic fitness dicipline that hits a number of domains. We have a number of friends into their Yoga and they claim it has been transformational for them. We will look into it.👍
Happy New Year to you. Another great insight into retirement, which I plan to start in five years. Your advice continues to help my wife and I prepare! Have a great year.
Happy New Year - Glad some of what we do resonates with you both in your preparations for retirement x
For hiring a campervan try Swift go. We used them to hire a Motorhome but then decided to keep our caravan and tow with a Mercedes Marco Polo campervan. Best of both worlds for us. Swiftgo have bases in Manchester and Edinburgh. And have panel van conversions and Motorhomes.
I early retired nearly 20 years ago!! Never regretted it.
Thanks for this great tip off Peter. We really must try a larger van before we commit. We will look them up. 👍
@@earlyretirementwanderlust we used what was their London base near Heathrow but that closed as they could not renew the lease. Found them to be a straight forward company with no extras needed.
Inspirational, thank you. 😊
Thanks Clare- we are glad you found it of use👍
Hi, ive been following you for a while and love to watch, particularly your campervan adventures as i have a small van 😊 ive joined your fb group for inspiration. Thanks for all of the content you share!
Just to add, im looking to retire next year and can't wait! I'm 64 so not managed to retire early but nevertheless im looking forward to adventures!
How exciting - hopefully you will love the freedom that your retirement will give you to get out travelling more in the van ❤️🚐 It was good to get a night away this weekend as we have not been away since September
Hi Richard and Jackie 🥰🤗!
Happy, healthy, adventurous and prosperous new year for you and your family ❤!
As you mentioned Spain and Portugal as prospective future destinations, I would like to take the opportunity to recommend the videos of another UA-cam couple: „Reds go travel”!
They went on a long term trip through Spain and Portugal back in 2024 and I wouldn’t be at all surprised, if their experiences would be of great assistance for your plans, especially their bad experiences road and traffic wise in general and security concerns/ installations in reference of aires/ overnight parking in dodgy places and driving in between a to b especially!
Ferry Ports and the south of France seem to be of particular danger!
Not that’d put me off, but if I were to go for an RV-Trip down there, I’d surely be grateful to know about obstacles as much as possible!
Thank you very much for all the insights you have given us admirers and followers, it’s always a pleasure 🤩😍🎉!
Stay safe, sound and healthy ’til next time, Ingo from Germany 😍🥰🤗😘!
Thanks for this tip off Ingo- absolute gold! We will check out the series you have recommended as UA-cam is so good for that. We are a bit in the dark about that part of the world, so we have a lot of reading and research to do before we depart.
Always nice to get the inside track on problems before heading off on adventures.
Thanks again and Happy New Year to you. Wishing you and yours a fabulous 2025. 👍
Great video again guys . 😊 looking forward to seeing your future adventures. 😊I would love to join the challenge. Need to get rid of my plantar first.. having shockwave therapy soon. So hope that will help ☺️
Thanks Clare - I hope the shock wave therapy works - I had not heard of that before to help relieve it. My sister really struggled with it a few years ago. Hopefully you will be up and about again on your feet soon into 2025. Happy New Year x
I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on your research for a new van. We have a small camper and are looking to upgrade, as early retirement from teaching is happening this summer! It's quite tricky to move from the compact, handy drivable size to something a little bigger but not too big! Maybe one of your weekly videos ....
Hi Maria- we have done a video on potential 5.4m vans earlier in the year if you want to check that out? We think the 5.4m range fits our needs for daily drive to extended travel.
Thanks for the comment🙏
I’ll be cheering you on Jackie when you drive in Europe! I’ll have to get over the fear too as I’d love to visit France. ‘Curb right’ I keep being told. I’ve just dug out my kindle & last night charged the batteries of the digital camera! Do you have a favourite walking app? I thought one might be quite useful. Have an amazing 2025. X
Happy New Year
Richard keeps telling me all I need to remember is to drive in the gutter. I have really enjoyed a week now of reading the kindle before I go to sleep and have noticed a difference so I must keep it up 😊
My goals for this year include
1. Spend more time practising my Saxophone playing.
2. Start piano lessons and improve my understanding of music theory.
3. Spend more time going to music gigs.
4. Research and buy an ebike.
And to enjoy travelling in SE Asia - hope all is going well. Neither of us has an ear for music - I had to teach it being a primary teacher which was always fun - oh to have been a fly on the wall in those lessons 😂
@ we’re currently doing the Trusted Housesitters thing downunder with 3 lovely dogs 🥰
Ronda in Spain a must guys!
Thanks for the tip - we will have a look 🚐
If you're in the Hebrides in late May or early June, we might see you there; if not, we might learn something from your videos before we go.
Not sure what time as yet Stephen, but yes it would be great to bump into you guys. We love the Hebrides and cannot wait to get back there. It has been too long.
We do however want to miss the bug season that the locals warned us about on our last visit.
Thanks for the comment👍
Hi Guys
Love you vids, glad you enjoyed wonderful Thailand 🇹🇭 my fav place to travel…and eat! 😋
We hired a Fiat Ducato Swift 122, it was wonderful!
Standing space, toilet/ shower and small enough to still park in a normal space! 😅
Thanks for this Jac- I think we are fixed on the Ducatto for all the reasons you have mentioned...just what manufacturer to go with now😬🤞
Happy New Year. Great content as always guys. We may see you in the Outer Hebrides as we are in Scotland for a month from mid April!
Awesome - that is probably around the time we are planning to go before it gets too busy and before the midges wake up. Happy New Year to you both x
Great video again. Love your style.
We are currently away in the van in a snowy Scotland. We are also ex cross fitters and have started to define a van strength routine that divides into and upper and lower body. Just learning as we have limited space and limited weights.
Keep sharing your goals and approach as it so motivates us
I bet it has been lovely up in Scotland today - it has been a blue sky day here. We loved cross fit when we were working and living in Cheshire both for the fitness and the really friendly community that it encourages. We are going to invest in a pair of dumbbells to keep in the van and build up some strength work that we can do in the very limited space we have!
Thanks for your continued support x
Happy New Year! Keep up the great content.
Thank you and happy new Year to you too x
Looking forward to seeing your 2025 adventures. I’m the same with the European driving Jackie but my hubby doesn’t drive at all so it’s the taking full responsibility that stops me from hiring a car! I’m also 53 so probably need to just go for it!!😂
I know once I have done it - it will be fine. I think Richard will take me at my word next week when we drive down to the Alps 😬 Happy New Year and all the best for 2025 x
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As part of your fitness have you considered parkrun. I’m 58yo and started 3.5 years ago after putting in lockdown weight and wfh a lot so not getting out much other than for shopping. I am absolutely addicted to it as a fantastic supportive community (I volunteer at thd junior one on a Sunday too) and when we are away anywhere I do parkrun tourism which has taken me to some fabulous parkrun locations . I always say that it’s the only thing in my life I do entirely for me, and it’s imprint me to do some 10ks and maybe a half marathon one day when I have some time
Thanks for this Lucy. We know that we have a number of subscribers who are avid Park Runners, and it is a great initiative to promote movement. Unfortunately there are not too many around here in the Dales...they much prefer fell running or Ultra races😬😂
As an ex-triathlete in my younger years, I fear that I have been scarred for life with running. As much as I want to love it, I find it tough to find it enjoyable TBH. We are however constantly working on our mountain fitness in the hills and are even know to do a bit of running on the decents if our legs are in good shape.
Good luck with the running and 2025. Have a good one.👍
Great video! As regards Spain, try “Slow trains around Spain” by Tom Chesshyre. Informative mixed with some British dry wit 👌🏼
Will look it up- thanks for the tip off👍
Hey Richard - if any of your walks take you to Scotland, let me know. Not many places in Scotland I haven't wandered around over the years. More than happy to share any knowledge I've gathered over the years if you would find that helpful. We retired to live near Fort William, so have "local knowledge"!!
You live in a beautiful part of the country then - The area from the top of Loch Lomond, over Rannoch Moor and Glen Coe to Fort William is one of our happy places. Are there any 5-7 walks that you would recommend around there?
@@earlyretirementwanderlust The West Highland Way is the obvious one. Walked it with my daughter a few years ago. Scenery is pretty special ...... but it's very busy, and very touristy. More remote, and way, way longer (you really need 3 weeks) is the Cape Wrath Trail (did it a as an escape from lock down in 2020). But you can do sections of it. It is very special, and takes you to some of the most remote and spectacular parts of Scotland (Knoydart, Glen Shiel, Letterewe etc). Logistics are more challenging - it's point to point, and you need to organise resupply - but I could help with that if you want (drop offs and pick ups). The Great Glen way is another option. Easier than the CWT, (physically and logistically). My wife did it with our daughter last year. However, there is huge scope for piecing together walks all over the country (I did a self planned coast to coast in 2021). In Scotland, we can walk wherever we like in the hills, no need to stick to right of way.
I have seen the Cape Wrath Trail - not sure I am up for that one just yet! We did a hike to and around Sandalwood Bay a few years ago - which was stunning and we had it to ourself as it was a stormy February day. We both really want to get out into the hills around Glencoe and Rannoch Moor. Thanks for the suggestions - I will look into them 🥾
@@earlyretirementwanderlust The CWT has a reputation .... but it's not that hard if your navigation is sound. Glen come and Ranch are pretty close to us. If you need any "local advice" let me know.
Finally on our count down to retirement just need to empty the house which is going to be our challenge this year 😂
Thanks for this Michelle- once we got going, we actually found that part quite enjoyable. It was the getting started that we found hard😂
Clearing the clutter really helped in our preparation for retirement and a simpler life. Life with out the clutter is infinitely better.
Have a great 2025 and good luck with the plans. 👍
Driving in EU, actually empty roads are biggest risk with habit without reference causes driving wrong side, when setting off in morning or on single lane road . As a guy, Richard should build something epic, the garden is his chance. I expect a Guinness record water feature or Garden railway. And yeah Retirement Merch: motivating phrase coffee mugs, baseball caps. Did expect new activity ambitions Scuba diving challenges, new skills like Welding or learning Japanese, scrap booking, world is your very large oyster
Thanks for this Lilrom- you have high exceptions of us😂 Not sure about a record breaking water feature, will just settle for flower beds at this moment in time😂
I was tempeted with the scuba idea, but I have vowed only ever to do it in warm water, so it really does depend on our travel plans for 2025 that are not yet set.
Thanks as always for the encouragement👍
What are the credentials for driving abroad . Insurance , breakdown etc .
We needed to tell our insurance company specifically what countries we will travel through for their records (no extra cost) and we have European breakdown included in our VW assist policy. You do need to travel with original V5, insurance document copy and obviously driving licences.
Hi Guys, I joined your Facebook group yesterday, thank you for setting it up. I was wondering if there is a reason you have kept it to a public Facebook? I am not keen on just anyone seeing the info I post. Thanks Jan
Hi - we only kept it open so people could find the group easily but I think after this weekend when most people will have seen the goal setting video we will make it private so only members can comment and see the posts 😊
@@earlyretirementwanderlustthat’s great thanks..
Have you considered the Camino de Santiago as a solo trek? Would fit with a lot of your goals (except now conflicts with the Spain/Portugal trip!)
Thanks for this Andrew- I have read a lot about the Camino, amongst many other "uber" distance treks, but I just don't think I am at that stage yet. I need to build up my multi-day endurance slowly...but I have a few ideas for 2025. Hopefully I have many years of happy trekking ahead of me👍
Do you have a yearly budget for your travels?
Our video on Thursday is actually all about our weekly budgeting and our travel budget 😊
Look forward to it
Have you ever hiked Hadrians wall ? It’s something that interest me but live I in the USA.
Not as yet, but I know that it is getting increasingly popular and starting to struggle with erosion on the trail. I am pretty sure that there is an informal "walking season" to help the trail recover each winter.
The combination of the geography and Roman History will be right up my street, so it is on the ever increasing bucket list of treks to do. 👍
Hi R+J, just to let you know, the QR code currently comes up as 'deactivated'.
Ah- sorry about that- don't know why that is. I cannot get in to edit it now as it is embedded in the video rather than a UA-cam add on.
Thanks for the heads up👍
Love your channel but please, please don’t start doing merch. There is so much of that stuff that get used for a short while and then end up in the trash. I’m sure there are other ways you can make money from your channel in a more climate friendly way. Take care!
It is only a thought for some time in the future and definitely not some mass online shop if we did go that way! Thanks for watching and supporting the channel 😊
Walk the world?? Think I’ll settle for a more realistic target, but still attempt something. Definitely food for thought tho.
Thanks for this Steven- it's one heck of a challenge and definitely not for everyone. The key thing is to get something that really fires you up, and that will be different for different people.
Glad it has given you something to ponder on.
Have a good one👍
Hi both, great to hear your goals for 2025. We too have followed your lead this year and set some goals for ourselves, initially for me to finally retire and join my hubby so we can escape on many more adventures in Vinny and for longer periods at a time 😍 🚐
Sounds like you will have an exciting year ahead - being able to get away in the van whenever you like - especially when you see a good weather window 🚐
Happy new year and very helpful episode, I scribbled some ideas on my post-its 🫶🏻 I like how you acknowledge that you are also balancing exciting plans alongside still caring about elderly parents, Thursdays in 2025 will now be my parent LPA ‘focus’ day and I’ll book that crafting course . Thank you for sharing your story 😊
Thank you - it is quite a commitment at times especially with all the issues surrounding Richards mums house but you only get one mum. I can see that we may need to cut down on our travels a little in the next few years as my mum gets older - it is nice spending quality time with her while we can and luckily at the moment she enjoys her travels so we can get away with her on some trips. Enjoy your crafting course - always good to be a life long learner 😊
Happy New Year! May I firstly say how much I appreciate your personalised responses to my comments❤
Jackie, you will be fine driving in Europe, there is so much less traffic and often after the initial 15 minutes to 1 hour, you will be driving on the other side without any issues. I had a mantra in my head which I still use when I swap sides when I come back to the UK. "Right is right". I think the worst thing is remembering to fo the right way round roundabouts but Richard can just remind you each time until you sort that one.
As you know I live in Spain. This year I will have lived here for 10 years. We travel a lot around the country and Portugal and there is still so much we have not seen. There are so many mountains here for a start!
Please plan a trip to Aragon and Asturias. You will not regret it. Here's to a fantastic new year of adventures.
Oh and by the way, I have been attempting the walk a 1000 miles boots on challenge for 4 years now, still to achieve it! But I have loved it and have come very close each year. It is the getting out and walking in nature which is the important part!🌲🥾🏜🏔⛰️.
This year I will have been retired for 11 years and finally can claim my state pensión. What a roller coaster of experiences life has blessed me with since I made that decisión. Love following your steps. Thank you again for sharing your adventures. ¡Feliz año nuevo!
Happy New Year to you too 🥳
I don't know why I get so worried about it - nothing can be worse than the drive down from Yorkshire to Dover, the motorways are pretty awful and extremely busy all the way down and then we get 10 minutes from Calais and sail all the way down to the Alps!! Richard always says 'drive in the gutter'
I will look up the 2 places you suggested as Spain is still such an open book to us - only having done 3 weeks on the mainland last year. We loved the Picos de Europa and are desperate to finally get into the Pyrenees. I tried doing 1000 miles hiking a few years ago - like you we got close but it is actually harder than I thought it would be. This year we did just under 1000km according to Strava and it felt like we did a lot of hiking!
I hope we are still this content after 11 years of retirement 😊
Thanks for your continued support of our channel and all the best for 2025 and your challenges x