Three years ago, a retired couple sold their house in Florida, packed their bags, and embarked on an adventure of traveling around the world, visiting 96 countries since then.
“We gave up everything, started a life of full-time travel, and became YouTubers and travel bloggers. We never imagined our future life would be like this,” John and Bev Martin told The Epoch Times.
John, 60, hails from West Virginia and had worked in aluminum manufacturing and international relations management. Bev, 61, is from a small town in Arkansas and was a full-time mom to five children.
Their desire to travel the world stemmed from their upbringing. John grew up in a household that hosted foreign exchange students, while Bev was raised in a home without a TV but filled with books, sparking her adventurous spirit.
“As we raised our children, we wanted them to experience the world. We traveled abroad with them, but looking back, we wished we could have traveled more ourselves,” the Martins said.
“Surprisingly, the beginning of our journey was completely different from what we had imagined,” the couple said.
In March 2020, the Martins planned to go to Milan, Italy, but their plans were canceled due to the pandemic lockdown. Undeterred, they bought an Airstream travel trailer and visited all national parks in the United States, fulfilling their wish.
“We drove over 40,000 miles, completing our goal of visiting every state,” they said. “The crown jewel of the U.S. (landscapes) is the national park system, where we could see mountains, prairies, deserts, caves, coasts, rivers, and streams in a short time.”
While they initially prepared for a global journey, they had to pivot to other plans. Some early preparations included downsizing their home, simplifying aspects of their life, establishing systems like online banking and mail forwarding to help manage everything.
Additionally, they learned some tricks such as using credit cards for all expenses and optimizing points for free hotel stays.
Another crucial part of planning was budgeting. The Martins moved all their finances online, with their financial planner setting up a system to keep them updated on their retirement savings.
Living abroad brought them new perspectives.
They realized that great adventures don’t always mean going to expensive destinations.
“Just because a country has a low cost of living, like Colombia or Bulgaria, doesn’t mean it’s not fun,” the Martins said. “These are two charming countries that we’ll definitely revisit.”
Safety was a paramount concern for the couple during their travels.
“If we were in a country known for being unsafe, we wouldn’t roam around at night,” they said. “We also didn’t want to live in fear constantly. We held our heads high, moved with purpose, and didn’t let on that we were lost.”
As a secure payment method, the elderly couple chose to use Apple Pay.
During their travels in Europe last year, their credit card numbers were stolen. After a call to the credit card company, they updated their Apple Wallet.
“We traveled all over Europe, paying for transportation, groceries, without using the physical card for months,” the Martins recounted.
After their global journey, the Martins have left behind a range of unforgettable memories, with one of their favorites being the train journey from Salzburg to Prague. Due to track maintenance, they were asked to transfer to a public bus.
“A Swedish couple sat near us and told us to follow them,” the Martins said. “When the bus reached the next stop, we got off, only to find out to our disbelief that the bus immediately drove off, with no one else getting off.”
They were left in a village without Wi-Fi, where no one spoke English, and there was no phone service. After hours of waiting, they finally boarded another train to Prague.
“We look back at all of that with the fondest memories!” they said.
Another cherished memory was their time in Cambodia. When the country celebrated the new year, their driver suggested they buy water guns.
They took up the suggestion, and to their amazement, had the most unforgettable water gun fight of their lives.
“Everyone was so happy, and by the end of the night, we were all soaked,” the retired couple said. “We felt like kids again!”
Adults and children were driven around town in trucks, spraying each other with water, spreading joy and laughter along the way.
“This was so much fun!” they said. “Everyone had smiles on their faces, and that night, we were all friends.”
The globetrotting couple experienced a variety of cultures. They say the most valuable lesson they learned is that the connections between countries are closer than people realize because all have family members from elsewhere. They have loved ones around the world and wish the best for others.
Another important concept they learned is that the desire to be free remains even in countries without freedom, with struggles to fight for freedom. They learned a lot about the fight for freedom during their travels, with tour guides or taxi drivers often sharing stories of working hard to create a better life for their families, with freedom and education being their top concerns.
Such conversations serve as a profound reminder for gratitude for what we have.
When asked if there were any countries they did not like, the Martins always say “no,” as they believe some countries face unique challenges but are filled with kind people.
“Everywhere, people love their families and hometowns,” they said.
So far, their favorite countries have been Slovenia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Romania, Greece, and the Netherlands.
Bev’s favorite place is Raja Ampat in Indonesia because she believes the islands there are the best for diving. John enjoys Lake Atitlán in Guatemala for its natural beauty and warm people.
Surprisingly, the Martins say they haven’t encountered any major challenges during their global journey and were surprised to find that most countries have English speakers.
When traveling to places without English speakers, they rely on Google Translate.
As they journey around, staying in touch with loved ones has been a challenge they’ve accepted.
“We make efforts to stay in touch with family and friends,” the Martins said. “Many of our friends text us, and we have FaceTime calls with family. Nowadays, everyone is very tech-savvy, including our 80-year-old mother.”
They regularly keep in touch with their children and visit family twice a year. In the future, they plan to return home more frequently to spend time with their eight growing grandchildren.
Everyone has supported their retirement adventure, with some children even joining them on their travels.
“Our son thought it was a bit crazy, but soon realized it was a great plan and showed his support,” the Martins said. “I think he just wants to ensure we’re safe and taking care of ourselves.”
As they continue to create a myriad of memories, they share their daily travel experiences with over 100,000 subscribers.
Upon reaching the milestone of 100,000 followers, their children were more ecstatic than themselves.
“They may have been a bit shocked that their very ordinary parents achieved this, but they were thrilled,” they said.
In the coming months, the Martins plan to visit the West Coast of Africa, South America, and Japan. They also plan to develop their website into a resource that encourages and shares their expertise, helping other retirees break out of the mundane and see the world.
Though they initially set a 10-year goal, they now find that 10 years may not be the end.
“We discovered that we love traveling around, constantly experiencing different cultures,” they said. “Our minds are constantly challenged, and where we go and what we do has almost no pattern.”