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Calling it Done
The beach house renovation wraps up in the kitchen. It’s modern, open, & airy, just what we wanted.
Fourth Year of Retirement Freedom
Happiness
|We celebrate our fourth year of retirement with another playlist of songs we used in the blog. Why? Just because we like them!
Getting Down to Living
The beach house renovation finally comes to the living room. Big room, big work!
It’s a Florida Room
Beach house renovation includes a new Florida Room, bringing breezes and light into our lives.
A Century
We settle in for a long winter’s nap. Or maybe just work hard on a beach house renovation. But after 100 posts, we need a break.
The Love Shack
We’ve gone and done it again. We bought a beach house to renovate, and to use as a home base for further Caribbean travel.
Miles and Miles
We decide to explore the miles of beaches on the east coast of Florida, and guess what? We find miles and miles of beaches!
Summer Wine
We go to wine country in Colorado, and learn about the peacefulness of a small valley of farmers and winemakers.
Oops
We (re)learn the hard way that Colorado doesn’t care what time of year it is. If it wants to be cold, it’s going to be cold.
Third Year of Freedom
Happiness
|We celebrate our third year of retirement with another eclectic playlist of songs we used in the blog. Why? Because they brought us joy!
I Wish I Had…
We read an article about the things that we wished we’d done in retirement, but we kind of like what we’ve done!
Island Hopping Issues
Island Shopping
|We discuss the issues we’ve found with our plan of a slow island-hopping odyssey around the Caribbean.
Here Kitty, Kitty!
We got adopted by some stray cats, but they didn’t know what we had in store for them!
West is Best
We hop over to Rincón on the west coast of Puerto Rico for a few days! We’ve always wanted to go there, so now we have – well worth the trip!
Slow Season
In every Caribbean island there is a slow season, when the tourists are gone, the snowbirds are gone, and the island is quiet.
Dorian Gray
Our first tropical storm / hurricane while in Vieques turned out to be a bit of a dud. It’s good though!
Retired with Pets
Doggies, Dogs
|Retired life isn’t all freedom when you have pets in tow. We discuss how to work with them when you want to see the world.
Financial Disaster
Many people are on the edge of a financial disaster and don’t know it. We talk about how to avoid that.
Leaving Them All Behind
We discuss the fact that we left behind our friends, parents, and (adult) children when we took off on our adventures.
Jubilación Segundo Aniversario
Happiness
|We celebrate our second year of retirement with a playlist of songs that inspired us and made us happy.
What We Love
Happiness, Vieques
|We love to explore deserted parts of this island. The beauty and solitude are amazing.
What’s That Stash For Anyway?
Vieques
|We stash food and drink, not just for hurricanes but also for typical island problems.
You Wanna Know the Secret?
Happiness
|You wanna know the secret to happiness? Little Big Town said you “Can’t buy it, gotta make it.” And they’re right.
Experiences Over Stuff
Vieques
|We have said from the beginning that we want experiences, even simple ones, rather than stuff. This is about some of those experiences!
Our New Year’s Resolution Is…
Vieques
|We’re wrapping up 2018 in island style and on island time (which means late).
We’re Different, Just Like Everyone Else
Vieques
|Are island people really different? Or all the same?
How Long Can We Live Like This?
RealLife
|Answering an important question – whether we can live a long, healthy, and happy life here.
What Did We Expect?
Vieques
|Taking a look at all those expectations we had before moving to Vieques, Puerto Rico
A Year Already?
Ambergris Caye, Island Shopping, Roatán, Utila, Vieques
|Having been gone from the States for an entire year, have we learned anything?
María in the Rear View
Vieques
|At the one-year anniversary of the Hurricane María devastation, we are putting that gal in rear view mirror. Vieques has risen, together we are stronger than María.
From the Rock to the Rockies
Colorado
|Back to Colorado for a wedding, & family, friends, and beer.
Normal is as Normal does
Vieques
|We talk about the concept of “normal”, and how it depends on where you are.
Good Times are Free
Spending, Vieques
|Checking our spending vs. the budget and see how we’re doing halfway through the year.
Are We Crazy?
Vieques
|We ponder the question of our sanity, knowing full well the question may not be answerable!
The Sound of Sunshine
Power, Spending, Vieques
|We dive into the background, technical details, and sizing of our small solar backup power system.
Follow the Sun
Power, Vieques
|We discuss our small solar backup power system, which helps us ride out the many power outages on Vieques.
Island Shopping – Is The Cart Full Yet?
Island Shopping, Playa Caracas, Sun Bay, Vieques
|Another episode of island shopping, where we take a good hard look at Vieques and try to answer the question: Is this the place?
Retirement First Anniversary
Vieques
|A short summary and song playlist from our first year of retirement and of blogging about it.
Island Soul
Playa Esperanza, Sun Bay, Vieques
|The island shows us some new beaches, introduces us to great people, and teaches us how to get by on this rock.
How Much is Enough? – Closing the Loop
Retirement, Spending
|We wrap up this series of posts by pulling together the spending and income parts, and discussing strategies and tools for success.
How Much is Enough? – Paying for It All
Retirement
|We discuss the income generation part of retirement, ya gotta pay for it somehow!
How Much is Enough? – The Spending Part
Retirement, Spending
|We discuss the very important spending part of retirement.
How Much is Enough? – A Foundation for Retirement Planning
Retirement
|Here we talk about the early steps in preparing to retire.
Island On Our Own Time
PeopleWeMeet, Playa Caracas, Playa El Gallito, Sun Bay, Vieques
|Where we find time to go to the beach, and a few other places!
Coste de Vida en Vieques
Food, Spending, Vieques
|We discuss the cost of living in Vieques, including some anecdotes of everyday purchases.
Oh No! Mo’ Stuff!
Power, Stuff, Vieques
|We needed a few things to really settle in to this island, so we found a few ways to get them.
Fresh Eyes
Friends, Playa Caracas, Playa Esperanza, Vieques
|We get a visitor, someone to see the place with a fresh set of eyes.
The Cost of Paradise
Power, Stuff, Vieques, Weather
|Power to the People! Actually no power to the people, and other limitations of island life.
Vieques Virgins
Stuff, Vieques
|Early impressions, thoughts, and random bloviating on our new lives in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Keep Them Doggies Movin’
Florida, Prop Planes, Puerto Rico, Vieques
|More island hopping, this time across the Caribbean from Roatan, Honduras to Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Roatán Wrap-Up
Honduras, Island Shopping, Roatán
|We wrap up our thoughts on Roatán, and compare it to Utila and Ambergris Caye.
A Little Bit of Mañana
Caribbean, Critters, Honduras, PeopleWeMeet, Roatán
|Exploring Roatan, on island time.
Roatán in a Rush
Caribbean, Honduras, Immigration, Roatán, Spending
|Running out of time (already!) in Roatán!
We’ve Gone and Done It Now
Ambergris Caye, Belize, Caribbean, Dogs, Honduras, Immigration, Prop Planes, Roatán
|Where we go to another country and back to stay in good with the Immigration folks.
Detour Ahead
Honduras, Immigration, Roatán
|When you’re in a foreign country, you pretty much have to do what you’re told.
Island (S)hopping
Honduras, Island Shopping, PeopleWeMeet, Prop Planes, Roatán
|Hopping to a new destination in the Caribbean.
Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Caribbean, Honduras, Island Shopping, Utila
|Making the call on Utila – should we stay here, or go off exploring some more?
When Your Money Turns Red
Food, Honduras, Spending, Utila
|We talk about costs, spending, and budgets for this island life. Ya gotta pay for this somehow.
Island Oddities and Laughs
Honduras, PeopleWeMeet, Utila
|We discuss the island oddities that make us laugh, then they become the “new normal” and we forget about them.
Beauty and the Beast
Critters, Honduras, Utila
|There’s more to the tropics than beaches, piña coladas, and beer. There are a couple other challenges.
Rehab, Relapse, and Skid Row
Bars, Food, Honduras, Utila
|Cheap waterfront bars and restaurants are one of Utila’s draws.
Typhoid, Flip-Flops, and Lempiras
Honduras, Utila
|A Day in the Life, and other miscellaneous thoughts on Utila
Life on a Rock
Honduras, PeopleWeMeet, Utila, Weather
|Early Impressions of Utila, Honduras, and living on a Rock!
Big Planes, small planes, and tuk-tuks!
Honduras, PeopleWeMeet, Prop Planes, Stuff, Utila
|Where we get on a big plane, then on a smaller plane, then on a(really small)nother plane, to finally arrive in Utila, Honduras. The adventure starts now!
The Dog Blog
Doggies, Florida, Gulf Coast Beaches
|Our constant traveling companions – Kirby and Maxwell!
Witness Protection
Florida, Gulf Coast Beaches, PeopleWeMeet
|Where we (don’t really) answer the age-old question, “Where are you from?”
A Different Florida
Florida, Gulf Coast Beaches, Road Trip
|We discovered a new territory and staked our claim!
But Wait!
Atlantic Beaches, Florida, Weather
|Final thoughts on the heat, the wildlife, and the beauty of the Florida East Coast
That’s a Wrap
Florida, Food, Road Trip
|Wrapping up the Indialantic stay – bye bye bye to home sweet home
To Infinity, and Beyond!
Atlantic Beaches, Florida, PeopleWeMeet, Stuff
|Things that fly over beaches, old friends, and more STUFF!
The Space Coast
Atlantic Beaches, Florida, Road Trip
|Home Sweet Home – Indialantic, FL and the Melbourne area.
All That Stuff
Colorado, Stuff
|You can’t travel with a bunch of Stuff. This is how we took care of that problem.
A Twinkle in our Eyes
Colorado, Friends
|The start of it all was a series of long talks while sitting in the hot tub staring at the stars.