About us – Alison and Don

Hello! We are Alison Armstrong and Don Read.

In our sixties, with apparently no other authentic option, we sold our car and apartment, sold or gave away all our things, and set off to discover the world. And ourselves. We started in Italy in 2011 and since then have travelled to Spain, India, Bali, Australia, Southeast Asia, Sweden, Mexico, South America, New Zealand, Cyprus, and more – it’s all in the blog archive. We will continue travelling until it’s time to stop – if that time ever comes. So far it suits us very well. We are interested in how the world works, how life works, how the creation of experience works, how the mind works. As we travel and both choose our course, and at the same time just let it unfold, we discover the mechanics of life, the astounding creativity of life, and a continual need to return to trust and presence. Opening the heart, and acceptance of what is, as it is, are keystones for us both.

Interests: Alison – in no particular order: travel, competitive figure skating (as a fan), blogging, photography, writing, acceptance, authenticity, walking/hiking, joy, creativity, being human, adventure, presence. Don – the same except replace figure skating with Formula One motor racing.

To discover more go here to read an article we wrote for Retirement and Good Living and here to read an interview we did with Nomadic Matt.

Changes: in March 2017 we made the decision to stay in Vancouver for at least the next twelve months. After five years and eight months travelling the world without a home we knew we needed a time out. Travelling is stressful and Alison’s body felt pummelled, and we both needed to stop for a while. Then we found the apartment! The rent is about half the normal rent for such a place in Vancouver. It was too good a deal to pass up. So once again we have a home, and for the first time since the end of August 2011 we own a car and furniture. We will continue to travel though not in the way we did before.

Alison did a seven-week solo trip to Japan and China May/June 2018.

We both went to Paris, India, and Japan for 8 weeks in Feb/March 2019, and to India and Malaysia in Feb/March 2020.

We’re now both in our 70’s though it doesn’t seem to have slowed us down much. We’ll set off again as soon as Covid lets us.