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.
Adventures in Wonderland 
So happy to connect with another traveler & blogger. It’s so inspiring! It’s never too late to dream a new dream.
Live, Dream, Travel
Jessica, Turquoise Compass
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Thanks Jessica. You’re certainly living the dream too.
Cheers, and happy travels, Alison
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Travel on!
Jessica, Turquoise Compass
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congrats to you two..you are an inspiration! You did a great job of capturing hawaii and i’m looking forward to seeing your archives and future posts.
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Thanks so much for your encouraging words Michael. I hope you enjoy some of the older posts. Some of my faves are the 2 posts about Varanasi, and the one about Macchu Piccu.
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You two seem like amazing people. The way you’ve undertaken this profound journey is very inspirational. Great job and keep at it!
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Thanks Darcy. I guess we jumped off a cliff, but it seemed so right that we were hardly afraid. Not that it’s always smooth sailing, but we’re still on the road more than 3 years later and see no end in sight yet. Despite the ups and downs it seems to suit us.
Alison
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Hello! You have very excellent blog! It is a lot of interesting information! I enjoy you! Continue also! The best regards! – Vlad 🙂
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Thank you so much Vlad. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog.
Cheers, Alison
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You are welcome)))
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Just inspiring! Nothing more to say. And following instantly!
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Thank you so much Jithin, and thank you for following!
Alison
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It is my pleasure. Thank you for inspiring us to travel more 🙂
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How fabulous! Just started exploring your blog and love it! Courtesy of Plus Ultra’s ‘Behind the Scenes’ nomination…
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Thank you so much! And thanks for all the likes!
Alison
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I so admire your roving life and your spirit of inquiry, Alison and Don – and most important – that you are telling us about the people and places you have discovered. And also about yourselves. ‘Look within to find the universal self’ as old Lao Tzu is supposed to have said. Brilliant. And thank you too, for your kind comments on my blog.
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Thanks so much Tish. It’s a pretty exciting way to live, and we’re aware how blessed we are to be able to do this. It’s a huge gift. At the same time, it’s still life, so we have the same ups and downs as everyone, they just happen in lots of different places. But we wouldn’t change it for anything!
Alison
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Great articles about different places! It is very inspiring for us young people to travel. I hope you can visit the Philippines soon and discover some of our beautiful islands. Hope to meet you here. 🙂
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Thank you so much. I’m so glad you find our adventures inspiring! We would very much like to visit the Philippines. It’s definitely on the list!
Alison
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It would be a privilege for me to arrange your tour here in the Philippines (if ever time permits)… Because of love to travel and explore, I started a travel business so maybe if time comes that you are gonna visit our country, I hope I will be given the chance to plan it for you. 🙂
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I’ll keep you in mind for sure! Do stay in touch.
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Thank you so much.. 🙂
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I absolutely love your history and I got to know about Nomadic Matt. I founded a site about long term traveling in Brazil and I always try to open people’s mind showing that anyone can do it and there are no limitations. People like you help inspiring other people and I would love to share your story in the blog. Please, if you are interested right me a message on caroca.fernandes@gmail.com. This is the website for you to have a look, but is all in portuguese. http://projetoviravolta.com Regards
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Thank you for your interest! We would love to participate. I’ll email you.
Alison
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Hi Alison and Don.
I am Biswashree from SeniorWorld. We collect and publish stories about people who follow their passion regardless of their age. Your story will inspire many others who are afraid to take the first step. We would like to share your story with other seniors who think their age is an obstacle. If you are interested or want to know more, please let me know at biswashreedey@gmail.com
Regards
Biswashree Dey
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Hello Biswashree, nice to meet you. We’d be delighted to share our story. I’ll email you.
Cheers, Alison
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PS What is SeniorWorld? Could you give me a link to it please.
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Hi Alison
SeniorWorld is a startup that will provide information, products and services aimed at the seniors and the elderly. We will have a online portal where we will share stories of people like you, seeking to inspire and help others. Currently our website is underconstruction. We will launch in a couple of month. We will send you the link as soon as we are up and running.
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Hi Alison
If there is anything more you would like to know about us, please let me know.Also, let me know when you are free for an interview. You can mail me at biswashreedey@gmail.com or I can mail you.
Regards
Biswashree dey
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Sorry I didn’t get back to you right away! Too busy sight seeing! 🙂
We’d be delighted to be interviewed. I’ll be able to email you later today ( we’re travelling between towns today) and we get things moving from there. Thank you so much for your interest.
Alison
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Hi Allison and Don, So inspiring to read your blog, I must admit this is how I’d like to spend my later years. Just a beginner in blogging but have travelled some, mostly with little kids, now they are getting older and we can extend our experiences when travelling. I can’t wait. I can already say I have to read all of your stuff – Thank you for sharing stories and pictures. PS! I really really want to go back to Australia. Just about to re-live our trip in 2002, it’s about time we go back 🙂
Regards,
TheBaCa
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Thank you so much for your kind words. I can’t imagine the challenge of travelling with small children! Kudos. Hope you get back to Oz. There’s so much to see and do there.
Alison
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In our sixties (give or take a few months) my partner and I moved from Minnesota to Cornwall. It’s not as much of a leap as you two made, but it’s been a fantastic adventure.
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Oh I bet it’s been an amazing adventure! I remember when I first went to the US from Australia back in 1974 – even that was culture shock. They didn’t know what white coffee was. Very confusing 🙂
Had a quick look at your blog – looking forward to exploring more.
Alison
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Kindred spirits, we hope to follow your footsteps! Your blog posts are exciting and inspiring!!! We have no real family in the states (and have sold all property) but need to maintain an address here. Any suggestions?
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Thank you so much. So wonderful to hear of others choosing a similar journey. It will change you in ways you can’t even imagine, but I guess you already know that. How exciting for you! Will email you.
Alison
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Very happy I came across you blog! Love the life style you have chosen:) Look forward to following you posts.
Inger
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Thanks so much Inger. And thank you for following! Your own lifestyle is pretty amazing too. Hope you’re enjoying Canada. We’ll be back for a couple of months in May, then off again. We’re not ready to stop travelling yet.
Alison
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Hello… your work is truly good and highly appreciated…
Best Wishes Always!
With Love “GK”
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Thanks so much GK. I appreciate your encouragement.
Best wishes
Alison
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Hi Alison and Don,
Your blog and your story is so inspiring. I also like to inform you that I am a fan of figure skating and formula one. I hope that you will visit the Philippines someday, it would be my pleasure to meet the both of you. Hoping for more adventures from the two of you. Have a nice day!
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Thank you so much Aya, and it’s great to know you too are a fan of FS and F1! We would love to visit the Philippines. It’s definitely on our list. And don’t worry, there are plenty more adventures coming from us.
Cheers
Alison
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Hi Don and Alison,
You two are an inspiration and it is exciting to see some of the places you have been. If you are ever in Kenya and coming through Nairobi, let me know and maybe we can meet up for a pint.
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Hi Alison and Don,
You two are amazing and an inspiration. Have been to some of the same places as I too travel the world. If you are ever in Kenya, let me know and maybe we could meet up for a pint and to share travel experiences.
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Hi Peter, nice to meet you. We would love to meet up when were in Kenya. I had a look at your website and know a kindred spirit when I see one. East Africa is definitely on the list, but probably not until next year, so do let’s keep in touch one way or another. I bet we have many travel stories to share. Our plans for the year are Vancouver until end June, then a visit to family in Sweden, August back in Van, then Turkey, Jordan and Egypt in the fall. Got and tips for those last three countries? We’re bust researching at the moment.
Cheers – looking forward to that pint
Alison
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Alison and Don, you’re really awesome. I went through your blog, and yes, your tagline is cent percent correct; It’s not just a travel blog, it’s amazing.
Good luck pals
abijit 🙂
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Thank you so much Abijit for your kind words. I’n glad you enjoy the blog. Good luck to you too!
Alison
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Your guys’ story really intrigues me. I would love to follow in your footsteps and do what you did. Ive thought about it many times but never had the courage to leave everything behind. In a way I did leave everything behind when I moved to San Francisco and I guess that this is where my journey starts. Your journey began in Italy and mine began in San Francisco.
Hope you guys enjoy the rest of your journey and I cannot wait to hear more things that happen on your journey.
Thanks for sharing,
Sabera!
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Thank you so much Sabera. I think it took great courage for you to do what you did when you moved to San francisco. You did leave everything behind it seems, and now begins a whole new journey. Journeys are not only about going places. I hope you have a wonderful life there.
Alison
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Thank you so much Alison. I realize that journeys aren’t always about going places now. You are such a kind person. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you and Don going to do when you’ve seen the entire world? What is next for you two?
Also, I’m originally from Vancouver. I hope that you guys go to Steveston. It’s a very beautiful place. It’s in Richmond. My dad always used to take us there.
Thanks,
Sabera
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I don’t know if we’ll ever get to see the entire world. We have no idea when, or if, we’ll ever stop travelling. And we have no idea what we’ll do if the time comes to stop travelling. I guess we just don’t think about it. If the time comes we’ll know.
We’ve both lived in Vancouver for many years, and it is still officially and emotionally our hometown. We’re there right now for a couple of months. We’ve been to Steveston many times, and you’re right, it is a very beautiful place.
Up next for us is a short trip to Washington State with friends at the beginning of July, the a 2 week trip to Sweden to visit Don’s son and his wife and family, then back to Vancouver til the end of August, then we’re off to Turkey, Jordan and Egypt for a couple of months. No end of the travelling life in sight yet 🙂
Alison
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I officially call Vancouver my home town as well. Wow, such a small world after all. I lived in Vancouver for 12 years and then moved to Edmonton for another 9ish years. Now I’m here in San Francisco.
I really love how you guys just go and do what you want. And how you guys don’t really have a set plan. You do for the places that you go to but not really for the things after. That is very admirable. At times I wish that I wasn’t constantly thinking about what my future holds.
I hope that you two have a great trip to all those places. It sounds like it’s going to be a wonderful and beautiful.
Sabera.
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The more I read about your choices and your life journey, the more I feel like we are kindred spirits. Your philosophy, love of life, gratitude and faith in the universe is so in line with how we are choosing to explore this planet – one amazing place after another. We remain “open to the possibilities”. I sincerely hope our paths cross one of these days as I know we would have an amazing conversation. Hugs and best wishes to you both. Joanne
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Oh, yes, I’m sure we’re kindred spirits, travelling the world from much the same inner space. We too remain open to the endless possibilities. Our policy is to say ‘Yes’ to life – I imagine yours is too. Yes to all that’s offered. We’re so very lucky. It would be wonderful if our paths were to cross – maybe next year. We have no idea where we’ll be come January but it’s certain to be somewhere hot.
Hugs and best wishes to you too.
Alison
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Wow can i just say I’m truly inspired by both of you?? Both of you have such a love for life! Traveling to sooo many places is a dream… and to see that you have done it all makes me feel hopeful.
I’m really happy that I came across your blog..it has got me hooked.
-Shamira
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Thank you so much Shamira (lovely name by the way). Yes, we do have a huge love for life. It took a few years for us to really get what an astonishing gift life is. Now we just appreciate every day and live it as authentically as we can. I hope you enjoy the blog. Thank you.
Alison
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Thank you so much 🙂 and I’m already enjoying your blog. My homeland is Mumbai, India and I was going through your India posts. It’s so nice to read your experience and see the amazing photos you have captured. I mean there are good as well as bad things there right..but nonetheless I still love it. I haven’t travelled to any of the places you went…is that bad? lol. Hope someday I get to go there.
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We never did get to Mumbai. Maybe one day we’ll return to India and visit your hometown. Some day you’ll get to see more of your own country I’m sure. I’m originally from Australia, and have lived in Canada for over thirty years. Gradually over the years I’ve visited much of Australia, but I’ve hardly seen anything of Canada. Maybe one day . . . . . . .
Alison
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I loved reading about your travels on Nomadic Matts site. I hope to be doing what you’re doing soon…..Would love to hear more stories! Take care and travel well:)
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Hi Dale, thanks so much. I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog. There will be many more stories coming for sure.
Alison
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Alison and Don- I’ so happy I found your blog! Your wild sense of adventure and desire to understand life fills my heart. I can’t wait to follow your adventures and experience your discoveries, both inside and out.
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Thank you so much Rebecca, I’m so glad you enjoy the blog. We understand that our journey is as much about the inner journey as it is about the outer adventures. We have no plans to stop. Not yet anyway 🙂
Alison
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Hi Alison and Don, I am interested in using one of your photographs for an exhibition on Puppetry how can I get in touch with you ?
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I’ve emailed you
Alison
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You seem like a great couples ! I’m really happy to read all about your adventures !
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Thank you so much Inès. I hope you enjoy reading about our adventures. I think you have been having some wonderful adventures of your own!
Alison
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Alison & Don, it’s funny how we stumble upon blogs, and it’s a treat when I stumble upon one that inspires and uplifts me. Thank you for your part in finding each other and thank you for your kind words about my story. I am inspired by your choices; to live life to its fullest. I look forward to following you on your adventures. Wishing you peace and joy, Harlon
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Thank you Harlon. I’m so glad you’re following us on our journey, and that you find our blog uplifting. We follow our intuition in the way we live our life, hoping that our example is of some value, and knowing we can do no different. I believe that the best any of us can offer the world is authenticity, so we aim for that. I feel that from your own blog.
Wishing for you also peace and joy,
Alison
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Hi Alison and Don!! You are so inspiring. I’m an HuffPost Live producer. Would you be available to join us tomorrow (7/23) at 12:30pm EST to talk your will for adventure and travel? Please email me: kara.ramonetti@huffingtonpost. Thanks so much!
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Hi Alison and Don, happy to have stumbled upon your blog. Looking forward to reading more!
-Mani
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Thanks so much Mani. I hope you enjoy it!
Alison
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wonderful comments lovely to connect look forward to seeing and learning more along the way ~ smiles hedy
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Yes, me too Hedy, lovely to connect and looking forward to more. I’m a bit of a sloppy buddhist myself 🙂
Alison
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You guys are an inspiration! I look forward to doing this with someone one day.
I’ve just started out blogging about travel, and I can give you my word, that one day, too shall have such a wonderful ‘about’ to put up!
Keep going!
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Hi Karan, thank you so much. You’ve made a great start on your blog – both posts are very interesting stories and inspire me to maybe return to India one day to discover some of the less crowded places. I’m sure one day you’ll have your own inspiring ‘about’ page!
Namaste, Alison
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Thank you for the lovely reply! 🙂 Do visit India again!
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Thank you very much, Alison, you are very kind. Yes, I enjoy to following your blog, I discovered you have written some articles of your journey in Italy, I would like to reblog them, we have a Category on Make Italy Yours called “Travel in Italy”, I hope you will like it. At the moment I just have started a new blog to make a large archive of my photographic work, with thousand of photos. If you like to discover them: https://stefaniabufanophoto.wordpress.com/
Best Regards,
Stefania
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Thanks Stefania. I like very much your “Make Italy Yours” blog, and your photography. Thanks for visiting, and thanks for the reblog.
Ciao
Alison
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I feel honoured getting linked with such adorable people like you.Read a few post and i simply loved it. 🙂 Well there’s a lot more to explore from your visionary writings. Being a novice blogger i forsee myself to furbish my writing skills as well. I’ll get to learn a lot from you….:) Thank You Soo much again 🙂
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Thank you so much Nida for your kind comment. I’m glad you enjoy the blog. I too have learned much from reading others’ blogs. There are some wonderful writers who have taught me a lot just by reading their blogs. I’m honoured to think others can learn from mine.
Alison
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Have just been reading your blog as mentioned on matts website. Very interesting. Have you been to Tahiti and area yet? If so any accommodation recommendations at reasonable prices? We are seniors planning a trip to the area early 2016 and fathering as much info as possible. Have you visited Solomon Islands? We were there in 2012, well worth seeing, not touristy, if you are interested in ww2 Guadalcanal we have a friend there who could take you round. Enjoy your travels. Jean
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Thanks Jean. We haven’t been to Tahiti, nor to the Soloman Islands. We’ve recently been to Samoa and Fiji, and a few years back to the Cook Islands. We’re not planning anymore Pacific islands at the moment, but you never know what we’ll plan for the future.
Alison
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Rara told me it was your birthday!! I send this song to everyone but I can’t possibly think of another one to send. Hope you had a good one! ❤
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Thank you! It was the perfect song to send, and you haven’t sent it to me before, and I’ve never heard it before. Beautiful. What a beautiful soul he was. Thank you for sending me this lovely gift.
Alison
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I am in absolutely love with your blog. I like traveling and I have a long way to go. You both are great inspiration. I am glad I found your blog.
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Thank you so much! I’m so glad you like the blog. Welcome!
Alison
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Happy Birthday Alison! I know it’s your birthday because I am a friend/follower of Rara, and she encouraged me to head over here and say hello 🙂 She speaks very highly of you, which tells me I must start reading your blog! I’m glad to make your acquaintance and look forward to diving in! What a wonderful opportunity for you and your husband to travel the world ::sigh:: Best Wishes!
{A}
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Thank you so much A. Welcome. We know we are very lucky, very privileged to be able to travel this way. I look forward to diving into your blog too.
Alison
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Hi Alison and Don! I just wanted to say that I admire you both so much for traveling the world at your age. One of the best parts of long-term traveling is not letting something unconventional or seemingly impossible to most people stop you from living your dreams. You guys of all people are really the epitome of that sentiment. Some may say that we did our fair share of long-term traveling now in our 20s, but I genuinely hope we will never stop taking trips here and there for the rest of our lives. You are role models!
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Thank you so much Julie. I did plenty of travel in my 20’s and 30’s too, but never lost the travel bug. Travelling later in life is in some ways even better. I see things differently now. We just go by our intuition, and try not to dwell too much on conventional ‘wisdom’ – it just gets in the way of actually living!
Happy travels – for the rest of your life!
Alison
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I started a new thing on my Facebook page where once a week I’m going to feature a blogger I follow. For this week, I shared a post you did in Oaxaca. I really enjoyed those photos and it is part of the reason I’m planning to be in Oaxaca for the day of the dead this November. Thank you. https://www.facebook.com/PlanetBell
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Thank you so much Jeff. It’s a great idea, and I’m thrilled you chose to feature us. That festival in Oaxaca was truly amazing.
Alison
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Hi!
It was such a pleasure to meet you both and to hear about all of the places you have been to!!!
We have been glued to your blog ever since we got back and will definitely be reading it each time you get a chance to update it.
This is definitely the way I would like to live when I get to 60 and after meeting you both, I now KNOW it can be done and not another dream to be left at the back of a cupboard.
Really hope you are both keeping well and happy!!!
Rosie and Jamie
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Hi you two. It was such a pleasure to meet you too! We had a wonderful day on the boat much enhanced by your company. I’m so glad to hear you’re enjoying the blog. I usually update once a week. And yes! Living this way can be done!
We are both well and happy – still exploring Turkey – we’re in Konya now. Hope you guys are both well and happy too, and we’ll be sure to come say hi next time we’re in England.
Cheers, Alison
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Inspiring .May you two never stop travelling.Cheers.
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Thank you so much Sidran. Sorry I’ve taken so long to get back to you. We’ve been travelling 🙂
Alison
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Thank you.
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Hi – we are just starting out to travel for a few years (and we live in Kelowna). We have rented out our house and trying to travel on a budget. I am curious what you have done about health / travel insurance while you are out of the country. Any recommendations or suggestions for us? I find it gets expensive once 65 years is reached and if there is any hint of a health problem..
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Hi Larry and Penny,
Don here. As I discovered, travel medical insurance did get a lot more expensive after I hit 70 and had some pre-existing conditions. It wasn’t too bad before that, and is still quite reasonable for Alison, who just turned 65 this year. We used to use the BCAA travel medical insurance, but then another couple, who are friends of ours, told us about a Canadian company they use called Medipac Travel Insurance. They’ve had a number of claims with this company and have always been well looked after, so we looked into it, and it turned out to be much much cheaper than BCAA, so we now use them. You can get a quote online from http://www.medipac.com or call them at 1-888-633-4722. We haven’t had to make a claim so far.
We also discovered that we could get very good medical treatment for a variety of aliments in non-Western countries such as India, Mexico and Laos for very low cost. However you will probably still want emergency evacuation insurance even if you don’t buy travel medical insurance, in case of catastrophic illness or injury. We use an American company called Medjet Assist (medjet.com), who provide emergency evacuation to a hospital of your choice in Canada if you are hospitalized while you are overseas. The cost is very reasonable: US$545 per year for both of us. The coverage also includes emergency evacuation for the non-injured partner if the injured partner is evacuated by regular carrier.
I hope the above information is of some assistance, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you’d like more information.
Cheers and good luck on your own travels,
Don
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Thank you Don I really appreciate this information. It is a learning journey and we are looking forward to overcoming some of these barriers as they arise. Cheers, Penny
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