Home Sweet Anywhere: How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World (Inspirational Travel Book for Living a Nomadic Life)

The world is big, beautiful, amazing, scary, and exciting - to spend your entire life in only one or two places is, I have always thought, not a full life.Americans, spoon-fed the American Dream since childhood, rarely see long-term travel as a possibility. They buy houses and possessions, acquire mortgages and debt, and then spend most of their lives working to pay for it all. They become trapped in keeping up with the Joneses and only see the world in two week - "too weak" - vacations.But the greatest secret of the modern age is that, with today's technology, you can live and work anywhere, if you do it right. Author Lynne Martin and her husband represent the mature, retired set. In 2010, they sold their house in CA and ramped up their "home free" life - first Mexico, then Buenos Aires, Turkey (after a repositioning cruise), France, Italy, Britain, Ireland, and Morocco. They returned to CA to visit family, etc, then they headed off to Portugal.Look at the list of their travels again: their first step into Europe was Istanbul, Turkey. Compare that to your American friends whose idea of a trip is a vacation resort in Mexico, in which they never venture beyond the walls of the resort.The book is not actually a how-to book. It is mostly a memoir. Some "how to" comes out of their journeys and experiences. At the back of the book, there is a chapter: "Things the Guidebooks Won't Teach You." I would like to have seen that expanded.I know the biggest question people always have is: "How can you afford it?"#1) It's not as expensive as you think. It costs far more to live in the United States, with a house and a mortgage, than it does to live in much of the world, And, as the author has done, you can relocate throughout the year, varying your time between expensive and inexpensive countries.#2) If you are not retired or otherwise need income, the key is simply to detach your income source from one geographical location. That's what technology has given us. I made my biggest sales to American retailers while I was in Europe. Because of the time difference, I was always able to put together my sales pitch, while the buyers were still asleep, and get them first thing in (their) morning, while I was having a beer at a German castle. But you can even make long-term travel work in the service industry. I know a waitress who travels the world, funding her life along the way at restaurants. Her big challenge is Visa requirements, but she does it. Last I heard she was in Asia somewhere.If you are young, I think you should travel for at least a year before you go to college or start a career. Your experiences will be invaluable. In fact, to compare Lynne Martin's way of traveling, watch a documentary called "Map for Saturday." The film chronicles the backpackers' life and features a "mature" gentleman living that life. Inspirational, to say the least.I also highly recommend "Vagabonding" by Rolf Potts. It will put you into the mindset of being a long-time world traveler. I re-read it often as an antidote to "a society that is constantly urging us to do otherwise." And I first heard about modern-day long-term travelers from Tim Ferriss, in his "Four Hour Workweek," which provides some how-to.Lynne Martin finishes her book by saying "Postpone nothing." That is great advice. You may think you agree but until you actually get out there, you will not truly appreciate the value of that advice. The book will not provide everything you need to know. But it will introduce you to what lies ahead for you, if you want it.

This is an entertaining book, but it is not a "How To" book as it seems many disappointed people have discovered. It's too bad people are unhappy because I think that if they hadn't had other expectations they might have enjoyed this book.The paperback version states that it is a memoir twice on the front cover. And then the title says "How We Sold Our House, Created a New Life, and Saw the World. And they do tell you how they did it and about their travels. What this book doesn't tell you is how much money they spent which is probably more than most retired people would have to spend and probably costs more every year and depends a lot on where they decide to travel.It wasn't clear to me why they sold their house as they never stated they needed the money from the sale to finance their new lives. I guess they didn't want the worries of home ownership to follow them during their new carefree life. Many people might like to keep their homes if they can manage it financially. Others might not have the income to live as well as the Martins, but they can still live abroad and have fun doing it. And many people wouldn't want to be out of the country for as long as the Martins. For me I can see going for a couple of two month foreign stays a year. There are millions of ways to adapt what the Martins did to our own lives should we want to do it. She can't tell you how to do it, but she can tell you the basics of what they did.I was entertained by their story and I didn't feel that Lynne Martin put on airs, name dropped or had her nose in the air. I think the Martins are a very down to earth couple who have been fortunate enough to live the good life and are continuing to do so. I enjoyed the story, but I didn't have any expectations other than to enjoy it.I agree with those who were bored hearing about her budding writing career. From my point of view she ruined her travel life by having to meet deadlines and spend her days writing. Why do that? If you must, plan a few months after the traveling is done to do the writing. However, that's what she wanted to do, I think, and I hope she is still happy about it in spite of all the negative reviews.This is an intriguing book and I think it's a shame that so many people wrote nasty reviews. I don't really get it, but maybe if I didn't get what I had expected I would have been disappointed too.I wish the Martins many more years of great health while they follow their dreams.

Fantastic book recommend by my mother. I like the authors take and tone also her insight into the various countries they have visited. May my retirement be as fun

A very informative book with a lot of humour.

Enjoyed the topic as we're getting to the age where this is part of 'the retirement plan' and found it an entertaining read with good information. I checked out a sample of the audiobook which is read by the author and she has a great speaking voice so that would be another good option. The material helped us clarify some of our goals.

Perhaps an honest and sober account of this lifestyle, Recounted in a humorous and informative way. Worth comparing to other similar travel accounts.

Es un libro ameno que no agrega nada especial. Ademas muestra animadversion por los argentinos. No gastaria el dinero en el.