Kelly Benthall
When I was in my 40s, if you had told me I'd be writing this from Mauritius after months of traveling across Europe, I would have laughed.
Back then, I had a more traditional view of retirement: I would work until 65, leave a nest egg for my kids, and settle into a quieter life.
But at 53, my husband Nigel and I quit our jobs in oil and gas, traded comfort for adventure, and hit the road.
To retire early and travel, we restructured our finances and mapped out a plan to spend every penny. Deciding not to leave an inheritance for our six kids was a crucial part of the plan.
We invested in their first 25 years, giving each of them a strong foundation to build their own futures.
We didn't want to tap into our retirement accounts to avoid early withdrawal penalties, so we simplified our lifestyle.
We got engaged in 2017, shortly after Hurricane Harvey destroyed Nigel's house. He moved in with me, we married, and instead of upgrading to a bigger home, we agreed to make mine work. During COVID, we sold our second car and learned to share one.
We also paid off credit card debt and committed to settling all bills in full every month. These choices made a difference, but we still needed help.
To turn our dream into reality, we hired a financial advisor who helped us devise a plan we could trust. Together, we grew our fixed-income resources for easy access, crafted a strategy to fully spend our savings during our lifetime, and transitioned to having our accounts managed by our advisor with asset-based fees. It helped us stop worrying about outliving our money.
Now, our goal is to spend 20% less than we did during the last five years of work, gradually scaling back as we age and slow down. Careful budgeting and travel hacks have been helping.
Before leaving Texas in August, we had been living in Houston, where we still own a home. The decision to rent or sell felt too overwhelming before we left, so when we started our adventure in August, we held off on that decision. For now, it remains as we left it. The plan is to return in January to pack everything up and make those tough calls.
Instead, we kicked off the adventure by visiting family in England. Since then, we've had to rethink how we travel, prioritizing affordability without compromising our standards. This has influenced everything from where we stay to how we plan our itineraries.
For lodging, I use Airbnb and local real estate agencies that offer discounts with a minimum stay of 30 days to cut down on costs. It gives us time to settle in and experience a place fully.
By following the sun during shoulder seasons, we've scored lower rates and balanced pricier destinations with more affordable ones. After England, we've established a rhythm we call "home bases" — places where we live like locals while exploring the area.
So far, we've spent a month in Dubrovnik, Croatia, with its stunning coastline; Lecce in Italy's Puglia region, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves; Seville, Spain, falling in love with Andalusia's laid-back charm; and now Mauritius, a small island just east of Madagascar —where we're soaking up island vibes for the holidays.
Over the past five months, we've been spending an average of $6,000 a month, not including our house payment and related expenses back in Texas.
With slow travel, we shop at local markets, cook at home, and savor a relaxed pace.
This journey isn't just about travel — it's about finding space to breathe. The endless US news cycle was wearing on me. Personally, I needed space to slow down. I keep up with international news, but the politics back home feel distant.
We don't know exactly where this journey will take us, and that's the beauty of it. With a long list of places to explore and regular trips home to see family, we may even find ourselves back where we started one day.
Our six children, who range in age from 23 to 37 and are spread across California, Utah, Texas, and England, were excited for us but also a little wistful when we set off. A few of them admitted that it felt like we were leaving for good — a shift that seemed more permanent, even though we'll see them just as often as when we lived in Houston.
Our plan to "spend it all" isn't about running out — it's about using what we have with the intention to explore, learn, and create memories we'll carry forever.
And for our kids? I hope we're showing them that there's no single way to live. Sometimes, you just have to leap and trust the net will appear — a reminder to live fully, in whatever way feels true to them.
Got a personal essay about retiring early to travel that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: akarplus@businessinsider.com.
