Greetings and welcome! We are Joe and Esther.
We were born at opposite ends of the 1960s, and on different sides of the Earth. Joe first appeared on the scene in northern California in the spring of 1960, just in time to witness the election of John F. Kennedy as the 35th President of the United States. Esther arrived to the party in the Netherlands during the eventful summer of 1969. She was delivered just after Woodstock and man’s first steps on the moon.
Cassie and Claire on the Estrella de Puebla (Puebla, Mexico, 2020)
As luck would have it, we found each other in the city of Reno, Nevada, USA, where we continue to make our home. Over the years, we raised two beautiful and talented daughters, Claire and Cassie. They have both graduated from university, and are now balancing jobs and their own love of travel and adventure.
During our working years, Esther enjoyed a successful career in marketing, selling everything from residential real estate to John Deere tractors. Joe worked as a geologist in the oil and gas and environmental consulting industries. Eventually, he started his own environmental engineering company, which he managed for the final two decades of his employment.
Lizzie in Her Backpack (Pismo Beach, California, 2016)
In 2016, we retired, broke open the piggy bank, and began our month-at-a-time travel adventure. At first, we stayed close to home, traveling for six months to the neighboring states of California and Arizona. Driving our old Subaru with our even older dog Lizzie, we explored the spectacular coastline, mountains, and deserts of the American West.
In the ensuing years, we ventured further from home. Our preferred style of slow travel is to choose a promising locale, rent an apartment for a month, and explore the area on foot, by bicycle and using public transportation.
Joe, Claire, Cassie and Esther (Alkmaar, North Holland, 2019)
We are very fortunate to have the resources and good health to travel, and the time to travel slowly. In the future, we hope to continue our month-at-a-time travels for as long as we can. After all, the world is full of fascinating places to stay a month.
Thank you for stopping by and allowing us to introduce ourselves. We hope that you will leave a comment, so we can get to know you too. Happy travels!
Feature Photo: Joe and Esther helping out in a Basque Gastronomic Society kitchen (Basque Country, 2019)
Note: About Us post updated on January 21, 2021
I am very much going to enjoy following your travels. Sounds like we share a few priorities.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Leah, It is nice to find a like-minded traveler. We look forward to reading about your next adventure. Joe & Es
LikeLike
Hi Joe and Esther. We’re also traveling long term, having packed up our stuff in Australia and set off to discover places wherever opportunities arise (and funds allow). We don’t see us stopping any time soon. Look forward to following your stories. Cheers, Sue & Dave.
LikeLike
Cheers Sue & Dave, It is such a pleasure to be traveling slowly with you. Like the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. As we embark on this marathon new lifestyle, we hope to catch up with you along the way. Thanks for following us, Joe & Es
LikeLike
I found your blog through CJ Hartwell. It looks like you folks have a pretty good gig going. I plan to poke around for a while. cheers https://wdfyfe.net/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello WD, Any friend of CJ Hartwell’s blog is a friend of ours. Thank you for your visit. It will be a pleasure to follow you and read your marvelous stories. Cheers! Joe & Es
LikeLike
Such beautiful people – you can see the love shining out of all your eyes. 🙂
Kindness – Robert.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Robert, Thank you for your kind and generous comments. I am very pleased to have found your humorous and educational blog on the craft of good writing. All the best, Joe
LikeLike
Hiya Joe (Hey Esther),
I’ve nominated you for the Sunshine Award – ta-daaa!
I’ve chosen you for this prestigious award because you’ve interacted with my blog sometime in the last couple of hours – so you only have yourself to blame! 😀
The direct link to your nomination is https://levishedated.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/sunshine-award/
I hope you have fun with my questions. 🙂
Kindness – Robert.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hiya Robert, Es and I are so thrilled, but feel extremely unworthy of your generous nomination. Thank you for the kind and thoughtful gesture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s entirely voluntary – if your tux is at the dry-cleaners then it’s okay. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Joe and Esther. Thanks for the follow. You have come on just as I finished the tales of a recent trip around Australia. Some of the back stories on Alice Springs, Katherine, Cape Leveque and so on may interest you. What you are doing is amazing. I couldn’t envisage putting “one step in front of another” to do the climbs I have just been reading about!
LikeLike
Thank you Gwen, we look forward to reading up on your extensive travels!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Joe and Esther, I found you through a comment on a blog that I follow. Was a pleasure meeting you through your words. That’s a dream life. Travel, travel and travel…. If I had to choose between roots and wings, I would choose wings.. Am currently rooted but hope to find my wings soon. 🙂 In the meantime, I shall follow your journey through your blog.. Keep traveling and keep writing..
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a pleasure to meet you too. Thank you for connecting and introducing your blog to us. We will enjoy your writing, and look forward to reading about your metamorphosis to a life with wings.
LikeLike
Hi Joe and Esther,
Nice to meet you guys.
We have been living a combination of a nomadic life and sequential living in different countries for the past four years. Currently based in Sri Lanka.
Look forward to reading you,
Cheers,
Oeta
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Peta and Ben, Thank you for introducing yourselves to us. It is very nice to meet another couple of empty-nesters trying to understand and unravel the intricacies of our rich and complex world through travel and experience. Cheers! Joe & Es
LikeLike
Joe, my son is a Geologist, he is currently working in London. I like your idea of slow travel, so you can really get a feel for the places you visit. Safe travels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Gilda, Thank you for your interest in our blog, and for introducing yourself to us. You must be very proud of your son. For me, geology is a fascinating subject and it also turned out to be an excellent career choice. We don’t need first-class flights, expensive hotel suites, and five-star restaurants to travel like kings and queens. Being able to travel slow is the true luxury.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will be sticking around to read your travels. Best way to live life vicariously.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for introducing yourself, Perpetua. We are happy that you found our blog, and find it worthy of your time. The opportunity to travel is a priceless gift that we are very fortunate to have received. We hope to take advantage of our good fortune and see as much of our magnificent and fascinating world as we can.
LikeLike
Hi Joe & Esther! My husband and I enjoy traveling and both still work in order to keep it up! I look forward to seeing your adventures so I can get some good ideas for some adventures of our own. Happy and safe travels, Lorie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Lorie & Tom, Thank you so much for spending some of your valuable time browsing our travel blog and for leaving such a nice comment. We wish you satisfaction in your work and happy times during your travels. For us, we are very fortunate to now have the time and resources to enjoy our travel years, after our working and children raising days came to an end. All the best to you both, Joe & Esther
LikeLiked by 1 person
Outosego likes you both, Joe and Esther. It’s more than obvious that traveling slowly keeps you young and beautiful. I read an article of yours which is entitled “The Baffling Basques”, and this is how i found you and your blog.
Ps : I wish you both great health, happiness and longevity. It is nice to meet you. Happy travels.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hola Outosego, I appreciate your comment and well wishes. I am very happy that our paths have crossed. All the best to you, amigo.
LikeLiked by 1 person