Unexcused Absences

Of all the methods of travelling I have ever tried this is the pleasantest. I walk the greater part of the way along the banks of the canal, level, and lined with a double row of trees which furnish shade. When fatigued I take seat in my carriage where, as much at ease as if in my study, I read, write, or observe.

– Thomas Jefferson, writing about cruising the Canal du Midi in 1787

Over time we’ve met (or come across on the web) a number of interesting people, all of whom in some way have contributed to our ambition for taking this Unexcused Absence. The order of entries below is not to be interpreted as any sort of favoritism…

Friends

Chris Gavin – Not once but twice, Chris has put on hold a thriving blacksmith and sculpture business to travel around the world, living out of a well worn backpack. He’s a delight to travel with, and we’ve had the pleasure of skiing with him in the Alps, and boating with him in Turkey and the BVI.

Eric & Sudi – They live part-time in Aspen, part-time in France (on a 1927 canal boat!), and full-time having fun. They are definitely making the most of retirement. Be sure to see Sudi’s online photo albums, she’s taken some really nice photos. Their boat has sold and they’ve moved on, but the website is delightful.

Scott Snow – With a last name like that, you’d think he’d be a famous baseball player. But he turned his back on baseball to focus full time on ski racing. In 2010, he was the youngest member of the US Ski Team, and can throw a pair of skis down a mountain like I would not have believed possible, had I not skied with him myself in Aspen, February 2011. Coached by his dad, Shep, a friend of ours from way back.

Lynn McBride’s Blog, Southern Fried French, follows Lynn and her husband, Ron, who gave up life in Charleston in favor of a Château in Burgundy.  Lynn’s lovely photography, recipes and stories of life in France delight both foodies and Francophiles.

Michael & Katherine – Living out of a Caravan (RV to us Americans), they run a small software development company and travel around Europe. Originally from Australia, they decided to re-invent their lives to suit their own tastes. Their website is well written, they have a number of lovely photographs, and we even met them in France two years after stumbling on their website! We have since promoted this paragraph from “Fellow Travelers” up to “Friends”! Update: Michael and Katherine have returned to Australia. Michael’s app, Loopy, continues to be one of the most popular apps on iTunes.

Audre & Dimitri – This incredible couple has been traveling the world since the mid 1990’s! They ditched most of their possessions, have no fixed address, and spend several months at a time in various amazing locations all around the world. They spent last fall in Beijing, are spending the winter in Vail (where we met them), and plan to live in Mexico and Central America this coming summer.

Linda Markey – Read about Linda’s adventures in the Stuff I Notice blog as she chronicles living in the Caribbean and in Austin, TX.  She brings a great sense of humor to things which do not make any sense. She is an unflappable force for fun!

Fellow Travelers

Bill & Nancy – We’ve only met them in person briefly, on a stop-over in Paris, but their website about living on a canal barge in France is full of interesting stories and useful information. Bill is the unofficial “Mayor” of the Port de l’Arsenal in Paris, where they now live full-time on their 73-foot barge Eclaircie.

Chris Guillebeau – Billing himself as “Challenging authority since 1978,” Chris travels, talks about travel, and wrote a book on… travel. He has some very interesting ideas about what to do with life. His basic premise is “You can do good things for yourself and make the world a better place at the same time.”

Judy & Peter – Competitive balloonists and canal cruisers, Judy & Peter live an adventurous life, following summer around the globe and piloting large, manmade objects. We met them on their barge Zee Otter in the southern French village of Nérac.

Stephanie & Brian – Lived a simple life and saved money so they could buy a sailboat and cruise the US east coast, Bahamas, and Caribbean. We met them in 2015 after they just purchased a bigger boat in the Med, and were cruising up the canals to visit Ireland and Scandinavia. Their older website, Rodetrip.net, chronicles their adventures with the previous boat. Oh, and by the way, they started this when they were about 15 years younger than we were when we started our Unexcused Absence – we are such losers.

Wendy & Roger – Stunning.  Wendy and Roger’s converted Durch barge, Izula, is one of the prettiest barges we’ve seen on the canals.  Every bit of her — 90 tons — has been lovingly restored.  If you want to know what’s involved in fixing up an old barge, their series of photos of Izula’s refit should give you an idea what you’re in for!

Tyler & Tara – “Going Slowly” around the world on bicycles. We were told about their site by Michael and Katherine, the Technomads (linked above, under Friends). Gorgeous photos and very well-written posts capture the flavor of slow travel.

Financial Advice

My Money Mustache – A smart*ss blogger and family who live the “Frugal yet Badass Lives of Leisure.”

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