Croatia: Annelies

​After a month of Annelies traveling around Europe, we decided the final stop needed to be somewhere with one very important goal: do as little as possible.

Croatia seemed perfect.

I met Annelies in Split, and from there we headed to the island of Hvar for the week. Hvar is exactly what you picture when you think of Croatia — beautiful blue water, stone buildings, little boats in the harbor, and yachts that make you wonder what exactly you did wrong with your career choices.

We stayed right in Hvar and quickly settled into a very difficult routine.

Annelies rested after a month of traveling. I knitted by the water. We watched boats come and go. We ate. We wandered around. We sat some more.

It was exhausting.

One day we took a trip to Jelsa, another beautiful little town on the island, where we visited a local winery. Croatian wine tasting felt like an appropriately productive activity for a vacation that was specifically designed around being unproductive.

Another day we took a boat over to Palmižana Beach on the Pakleni Islands. Our itinerary there was even more demanding: find a spot, sit down, look at the water, eat something, and eventually return to Hvar.

We nailed it.

Most days, though, we didn’t have much of a plan. And that was really the best part.

I spent hours knitting along the shore while watching the yachts pull in and out of the harbor. Annelies had time to decompress after weeks of trains, buses, hostels, and sightseeing around Europe.

The weather cooperated, the scenery was gorgeous, and for once we didn’t feel like we needed to see every church, museum, monument or “must-see” attraction within a 50-mile radius.

Sometimes the best travel days are the ones where you don’t accomplish anything at all.

I know there is so much more of Croatia to explore, and I definitely plan to go back.

But for this trip, a week on Hvar doing almost nothing was exactly what we needed.

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Finland, Sweden & Norway

​Three Countries, Many Cinnamon Buns: Finland, Sweden & Norway

Annelies and I went on a Nordic adventure which took us through Finland, Sweden, and Norway—and somehow involved an impressive amount of cinnamon buns along the way.

 

Finland

We started in Helsinki, where we packed in a little bit of everything. We took a walking tour, visited Suomenlinna island, saw the famous church built into a rock, wandered through the Tram Museum, and, of course, experienced a Finnish sauna.

There were also knitting stores, salmon soup, reindeer, and plenty of cinnamon rolls. Our hostel turned out to be filled with fun people, which meant Annelies had a few later nights than expected. Helsinki was a great mix of history, food, and getting a taste of Finnish life.

Sweden

Next up was Stockholm, where we got to spend time with a friend and explore one of the prettiest cities of the trip.

We visited the Nobel Prize Museum and the Royal Armoury, took a trip out to one of Stockholm’s islands, and learned a little more about Swedish history along the way.

There were more cinnamon buns, naturally, and we even learned that the candy cane has Swedish roots. Annelies also had a bag embroidered at Uniqlo—an experience that probably deserves an entire post of its own.

Norway

Our final stop was Oslo, and the weather could not have been better.

We took a walking tour, explored the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, and visited Oslo City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded. One evening we hopped on a ferry and cruised around the islands during golden hour, which was easily one of the prettiest moments of the trip.

We also tried a very Norwegian waffle topped with brown cheese, sour cream, and jam. It was definitely memorable.

And then there was the yarn. So. Much. Yarn. I bought enough that I immediately regretted not packing my vacuum bag.

And yes, there were more cinnamon buns.

Three Countries Later…

Finland, Sweden, and Norway each felt completely different, but they all gave us beautiful cities, interesting history, great experiences, and a lot of good food.

It was a whirlwind trip, but a wonderful one—and I think we can officially say we did our part to support the Nordic cinnamon bun industry.

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Retirement Scouting: A Month in Greece

When I told people I was spending a month in Crete, the first question was almost always, “Are you on vacation?”

Not exactly.

This trip had a purpose.

In just a few years, I’ll have the opportunity to retire, and I’ve decided that before making one of the biggest decisions of my life, I want to see the world one destination at a time. Rather than choosing a place based on YouTube videos or rankings on the internet, I want to experience it the way I would actually live there.

That means renting an apartment instead of staying in a resort. Shopping at grocery stores. Working from my laptop. Taking the local bus. Wandering neighborhoods with no agenda. Finding a favorite taverna. Seeing what life feels like on an ordinary Tuesday.

Crete became my first “retirement scouting mission.”

Over the course of a month, I settled into my apartment, learned to survive without a dishwasher, and discovered that having a desk overlooking the Mediterranean Sea is a dangerous level of productivity enhancement. I spent weekends exploring Heraklion, Agios Nikolaos, Rethymno, Chania, Elounda, and Spinalonga, mostly by bus or rental car, trying to answer one simple question:

“Could I imagine calling this home?”

The answer surprised me.

Yes… maybe.

The scenery was every bit as beautiful as I had imagined. The beaches were stunning, the water was crystal clear, and the weather reminded me just how much I enjoy sunshine.

But what stood out most wasn’t the landscape.

It was the people.

Again and again I experienced genuine kindness. Conversations with strangers. Restaurant owners who remembered me. People eager to help without expecting anything in return. The slower pace of life encouraged something I think many of us have forgotten how to do—simply enjoy the day.

I also had one of the highlights of the trip when my daughter, Annelies, joined me. Together we explored western Crete, visited the historic island of Spinalonga, spent plenty of time at the beach, and created memories I’ll treasure far longer than any souvenir I could have bought.

Of course, it wouldn’t be my trip without yarn. I somehow finished an entire scarf weeks earlier than expected as well as an entire cardigan, which naturally meant finding more yarn before leaving.

So… did I decide to retire in Crete?

Actually, the biggest decision I made was that I don’t need to decide yet.

Crete confirmed something much more important: I know the lifestyle I’m looking for.

Warm weather. Walkable communities. Friendly people. A slower pace. Good food. Plenty of opportunities to be outside. A place where life feels a little less rushed.

Whether that place ultimately ends up being Crete, Cyprus, Portugal, or somewhere I haven’t even considered yet, I don’t know.

What I do know is this: when retirement comes, I won’t buy immediately. I’ll rent first, give myself time to truly live somewhere, and make sure my heart and my head agree before I unpack for good.

The next stop on this journey is Cyprus in December, with Portugal’s Algarve region tempting me.

The adventure continues.

After all, that’s what Driving the Dream is really about—not just finding a destination, but discovering where life feels most like home.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. This is my final sunrise in Crete  

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