Darrell and Penelope Pennington made good on their goal to travel the world, as detailed in the July/August 2024 issue. Since listing their home and selling most of their belongings, the couple has visited a dozen countries. In this monthly series, Penelope — who quips she’s “a broad abroad” — shares missives from the road.
“Life is good.” How many times have I thought that lately? Eight months ago, my husband and I boarded a ship for a one-way voyage to Europe and, after 27 years living in Evansville, embarked on a purposefully nomadic life. Since Oct. 24, we have visited 30-plus cities, walked more than 1.6 million steps, snowmobiled in Norway, hiked hills in Ibiza, and marveled at mosques in Spain.
We planned by deciding how much money we wanted to spend overall, how long we wanted to travel, and what countries and cities fit our budget. A tremendous help has been pet- and house-sitting. There were many established networks of Facebook groups dedicated to that approach to travel; we went with one called TrustedHousesitters. It works similarly to a dating app! Pet- and homeowners put their profiles online. We post our own profile, search by date and location, and then apply for a sit, frequently “interviewing” over a video call. Sitting allows us to stay in someone’s home — taking care of it, their pets, and plants — and, in exchange, our room and board are free.
Our daily routines have changed so much since we left the States. Darrell’s duties are taking care of the house and cooking; I tend to the animals and water plants. I am really liking this switch. Retiring five years ago, I had pets, a house, gardening, and cooking, while Darrell had an office and a clean home to come to. Now, I get to play with animals (with the occasional hairball) while he vacuums and does the cooking and cleaning. It’s working out great; one January night in Leominster, England, Darrell was cooking Chinese chicken for dinner while I had time to write in my journal and relax. It feels like a vacation that is real life.
We decided to spend Year 1 in Europe, Year 2 in Central and South America, and Year 3 in Asia. Follow our adventure for the next six months at evansvilleliving.com and reach out, ask questions, or just say “hi.” See you next time!
Follow the Penningtons on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook @penelopepennington. In their second column, they share an awe-inspiring visit to the Mosque-Cathedral of Córdoba, Spain.
