TRAVEL

One of the oldest lakes in the world sits between these two countries.

Lake Ohrid has a maximum depth of 945 feet (288 meters) and a mean depth of 509 feet (155 meters). It has created habitat for prehistoric humans (over 8500 years) as well as birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, phytoplankton, and zooplankton.

The lake is a great place for swimming, fishing, and play, but in 2017 and 2019 the UNESCO Heritage Committee made recommendations to Macedonia and Albania to increase maintenance of the precious site.

Did You Know...

Europe’s Schengen Zone

As we began planning for our year of travel, we quickly learned about the Schengen Zone. Initially signed in 1985 in the town of Schengen, Liechtenstein, the zone was fully implemented in 1995. This multi-country agreement was developed to reduce border controls and evolved into a shared policy of economic growth, cultural exchange, emergency response protocols, and ease of travel for work or holiday purposes. As of 2025 there are 29 counties all together in the Schengen Zone who participate in the Visa plan.

While the Schengen Visa generally makes it easier for travelers to move between the countries of Europe without border control, there are some specific requirements visitors must obey. The requirements vary according to your country of origin. Residents of the United States must travel with their passports and are limited to 90 days visitation inside any part of the Schengen zone in each 180-day cycle. It is a rotating cycle, which can be very confusing to non-mathematicians. As a visitor to any Schengen country, it’s very important to calculate your days exactly and thankfully Schengen Calculators have been built to help guests with the math-ing. Visitors who do not abide by the Schengen Visa time limits, risk deportation and banishment from these countries for several years.

Because our journey is focused on living in several countries for longer-slower travel, we had to carefully balance the time spent inside the Schengen Zone and the time outside the Schengen Zone. This is sometimes called the “Schengen Shuffle” by full time travelers. Here is a visual of our trip as it relates to the Schengen Visa shuffle.

Some rules that govern Europe's immigration

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