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TRAVEL

Every Stone Contains Echos of Life

Did You Know...

Total U.S. outbound travel in 2025 was 33.5 million trips worldwide according to data from Travel and Tour World.

U.S. travelers visited Southeast Asia in the millions, with Thailand, the Philippines, and Vietnam each attracting over 700,000–1 million Americans, and the region as a whole drawing well over 2 million U.S. visitors in that year. Breaking down the numbers shows...

  • Thailand – 1,000,000+ American visitors, led by expanded visa-free stays (up to 60 days) and the new Destination Thailand Visa for long-term stays.

  • Philippines – ~950,000 American visitors, boosted by improved tourism infrastructure and marketing.

  • Vietnam – ~779,000 American visitors, supported by targeted tourism campaigns and cultural appeal.

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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