It’s taken time, lists, and a fair bit of tinkering, but we’ve reached the moment we’ve worked toward since Scotland. The motorhome is stocked, the systems run smoothly, Scylla’s passport has landed, and we’re finally rolling again.
Since leaving the Highlands, we’ve focused on getting things right, not just getting them done. We stripped the motorhome back and rebuilt it with intent. We replaced the wing mirror, tidied and labelled the wiring, aligned the EcoFlow kit with the water and 12-volt system, and reset the safety gear. None of it was glamorous, but each job made life on the road calmer and more predictable.
We made firm decisions too. Leaving the trailer behind gave us breathing room in every sense. The “do we need it?” rule shaped each cupboard. Gas, grey water, power — all the everyday tasks now run with less fuss. It’s progress you feel rather than notice.
Our planning changed as well. Brittany’s restrictions banning dogs on most beaches closed one path, so we opened another. Estuaries, forests, and inland trails became our early rhythm — places where Scylla can stretch out properly. We stopped chasing destinations and started travelling in a way that suits us.
We tightened our digital world too. The phones, routers and TV now run as one calm, reliable setup, and none of it needs fussing with. It gets on with its job so we can get on with ours.
None of this came easily. We replaced kit, learned new tools, navigated paperwork, and dealt with the usual flow of technical puzzles. But each task moved us forward and strengthened our confidence. Resilience grows one small job at a time.
Resilience is a combination of four things: purposefulness; confidence; adaptability and social support. Our resilience is evident in relation to Scylla’s pet passport. We were driven to secure her passport, including making two trips to Northern Ireland and following a strict timing regime to provide the best conditions for a successful Rabies antibodies test. We were confident enough to stay optimistic and adaptable enough to create a workable plan B. We would make Florence as our furthest point and return to the UK within the 90 day limit of our Schengen allowance.We supported each other in our decisions and, at the times we individually had some doubt, the other listened and offered support. It allowed us to set off into France before the vet’s results had arrived.
When the results did finally arrive, we were sitting at the motorhome table in Vannes. We’d already set off “in the dark”, travelling on optimism and a credible Plan B. The email didn’t bring fanfare — just a quiet shift in what felt possible. We looked at the screen, looked at each other, and the long road opened by a few inches. Enough to know the full route had just become real.
Moments like that remind me why the Third Life idea matters.In my professional life I spent years helping others navigate their transitions; now I’m walking my own. This isn’t reinvention — it’s alignment. It’s choosing how to meet the world now that time feels both generous and finite. Every decision — what to keep, what to let go, what to fix, what to leave — mirrors the internal work.
Now the long road stands open. Scylla’s results cleared the final hurdle. The full tour lies ahead: France into Italy, Italy into Greece, Greece to Albania and North Macedonia, then the slow run up the Adriatic through Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Slovenia. Ten months of movement, learning, and seeing the world on our own terms.
We’ve reached the starting line by steady work, not luck.
The work got us here. The road will take us the rest of the way.
