And so it starts...

January 1st 2026

I don't really know how far to go back on this, but this journey is one that we've both been thinking of for a while.

It was actually my idea not long after meeting Selo, but in a kind of "wouldn't it be fun" way that just planted the seed and then things continued from there. There were a lot of points along the way that we have both doubted the idea, and I think that Selo genuinely thought it would never actually happen, but... here we are. And 4 months from now, we should already be on the road!

Why (for Lindsay... I'll let Selo tell his own story)?

Well... a lot of reasons. Mainly just feeling trapped in a life I don't want really. Needing to make a change... and 2 things came together right around the same time (and not long after I met Selo).

The first was a feeling that my job is not what I really want to be doing.

This is not a new feeling for me, and one I've struggled with for a while. After I got my BA (aged 21) and MA (aged 22), I didn't know what I wanted to do in terms of a career, and the Reading University careers centre suggested Audit and Accountancy. With no better ideas at the time, that's what I applied for... with a preference for going to back Wales (where I had done my BA, and where I was born).

I got a job with PricewaterhouseCoopers and gained my ACCA whilst working as an auditor in the Swansea office. There I also met my future husband Mike, and we married in 2001 and proceeded to have 4 children in short succession (2003-2007)- 2 boys and 2 girls. I didn't work while the children were little (lucky me!) but started doing self employed accountancy and tax work when the youngest 2 children (twins) were 3 and started nursery. That journey led me to work for various self employed people as well as small businesses, and one of the small businesses (the Oxwich Bay Hotel) offered me the opportunity to manage the hotel as Executive Manager, which I did from 2016 to 2020 when the pandemic made hospitality a difficult place to be.

I loved my time managing the hotel... much more so than the accountancy and audit, although that gave me a good base knowledge on a lot of things. After Oxwich and a short re-evaluation break, I decided to go back to audit, which I did in 2 different businesses over the next 2 years while I discovered the stresses that exist in that line of work, with staff shortages and increasing regulation. I then decided to do what so many auditors do... move into a finance role within a company, where I've been for the last 2.5 years.

I can't lie though... I don't love it. I don't even like most of it. I want more.

So... career change on the horizon potentially but not an easy one since I'd be looking to go into a different line of work... preferably something in hospitality.

Second big thing...the house is now too big for me/us.

The house was bought in 2012 when, as a family of 6, we wanted the garden and the space for 6 people (4 of them "growing" people). Now, after a divorce and children splitting time between 2 houses, one in university, one in full time work and one about to get her own flat to live on her own, the house is WAY too big. I barely use half of it. And then I feel like I still need to keep it clean (whilst working a full time job, and still actively supporting the teenage kids, one with additional needs) or feel guilty at choosing not to. Most of my furniture contains things I don't need and haven't touched for years. It's time to downsize.

Both things (career and house) are BIG things when you decide to change them. Big things that constitute what everyone says are very stressful times in your life. And both things I want at the same time. Oh, and I forgot to mention the other thing I'd like... better weather and more sunshine!

Enter Turkiye as an idea. It's warm, it's got a great culture, Selo is from there...

We want to see what Turkiye has to offer. That means travelling around and finding places we like and hopefully somewhere we might want to stay a bit longer. Seeing what opportunities and connections come up. Seeing how we feel. Seeing what we like. Finding out what WE want to do in the future.

So that's it. We're doing it. We told family over Christmas and today I resigned from work (Selo's resignation date is yet to be confirmed as he has a 1 month notice period whereas I have a 3 month notice period).

Now the planning and preparing starts... and there's a lot of it! More to follow in posts to come as we get ourselves, the house and the family ready for the change... but we're so excited! And we'd love to take you along with us so you can see how it's going... we can't wait!