The Price of a Life Fully Lived
98 days on the road — travel numbers, real costs, and conscious choices
#38
The stats of the trip are in!
After tracking the majority of our expenses (I might have missed a meal or two, but overall I kept very solid records as we went), our 98 days on the road averaged $127 per person, per day.
That number includes everything: transportation (planes, cars, ferries, airport transfers), any tours we took, the week-long cruise, all food (including copious amounts of both still and fizzy water), and of course our hotels, apartments, and agriturismos.
Italy was our most expensive month, averaging $154 per person per day over the 30 days we were there. I expected that going in. We took several guided tours — the Sistine Chapel and Vatican, the Colosseum, and Mount Etna in Sicily — and those experiences were absolutely worth it but added in additional cost.
Greece, including Crete, came in more moderately at $112 per person per day over 37 days. We had a car on four of the five islands we visited, which added costs for gas and insurance. We took one tour in Athens, but otherwise explored independently — island hopping, wandering, and letting each place meet us in its own way.
The cruise averaged $115 per person per day, even with added transportation to and from Rome and overnight hotels before and after. I found a great last-minute deal, and we skipped both the drinks and Wi-Fi packages. I did one excursion, Tim did none, and in each port we walked on our own — except for the guided day I chose in Genoa.
Our final month — Sardinia and Turkey — averaged $118 per person per day, including the all-inclusive stay in Antalya.
Most of the places we stayed were spacious and well-kept, typically with two bedrooms, a living room, and a kitchen. That space mattered. It gave us room to breathe as a couple, and it gave me a place to work when my sleep was off and I was awake at odd hours.
In Turkey, both Istanbul and Antalya, we stayed in one-room hotel accommodations. And after not even two weeks, we started to feel it. For us, being together 24/7 without separate space can lead to friction. Having room to step away, even briefly, is what allowed this entire adventure to unfold with far more grace and ease.
I think back to our first six months of travel — which was completed not even a year ago! — when we were moving with far less certainty, figuring things out as we went. It was much more chaotic but also more spontaneous. There were definite advantages to this Europe chapter with respect to cost: airline miles covered many long flights, some lodging was booked early at better rates, and the cruise appeared as an unexpected gift.
But this leg also took more out of me. Transitioning nearly every week required constant planning and logistics, and I didn’t fully land until our final stop in Antalya. Life was also happening alongside the travel. I was planning a move to Dallas, securing an apartment, buying furniture, and interviewing three times for a new role before receiving the offer. I never fixated on any one thing, but there was always something moving in the background.
And of course, I was writing this blog and creating videos for the travel channel as well. That was my favorite part of all!
All of it was exactly what I wanted, and it was a lot of plates to keep spinning.
And still… what a glorious adventure to hold forever in our hearts.
2025 began in Belize, then Costa Rica, followed by the Caribbean and Puerto Rico, Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, and Chile — and then wrapped with Italy, Greece, and Turkey. We both know we would never choose this level of constant movement later in life. To be able to do it now, consciously and fully, feels like a profound manifestation.
The apartment here in Dallas is cozy and already feels like home. I love the art and my treasured few pieces I shipped from Portland, and the new items I’ve added feel perfectly aligned with who I am in this chapter. New silverware and dishes, towels and bedding, furniture and lamps. The new job has me firmly on my learning edge — and I couldn’t be happier with the organization, what they offer, and the level of consciousness they bring into the world. More than once this week, I’ve found myself with tears in my eyes as my heart opens to the work. I am always a student, and even after just a few days, I can feel my skill set expanding. I can only imagine what this will feel like in a few months!
I’m still settling into a routine, but I love having the gym right downstairs. As I write this, a winter storm is rolling through Texas with ice and snow predicted — ironic, given that one of the reasons we chose Dallas was for warmer winters. I suppose the beach Tim is enjoying in Thailand wins the weather prize right now. Ha!
Hopping off the road a few weeks earlier was absolutely the right call for me. I’ve learned to trust the wisdom of the Universe when it nudges me towards my highest and best next step. I could have overridden that knowing with logic — keep traveling, stay on the beach, don’t interrupt the flow. But my body and heart knew what was needed. We give each other space to grow in the ways we each need, and for that, I am deeply grateful.
This coming week marks three years since the day Tim and I met. What a road — literally — we’ve traveled together. This relationship was divinely orchestrated, and we both know it. We each did our own work to come into alignment with what we wanted, and even once it arrived, there was still more growth required to keep it thriving and evolving. To share an adventure like this — with more to come, just in shorter chapters — will forever live in our hearts.
People often ask what my favorite place was. I’ll share more next week — along with highlight moments, my biggest takeaways, and some manifesting insights you can apply to your own dreams.
Until then, remember: Spirit is always ready to support your next vision. Intention is how we bring it into form. And as we know, this was never just about travel — it’s about who you become along the way.
So much love to you. xoxo
To your highest and best,
Dianna
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