Free Guide

The Slow Traveler's Starter Kit

A short, practical guide to planning your first slow trip without the overwhelm. It is the calm starting point we wish we had when we left the US ten years ago.

What you get

Choose the right baseHow to pick one home base and let a whole region come to you.
Know how long to stayOur simple rule for how many days a place really needs.
Travel deeper, pack lighterWhat we actually carry after ten years of living from bags.
Eat like a localHow we find the good food and order it with confidence.
The Slow Traveler's Starter Kit ebook
10
Years living abroad
8
Countries house-sat
0
Tour buses joined
Long slow lunches
The guide

What's inside the kit

Three short parts, each built around something we actually do on every trip.

Part one

Choosing your base

How to pick one home base, then let a whole region come to you instead of packing and repacking every few days.

Part two

How long to stay

Our simple rule for how many days a place really needs, so you trade the rush for time to settle in and look around.

Part three

Travel deeper, pack lighter

What we carry after ten years of living from bags, plus how we find the good food and skip the tourist traps.

A peek inside

Real pages from inside the kit

It is short on purpose, and it is the plain advice we would give a friend over coffee, written for travelers in the second half of life who want depth over speed. Here are three pages from inside.

A sample page from the Slow Traveler's Starter Kit
A sample page from the Slow Traveler's Starter Kit
A sample page from the Slow Traveler's Starter Kit
Who's behind it

Two midlife travelers, ten years abroad

We are Mairin and Todd. We left the US in 2016 with two backpacks and a loose plan, and we have spent the years since house-sitting in eight countries and keeping a base in Thailand between housesits.

We are not experts, and we will not pretend to be. This guide is simply what has worked for us, written plainly so you can use it on your own first slow trip.

Mairin and Todd grinding spices together at a cooking class
How we travel

The thinking behind the guide

Every page comes back to these four ideas. Tap one to go deeper.

Slow

Stay longer, plan less, and let a place become familiar.

Intentional

We pick fewer places and dig deeper. You can't go, go, go and call it travel.

Food & Culture

We get to know a place through its markets, its meals, and its history.

Respect the Place

We travel lightly, learn the customs, and try to leave it better.

We send slow-travel tips a few times a month, plus the occasional tale of getting gloriously lost. Unsubscribe anytime with one click.

Before you sign up

Quick questions, quick answers

Is it really free?

Yes, completely. Drop your first name and email and the kit lands in your inbox. There is no charge, no upsell, and nothing to buy.

What format is it?

A clean PDF you can read on your phone, your laptop, or print out for the plane. Save it, mark it up, and come back to it whenever you start planning a trip.

Who is this for?

Travelers in the second half of life who want slow, intentional trips built around food, culture, and time, rather than a packed checklist and a tour bus.

Will you spam me?

No. You will hear from us a few times a month with slow-travel tips and stories, and you can unsubscribe with one click any time you like.

Come along

Start your first slow trip

Grab the free starter kit and take the first calm step. We would love to have you along for the slow road ahead.

© 2026 Mairin & Todd Abroad

The Slow Traveler's Starter Kit
Before you wander off

Get the free Slow Traveler's Starter Kit

Our short, practical guide to planning a slower trip: how to pick a base, how long to stay, and how to travel deeper without the overwhelm.

Get the free guide

We send slow-travel tips and nothing else. Unsubscribe anytime.