semi-retired. lightly packed. mostly unhurried.

We take the long way around.

M.E. & J.A. MacDonald are stepping into semi-retirement, starting in Los Angeles, and heading west with light plans and plenty of curiosity. This hub keeps the long-way notes in one place, built to load on slow links.

Why the long way?

We want to experience each city, country, and culture we encounter. Immersion into a culture is a beautiful thing and we feel we have much to learn that cannot be experienced in a few hurried days.

Our travel tempo

M.E. & J.A. are choosing long stays, fewer flights, and the freedom to say yes to slow mornings.

Signals we share

A gentle mix of photos, route pins, notes, and check-ins when the signal allows.

Postcard Notes

A few current images with short captions, shared from wherever we land next.

Posts

This is where the deeper posts will live, one city at a time, starting with the first entry in each place.

Pacific Central Station exterior in Vancouver, afternoon light on the facade.
Most recent First Country, Not Quite New March 2, 2026

A short rail trip to Vancouver and New Westminster, our first border crossing of the year and a gentle ramp into being away.

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Travel selfie before departure from Los Angeles Recent post From LA to the PNW: Our First Stop February 15, 2026 Read the post Storage bins during downsizing before travel Recent post Packing Up a Life: How We Downsized and Prepared to Leave February 14, 2026 Read the post Recent post We're Taking the Long Way Around January 26, 2026 Read the post