When I was travelling around the USA by Amtrak, a woman I chatted to on one journey said, “I so envy what you are doing: I would so love to just take off and explore the world.” She was dripping with gold; I was living on a box of Bran Flakes and a large pack of M&Ms.

“Why don’t you?”

She laughed at my ‘innocence’, “It’s not so easy when you have a mortgage, kids, obesity and debts; you’ll see one day”.

Thanks.

So I sit here at my computer 20 years later with a negative equity mortgage, debts out me ears and two kids (they’re a positive as is my very nice husband). I’m hoping the gold will come next rather than the obesity, although, with my current sedentary lifestyle and diet supported by chocolate and wine, obesity is looking more promising.

I am feeling claustrophobic; I refuse to fulfil Goldie’s prediction – I am planning to escape, to find paradise and live the life of my dreams like I used to.

I don’t know how I am going to do it, but that’s where Life Is Short Magazine steps in. The magazine is like chocolate and wine – a complete self-indulgence. I interview people who fire up my passion for life, they inspire me and soothe the little voices in my head that shout ‘are you crazy?’.

So here’s the first steps we’re going to take:

1. Decide where to live.

2. Create an income stream that’s not location dependent.

3. Take kids education into account.

First thing to do is decide where to go. There is only one way to do this: list all the countries of the world and look at all the positives each has to offer.

How many countries are there in the world? A hundred maybe? Time for a Google Oggle.