They sold their house to travel the world as nomads. Here's what they learned along the way

From the sun-soaked villages of Burkina Faso, to the Galápagos Islands’ unique wildlife, to the beautiful East African coastal beaches, Masha and Robert Glanville have gathered memories that span 195 countries — and counting.

Toronto-native Masha, 60, and Vancouver’s Robert, 58, have spent nearly eight years travelling non-stop, and they show no signs of slowing down.

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“When we started, we were just into travelling,” Robert said in a Zoom interview with CTVNews.ca. “Then Masha said, 'Well, why don't we have a purpose? Why don't we do countries?'"

It was a simple suggestion that sparked a mission to visit every UN-recognized country in the world in addition to Palestine, Kosovo, Taiwan and Vatican City.

Life before travels

Before they set out on their global journey, Masha was deep in the grind of a high-stress executive role in the biotech industry. Feeling burned out, she decided she was “done.”

The couple, who already arranged time to travel while working, craved more of what the world could offer.

“More and more years passed and we were just enjoying getting to know all these different cultures and people and we really didn’t want to be in one place,” Masha explained.

With an opportunity to leave her job and their son out of the house, Masha and Robert started weeding their belongings out before selling their home in 2017.

Robert and Masha in Shibam, Yemen (Photo by Masha Glanville)

“It’s not like a light switch,” Robert said. “It was like working a muscle. We are literally down to two backpacks each and a small day bag” — a drastic change from their three-car garage full of possessions.

“One of the observations that we made is that you need little as a person. When you see people living in other parts of the world, they have so few things and they’re happy,” Masha said.

The couple, married for 35 years, said they’ve always had the travel bug — referencing a memorable 1992 trip with their then three-year-old son where they travelled via a Volkswagen Westfalia camper van from Vancouver to Nicaragua.

Life on the road

Now, the couple spends about four to seven days in each country.

Their anchor point is Toronto, where they return every three to four months for a week to visit family, regroup, plan and book flights to their next adventure.

The pair’s travels take them to places where most tourists might hesitate to venture. They listed off Syria, Yemen, the Democratic Republic of Congo as examples.

Robert and Masha can be seen in this image with the park rangers on a safari to meet Lowland Mountain Gorillas in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park in the DRC. (Photo by Masha Glanville)

“The countries that people have warned us about (being) war zone countries (have) some of the most beautiful, helpful and generous people that we've ever met,” Masha said. “We never felt in danger.”

In countries like Mali, Burkina Faso and Sudan, they explore with the help of local tour operators. The excitement, for Masha and Rob, is not just in the destinations but in the people and cultures they encounter.

“When we travel with the language barrier, a smile is the most international language we can use,” Robert said, reflecting on the universal warmth they’ve encountered. “Some cultures are just over the top.”

“They have so little and they’re still willing to share. That’s happened to us all over the world from Iraq to Cuba,” Masha echoed.

The excitement lies in also planning their next phase. “We’re busier now than we were when we had a full-time job,” Masha said, laughing. Robert was quick to add, “It’s not a job if you enjoy doing it.”

Chiang Mai, a mountainous northern city in Thailand they visited in December 2024, is among their favourite places to be.

The couple also enjoys animals and viewing showstopper species at African safaris and the Galápagos Islands. But it’s the human connections — whether in remote villages or bustling cities — that are the most rewarding.

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A memory that stuck out to them was a young boy outside their hotel in Togo. He crafted toys with dry mud and sticks, using plastic bottle lids as wheels and whatever else he could find. He had them lined up along the curb and would pitch it to whoever passed by. “It just blew our mind,” Robert recalled.

Robert and Masha in front of a waterfall in Cape Verde. (Photo by Masha Glanville)

Some of their other most memorable moments: a sunrise over Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro and a village in Burkina Faso where locals create calabash pottery together as the warm sun beams down on their busy hands. “Mozambique beaches rival (the) Maldives,” Masha said, still captivated by the beauty of the costal region.

And then there’s Rome, a city they plan to return to for the pure joy of wandering its timeless streets.

Their journey hasn’t been without challenges. From visa complications in Djibouti to being robbed in Taranto, Italy, and even chased in South Africa by some “bad people”, the couple has faced difficulties that would easily deter many. Yet they’re committed to mindful travel and positive impact.

Mindful approach to travel

For the Glanvilles, travel isn’t about ticking off a box but immersing themselves in a culture as authentically and eco-friendly as they can.

“We go direct so that our money goes directly to the communities,” Masha said.

Their commitment to thoughtful travel is evident in their decisions. In Niger, rather than visiting the capital, Niamey, like many tourists do, they dedicated 10 days to the country and attended the Gerewol festival — a week-long celebration of the Wodaabe culture which belongs to the Fulani ethnic group.

Robert and Masha can be seen in this image attending the Gerewol festival in Niger. (Photo by Masha Glanville)

“It was quite an uncomfortable process,” Masha said. The couple had to navigate rough roads, cars and even had military escorts in areas where nobody but tribes are located. They stayed in the area for three days and slept in a tent.

“We’re not just going in getting the stamp and going out. We’re trying to go in and be mindful of where we’re going and what’s there to see,” Robert said.

For tools in their toolbox, Robert said YouTube, blogs and travel groups are great sources for finding up-to-date information on places they visit. But, what’s even more fun? When you don’t over research something, Robert said.

“There's a lot of places you go into and you think it's going to be something and it's completely different. I love that,” Robert beamed.

Planning their travels is a shared effort. Robert handles the logistics like flights, funded by a travel hacking hobby he started 12 years ago to book business or first-class flights using miles and points, while Masha focuses on organizing visas, tours, fixers and documenting their adventures through a travel blog.

Their income comes from their investments. After selling their home, they added the proceeds to their retirement savings and the returns from those investments provide enough for them to live on.

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The couple is also deeply intentional about giving back. “I have never regretted giving too much. I've only regretted giving not enough or too little,” Masha shared.

The couple actively supports causes that resonate with them, like the Soi Dog Foundation in Thailand, which rescues and rehabilitates street dogs and cats in Asia. They also contribute directly to individuals they meet along the way, often inspired by the resourcefulness of people they encounter.

“Everyone's the same everywhere we go, just different nuances. They all want to take care of their families and want peace,” Robert observed. “It really levels you.”

“We're privileged (in North America). When you see people crawling out of a ditch in the morning to go forage for food, money, you see some pretty interesting creativity and perseverance,” Robert said.

What's next for the couple

The Glanvilles hope to keep up their nomadic lifestyle for as long as possible — even after completing their goal to visit 197 countries.

Their upcoming plans include a trip to Greenland this year. They’re also eager to revisit Iceland, Japan, Italy, Spain and Thailand. Robert said travelling with their mountain bikes and biking through the nooks and crannies of Europe and Asia is also a possibility.

Robert and Masha seen in Bali's rice fields (Photo by Masha Glanville)

Slowing down has become a focus for the couple at the end of their travel goal. “Moving around often, we have gone through burnout phases. We get burned out when we stay in one culture too long,” Robert explained.

Their idea of slowing down? Staying in one place for a week rather than less than a week. “If we can just move 52 times a year. That’s really slowing down for us.”

For Masha and Robert, every day on the road offers something extraordinary — a new culture to embrace, a lesson to learn, or a connection to cherish. As Robert puts it, “Every day is something amazing,” and they intend to keep living that mantra for as long as they can.