At Closer Lives, we explore more than maps — we journey through mindsets.
We’re Jenn and Leon — founders of Closer Lives, a Canadian–British couple who left the 9–5 in 2021 to travel full-time.
Since then, we’ve slow-traveled through 44+ countries, building a location-independent life rooted in freedom, creativity, and connection.
Our journey blends slower budget living with faster-paced getaways designed for holidaymakers, weekend explorers, and short-stay travelers.
Along the way, we share travel vlogs, destination guides, affordable stays, and real budgets — alongside conversations about culture, pro-aging, and what it truly takes to create a meaningful life beyond the conventional path.
If you’re dreaming of digital nomad life, planning a bold retirement, or simply ready to live differently, you’ll find both inspiration and practical tools here.
Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
Hey! We are finally back to sharing videos again and we are finally back in China again! Check out our first impressions of our first real day in China mainland. The food, the sights, the smells, the heat and the noise set us off for an epic journey. Keep an eye out for videos dropping twice a week moving forward. Saturday evenings and Wednesday afternoons. Thanks to those of you that have stuck around and welcome to those of you new around here. We have plenty of travel and talk videos to come.
#chinatravel #explorechina #china
1 month ago | [YT] | 3
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
**new video drop** We took a 24-hour overnight bus across Türkiye — from Bodrum to Trabzon! Here's what it's like onboard, at terminals, food stops, and how this journey helps us prep for an epic road trip next month.
What’s it really like to spend 24 hours on a Flix Turkish bus?
Join us on an overland journey from Bodrum to Trabzon, where we traveled 24 hours across Türkiye by bus to get a feel for the roads before planning our next epic Türkiye road trip.
We filmed inside the Bodrum and Trabzon bus terminals, onboard the coach, and at various overnight stopovers where we grabbed some delicious Turkish food. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the slow travel reality of full-time digital nomads making their way across the country — and why sometimes, the journey is the destination.
📍 What you’ll see in this video:
Inside the Bodrum & Trabzon Bus Terminals
Onboard Footage: Comfort, Layout & Vibes
Overnight Bus Stops & Turkish Food Along the Way
Our Honest Thoughts & Travel Tips After 25 Hours on the Road
Why We Took This Route (spoiler: future road trip plans 👀)
#travelturkey #exploreturkey #turkeybustravel #bodrum #turkiye
3 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
🌅 NEW VIDEO: Skip the Crowds in Kos, Greece 🇬🇷
We just uploaded a peaceful little travel story from our recent stay in Kos, Greece.
We celebrated Leon’s birthday just 10 minutes outside the main town — away from the crowds, staying in a cozy apartment/hotel and enjoying two incredible sunset dinners by the sea.
In this video, we’re sharing exactly where we stayed, what we ate, and how YOU can do the same if you're dreaming of a more affordable and authentic Greek island escape.
🎥 Watch here: https://youtu.be/F4sZDAn8ebo?si=qU3Je...
Let us know if you'd love to visit this side of Kos too — or drop a 💙 if peaceful travel is your thing.
#KosGreece #GreekIslandTravel #CloserLives #kos
3 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
NEW VIDEO DROP: Crossing from Türkiye to Greece by Ferry 🇹🇷➡️🇬🇷
We just shared our journey from Bodrum to Kos and back again — and honestly, it was smoother than we expected!
In this video, we:
✨ Share where we stayed in Bodrum
🛳️ Walk you through the ferry ports on both sides
🧾 Show how ticket collection + border control really works
🚕 Give tips for what to do once you arrive in Kos
📺 Watch the full video here:
👉 https://youtu.be/WIi94QJqF1I?si=U8fz9...
Let us know — have you ever crossed a border by ferry before? Would you try it?
We have so many videos to catch you up on and they may not be in any particular order but we are getting them out there and then we will do a sit down update video!
Thanks for being here!
#BodrumToKos #TravelVlog #CloserLives
3 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
🌅✨ We’re back on YouTube — and the timing couldn’t have been more powerful.
After months of full-time travel, we unintentionally found ourselves just 20 minutes from Stonehenge during the Summer Solstice… and we knew we had to go.
This video is filled with sunrise magic, singing, and spontaneous alignment — and it marks the start of our return to sharing our journey with you.
🎥 Watch the new video here:
➡️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYBwn...
We’ve got so many stories to share from the road — thank you for being here with us. 💛
Let us know in the comments if you've ever had a “meant to be” travel moment like this one.
#CloserLives #StonehengeSolstice #TravelWithIntention
3 months ago | [YT] | 3
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
We had the privilege of experiencing #stonehenge for summer solstice this year. What makes this day special is that you can get up close and personal with the stones. We wrote about it in our blog on www.closerlives.com and we have a video coming up this weekend of our time there as well! Yes you read that right a TRAVEL video ha! We have been to some epic places - Thailand, Canada, USA (Florida and the very first KFC!) a 16 day transatlantic cruise through and to Europe, England, Bodrum, Turkiye and Kos, Greece this past week for Leon's birthday and now we are in Batumi, Georgia! SOOOO much to share. Get ready. Thanks for being here. We appreciate you #travelcouple #travelbloggers #england #eploretheuk
3 months ago | [YT] | 9
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
This 10-second Short just crossed 17K views in 17 hours but really from 2 hours on the Short Feed Shelf.
A little grey hair. A lot of growth. Thank you for watching my journey.
And don't worry there are plenty of travel videos coming your way as well!
#greyhair #hair #hairtransition #hairtransformation
5 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
Hi everyone. We hope you are well. Please do check out our newest blog post about our favourite hotel stays in Canada. Some of the destinations are sure to make your Canadian travel bucket list!
#explorecanada #canada #canadablogs #besthotelsincanada #wheretostaycanada #travelvlogcanada
www.closerlives.com/destinations/best-hotels-aroun…
8 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 4
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
Hey everyone! Long time no chat / video! We have spent the past 3 months in #thailand enjoying some down time in Hua Hin and in Doi Saket (our favourite place in Thailand) just outside of Chiang Mai! We are heading back to Canada today for the holidays. We celebrated Jenn's birthday and visited some beautiful temples and beach clubs while we were here. Are you interested in seeing any of our content from Thailand? Take care and thanks for sticking around....we appreciate you! We'll be back to posting again in a few weeks! #thailand #youtubecouple
10 months ago | [YT] | 15
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Closer Lives: Jenn and Leon
We have a new video out on our time in Germany. We would love it if you could give it a watch and show it some love with a like and a comment. Thank you for the continued support! #germany
1 year ago | [YT] | 3
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