Making the most of Boundless Life

What happens when you take your family, set yourselves up in a new country, and live alongside thirty other adventurous families? That’s the Boundless Life experience, and we're hooked! — We first did it in Syros, Greece, in 2024, and then again in Sintra, Portugal, over the last summer. Each cohort brought its own flavour, its own cast of characters, and a fresh set of lessons.

For those who haven’t come across it yet, Boundless Life is a company that allows families move to different locations around the world for a month (or three). Kids go to school, parents have access to a Coworking Hub, and everyone lives in walkable neighbourhoods designed to make connection easy. On paper it sounds idyllic — and honestly, most of the time it is. But Boundless Life has its quirks — and plenty of things we wish we’d known the first time around (and, honestly, still didn’t even get right the second time!).

So consider these my hard‑won lessons and best tips for families who want to squeeze all the juice out of the Boundless Life experience.

1. Find your people

There are usually 30–35 families in a cohort, and spoiler: you will not make friends with all of them. Nor should you try. The magic happens when you find your little “tribe” within the tribe — the handful of families you really click with.

Often that starts with your kids. In Sintra, once our daughter found her buddies at school, we naturally gravitated toward their parents. The Connections Meeting in the first week is golden for this (don't skip it!). It’s the one time all the parents are in a room introducing themselves, their partners, and their kids. You get a mental map of who’s who, and usually you’ll spot a few people who seem interesting for a follow-up chat.

Then it’s about being proactive. In both Sintra and Syros, some of our best memories came from inviting families to our favourite beach club. Don’t wait for others — be the family that suggests something.

Impromptu beach hangouts with friends and delicious sangria in Portugal

2. Don’t do it all

The Boundless community event calendar is jam-packed, especially in the one-month cohorts. Orientation sessions, social events, excursions — it’s tempting to treat it like a buffet and load up your plate. But it's also a chance to learn to turn FOMO into JOMO (Joy of missing out) to focus on what you really want and need.

In Sintra, we learned to pick and choose. We went to the events that spoke to us, skipped the ones that didn’t, and gave ourselves permission to rest. That meant more energy for the things that mattered, time for ourselves and more meaningful connections with the families we clicked with most.

3. Leave space for serendipity

Some of the best moments aren’t on the calendar at all. In Sintra, the unofficial “hangout spot” was the local ice cream shop. Parents lingered after pickup, kids ran wild with cones in hand, and plans would just… happen. “We’re off to dinner, want to join?” or “We’re heading to the beach, come along!”

Everyone's favourite place to go after school was Micha's ice cream cafe in Sintra

In Syros, it was the town square and restaurant strip. Every evening it seemed like half the cohort ended up there, chatting while the kids kicked a football around or ran up and down the stairs.

If your schedule is too packed, you’ll miss these moments. Leave room for the spontaneous stuff — it’s where the real magic lives.

4. Adapt how you live and work

Boundless Life is not business-as-usual. The families who enjoy it most are the ones who are flexible.

• Work: If you’re working rigid 40+ hour weeks or expected to be online during fixed hours (especially in a different time zone), you’ll struggle. The funny thing is that Boundless actually sharpens your focus: when the choice is between another pointless meeting or finishing work early to hit the beach with new friends, the decision is easy and you miraculously get all your work done in less time. In Syros, I was on sabbatical — bliss! Many parents were on some sort of break too — a long holiday, sabbatical, or career pause. A break or flexible setup makes the experience far richer. (And this is exactly what we support at BreakSpace: helping people carve out time for sabbaticals or career breaks so they can fully lean into opportunities like Boundless Life.)

  
  

• Accommodation: Daily life revolves around the school and the Coworking Hub. If your apartment is in the middle of the two, life is ideal. In Syros, we hiked up and down so many stairs in the pounding summer heat, carrying a 3-year-old most of the time! It was honestly the hardest part of the whole experience. And, if you need to work from home, make sure you’ve got space for it. A quiet corner for late-night calls is worth its weight in gold.

Some of the many stairs to climb in Syros

• Getting around: Both Syros and Sintra were hilly. And when I say hilly, I mean 200-stairs-to-our-apartment hilly. It’s wonderful to live car-free and walking 10 mins to/from school is a dream, but pack comfy clothes and walking shoes. As soon as you want to explore out of town, taxis and Ubers are the way. They're cheap, easy and you won't have to find parking.

  
  

• Disruption is normal: The first week, kids often get sick (new germs, jet lag, etc.). In Portugal, the whole region had internet outages and the internet was spotty at the co-working hub the first week. Boundless Life did their best to find solutions but it took a few days to stabilise. And both the first and last weeks of school have shorter hours. None of it’s a disaster, but if your schedule has zero wiggle room, you’ll feel it. Flexibility is your best friend.

  
  

5. Embrace simplicity

Here’s something Boundless teaches you fast: you need way less than you think.

In Sintra, we brought just a few of our daughter’s favourite toys and games. She barely touched them — she was too busy playing outside and making friends. The smaller apartment and pared-back routines feel freeing. You suddenly see how much “stuff” back home is just rubbish you don't need.

Eating is also simpler. In both Syros and Sintra, families hit the local restaurants most nights. The towns are chosen to be affordable and family-friendly, so it makes sense. You might cook once or twice, but the rhythm of eating out becomes part of the experience. And honestly, it’s lovely. (Also: no cooking. No dishes. Enough said.) For the food you do need at home, get it delivered. Lugging groceries up two million steps is not fun.

6. Let Boundless shift you

This, for me, is the real heart of Boundless. It’s not just about where you live for a few months — it’s about how it changes us.

Our daughter always comes home from Boundless with a leap in confidence. Her social skills, her independence, even her language — it all grows faster in a month than it sometimes does in several months at home.

And personally, I use Boundless as a reset button. Slow mornings, days off, time to replenish. In both Syros and Sintra, I gave myself that space, and I saw other parents benefiting from doing the same.

For some parents, this is the first time they’ve questioned their “normal” life. After a month of simpler, slower living, they go home asking: Do I really want to live at that pace again? Do I need all that stress, all that stuff? That’s when Boundless becomes more than a trip — it’s a catalyst for bigger shifts.

The essence of Living Boundless

Boundless Life isn’t just about travel. It’s about experimenting with a different way of living — one that’s slower, more connected, and more intentional.

If you lean in — by finding your people, leaving room for serendipity, living flexibly, and embracing simplicity — you’ll leave with more than great memories. You’ll leave with friendships, renewed energy, and maybe even a whole new perspective on life back home.

My favourite day at the beach with my Sintra 'Twinny' (we share the same birthday!)

For us, Boundless has been exactly that: a reset button that helps us recharge and reminds us what's important. And it renews my passion for the work I do with BreakSpace — helping people design sabbaticals and career breaks that allow for these kinds of transformative experiences. Whether it’s through Boundless Life or elsewhere, I’ve seen how powerful a break can be when you give yourself the chance to fully immerse yourself in it.

The challenge for us now is choosing which location we go to next... Spain? Japan? Bali... It's so hard to decide!

---

Hi! I'm Lyndall 👋

I help people take career breaks and sabbaticals to recharge and reimagine life and work. The real magic of a break happens when you’re surrounded by people who get you. That’s what BreakSpace is all about—a community of like-minded people walking the same path, with expert advice, courses, coaching, and resources to back you up. It’s your launch pad for a life-changing break. If you're interested in doing a Boundless Life cohort, get in touch with me to ask your questions. I'd be happy to help.