This is a photo of me in Mexico from 2012. I'd just handed in the draft of my first book, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. Royal Caribbean gave me a free cruise and I decided to take my friend Jason, a fellow travel writer who helped me tremendously with the book. It was a 7 day cruise, which was waaaaaaay too long. But that's another story for another time. Our last stop was Cozumel. While everyone went off on overpriced excursions, Jason and I wandered the town, explored the backstreets away from the tourists, and found an awesome little market with some of the best tacos I've ever had. We were the only non-locals there. It was great. However, on the way back to the ship, I made him stop at Senor Frogs. I wanted a few moments of sheer commercial, cliched tourism. (And, as you can see from these drinks, I got it.) I share this story because, next month, I'm going to Mexico again for the first time since that cruise. Except, this time, it's not to be a cliched tourist. I'm moving there for the winter. This year has been a lost year for me and I really need a mental break and a change of scenery. I have some friends down there already and I figure, if I'm going to be confined somewhere, it might as well be near a beach. For all the details about this move, click the link in my bio. I talk more about this "lost" year, why I'm going to Mexico (and how I plan to be COVID safe).

The PNW (Pacific Northwest) is one for best areas in North America during the summer. I hiked to this waterfall (totally forget the name) near Portland with some friends last time I was there. I found this picture in my phone and realized this is first year in NINE YEARS that I haven’t visited the city! 😥 What’s a destination you make an annual trip to that you couldn’t make happen this year?

This week’s community photo comes from @_evharris who snapped this awesome pic of Yellowstone National Park If you want your photo featured, just tag #nomadicnetwork on your pic! I pick a new photo every Friday (or Saturday if I forget).

Just sayin...

This time two years ago I was in Madagascar. It was one of the most transformative places I ever visited. The landscape is surreal, the lemurs are so cute, and the people were very nice. It was the first place I really saw abject poverty up close (I’m talking the kind they make commercials about) and it was an eye opening experience. It’s one thing to know something exists, it’s a completely different thing to see it first hand. There were a lot of thoughts and emotions coming away from that trip, especially in regards to development and environmental sustainability. (Links in bio.) If you need a tour company to go with, check out @intrepidtravel! I went with them. And, as always, they rocked!

When I was a kid, every summer, we would drive to Florida to see my grandparents. Along the way, we’d make stops along the way to see cousins and be tourists.  On one trip, around when I was 11, we went to Colonial Williamsburg.  It was a hot August day and my most striking memory of the day is the fight I had with my dad because I was hungry and hot and wanted to stop and eat. He didn’t. And, being a hangry kid, I cried, whined, and yelled. My dad and I are both very stubborn and get into epic battles of wills. That day was no different. I don’t remember the outcome or much but I vividly remember the fight and yelling about how he was letting me starve. Lots of tears too. We still talk about it to this day. It was probably the biggest fight I ever had with my Dad growing up! But, when I stopped to visit on my way back to Austin, there was no battle of wills. Just me and the August heat. The place seemed a lot smaller than I remembered. But, then again, places do seem a lot bigger when you’re 11. Since the grounds are free to walk around, I strolled around and watched people recreate colonial life. (Most of the historic homes were still open to limited people at a time.)  Further down the road, you’ll also find Historic Jamestown. This was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, starting in 1607. (Roanoke was earlier but those colonists disappeared. Maybe aliens?) While the reconstruction of the fort is pretty meh, the on-site museum was more detailed than I thought a NPS museum would be. (And I was impressed they talked about the exploitation of African slaves and Native Americans as much as they did.)  Both attractions are worth visiting. But if you got a hangry stubborn kid like me, maybe don’t bring them in the August heat!  And feed them first.

If you're an American, here's your reminder that the election is one month away. Having seen the world and how many people don't have a say in their own lives, I am passionate about voting. We take the ability to vote for our government for granted way too much. Last election, 100 million said "No thanks!" Please don't be one of those people. Elections are about more than the President. They are about Senators, House reps, state reps, local councils, mayors, judges, sheriffs, and whatever it is comptrollers do! Please vote. Early, absentee, in-person. Whatever you feel comfortable doing. But VOTE! People around the world would love the chance to have that ability. Don't take it for granted. Get out there and vote! Don't give people agency over your life. Here's a great resource on voting: https://www.vote.org/

This week’s community photo comes from @lifeonleave who snapped this awesome sunrise in Tasmania! If you want your photo featured, just tag #nomadicnetwork on your pic! I pick a new photo every Friday (or Saturday if I forget).

My trip to and from Boston allowed me to finally tick Great Smoky National Parks off my bucket list. I only spent a day there due to a) lack of time and b) allergy season (my allergies are so bad that I’m getting shots to take care of them).  But the park, with it’s vibrant green trees and soothing creeks, was magnificent. What’s your favorite national park?

COVID showed many of us that travel insurance policies don’t cover as much as we think they do.  I think travel insurance is a must that too many people go without it. I also think not enough people fully understand what they are buying.  To help you better understand travel insurance, swipe right for answers to some frequently asked questions!   Link in the bio for my brand new article that unboxes travel insurance and gives more information on what it does and doesn’t cover, especially in relation to pandemics like COVID-19.

This week’s community photo celebrates my favorite time of the year (fall) and comes from @bo.dabi who snapped this awesome photo while in West Virginia! If you want your photo featured, just tag #nomadicnetwork on your pic! I pick a new photo every Friday (or Saturday if I forget).

Throwback story today! This picture is from 2015 when I drove across the country as part of my book tour for my book, How to Travel the World on $50 a Day. Located in Montana, Glacier National Park long held my imagination. As one of the most famous parks in the US, I pictured a land of incredible beauty. Unfortunately, I came in April when the snows were still on the ground and much of the park was still closed. The ranger who told me this gave me a “didn’t you both to look this up before you came look?” And then gave me a stern talk about bears. “Don’t hike too far into the woods alone,” he said. I found a long trail and tried to keep pace with a group in front of me for the first part of the day since there is safety in numbers. After they took a different path, I kept on my own trying to talk to myself loudly hoping it might scare any bears away. Thankfully, I ended up running into an older couple and, after making small talk and admonishing me about my lack of bear spray, told me I could walk with. I think they took pity on me for being so unprepared for bear country. After an hour of small talk, they split off on another trail but told me that  I’d be ok since I was near the main road and most bears don’t come this close but told me, next time, have some bear spray. Wishing me well, they disappeared into the forest and I hiked about another hour before my fear of being eaten by a bear became too great and I headed back to my car and decided to stick to the lookout points on the road back to the main entrance. The experience taught me that a) you should always be prepared for the outdoors. Like, read a book before ya go or visit the NPS website (and, by you, I mean me! lol) b) trail etiquette is a real thing and you can count on people in the woods. Even though I came early, the park was absolutely gorgeous and I could only imagine its beauty when more of the trees and flowers were in bloom and the weather a bit warmer. I haven’t been back to Glacier National Park since but I hope to get there someday when more of the trails are open and, hopefully, maybe with another human being.....but definitely with bear spray.