I probably spend less on travel than you do

I probably spend less on travel than you do

In The Sum of Small Things: A Theory of the Aspirational Class, Elizabeth Currid-Halkett quotes an elite travel agency saying that the normal traveler spends $10k a year. I was pretty sure that their idea of a normal traveler is a skewed. I was also certain I spent...
That thing I packed and never used

That thing I packed and never used

Somehow, no matter how much I travel and how light I pack, I always end up with something I never ended up using. Often, the item that’s indispensable on one trip ends up being totally unnecessary on another. Other times it’s a product of hope — the...
Adjusting to life at home after traveling

Adjusting to life at home after traveling

It’s no secret that it’s a challenge to adjust to life in another country or life on the road. However, many people assume they’ll be able to pick up right where they left off when they return home. Nope. It can be just as challenging to get back...
Quarantine reads to embrace staying home

Quarantine reads to embrace staying home

People are eagerly sharing tips on how to “travel without leaving home.” What about accepting where we are? Is travel about finding the “exotic” or is it a way of seeing the world? As Jonathan Franzen reminds us, “The first lesson reading...
Staying home when going home isn’t an option

Staying home when going home isn’t an option

The news is listing off a daily COVID-19 death toll. The world has shut down to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. Everyone is frantically learning to adapt to working from home, homeschooling kids, living without cleaners, personal care assistants, and someone else to...
Who I am in the beds of strangers

Who I am in the beds of strangers

I have stayed in a lot of different homes. I spent three years subletting apartments in Prospect and Crown Heights, Brooklyn in an era before AirBnB. I have stayed in well over 100 homes through CouchSurfing and the personal networks that have sprouted up through the...
Washington DC: A digital nomad’s guide

Washington DC: A digital nomad’s guide

Sure, any tourist knows what to see for a weekend in DC. But what about those of us who aren’t just any tourist? As a nomad we have time to explore, but we’re there for a lot longer than the typical tourist. While I’m free to spend an afternoon in a...
Travel and reinventing yourself

Travel and reinventing yourself

I’m startled by the number of people who, when they find out I’m a perpetual traveler, get excited by the assumption that I reinvent myself every time I arrive in a different place. Which is probably the positive spin on people assuming that I’m...
Volunteering as a nomad

Volunteering as a nomad

When people think of volunteering while traveling, they usually think of digging wells in African villages or building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Those are the sort of volunteer opportunities that require a few weeks of time — a commitment a lot of us...
Destination resolutions

Destination resolutions

People make a lot of fuss about New Years resolutions, but as a traveler, I enter each temporary home with a new resolution. The world is eager to remind me that I can’t escape myself by traveling, but they seem to have little understanding of just how much a...
The ultimate guide to getting into museums for free

The ultimate guide to getting into museums for free

Forget free museum nights, go for free on your own schedule If you’re a nerd like me, museum admission fees can add up quickly. Sure, many museums have free nights. I’m sure they’re a lot of fun in some cities, but in places like New York or Toronto...
How much does it cost to house sit?

How much does it cost to house sit?

So, you’re curious about house sitting. The idea of staying in other people’s homes for free is pretty enticing…but what’s the catch? Even though no money changes hands, house sitting isn’t entirely free. Here are the actual costs that...