Help, I Need Somebody

Happy Thanksgiving week to my US friends! Gobble gobble! 

I need help! So I am calling out to you. Here are a few things I am looking for and I thought I would crowdsource to see what y'all had to say about the following. 

I no longer need these!

Unicorn Pants. Sometimes you look for a unicorn, and my unicorn is traveling pants! I want them to be black, in a fabric that I can hike in, lightweight, packable, quick drying, and look nice enough that I can wear them to dinner/out. They don't have to be fancy, but they should be versatile. I don't want to pay an arm and a leg, but I am willing to pay if they are going to last and are good quality, and it would be even better if they have a good return policy. Am I asking too much here? (FYI I tried a pair of Patagonia that did not work, and have heard good things about pRana; have you tried them?)

Offline Feed Reader. I use Feedly, but this is not that helpful when I am out of service and am looking for some quick entertainment or the ability to catch up on news. I would like it to be free and if it is in the format of Feedly, that would be nice (aka clean, easy to sort and categorize etc.) I would also like it to have both mobile and web based (for use on laptop) versions. 

New Pick Me Up Playlist. A couple years ago, I asked for a few pick me up songs from each of you and I got some great suggestions. This playlist got me through almost 9,000 miles of cycling and really helped me on some rough days. It's still good, but I need a refresh! Can you give me 1 - 3 fun peppy songs to keep me inspired throughout the day when I am on a long hike or bike ride? 

Packing cubes. I have some super old ones, but it's time for a refresh! I like these, but I was wondering if anyone had a less expensive version that they like, as I would prefer to pay a little bit less. I would like them to be compressible, I actually don't need more than two or three and it would be nice if they were durable. 

Can you help me? 

FAQ: Traveling Full Time (E1)

As many of you may know, since March 2024, I have been full time traveling around the world, and doing it a bit more slowly, generally one month at a time in one place. I will fill in shorter gaps with 4 days to a week somewhere from time to time, and I also will add stints of hiking or active adventures. 

One month in Antalya Türkiye 

My (our!) friend Elisabeth just announced that she and her family are moving to Europe for a few months next year and she had a few questions for me. She and I talked about most of them already, but I thought I would put some of them here and also add some of the other ones that I have been asked a lot by other people in case they will be helpful to anyone. 

How do I find a long term furnished rental (and get the best deal)? 

Airbnb and Booking.com give a discount for a 28 day stay, so I usually just book my stays through one of them. You could book through a more local provider, but that will require a little extra work and will also be different per country, so for ease, especially if you are just starting out, one of them will probably work just fine. 

Pros of Airbnb: better communication with check in procedure etc., better messaging system, better conflict resolution (as long as you communicate on their app), much better review system (aka renter is also rated, does not show rating until both people rate)

Cons of Airbnb: no loyalty program, usually you pay full amount up front which can add up fast, often less cancellable options, have heard that some reviews may be removed (inaccurate ratings?)

Pros of Booking: loyalty program, can pay later or at least closer to reservation date, often properties that are not cancellable on Airbnb are cancellable on Booking

Cons of Booking: communication is inconsistent, sometimes only cash is accepted for payment, conflict resolution does not seem good

What does the Schengen or the "Schengen shuffle" mean?

The Schengen is a set of countries in Europe that have an agreement, and because of this, they have open borders and essentially for visa purposes act as the same entity. Think of it like the US; you can fly into New York, travel around, and leave from San Francisco, but you don't get to reset your visa time just because you crossed a state border. The same goes for the Schengen, but with country borders. You only get to stay for 90 days out of the last 180 days, so you look back each time at those 180 days, count your days and you must not have more than 90 or you may get barred from coming back. 

The Schengen shuffle usually consists of traveling in the Schengen zone for roughly 90 (or less!) days, then going to a non-Schengen country for 90 (or more!) days before going back to the Schengen zone. However, this is getting harder, as each year more countries get added to the Schengen zone. Currently you can stay in the Europe area, but not be in the Schengen zone if you go to: the UK, Ireland, Serbia, Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, N. Macedonia or Kosovo (or the nearby countries of Türkiye, Georgia & Armenia). 

As of 2025

How do I use my phone while abroad (and get the best deal)? 

This is a two step process. 

For your usual phone number, which is needed for two factor authentication (2FA): You will need to port your number to a internet based provider. For US you can port to Google Voice, which costs about $30 one time fee, or Tello, which costs about $5 per month to maintain your US number. For Canadians, you can do the same with Fongo, which has a $25 transfer fee and plans that start at around $10 per month. 

For data: You can buy an e-SIM depending on which country or region you are going to. I use the company Airalo, but there are several options. You will need to download the app, buy the e-SIM you need, and install it over WiFi before you go into the new region/country.  Some examples of prices include: Europe region 90 days + 50 GB = $100, or 30 days + 20 GB = $49. Personally I usually use WiFi for about 99% of my data, and I download things like maps and info for offline use, so I only need 1-2 GB per month. So in my case, 30 days + 3 GB = $13.00. 

Examples for the Europe Region e-SIM

Tip: don't forget to check sites like Rakuten for cash back opportunities; right now they are doing 4% back on Airalo. Also there are often coupons. I got my last e-SIM, which was one year and 20GB worldwide for about $30 after discounts and cash back! Also FYI, even if you are not traveling abroad, this may be a good workaround for in country phone use too! Tello has US data plans or if you use Airalo they range from $9-$45 a month, depending on data use (5 GB - 50 GB in this example). 

How do I get health insurance while traveling? 

There are nomad insurance plans and depending on your health and age etc. you can get them for a fairly low cost. I use Genki's basic plan, which cost about 74 euros per month. It does not cover preventative care, but often that is not very expensive when abroad. For example, I got a dental cleaning for about $60 in Georgia. Also medication can be a lot less expensive abroad, and often in Europe, things that are prescription in the US are over the counter, or you can get them after talking to the pharmacist (no doctor appointment needed).

Genki has a 50 euro deductible and the basic plan covers treatment for any new issues or injuries. There are some restrictions, namely that coverage in Canada and the USA is limited to the first 7 days of each stay and only includes medical emergencies. Coverage in your home country is always limited to the first 6 weeks of each stay and only includes medical emergencies. The higher coverage plan has additional items. 

You can also get a global health plan, like Cigna Global for example. I had this when I was in the US and Canada, and it cost about $250 per month. 

How do you budget and/or how much do you budget? 

I budget $2,500 per month. I started by looking at what I normally spent each year and then adjusted each category with estimates. The most expensive thing for me (about 50% of my monthly spend) is accommodation, so I went on Airbnb to find out what I would pay for a month by doing the following: 

Add guests. Select the following: washer (do not select dryer), kitchen, wifi, TV, Entire Home, #bed/bedroom, #bathroom + any others that are must haves. I also prefer self check in, as it saves you having to coordinate, but that is a personal preference, and sometime coordinating is unavoidable. 

Choose a price around what you would really be excited to get something for (low end). For example, I put in max $1,400 just to see what would come up. You can always go up higher later if needed. I also said 2 BR, 2 bath, 3 beds. 

Optional clicks: guest favorites, if possible cancellation option (ideal if it is cancellable), then click "show X homes" even if it says zero. Zoom out on the map and zoom into the area you want. Then see how much you can get them for. 

As you can see there are options, but you need to dig in a bit to be sure they are close enough to transport, have a couch and a workstation etc. Ones I have messed up on are: no couch, no table to work on (sometimes the counter works, but if you are there for a month you don't really want to do that forever), no oven (if you care), no coffee maker, no microwave (if you care) or no AC (if you care).  If any of them do work, you can then use that number as your accommodation budget! Like I said, for me it is about 50% so I would just double that for myself and know that I would likely come in somewhere around there for a total. Obviously if you already know exactly where you want to go, you can put in a location instead. 

What things are "must brings" from home (aka you can't buy them abroad)?

Not a lot. Literally, your passport and phone is all that you really need. But...some countries have weird rules, like in Poland you can't get ibuprofen over the counter, so if there is a medication you need, you may want to bring a few of them. However, often they are much better, like in the UK they have a magic potion called Lemsip (is a powder you add to hot water for cold/flu) that beats Theraflu in a heartbeat. In some countries you may not find your normal brand of running shoe, but really there is not much that you cannot buy when you are on the road, or maybe just do without. 

What apps are helpful? 

Trainline -- for looking at all countries, all companies of train schedules and prices (then I usually buy the ticket on the actual app, but it is not always cheaper, so you CAN buy them on Trainline as well.)

Organic Maps -- offline maps, has streets AND trails, and it is FREE to download any region or country offline. This is a crowdsourced app, so it also has toilets, water fountains and other items notated. You can route a walking route from A to B and see the elevation gain, all offline. 

Moveit -- in some countries (Turkiye, the Balkans, etc.) Google maps is okay for public transit, but often it does not update the realtime. Moveit shows which buses are coming to the stop where you are waiting and when, and has realtime departures for the line you are trying to catch. Also depending on where you are, Yandex Go also can be helpful for the same thing (Armenia, Georgia etc.) 

Google Translate --  you've heard it before. Moving on. No, but really, if you don't already know, you can set it to translate (real time) your audio conversation, or you can type in and translate, or you can hold it up to menus, strange things in the grocery store, etc. to read any text you need to translate. Pro tip: Download the language offline so you can use it without using data!  

How do you fit everything in a carry on? 

One bite at a time. No wait, that is an elephant. One word: layers! Also clothing that matches everything else, so you can easily mix and match. I basically carry one week worth of clothing for no matter how long I am traveling for, and for some things, like undies, I carry even less. These items can easily be handwashed, or if you really are in a bind, there are clothing shops everywhere. I also only carry two pairs of shoes; trail runners, which double as hiking shoes, walking shoes, and fancy dinner shoes (who am I kidding; there are no fancy dinners!) and one pair of sandals (which would actually be the fancy dinner shoes). 

I also carry 8 shirts (4 tank, 4 short sleeved), 3 pants (jeans, joggers, capris), 1 shorts, 1 running outfit, 1 sweater, 1 zip hoodie, 1 puffy, 1 rain jacket, 2 socks, 5 undies (the latter two get handwashed most days), a beanie, gloves and a pashmina (can use as scarf or to cover your head or legs in church/mosque/temple). I've talked about merino before, but a merino blend shirt is a good purchase, as it is more durable than 100% merino, it wicks moisture (so it is not hot in the summer) and it magically doesn't stink, so you may not even need to do laundry once a week after all. I also like merino socks for this reason, and have had luck with Darn Tough and Mammut. 

You can see my full packing list with photos in this post.  

The last tip is to leave your toiletries like shampoo or soap behind. Often the Airbnb will have products (and a hairdryer) or you can buy them once you assess the situation abroad. Or you can bring bar versions which don't take up as much space or weight. 

What other things are important to have? 

A VPN, which helps with security, which is important when you are using public wifi all the time, but it also allows you to set your location as your home country so that you can do easier banking, watch your normal streaming shows (they differ by country) and other things that require you to be in your home country (or are just easier if you are in your home country).  I use NordVPN, which I have been happy with so far. 

My portable charger has saved my butt a few times, when I was out longer than anticipated, taking too many photos, or needing to use maps which drain the battery faster.  

An adapter/converter with multiple USBs and input/output prongs. I like this Tessan one, which has three USB A and one USB C so I can charge everything (and use my computer) all at once. 

A collapsible backpack. I use this Osprey model and it has been great. It packs up into a tiny cube and takes up little space, but when folded out, I can easily do a day hike with it or use it to carry groceries. Speaking of groceries, I also carry a collapsible shopping bag. I have used Chico bags forever, so that is what I use, but there are several options available. 

What other things are important to know? 

If you book your train more than 30 days in advance, you often get a good discount. For example, when I went from Frankfurt to Strasbourg, I paid about $65 for a ticket on the day of travel, but would have paid around $30 had a bought it earlier.

You can also put many of the train tickets in your Apple or Google Wallet so you don't have to have a bunch of different train company apps on your phone. 

If you can get an ATM card that refunds ATM fees, do it. Two I know of are the Schwab card (I used this for my very first long journey) and the Fidelity Cash Management Account card. I chose the latter this time around because the interest rate for the cash sitting there was better. Plus if you want you can invest it (but you do not have to!)

Always download maps for offline use (and/or use Organic Maps). I also will often take a screenshot of a train ticket or put it in my Google Wallet so that I can access it if there is no service for some reason. 

 If you can get a travel rewards credit card of some kind, this helps offset the costs of your travel and may even afford you a few nights or so in a swanky hotel. For general travel I like the Chase Sapphire Preferred; for hotel brands I like the IHG card. Just the two sign up bonuses alone for those two cards would get you 1-2 round trip flights and 4-7 days in a hotel. 

I am sure there are some things that I am missing, so I will likely be back at some point with a part II! 

Any questions? Have you ever done a multi month trip to a different place than where you are from? 

Twenty Questions (E10): Aye, I Speak Scottish

After hanging with my friends and their kids in Scotland recently, it reminded me of the first time I heard some Scottish words and wondered what the heck they were saying. My first recollection is the song Loch Lomond, as my Mom sang it to me. If you haven't heard it, the chorus goes: 

O ye'll tak' the high road, and I'll tak' the low road,
And I'll be in Scotland afore ye,
But me and my true love will never meet again,
On the bonnie, bonnie banks o' Loch Lomond.

So my first Scottish word was probably bonnie, but over the years I learned many more. It is funny though as the different regions also have different accents and the people from Glasgow seem to have the hardest one to understand. So sometimes if they are drunk or I don't know they are talking to me, I don't even understand what they are saying at all! 

Highland cow

Some of these are ones I learned long ago and others are ones I talked about recently with my friend. It would be fun if you copy and paste them into the comments and then just guess what they mean! I will put a link to the answer key at the bottom so you can see how many you got right or close (and you can post again your number if you want to!) Good luck, or should I say lang may yer lum reek (long may your chimney smoke)!!

(To copy, highlight the list, click CTRL-C; to paste, click into the comment box, click CTRL-V)

1. oose
2. hoachin
3. give it laldy
4. crabbit
5. haud yer wheesht
6. peelly wally
7. wean
8. bairn
9. eejit
10. coorie in
11. bluttered
12. steamin
13. piece
14. wee
15. numpty
16. ned
17. jobby
18. manky
19. nick
20. braw

Have fun! Here is the key for when you are done. If you are unable to access it, please email me and I can reshare it with you. 

What I Learned, Looking Forward, Looking Back: October 2025

As I mentioned in my last post, I was out of cell and internet service for most of October because I was walking the Scottish highlands, and when I wasn't out of service, I was either looking at the weather or my next route on a trail, or I was spending time with friends. My friend has two kids and we spent hours talking about the different ways to say something in Scottish vs. American English. It was loads of fun. Mostly it was them making fun of me, but in a very loving way. For example, they thought it was hilarious that I say trash instead of rubbish, candy instead of sweets, store instead of shops, or gah-rahge instead of gare-idge (garage). 

We had a long talk about the difference between squash (concentrated fruit "juice" that you add water to before drinking), soda (and how people in the US also call it pop or coke), and fizzy drink, which is what they call soda. Also, their favorite, and something I learned from their Mom (or Mum as they say) about 20 years ago, our pants are their trousers, and their pants are our underwear. So if you tell someone you are not wearing pants, you may get a "wee giggle" from them! 

Please copy and paste the questions at the end and add your answers to the mix! 

Where was I? Scotland and England

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

January: Baguettes and Many Steps

February: In Like Minnesota; Out Like Hawaii

March: Wet and Wild

April: My Life is in Ruins, and Beaches Too

May: Al Fresco 

June: Tales as Old as Time: The Christianity and Wine Versions

July: Quick and Dirty: the Baltics and the Balkans Adventure

August: The Dark Tourist

September: Recharging The Batteries

October: Blown Away

2. What did you learn last month? 

I had a marvelous time at the (free) Highland Museum in Fort William, which had a nice display about the Jacobite Rising and Bonnie Prince Charlie. It is still a bit confusing figuring out the royals (like James, who was Catholic and ended up being King of both Scotland and England, but in Scotland he was James VI and in England he was James I, because they were still ruled separately at the time). Anyway, Bonnie Prince Charlie was grandson of James VII (who was grandson to James VI, are you still following this?) who was the last Catholic ruler in Scotland, but had been banished to France when the protestants took over the throne. Bonnie Prince Charlie fought to win the throne back, but lost. Hence no Catholic leader. While hiking, I also got to go past some areas where battles were fought, which tied it all in nicely. Plus despite being a lot of sex and kilts, Outlander does talk a bit about some of this history (side note: I have not seen the show, but I did see some of the places it was filmed apparently).

Blackburn Castle (apparently in Outlander)

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

It came in like a lion and out like a bobcat. The month started off with Hurricane Amy and gale force winds and rain. I think in some of the western islands, the winds were supposed to be 60-90 mph! However, I was in the highlands for that, and I would guess they were in the 30-50 mph range where I was. I did have a few wet and windy days, but after that blew away, I had a couple of basically nice fall weeks! I was pleasantly surprised as I had steeled myself for rain every day. I would say in the 31 days, it probably rained all day maybe 5 of them, rained a bit maybe 10 of them, but the rest were pretty nice (about 2-12 degrees C most days / ~ 35 - 55 F)! I call that a win. 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

Spending time with the kids was fun. We played games, talked about fruits vs. vegetables, learned about mammals, did quizzes and just had fun hanging out. Of course it was great to see my friends too, who I haven't seen since 2009. 16 years is too long between visits!   

And also this! I got to see the "Harry Potter bridge" where they fly the car under it. 

Glenfinnan Viaduct

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

Book: The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. This book is a little disturbing as it starts off with a tragedy. However, I couldn't help but relate to all of the characters, even when they were not necessarily aligned. If you read it, tell me, what do you think about Corby, the main character? Do you want him to be forgiven? 

Movie/Show: I had a lot of fun watching the show Traitors with my friends. It is kind of silly, but it is like the game Murderer that maybe you played when you were a kid. There is one or more Traitors and the other people are Faithful and they all have to try to figure out who the traitors are before they get killed. I only watched one episode, but it was entertaining. 

Podcast: Do you like true crime podcasts? You might like Paradise! It's about an English couple who turn up dead in the water off the shore of Guatemala. Who killed them? Listen to find out?

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

I don't know if this is funny, or just fun. As I was walking over a creek on a bridge, I saw a blue heron down below so I stopped to film him and all of a sudden he flew and then landed in the water and was flapping around. I thought he had gone mental until I saw he had a fish in his beak. The fish must have been about a foot long and they thrashed about a bit before he let the fish go in a small pool of water then sat pecking at it a bit. I think he was waiting for me to go to eat it, so I left. But I got it all on film! It was the coolest thing, and I was telling the kids that I feel a bit like David Attenborough! 

Sorry about the quality - screenshot from video

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

I am looking forward to a few things! Time to catch up after being out of touch all month, visits with friends, maybe a bike ride (?) if the weather holds up, and also, I will start to slowly make my way back home at the end of the month! More on that later! 

Your turn! To copy/paste, highlight the text below and click CTRL-C, then put the cursor in the comment box and click CTRL-V.

OCTOBER:

1. What is the name of your last month's chapter or the theme of your last month if you prefer that? 

2. What did you learn last month? 

3. What was the weather like where you are? 

4. What event last month was your favorite?

5. What was the best thing you read, listened to or watched last month?  

6. Tell us one funny recent story. 

NOVEMBER: 

7. What are you looking forward to this month?

Bonus question! Have you ever seen a bird catch a fish? Or any other strange David Attenborough moments?