Life in immigration

Last Updated: 8/6/20 | August 6th, 2020 This week, Natasha and Cameron from The World Pursuit share their tips and advice for visiting Cape Town. It’s one of my favorite cities in the world and offers lots of hiking, history, wine, and incredible views! Dominated by the iconic Table Mountain, which serves as a backdrop everywhere in the city, Cape Town is a mish-mash of cultures. Its appeal was apparent the day we arrived: we had a monthlong apartment rental and a plethora of “must-see” sites, but the laid-back vibe of the city had us in no rush to do so. After just one hour of exploring, we said to each other, “We are going to love it here.” After two months of soaking up the sun, enjoying the outdoors, and eating delicious food, we still hadn’t managed to pull away from the city. The magic of Cape Town extends well beyond its beauty; it lies in what it can offer visitors. Whether it was checking out a weekend market, hiking, attending a jazz concert, canyoneering, or spotting so...

Last Updated: 3/26/21 | March 26th, 2021 Traveling around Europe can be expensive. Airline tickets, high-speed trains, overnight trains, ferries — they can all eat into your limited and precious travel budget. Fortunately, there are a few recent trends that have helped travelers get around Europe cheaper: the rise of the sharing economy, new bus options, discounted train passes, and lots of budget airlines. There are now tons of cheap ways to get around Europe. I’ve been traveling Europe since I started backpacking there in 2006 and have seen so many things change over that time period. I’ve watched travel hacks come and go and prices change and change again. I can honestly say that it’s never been easier to get around Europe because there are so many new cheap ways to travel the continent. Here are the best ways to travel around Europe on a budget:   1. Traveling Europe by FlixBus Over the last few years, a new company has entered the market and totally changed the bus system in E...

Posted: 04/18/2011 | April 18th, 2011 I’ve thought about this post for some time now. In my head, I’ve written and rewritten it hundreds of times to find the right words I’ve gone to publish it only to back out at the last minute. I’ve been hesitating, not because I didn’t know what to say but, because deep down I knew I wasn’t ready to say it. But now, as I finally type this post in this form, I know it’s time to hit publish. In July, I’ll celebrate five years on the road. One fateful day in 2006, I hugged my parents goodbye and started on a journey that has taken me around the world two and a half times and allowed me to teach in two different countries, play poker professionally in Amsterdam, live in New York City, create this great site, and meet some of the world’s most amazing people. But I have often wondered if a person can travel for too long. Is there a time when being on the road becomes too much of a good thing? My overall answer is that you can never get too much trav...

Posted: 1/26/21 | January 26th, 2021 Have you ever arrived at a destination and just knew it’s for you? Something in the air just told you that this place is everything you dreamed it to be and you were going to be in love with it forever. I’ve felt this way only a few other times before, in Paris, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. And I felt that way again when I got to Oaxaca. The city’s energy and mine just synched. We were a pair. I could recognize the signs: a sense of unconditional joy emerged in my heart. My eyes constantly shifted to every shade of color, every movement, as if I had an insatiable hunger to take in everything. I was in love. My two subsequent weeks there only deepened that feeling. Oaxaca, a city in the central part of the Pacific coast of Mexico, is set in a valley surrounded by craggy mountains. (It is also the name of the state it lies in.) The area has been inhabited for thousands of years by indigenous Zapotec and Mixtec peoples. In 1440, the Aztecs arrived and annexed...

Posted: 09/19/2014 | September 19th, 2014 Last month, I announced I’d be featuring monthly columnists on this website. I’ve introduced two so far, and now it’s time to introduce our final one! On the third Friday of every month, Cameron Wears from Traveling Canucks will be here giving tips and advice on how to travel better with your kids. I know this is a much-requested topic for many of you, so I’m excited to have him on the team! His column starts this month. “Get your traveling in now, because you won’t be able to do it once you have kids.” I heard this statement many times while my wife and I were backpacking around the world. And, sadly, the more I heard these words, the more I started to believe them. Travel has always played an important role in our lives, so the thought of giving it up to raise a family seemed like a crappy deal to us. But having kids was also a big part of “the plan” we made when we got married in Mexico in Janua...

Posted: 10/29/15 | October 29th, 2015 Earlier this year, I read the book Turn Right at Machu Picchu by Mark Adams, about his quest to follow Hiram Bingham’s trail through Peru. It made me want to jump on a plane right then and there and gave me an insight to Peru I never knew before…and it gave a whole list of off the beaten path places to visit! After I read his new book, Meet Me in Atlantis, I cold e-mailed Mark for an interview. He was hesitant at first, but I persisted and got to speak to him while he was in NYC! After fanboying out over his books and taking a few selfies, we got to the interview: Nomadic Matt: Tell everybody about yourself. How did you get into travel writing? Mark Adams: I grew up outside of Chicago and studied English in college. I went off to grad school thinking I was going to be an English professor, but after getting my master’s, I took a year off and tended bar. One night a friend of mine said she’d met the managing editor of Outside magazine and...

Posted: 03/03/20 | March 3rd, 2020 With its historic colonial buildings, die-hard sports fans, and lively nightlife, Boston is one of my favorite cities in the US (and I’m not just saying that because it’s where I grew up!). Boston has been a commercial hub since the 17th century and holds an important place in American history. After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, it became a pivotal bastion of support for the US War of Independence. Even today, the city is brimming with history and has lots to offer. It’s a must-visit destination for anyone looking to understand the roots of modern America. Since it isn’t the most affordable destination, budget-conscious travelers and backpackers are probably going to want to save money however they can. That means finding budget-friendly accommodation. Like most US cities, Boston doesn’t have many hostels. But the ones it does have are modern, clean, safe, and social for the most part. That said, there are a lot of things to consider when select...

Posted: 10/30/2012 | October 30th, 2012 Over the years, I’ve had some bad hostel roommates. They’ve been rude, messy, dirty, smelly, drunk, loud, and everything in between. Two girls in New Zealand were so bad they inspired me to write a post on hostel etiquette. But through it all, I’ve kept staying at hostels. I love hostels because of their gregarious social atmosphere. Hotels seem too sterile when compared with the energy and camaraderie of hostels. As I’ve gotten older, more set in my ways, and have become a lighter sleeper, I’ve often thought to myself, “Why do I stay in dorm rooms? I’m so over them.” But then I book one more night because I don’t want to pay extra for a private room. (Though I do get out of hostels and into hotels when I need a work break). But that feeling changed when I had the shittiest roommate of all time. Hostel dorm rooms and I are now on an indefinite break. Let me explain why (and warn you now that I wouldn’t be eating while reading this): It all b...

Updated: 8/6/20 | August 6th, 2020 Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse writes our regular column on solo female travel. It’s an important topic I can’t adequately cover, so I brought in an expert to share her advice for other women travelers to help cover the topics important and specific to them! This week, Kristin covers why there will always be reasons not to travel and how there will never be a perfect time to go! Life is short — we have limited time to do the things that we really want to do. It’s also a voyage — or a sack of coins that are yours alone to spend. (Those are my metaphors for life, anyway.) And it’s supposed to be fun. For a lot of people, that means not waiting until retirement to travel but rather getting out there and exploring now. If you want to travel now, but you’re scared to go it alone, you’ll be able to find excuses everywhere if you look for them. You’ll find ways to say you can’t do it right now: you’re not ready; your job, friends, or fears are holding ...

Last Updated: 11/3/20 | November 3rd, 2020 Travel insurance is probably the most boring topic to discuss when it comes to planning a trip. Dreaming up the perfect itinerary, finding cheap flights, buying gear — all of these things all much more glamorous! For that reason, many budget travelers actually skip buying travel insurance. Unlike a flight, a travel backpack, or applying for a visa, travel insurance just doesn’t seem necessary. And since it’s not always cheap, travel insurance is often tempting to jettison. I mean, how often does something terrible happen when you travel? Not often, right? But that doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Sure, over the years, I’ve rarely had to rely on travel insurance. But I have still had to use it from time to time — including recently when I was stabbed in Colombia. Remember: you’re fine until you aren’t, which is why you get travel insurance! Yes, for most trips you won’t need your travel insurance. You’ll buy it, save the details in your inbox, and...