From Sumplace New: The Long-Term Travel Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode 53 of From Sumplace New is an homage to the friendships we made during our time in Cape Town, South Africa. While some might say eight months is a long time, we left feeling like it wasn't enough. We also left with a heavy heart and shed a few tears because we made great friends -- friends for life, and friends we can't wait to see again. And it's all because we're open to creating connections during our travels. We don't travel with our heads down; we travel with our hearts open. We want to connect, we want to learn and we want to grow through our travels, and being open-hearted is important to creating deep connections. Because we're work from anywhere travelers, we spend 3-4 days a week working at coffee shops. And when we find a place with great WiFi, food and coffee, we're happy to set up shop. Our eight-month stay allowed us to create friendships with baristas, servers, and managers. They became friends we looked forward to seeing. We also connected with people because they were interested in where we were from, and once the conversations start, we're open to where it might lead, and Jon shares several stories about how easy it was to connect with the locals. We've never been somewhere in our lives – yes, our entire lives – that made us feel as connected to the people as we did in Cape Town. We miss Cape Town, and we miss our friends at Bootleggers, Origin, Willoughby's, The Old Biscuit Mill, and the V&A Waterfront, to name a few. We miss Victor and Brandon and Stacy dearly; and we can't wait to see them again.

Links:
Bootleggers
Origin
Willoughby's
Tinariwen

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

"I'd rather be at the bottom of a ladder I want to climb, than half way up one I don't" says the Barber of Carlisle (aka Alex Culley), who drops some sage wisdom in Episode 52 of From Sumplace New about not just chasing dreams, but realizing them. After choosing an engineering program at a hometown factory, Alex realized he was on a path that didn't suit his personality and long-term vision. Despite advice from those who "knew better," Alex quit the secure job and began a career he connected with: barbering. Choosing to go against the grain does create challenges, but all can be overcome with the right attitude, determination and commitment. In addition to sharing key insights on how to move through the life-transformation process — such as recognizing who you are, sharing your dreams out loud, and recognizing that the journey isn't going to be easy — Alex also talks about how becoming his own boss opened doors for more travel and, more importantly, meaningful travel. He discusses the trip that changed his mindset about travel and why barbering may actually increase the likelihood of more frequent long-term travel opportunities — something that never would have been possible if he stayed in the "sure thing" job lane. Jon also shares information about his and Karen's upcoming relocation from Cape Town, South Africa, to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, and why ever-changing travel restrictions may throw a monkey wrench into their plans.

Alex Culley information:
Instagram
Facebook
Profile at Not Just
Not Just Academy
Not Just Instagram

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

We're back! It's our first episode of 2021, and it's the first episode of our new and improved format where we interview a guest. This week, we spend time with Kirsten McCormick who shares why and how she and husband Justin manage a full-time travel lifestyle with their five children. After spending a year and a half traveling the US in a converted school bus, the McCormicks spent a few years back home in Texas before hitting the road again. The original goal was to head to Argentina, but Covid-19 altered those plans and forced a temporary move to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico — a place we're very familiar with! Kristen shares how she started a business that allowed her to navigate full-time travel lifestyle, which also allowed Justin to quit his job for a while. Her path to employment while raising a family — and having a surrogate child along the way — will inspire listeners to start planning their own journeys!

To learn more about Kristen and her family, visit her social media pages and website!

Website: https://cheerfullyimperfect.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cheerfullyimperfect/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CheerfullyImperfect/

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
Follow us on Facebook: @SumplaceNew

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

We're transitioning! No more podcast episodes with just Jon and Karen droning on and on. Moving forward, episodes of From Sumplace New will feature guest interviews. To help prepare you for this new format, we're sharing an interview we did with podcast host Erica Boucher for her All Ways Evolving podcast last October.

Erica, too, wants to move into a long-term, ongoing-travel lifestyle, so she has questions about how we got to where we are and how we make it work. If you've been listening to our podcast, you will have heard some of this before, but Erica goes a little deeper with some insightful questions.

A big thank you to Erica for letting us feature this episode. We have an interview lined up with Erica, too, where we'll focus on how to move from a vacation mindset to an explorer mindset as travelers.

As a life coach who focuses on living in the moment, Erica has tremendous insight that will inspire and motivate you. Visit her website and follow her podcast at the links below to learn more about her work.

Erica Boucher Website
Erica Boucher Podcast

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
Follow us on Facebook: @SumplaceNew

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

It's hard to believe we started this podcast just weeks before the pandemic struck, and here we are 41 episodes later and we're still in pandemic-ville. *sigh* We're going to take a break from podcasting for the rest of 2020 so we can come back refreshed for 2021 with a new vision for the podcast! Listen in to learn more. We're excited about what's next for the podcast and the new year, and we hope you are, too — it just has to be better than 2020!

Here's wishing all of our friends around the world a wonderful holiday season and a very happy new year!

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
Follow us on Facebook: @SumplaceNew

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

Episode 40! Where has the time gone? Seems like the pandemic started just yesterday, no? Speaking of the pandemic, it has wreaked havoc on travel plans around the world. Trips have been cancelled, travel influencers have been grounded, and everyone is yearning for a time when travel restrictions are no more. Despite the frustrations resulting from COVID-19, travel IS possible if you plan correctly and find yourself a member of the "responsible travel" category. In this week's episode, we offer three pros and three cons for travel during COVID-19. There are many more, but we don't have all day to list them. If you are a responsible traveler, travel remains an option. If you're planning a trip, take these pros and cons into consideration:

Pros of travel during COVID-19

• Less crowded -- You'll have room to move and little wait time at tourist attractions.
• Ability to negotiate and discover deals -- Many businesses offer discounts to attract customers. You have a lot of leverage, too, as a long-term traveler. Staying a month at an Airbnb will be welcomed, and likely with a discount attached.
• Stimulate local economies -- Spend money at independent businesses and they will thank you. Since "home" is where we are at the moment, we seek out indy businesses and frequent them to help them stay afloat.

Cons of travel during COVID-19

• Less crowded -- The pro is also a con since there is not much energy at places that are usually vibrant. There are times we feel like the soul has been sucked out of Edinburgh because it's empty in the evenings when it's usually hopping.
• Constantly changing restrictions -- Adaptability and flexibility are necessary skills when traveling during a pandemic. Changes occur swiftly, and you need to stay on top of local and national guidelines -- as well as be prepared to move at a moment's notice or ready to hunker down during a lockdown.
• Travel shaming -- It's real, and the stories of shaming on social media and within families runs rampant. How do you let someone know that you're a responsible traveler? Listen to the episode for our insight.

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
Follow us on Facebook: @SumplaceNew

Credits:
Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We use SquadCast for recording our podcasts. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends this easy-to-use, high-quality web app. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

Trying to be stylish while living out of a suitcase 365/24/7 is challenging. If you're considering a work-from-anywhere, open-ended, long-term travel lifestyle, you need to determine your fashionista quotient — practical (like Jon) or stylish (like Karen). While preparing for our journey, Jon focused on packing lightweight, performance-based clothing that was easy to manage. Jon admits he'll never win any style awards, but he leads the league in comfortable clothing. Karen, on the other hand, struggles to maintain a vibrant yet simple style while constantly being tempted by fashions specific to the countries we visit. We limit ourselves to a 50-pound suitcase each (Karen has a carry-on, too, which is usually loaded with accessories and toiletries), so curating and maintaining a funky fresh wardrobe is an ongoing challenging (for Karen, not Jon). During this episode, we discuss how we've been able to manage our packing needs and how we address those needs while enjoying our travel lifestyle.

We started using SquadCast for recording our podcasts, and it has made our lives easier. If you're interested in starting a podcast, Jon highly recommends the easy-to-use web app for recording your podcast. Click here to start a 7-day free trial!

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
Follow us on Facebook: @SumplaceNew

Credits:

Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

Despite the pandemic limiting our full-speed ahead travel mindset, we're grateful we can move around (a little) and experience new things. One thing we've learned over the past two-plus years is how rewarding long-term travel is. In so many ways. We discuss a few of these in E38 of From Sumplace New:

• No end date or feeling of finality. 
• No pressure to have an amazing time in a concentrated period. 
• Revisit coffee shops and restaurants and get to know the staff — and even forge friendships.
• Experience more of the day to day rhythms of the local community — more immersive and integrative.
• Concentrate on locations/surroundings/opportunities that speak to you — go to a place or region, see how you feel and what you like, and go from there.
• Create a sense of familiarity in an area, which is rewarding and fosters connection.
• People/locals treat you a little differently when you’re there as a “slow traveler” vs passing through as a tourist — demonstrates commitment and respect about where you are and why.
• Time! You gain ongoing time to explore an area, be a part of it, grow from it.

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
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Credits:

Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

This is the story of how Karen and Jon turned a 4-5 hour hike into an 8-hour ordeal in a violent hail, lightning and thunder storm while hiking back from the Inca ruins of Waqrapukara near Cusco, Peru. Besides the storm, why did it take so long? Short answer: It's all Jon's fault for wanting to take hundreds of photos and chatting with the guide. Really, this one is all on Jon. Learn how hail lit the way and helped guide us home!

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
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Credits:

Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh

We're big believers that there has never been a better time than right now to begin planning a work from anywhere lifestyle. And even if you don't think the time is right for you, where would you go if you could? Just going through the exercise will help you better understand what your options could be. Armed with that information, you may realize this is a lifestyle worthy of contemplation (and planifestation!) In Episode 36 of From Sumplace New, we recommend these six resources to help you evaluate your work from anywhere country options (links included):

• International Living's Annual Retirement Index and magazine subscription
• Numbeo for cost of living comparisons
• Speedtest.net Global Index to review WiFi and cell phone service speeds
• Flight planning with Skyscanner, Google Flights and Matrix Airfare Search
• Airbnb for monthly discounts
• Traveloffpath.com for the latest information about travel planning

Follow us on Instagram: @SumplaceNew
Follow us on Facebook: @SumplaceNew

Credits:

Intro/Outro Music: The World at Large by Daniel O'Connor
Intro VO: Laura Welsh