Reader, This is repetitive advice… but don’t leave packing until the last minute… … like I just did 🙄 Because you’ll regret it. It's not impossible to pack within a day or even hours before your departure. You’ll probably be just fine. However what I learnt is that it didn’t leave me days to remember if I forgot anything or review what I was planning to bring to know if I’m overpacking or bringing excess a.k.a. not being a minimalist. That was my mistake. I thought after 30+ countries and 3+...
10 days ago • 3 min read
The trip prep has begun Reader! And starting 10 days before leaving for a 2 month road trip might be cutting it close to get my car ready to roll. I must admit that I feel like a multi-talented person except for anything mechanical 🙄 So finding an auto shop with an open appointment was tricky, but I'm sending this newsletter from the shop while I wait 🤓 Can we just have a mini applause that I did change my own windshield wiper though 😏 The "oh shoot" I'm leaving feeling is really sinking in...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Reader, I'm still in Canada... There's a few reasons why I'm still here. It's allowed me time to focus on my YTF business + kickstart the projects I've been wanting to launch when I was on the road. There's capacity to take exploratory meetings, a consistent workspace (which has been great to start recording our podcast) + ultimately more brain power thanks to Productivity Pals. I am energized to begin a familiar nomad journey soon taking a 2 month road trip throughout British Columbia, which...
25 days ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, You haven't heard from me in a while. I missed sending last week's newsletter + by my own set scheduling standards I am late on sending this newsletter too... honestly it's probably because I've bitten off more than I can chew 😅 I'm planning for two months of an upcoming road trip + have pursued multiple projects that I've been pondering on for the last year all within the same month. So hey, maybe not the best release of ideas, but we're going with it. Seeing you join the...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, Thanks for voting last week on what merch you'd like... hoodies was the winner! Stay tuned to see some fun options in the shop. Switching gears a bit here... For the last 3 years, at the beginning of the year, I've set project + number goals I want to reach + take time to review them at the end of every month. There's a mix of personal, professional, entrepreneurial + overall wellness goals involved. For the quantitive goals, I created an equation to see how my progress is month...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, I feel like there is lots to tell you! Most of what has been happening behind the scenes of Your Travel Friend 😁 As I mentioned in last week's newsletter, staying in my home base of Canada for a chunk of time has let me establish time + energy to progress projects forward. Eliminate the travel fatigue of constant decision making (which don't get me wrong I do miss greatly, the discovery of new experiences constantly) but has allowed for strategic, focused + forward moving energy....
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hey Reader, how are you? There are a few new faces to the newsletter, welcome! It's Anna behind the scenes here, feeling BUZZED about a few new projects in the work. 2 of them have been on my mind for almost a year + this week I finally took the leap of faith to pursue them forward. To make a move. To start planning + putting dreams + ideas into MOTION. Why now? Because of you Reader! With almost 200 people in the Your Travel Friend Community (we are SO close to reaching a huge milestone)...
2 months ago • 2 min read
Reader, Spring is here in Canada. I think. I hope. We're fluctuating between 12℃, full sun, what feels like patio season for us coming out of winter with the looming weather report of more snow on the way 😔 April is a teaser month, making me re-think about spending winters in Canada + how many of my long-term travel + digital nomad friends are flocking to Southeast Asia (places like Da Nang, Chiang Mai, Lombok) or South America. I really should have warmed up at Carnival in Brazil this year...
2 months ago • 2 min read
I've talked about loneliness, finding friends while travelling solo + how to find social circles while travelling in past newsletters Reader. It takes effort, to meet people, to maintain relationships, to put the effort to see one another again when you're 7,000km away. And this applies to family, friendships, romantic connections + business acquaintances. You have to be the driver if you want relationships to flourish + develop. 1.5 years later this effort has paid off. Let me tell you the...
2 months ago • 2 min read