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You are here: Home / Life / Travels with “Esperando un Camino”

Travels with “Esperando un Camino”

by jlcollinsnh 46 Comments - Updated: July 3, 2014

Esperando un Camino 

In my office there is a bronze sculpture we acquired in Madrid, Spain some 25 years ago.  It is about a foot tall and depicts a young woman.  She is barefoot and has long flowing hair.  Dressed in a peasant blouse and long skirt, she stands with her hands on her hips looking down.  At her feet is an open bag with a bedroll and a book sticking up out of it.  There is a small satchel leaning against it.  The title is “Esperando un Camino.”  The artist is Joseph Bofill

http://www.josepbofill.com/navigation/in_page_de_navigation.htm

I don’t know where she’s going but I’ve always wanted to come along.

My work has taken me to most states across the USA as well as Canada, Germany and England.  One of my few regrets is that I’ve never had the occasion for an international posting.

But I’ve had the good fortune to see a bit of the planet on my own:  Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Wales, England, Greece, Crete, Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Venezuela, Curacao, Scotland, Italy, Germany, Spain, Paris, India, Kashmir, Goa, Nepal, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Eleuthera, St. Thomas, St. Martin, Barbados, Antigua, Martinique, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Guatemala.  Pretty much in that order although I’ve visited some more than once.  And I may have forgotten one or two.

 

Rickshaw under repair

I’ve traveled to and around those places by plane, train, bus, subway, taxi, hired car, motorcycle, bicycle, rickshaw, hitch-hiking, foot, horse, donkey and elephant.  Not only traveled by elephant, but herded rhinoceros by elephant back in Nepal.  I love saying that!

Rhino Herding 

My wife says that a lack of traveling interest would have been a deal breaker.

While we’ve been on cruises, tours and stayed at resorts, those don’t much appeal to us.   When my daughter was little we went twice to Disneyland while I was in LA on business.  When I die, and if as many predict I go to Hell, I will be spending my eternity trapped and wandering in a Disney park.

The Devil, with Hell in the Background 

Interestingly, at least to me, our daughter also loves traveling.  At the tender age of 19 she’s been to Europe, Africa, South East Asia and Australia.   At 16 she spent six weeks in Thailand with a group called The Experiment in International Living.  Had I known how little supervision would be in place I doubt I would have let her go.  But she loved it, and I’m glad I did.

Yours for the Asking 

We’ve tried to raise her to see the world as her backyard and she does.  She is already applying for an internship with the US State Department and she’ll be honing her fluency in French while studying outside of Paris for her Junior year 2012-13.

Many people, of course, don’t care much for traveling.

It is a highly personal choice.  However, I can’t help but think part of the problem is the way the Travel Industry approaches the whole business.  Mainly:  avoid the locals and their culture whilst cramming as much into as little time as possible so people can check off their list and say “Yep, I’ve been there, done that!”

I can remember a day tour we signed up for in Mexico a few years back.  We started early, were loaded into the van with the other sardines, ah tourists, and raced about the area to see every possible thing the tour company could come up with.  Many were old churches.

The third one was especially lovely, or at least  so it seemed as our guide hustled us along at a record pace.  “Look there!  See that!  Isn’t it wonderful!  OK back to the van, we’re running behind!”

As we walked back thru the courtyard my wife turned to me and said, “Man, when we do a church, we do a church!!”

Irish Bicycle

Before I was married I spent a month roaming Ireland on my bicycle.  The Ring of Kerry is a beautiful road around a western peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic.  At one point there was a small parking area overlooking a spectacular view.  Since I had the place to my self, I crossed the road and climbed a small hill for an even better vantage point.

This is thirty plus years ago, but I still have that vision clearly in my brain.  I must have spent 2 or 3 hours soaking it in.  Rarely have I seen its equal.

At one point a huge ugly tour bus pulled up.  With this blight now in my line of sight I stood to gather my things to move on.  The tourists piled out of the bus, at least some of them, put their cameras to their faces and began snapping away.  Not one, far as I could tell, paused to actually just enjoy the view.  Before I was done stretching they were back in the bus and on their way.

Worked for me, but I couldn’t help feel bad for them.  On the off chance they ever look at those photos now my guess is they wonder, “Where the hell was this?”

Whether you want to travel at all and how you do it is obviously up to you.  But if it seems not to appeal or your experiences have been disappointing, maybe the way we do it might be of interest.

Here are some keys that work for us:

Travel slowly.    For our honeymoon we spent three weeks in Scotland.  The most common comment was, “Three weeks in Scotland?  What can you do for three weeks in Scotland?”

This was closely followed by, “I’ve been to Europe and saw it all during my two week tour.”  Ah, OK.

Rushing from place to place ticking off the sights as you go means you’ll spend most of your time in transit. Not fun, and spending a three hour layover in the Frankfurt airport doesn’t mean you’ve been to Germany.

Relax.  Find a local cafe and waste an afternoon over a cup of coffee.  Watch the locals drift by.  Maybe even talk to a few.

Avoid the sights.    Maybe not all of them, but choose just a few that really appeal to you.  Learn to be comfortable leaving some stones unturned.  Be sure that what you see you take the time to see well.

A bench in Jackson Square, maybe mine.

Linger in cafes and parks.    Absorb the feel of the place.  Breathe it in.  Last year in New Orleans I found an isolated bench in Jackson Square.  I sat for an hour with my eyes closed and just listened.  Quiet your mind and let it it flow.

The locals might not be as scary as you think

Talk to the locals.    Lots of travelers complain that the people in such and such a place are unfriendly.  Well, if you are flying past in a rush to your next sight you are not, candidly, a very attractive opportunity for them.

In Quito we stumbled on a little chocolate shop.  Because we were leisurely poking around Ruth, the owner, took the time to chat.  Before long she was insisting that we stay to try her special hot chocolate.  Incredible stuff and while we were sipping it, her friend Celeste stopped by.  Introductions were made and during the course of conversation we mentioned we were looking for a Spanish tutor.

Turns out Celeste knows just the person and two days later she brings Sylvia over to our apartment.  Sylvia not only begins to teach us Spanish, we wind up taking side trips with her.  This October she came to visit us in New Hampshire and next summer we’ll be traveling with her thru Bolivia and Peru, two areas she knows very well.

Before we left we were guests in Ruth’s home and her husband, who works as a naturalist on the Galapagos had invited us for a “behind the scenes” visit.

Of course, we didn’t see every church and museum in town.

 Settle in. 

If you can, spend some time.  Even if you’ve only a week, pick a spot and focus on what’s there.

This past summer we took an apartment in Quito for the month.  By the time we left we knew all the local shop owners.  One day we went to the little shop where we bought our eggs and milk.  It was closed.  On the walk back to the apartment we ran into the owner.  We exchanged pleasantries and asked when he would reopen.  He insisted on walking the two blocks back to his shop, opening it and selling us what we needed before closing again and going on his way.

We’ll remember that long after we’ve forgotten the museums.

Leave your camera at home.    Too many people waste their time trying to record the trip rather than living it.  Indeed, I’m convinced many see everything they see only thru the lens.  Give it a rest.  If you follow the advice above you’ll meet locals.  They’ll have cameras and they’ll send you the pictures they took to remember your visit.  As for scenery, use Google.  You’ll find better shots of the Taj Mahal or Kilimanjaro there than you are likely to take yourself.  Been here, didn’t take the pics:

Kilimanjaro Crater

Kilimajaro 

Taj Mahal 

Arches National Park

Prefer video?  This site will take you all over the world:

http://www.jcdurand.ca/Monde/Monde.html

Do it now.  Sad to say, the world is becoming a more crowded place.  Back in the early 1970s I visited Arches National Park in Utah.  Simply stunning and I had the entire place all to myself all day.  Find the undiscovered and go now.

Do it while you are young.  There is no question that travel involves some discomfort.  Sitting in cramped airline seats for hours on end.  Bouncing over rutted roads in antique local buses.  “Delhi Belly.”  Or….

Sleeping in haylofts after a night of music and beer with your kidnappers.

As I feel the years build the time is coming where the hassle will outweigh the joy.  But, thankfully, not yet.  If you are going to do it, now is the time.

Addendum 1:

“I admire the strenuous tourist who sets out in the morning with his well-thumbed Baedecker to examine the curiosities of a foreign town, but I do not follow in his steps; his eagerness after knowledge, his devotion to duty, compel my respect, but excite me to no imitation. I prefer to wander in old streets at random without a guidebook, trusting fortune will bring me across things worth seeing; and if occasionally I miss some monument that is world-famous, more often I discover some little dainty piece of architecture, some scrap of decoration, that repays me for all else I lose. I am relieved now and again to visit a place that has no obvious claims on my admiration; it throws me back on the peculiarities of the people, on the stray incidents of the street, on the contents of the shops.”

W. Somerset Maugham, from The Skeptical Romancer

Addendum 2:   Here’s a video well worth your time if the world and its cultures hold an interest for you:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/wade_davis_on_endangered_cultures.html

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Filed Under: Life, Travels

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Comments

  1. Trish Rempen says

    January 27, 2012 at 8:58 pm

    As I remember, there were others in that hayloft! A stellar night, that was. Last of the ould way. And did ye mention the lessons in cutting turf? Not everyone has that experience. Never mind the rhino we surrounded with our elephants…
    Pleased to have been along on some of the journeys…no guidebook required.

    Reply
  2. jlcollinsnh says

    January 27, 2012 at 10:03 pm

    below, folks, is a note from one of my kidnappers. Yes, indeed, there were several others in that hayloft when we woke. But I’m pretty sure I was the only captive.

    Oh, and I forgot I was pressed into slave labor cutting turf for their fireplace. nasty work, that.

    We did travel together several times after that, which can only be attributed to Stockholm Syndrome on my part. Well, that and the fact they were fine traveling companions….

    Reply
  3. Josh says

    January 28, 2012 at 9:46 am

    Beautiful post Jim!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 28, 2012 at 1:12 pm

      Thanks Josh….

      ….glad you took the time to comment.

      It is interesting to me that this one struck a cord with you. Given your financial expertise I would have expected one of those entries to draw comment from you. 🙂

      Reply
  4. zebrashoes says

    January 28, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    honestly, if someone is going to travel to a country that they “would love to visit” but they aren’t willing to meet the locals and explore areas and sites not found in an American travel book, than they really aren’t interested in the country. They are only interested in what others have said, and as a result they miss out on what really makes a country beautiful. Sorry if that was harsh but its true.
    “Relax. Find a local cafe and waste an afternoon over a cup of coffee. Watch the locals drift by. Maybe even talk to a few.” -During my 3 week stay in Iceland with my friend, we literally did just this for half the days we were there.

    Good Post Dad!

    Reply
  5. femmefrugality says

    January 28, 2012 at 5:16 pm

    This is so great! I love and completely agree with all your tips…especially do it young. I’d like to add before kids…sounds like your daughter is a champ, but traveling does get harder when there are little ones involved. And herding rhinoceros with elephants? AMAZING!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 28, 2012 at 7:17 pm

      As I recall, the rhinos didn’t much care for it. 🙂

      thanks for stopping by FF, and glad you liked it!

      Reply
  6. Lee says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:35 am

    Nice post, I understand where you’re coming from, travelling has to be the best thing you can do. However most young people don’t have time being put through a system designed by society. For example from age 3 or younger until 21-22 we are in education.

    Then after University/College we have to get a 7am-8pm job right away to be able to afford everything we’ve ever wanted. I have to say following this society system myself, it will be hard to achieve financial freedom if the system is followed throughout life.

    Thanks.

    Reply
  7. DollarDisciple says

    January 30, 2012 at 2:52 pm

    This post comes at a great time for me: my wife and I are planning our first trip to Europe (which will probably be our last big vacation before we have kids). We have only two weeks so we have really tried to narrow it down and not cram too much into it. I’d hate to come back from my vacation and immediately need another one!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 30, 2012 at 2:56 pm

      cool beans! where have you decided to go?

      Reply
      • DollarDisciple says

        February 1, 2012 at 6:20 pm

        We’re spending 3 nights in Barcelona, then hopping a plane to Rome where we will spend 3 nights before heading down to the Amalfi coast and spending the rest of the time in Sorrento. Neither of us have ever been to Europe so we’re really excited.

        Reply
  8. et says

    January 31, 2012 at 4:55 am

    You method of travels sounds like fun.
    I’ve moved quite a few times in several countries and cultures, which I consider slow motion travel.

    Assuming your based in USA are not Canada, Germany and England an international postings?

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 31, 2012 at 8:13 am

      Hi et….

      Yep, I’ve always lived in the USA: Chicago, Cleveland and now New Hampshire.

      Your “slow motion travel” is my notion of ideal. What places, and what took you there?

      Reply
  9. Andrew says

    February 1, 2012 at 6:10 am

    Zanzibar! All things being equal, there’s a place I’d put on my list before any other you mentioned… great post, JL.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      February 1, 2012 at 10:33 am

      thanks Andrew…..

      …actually my wife is from Zanzibar. A couple of years ago she took our daughter there for her 1st visit and she loved it. From the stories it was a magical place in which to grow up. Magical name, too.

      Personally I loved, in addition to Zanzibar, East Africa overall.

      Reply
      • Andrew says

        February 1, 2012 at 7:46 pm

        I agree, I quite liked East Africa. Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda. Warm, hospitable people and great sights. And fantastic coffee.

        Reply
  10. Michael says

    March 26, 2012 at 6:10 pm

    Thanks for the post and the TED Wade Davis link – that guy can TALK!

    The slow down travel approach reminded a little of when I took my then college age children to Europe and we spent at least 4 days in a place before moving on. Even after only 3 days in Cassis, FR the bakery shop owner and coffee shop waitperson knew me. We had developed a relationship in spite of the fact my French language skills did not extend beyond courteous pleasantries and their English was rudimentary. Yet, the knowing and genuine smile meant the world to me and makes me long to return for a month.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      March 26, 2012 at 7:30 pm

      Hi Michael…

      Glad it brought back the memories for you. Sounds like it time to head on back.

      Our daughter leaves in August to spend the year studying in Rennes, FR. She won’t be coming home for Christmas. We’ll be going there. 🙂

      Reply
  11. Kit says

    August 11, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    Insightful post.
    I have long hung up the camera and any place we stay must NOT have an elevator.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      August 15, 2012 at 12:01 pm

      Hi Kit….

      us camera free travelers are a rare breed. 🙂

      Most times I climb the stairs in hotels, even when there is an elevator. But….

      Traveling the Altiplano this summer at around 12,500 feet I confess to almost weeping with relief when we discovered our 4th floor hotel room was served by an elevator.

      Reply
  12. Sue Sam says

    January 17, 2013 at 8:27 am

    Today I am wearing a perfume that I bought in London twelve years ago. When I wear it I am brought back to the joy of riding a double decker bus riding through the city streets with no particular destination in mind. I dread the day the last drop is gone as they don’t make it anymore and I need that sensory connection to my memories. I loved reading your blog. Cafes? Oh the joy of sipping cappuccino in Venice, or Slovenia or Rome or…. while watching people pass by. Again no schedule just me, time and the utter freedom to do and go wherever I pleased. I have been in need of inspiration-something to remind me of what that feels like as I go to work each day and plan my next vacation-thank you for taking me away this morning!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 17, 2013 at 9:02 am

      Welcome Sue….

      It can be amazing how smells can trigger memories and take us back. Once the perfume is gone, hang on to the bottle. The smell should linger and the bottle itself should help.

      Plus, you can always return to this post!

      Cafes are one of may favorite things. In fact, in the next few weeks I’ll have a post on them. Hope you join in with your favorite.

      Reply
  13. Spartan Swami says

    April 16, 2013 at 9:13 am

    Fantastic post Jim. I love your life philosophy and your attitude towards travel… and life in general. I came upon your blog via MMM (another chap whose life philosophy I love) and am truly enjoying reading your various posts.

    Thanks and looking forward to hearing more.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      April 16, 2013 at 10:50 am

      Thanks, SS….

      nice to have you here!

      Reply
  14. Drew says

    December 17, 2013 at 9:08 pm

    Awesome post. I read a book by Benjamin Barber “Consumed: How markets corrupt children, infantilize adults and swallow citizens whole”.

    I speak of that book because it is interesting how he spoke about “seeing the sights” in other countries. It is interesting that when family from other countries come and visit mine (the USA) they want to go to the mall. Now granted their malls are much much better. Its bizarre even to think that a third world country could.

    Also I think it is interesting to imagine how the gifts we give are so American. Imagine giving a iPad to a family you meet in Nepal. What would you be giving them 🙂

    Finally, I want to say again thanks for your posts. I am trying to tackle my finances and it intrigues me that you focus more on investing in stocks than real estate. So many bloggers I follow seem to focus on real estate rental incomes. Thanks for the knowledge you impart. Best Wishes.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      December 17, 2013 at 9:32 pm

      Thanks Drew…

      and welcome! Glad you enjoyed this post. It is one of my personal favorites.

      Reply
  15. ak907 says

    March 20, 2014 at 1:09 pm

    I am a bit late to the party with this comment but I have been reading through your site and loved this post. It describes very well how I would like to travel the world.
    I recently traveled to Thailand, it was fun and a great learning experience as my first international trip. But the trip, taken with and largely planned by friends, suffered from some of the very issues you describe. I had small bits of experiences as you describe, but I would enjoy having even more genuine travel experiences.
    How do you do it? From my little bit of experience I can tell it will take a lot of research and planning. Unlike your daughter I traveled little as a kid and am not sure how to go about travel and having experiences like those you describe. Simply flying to a foreign location and going from there does not seem like it would lead to experience such as you describe. Sites/sources such as lonelyplanet seem have been ruined by commercialism/tourism. Any recommendations? Perhaps the answer is simply experience.
    How do mesh the competing goals of f-you money/financial independence and expensive travel?

    Reply
    • AJ says

      April 3, 2014 at 11:29 am

      To the last commenter… I would say that the lack of planning is what makes the types of experiences Jim describes most likely 🙂

      Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      April 10, 2014 at 5:29 pm

      Hi ak907…
      No worries being late, glad you made it!

      I think AJ nailed it, a lack of planning is the key and it sounds like your trip to Thailand suffered from a bit of over-planning. I tend to just show up, wander around and see what happens.

      Now that I’m older and have gone soft, I do book the hotel for the first night or few before I arrive and I like to arrange for a driver and car to meet me at the airport. There is nothing like stepping off a plane after a long, tiring flight and finding someone there with a smile holding up a sign with your name on it.

      If I know someone who has been, I’ll ask for their recommendations for a hotel. And since I like my hotel centrally located and an easy walk from places, I’ll check the location on their website. This is exactly how I found the place where I stayed in Guatemala last month.

      For what it is worth, I don’t use the travel guides like Lonely Planet or sites like Trip Advisor. Nothing against them, just never felt the need. And, as I think about, I guess I’ve always kinda figured they’d be out of date by the time I got there and would lead me to places that were by then overrun.
      Once there, I just ask people where to go and what restaurants are good. Other travelers are easy to talk to and happy to help. When I find a good place to eat, I’ll also ask the owners where else they’d recommend. Figuring this stuff out gives you a reason to engage people in conversations. Which is one of my key goals.

      But mostly it just takes showing up, not being tied to a schedule and going with the flow. This can take a few days, so it’s good to have more than a week to play with. Even now it is not unusual for me to hit a bit of a depression in the early days before things begin to come together. So, if this happens to you, don’t be overly concerned.

      As for the FI/travel balance, it is a matter of choosing what you want to spend your money on. It is a fallacy, it seems to me, that pursuing FI means you can’t spend money on anything else. You just can;t spend money on everything else. Most people can afford both FI and travel assuming, of course, that they are not also indulging in fancy cars, homes, wardrobes and the like.

      Plus, traveling this way can be surprisingly cheap. My hotel in Antigua was about $18 a night. Not fancy, but spotlessly clean, well located and run by incredibly friendly folks.

      For more check out: https://jlcollinsnh.com/2012/11/25/so-what-does-a-month-in-ecuador-cost-anyway/

      Here’s another great source on the hows and costs: http://www.gocurrycracker.com/reflections-of-2013-a-year-on-the-road/

      Oh, and it helps to travel alone. When you are with other people you are less approachable and less likely to approach others.

      Good luck and safe journeys!

      Reply
      • ak907 says

        June 24, 2014 at 11:19 am

        Thanks again for the through response.

        Reply
        • Trisha Ray says

          July 8, 2014 at 3:26 pm

          As the guilty party in the hayloft kidnapping – let me add airbnb.com as a great way to stay somewhere.

          Cheap, if you want – or expensive, you choose.
          There are other sites, too. Or try housesitting.

          Both are local, and you can usually cook your own food, which saves money in eating out.

          We do it everywhere. It’s fun to have the key to your “own” place, even if it’s temporary!

          Reply
  16. Scott Pepper says

    July 8, 2014 at 11:14 am

    Jim, I can’t say enough good things about this post, and today’s post that led me to it. Even the comments have a lot of wisdom!

    First, let me say that I had the good fortune to see the remake of the movie “Razor’s Edge” many years ago, purely by chance, and though it was widely panned by critics, I LOVED it. Bill Murray was magic — and this was a serious role WAY before he became more famous for more serious roles. I couldn’t help but think it must have meant a lot to him.

    Anyway, it turned me on to this book and Somerset Maugham’s many other books. For me it captured so eloquently the disturbance to the soul that is the modern way of life most of us force ourselves to fit into.

    Second, as I mentioned to you in an earlier post, my wife and I have been living in several places in Mexico, Florida’s Space Coast, and two places in South Africa for the past 2 years — “slow motion traveling” as one of your commenters adroitly put it :). It is a fantastic way to travel, and by doing so, we have been able to live almost as frugally as if we stayed in place, and we’ve had the time to get to know our neighbors and the places that we’ve visited.

    One trick we’ve learned is to choose 2 or 3 places in a country where you live for at least 3 months, and during that time take mini-trips to beautiful or important places to see from there. A rental apartment or even house on the local economy is going to save a lot of money over a series of hotels, and it’s nice to feel like you have a home for awhile — especially as one gets older (we’re mid-50’s and mid-40’s).

    And your very important points about meeting people, getting to know a place, doing the small things, staying away from the bus crowds…it’s all very much RIGHT ON!

    Thanks Jim, you’re an inspiration to us.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 8, 2014 at 12:46 pm

      Thanks Scott!

      Very kind of you to say.

      I didn’t know Razor’s Edge had been made into a movie and with Bill Murray no less. Without having seen it, I’ll still go ahead and say, “Great casting!”

      Anyway, sounds like you are living what I only (mostly) get to write about. Well played! It always does amaze me how little it costs living on the road. Just stripping away the costs of owning a house and car is huge.

      Do me a favor? Post your comment over on today’s post as well? More people will see it there. Thanks!

      For other readers who are interested, this is the one we are talking about: https://jlcollinsnh.com/2014/07/08/summer-travels-writing-reading-and-other-amusements/

      Reply
  17. Brian says

    March 3, 2016 at 11:36 pm

    Nothing wrong with bringing the camera. Some people who love to travel and soak in the beauty of the moment know when to put it down.

    Nice article though. Thanks.

    Reply
  18. Kaleena says

    July 27, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    Just want to say thank you for the several acknowledgements that some do not have a “travel bug” so to speak. I enjoyed reading but also felt appreciated as someone who finds there is enough to explore right here to last a life time with no real need to see the world.

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      July 27, 2017 at 8:31 pm

      Nothing wrong with not having the travel bug.

      I’ve often though that our hunter gather ancestors knew little of the wider world. But of their local world they knew more than we can dream of.

      Reply
  19. Timothy Brinker says

    October 21, 2018 at 2:42 pm

    Hi-

    Would be great to hear any updates on your perspective of traveling vs only saving for FI. I think a healthy mix is ideal. Also, any new places you have traveled would be interesting.

    We visited Maldives, Sri Lanka, Southern Italy, British Colombia, Outer Banks (NC), Lake Tahoe, Boston, etc this year. Also, saved roughly what we projected at age 40.

    Thank you

    Tim
    Ketchika, AK

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      October 21, 2018 at 3:54 pm

      Thank you for your comment, but it appears you missed this post:
      https://jlcollinsnh.com/2018/10/04/on-twitter-gone-for-chautauqua-and-dark-on-comments-till-november/

      If you are asking a question, please re-post after November 1st and I will try to respond.

      Meanwhile, try using the search button or take a look at the posts listed here:

      https://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/

      Most questions I am asked these days have been asked and answered many times before. Perhaps yours has as well.

      Reply
  20. Brendan Hogan says

    January 3, 2019 at 2:41 pm

    Just found your website via Mr. Money Mustache. Then got to the mainfesto, then got here! I feel like this perspective is necessary for travel anywhere, even in your own city. Living in chicago, I only went to the hip and trendy places. I began to feel like I only knew people who looked and acted like me. I have been dining in different neighborhoods and chatting up the owners. This is the most I have ever felt connected in my city.

    That statue is also loosely based on El Camino de Santiago- a trip of lifetime. A cheap way to see the part of Spain most travelers never see 🙂

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 3, 2019 at 2:50 pm

      Glad you found your way here, Brendan.

      Chicago is my home town and this is a great way to explore it. 🙂

      Reply
  21. Drew McKee says

    January 23, 2019 at 6:27 am

    Great post Jim!

    My wife, daughter and I have spent the last ten years living/working overseas and have visited over 50 countries. I must say, you are 100% correct….if there is one thing I’ve learned in that 10-years, it to travel slow, enjoy a good cup of coffee, talk with the locals and avoid the “top ten” when possible. Sure, you can’t go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower but get out and do more than just that. Go to a Sunday flea market in a small French village, poke around, get lunch…etc… On a recent trip to Italy, we rented a car at the airport in Rome, immediately drove away from the city and found ourselves in Abruzzo for a few days of wandering around the hill villages…..my only goal was to get lunch and a coffee. Excellent trip!

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      January 23, 2019 at 5:51 pm

      “…my only goal was to get lunch and a coffee.” 🙂

      Reply
  22. B.C. Kowalski says

    March 16, 2019 at 9:56 am

    I came across this on a side trek from your very excellent stock series, started writing a reply and it turned into a post. As Mark Twain is supposed to have said, “I didn’t have time to write you a short comment, so I wrote a long blog post instead.” Direct quote from him, I promise.

    In short, you and I share an almost identical view on travel, which is refreshing. I’ve gotten to the point where I hate talking about trips because what mattered most to me on these trips are not what matters to others. The connections with people, especially those connections made in another language, are the most rewarding, and hardest to relate.

    In long, if you care to, I expanded on these thoughts and my struggle with travel photography (because I LOVE photography) on this post here:

    https://medium.com/@BC_Kowalski/travel-is-not-a-damned-checklist-71d61d6238d4

    Thanks for all you do brother. Also, I learned through a friend of Mr. 1500 that Kibanda is in my state – I am plotting and scheming to get you on my podcast some day. It comes with free beer. : D

    Reply
    • jlcollinsnh says

      March 16, 2019 at 8:30 pm

      Great post, BC!

      I remember trying to find temples in Kyoto.

      Never used to carry a camera, but now I have one wherever I go. I just keep forgetting my phone can do that. 😉

      Reply

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      • How to give when you have a business
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      • Investing with Vanguard for Europeans: 2020 update
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      • Why I will no longer be writing this blog
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      • Personal Capital; and how to unload your unwanted stocks and funds
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      • Case Study #14: To Dream the Impossible Dream (and then realize it)
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      • Mr. Market's Wild Ride
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      • Gone for Summer, an important note on comments and random cool stuff that caught my eye
      • Around the world with an Aussie Biker
      • Case Study #13: The Power of Flexibility
      • Stocks — Part VIII: The 401(k), 403(b), TSP, IRA & Roth Buckets
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      • Stocks -- Part XXVIII: Debt - The Unacceptable Burden
      • Chautauqua October 2015: Times Two!
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      • YNAB: Best Place to Work Ever?
      • Case Study #12: Escaping a soul-crushing job before you're 70
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      • Case Study #11: John, a small business owner in transition
      • Trish and Stan take an Intrepid Sailing Voyage
      • 2014 Annual Louis Rukeyser Memorial Market Prediction Contest results, and my forecast for 2015
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      • Diamonds and Happy Holidays!
      • Micro-Lending with Kiva
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      • Chautauqua February 7-14, 2015: Escape from Winter
      • Stocks -- Part XXVII: Why I Don’t Like Dollar Cost Averaging
      • Jack Bogle and the Presidential Medal of Freedom
    • ► October (3)
      • Tuft & Needle: A better path to sleep
      • Nightmare on Wall Street: Will the Blood Bath Continue?
      • Help Wanted
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      • Chautauqua 2014: Lightning strikes again!
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      • Stocks -- Part XXVI: Pulling the 4%
      • Stocks -- Part XXV: HSAs, more than just a way to pay your medical bills.
    • ► July (3)
      • Stocks -- Part XXIV: RMDs, the ugly surprise at the end of the tax-deferred rainbow
      • Summer travels, writing, reading and other amusements
      • Moto X, my new Republic Wireless Phone
    • ► June (1)
      • Stocks -- Part XXIII: Selecting your asset allocation
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      • Stocks -- Part XXII: Stepping away from REITs
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      • Q&A III: Vamos
      • Q&A II: Salamat
      • Q&A I: Gaijin Shogun
    • ► March (2)
      • Top 10 posts
      • Cafe No Se
    • ► February (4)
      • Chautauqua 2014 preview, closing up for travel and other random cool things that caught my eye of late.
      • Case Study #10: Should Josiah buy his parents a house?
      • Case Study #9: Lars -- maximizing some good fortune and considering "dollar cost averaging"
      • Case Study #8: Ron's mother - she's doin' all right!
    • ► January (4)
      • roundup: Some random cool things
      • Stocks — Part XXI: Investing with Vanguard for Europeans
      • Case Study #7: What it looks like when everything financial goes wrong
      • 1st Annual Louis Rukeyser Memorial Market Prediction Contest 2013 results, and my forecast for 2014
  • ► 2013 (40)
    • ► December (4)
      • Closing up for the Holidays, see you in 2014
      • Betterment: a simpler path to wealth
      • Case Study 6: Helping an ill and elderly parent
      • Stocks -- Part XX: Early Retirement Withdrawal Strategies and Roth Conversion Ladders from a Mad Fientist
    • ► November (3)
      • Death, Taxes, Estate Plans, Probate and Prob8
      • Case Study #5: Zero to 2.6 million in 25 years
      • Case Study #4: Using the 4% rule and asset allocations.
    • ► October (3)
      • Republic Wireless and my $19 per month phone plan
      • Case Study #3: Let's get Tom to Latin America!
      • The Stock Series gets its own page
    • ► September (2)
      • Case Study #2: Joe -- off to a fast start!
      • Chautauqua 2013: A Week of Dreams
    • ► August (1)
      • Closing up shop plus an opening at Chautauqua, my new podcast, phone, book and other random cool stuff
    • ► July (1)
      • They Will Kill You For Your Shoes!
    • ► June (4)
      • Stocks -- Part VIII-b: Should you avoid your company's 401k?
      • Shilpan's Seven Habits to Live More with Less
      • Stocks -- Part XIX: How to think about money
      • My path for my kid -- the first 10 years
    • ► May (4)
      • Stocks — Part XVIII: Investing in a raging bull
      • Dining with the Ghosts of Sarah Bernhardt and Alfons Mucha
      • How we finally got the house sold
      • Stocks — Part XVII: What if you can't buy VTSAX? Or even Vanguard?
    • ► April (4)
      • Greetings from Prague & a computer question
      • Swimming with Tigers, a 2nd chance on the Chautauqua, a financial article gets it wrong and I'm off to Prague
      • Storage, Moving and Movers
      • Homeless, and a bit on the strategy of dollar cost averaging
    • ► March (4)
      • Wild Turkeys, Motorcycles, Dining Room Sets & Greed
      • Roots v. Wings: considering home ownership
      • How about that stock market?!
      • The Blog has New Clothes
    • ► February (5)
      • Meet Mr. Money Mustache, JD Roth, Cheryl Reed & me for a Chautauqua in Ecuador
      • High School Poetry, Carnival, cool ads and random pictures that caught my eye
      • Consignment Shops: Best business model ever?
      • Cafes
      • Stocks -- Part XVI: Index Funds are really just for lazy people, right?
    • ► January (5)
      • Social Security: How secure and when to take it
      • Fighting giraffes, surreal landscapes, dancing with unicorns and restoring a Vanagon
      • My plan for 2013
      • VITA, income taxes and the IRS
      • How to be a stock market guru and get on MSNBC
  • ► 2012 (53)
    • ► December (6)
      • See you next year....until then: The Origin of Life, Life on Other Worlds, Mechanical Graveyards, Great Art, Alternative Lifestyles and Finding Freedom
      • Stocks -- Part XV: Target Retirement Funds, the simplest path to wealth of all
      • Stocks -- Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks Part XIV: Deflation, the ugly escort of Depressions.
      • Stocks -- Part XIII: The 4% rule, withdrawal rates and how much can I spend anyway?
      • How I learned to stop worrying about the Fiscal Cliff and you can too.
    • ► November (2)
      • Rent v. owning: A couple of case studies in Ecuador
      • So, what does a month in Ecuador cost anyway?
    • ► October (4)
      • See you in December....
      • Meet me in Ecuador?
      • The Podcast: You can hear me now.
      • Stocks -- Part XII: Bonds
    • ► September (6)
      • Stocks -- Part XI: International Funds
      • The Smoother Path to Wealth
      • Case Study #I: Putting the Simple Path to Wealth into Action
      • Tales of Bolivia: Calle de las Brujas
      • Stocks -- Part X: What if Vanguard gets Nuked?
      • Travels in South America: It was the best of times....
    • ► August (1)
      • Home again
    • ► June (4)
      • Yellow Fever, closing up shop for the summer and heading to Peru y Bolivia
      • I could not have said it better myself...
      • Stocks -- Part IX: Why I don't like investment advisors
      • Happy Birthday, jlcollinsnh; and thanks for the gift Mr. MM!
    • ► May (6)
      • Stocks -- Part VIII: The 401K, 403b, TSP, IRA & Roth Buckets
      • Mr. Money Mustache
      • The College Conundrum
      • Stocks -- Part VII: Can everyone really retire a millionaire?
      • Stocks -- Part VI: Portfolio ideas to build and keep your wealth
      • Stocks -- Part V: Keeping it simple, considerations and tools
    • ► April (6)
      • Stocks -- Part IV: The Big Ugly Event, Deflation and a bit on Inflation
      • Stocks -- Part III: Most people lose money in the market.
      • Stocks -- Part II: The Market Always Goes Up
      • Stocks -- Part 1: There's a major market crash coming!!!! and Dr. Lo can't save you.
      • You can eat my Vindaloo, mega lottery, Blondie, Noa, Israel Kamakawiwo 'Ole, art, film and a ride on the Space Shuttle
      • Where in the world are you?
    • ► March (7)
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part V: Sold! and the taxman cometh.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part IV: I become a Landlord.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part III: The Battle is Joined.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part II: The Limits of the Law.
      • How I lost money in real estate before it was fashionable, Part I: Impossibly Naive.
      • You, too, can be conned
      • Armageddon and the value of practical skills
    • ► February (6)
      • Rent v. Owning Your Home, opportunity cost and running some numbers
      • The Casanova Kid, a Shit Knife, a Good Book, Having No Regrets, Dark Matter and a bit of Magic
      • What Poker, Basketball and Mike Whitaker taught me about Luck
      • How to Give like a Billionaire
      • Go ahead, make my day
      • Muk Finds Success in Tahiti
    • ► January (5)
      • Travels with "Esperando un Camino"
      • Beanie Babies, Naked Barbie, American Pickers and Old Coots
      • Selling the House and Adventures in Staging
      • The bashing of Index Funds, Jack Bogle and a Jedi dog trick
      • Magic Beans
  • ► 2011 (22)
    • ► December (1)
      • Dividend Growth Investing
    • ► November (2)
      • The Mummy's head, Particle Physics and "Knocking on Heaven's Door"
      • "It's Better in the Wind" or why I ride a motorcycle
    • ► October (1)
      • Lazy Days and School Days
    • ► July (2)
      • The road to Zanzibar sometimes goes thru Ecuador...
      • Johnny wins the lotto and heads to Paris
    • ► June (16)
      • Chainsaws, Elm Trees and paying for College
      • Stuff I’ve failed at: the early years
      • Snatching Victory from the Jaws of Defeat
      • The. Worst. Used. Car. Ever.
      • Top Ten reasons your future is so bright it hurts my eyes to look at it
      • The Most Dangerous Words Your Customer Can Say
      • How not to drown in The Sea of Assholes
      • What we own and why we own it
      • The Ten Sales Commandments
      • My ever so formal and oh so dry CV
      • How I failed my daughter and a simple path to wealth
      • The Myth of Motivation
      • Why you need F-you money
      • My short attention span
      • Why I can’t pick winning stocks, and you can’t either
      • The Monk and the Minister

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