Travel Nesting
Slow travel for introverts who want to go all the places and...do very little when they get there.
​What do you do when you long to travel, or even just crave a little more excitement in your life, but...you don't really like leaving your couch?
(Or even, for that matter, putting on pants?)
Personally, I just go places and:
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Stay a nice, long while - 1 to 3 months
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Get comfy..in my rooms, in my neighborhoods, in my favorite coffee shops
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Live my normal life: work, cook, do laundry, run errands (All the boring stuff I’d do at home...with an upgraded backdrop.)
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Sometimes I try new places, other times I return to my favorites.
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I do this over and over again, all year round (you don't need many clothes when you don't get out much).
​I call it travel nesting.
(And I LOVE it.)
​It's often even cheaper than living in the States!
​True, sometimes your lodging is a tiny studio overlooking Paris rooftops , but other times it could be a sunny one-bedroom apartment with a balcony in Athens or a thoroughly modern unit in Antalya, Turkey.
This is the situation:
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No car payments or insurance
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Rent for well under $1,000 a month in places like Athens
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All utilities are usually included
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You can sometimes even use your Netflix subscription
Even better, when just getting out at an exotic airport or train station is enough to make you swoon, or doing your dreaded grocery shopping leads you to enormous vats of spices, life becomes a whole new level of exciting.
And the food...my God, the food. I admit to choosing destinations for the local food. And why not, when you can find it ready-made in shops or in the frozen section at the supermarket? Plus, a street food festival is even worth putting pants on for.
​At least...if it's, like, not too far.
If you think moving your normal routines to fascinating locations sounds like it might be interesting (and let's face it, doing laundry is a lot more fun when it's drying on a balcony in Crete...except when the wind kicks up, sigh), you may want to browse through the rest of the website to see how I go about it.
​Even if you prefer to go different places and do different things, which is only natural, some of the information could still be helpful.
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(Details on related pages)
Long-term travel is not just for the super-rich or trust-fund kids, it’s perfectly affordable when you do it right. When you’re not hopping cities like you’re in an action movie chase scene, your costs nosedive.
Managing long-term travel funds isn’t rocket science. You just live like you’re at home – though you’ll probably enjoy your meals more in the long run.
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Rent by the Month: The golden rule. Monthly apartment rentals have steep discounts. Plus you get bonus perks: a kitchen, and sometimes a couch.
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Embrace the Local Grocery Store: Dining out all the time is like setting cash on fire, even in most cheaper countries. However, supermarkets are a cultural adventure where you leave with food to cook at home that is both cheap and delicious (even when you don’t know what everything is).
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Become a Public Transit Pro: Taxis and Ubers add up fast. Master the local bus or metro and you’ll save enough for extra pastries. Plus, it’s great for people-watching—without people-talking, mercifully.
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Watch Out for ATM & Bank Fees: Foreign ATMs and currency exchanges can really nibble away at your balance if you’re not careful. Get cards with no international transaction fees before you leave home and try to find ATMs with the lowest fees.
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Notify Your Bank Before You Travel: Even if your bank says it's not necessary, ask them to please make a note in your account. Few things are more stressful than a frozen debit card in a new country. Tell your bank where you plan to go, and make sure your cards don’t expire mid-trip.
Managing cards and cash abroad is one part good habits, one part avoiding rookie mistakes.
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Have at least two debit/credit cards from different banks in case one screws up (it happens).
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Pay in local currency to avoid sneaky higher fees.
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Carry backup cash, the cheapest eateries are often cash-only.
Stretching Your Budget Without Sacrificing Comfort
Frugal doesn’t mean flavorless. Being smart lets you spend on what you truly enjoy (like that weird local museum or a bottle of actual wine—not "wine product").
In a Nutshell
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The Sacred Rules of Not Going Broke Abroad
A Crash Course in Card Smarts
