Flightster

Travel Tips

The Carry-On Only Experiment, A Success

In a few days, I’ll be traveling from a still-wintry-in-April-Boston to a balmy, much more weather-agreeable Asia.

Hong Kong, Okpo, Seoul, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Agana and Tokyo–six cities, five countries, and thirty three days of meeting with real estate and relocation agents, dodging supermarket managers and scribbling down prices. The cost of an oil change, anyone? Women’s panties? Shot of espresso?

Here’s the best part. I won’t be checking any luggage.

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3 Steps to Language Hacking with Google Translate

As I deal with day to day life here in Costa Rica, I find myself needing to understand more and more things in Spanish. It’s true that we live in a world today where we can literally learn anything online.  While there’s no doubt that a few language tapes and courses would help ,I’m finding Google translate to be quite a good Spanish teacher. Fluency is definitely a goal of mine during my time here in Costa Rica, but I also have to deal with situations today and using Google translate has been helping to improve my Spanish rapidly.

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Traveling by Bus in Latin America? Dress for Winter

As budget travelers we’re often determined to the find the most cost effective way to get each of our destinations. In Latin and Central America that happens to be the bus.  But for anybody who has ever traveled on a bus in any of these countries you know it’s not for the feint of heart. If you’re not ok with a bit of discomfort I’d recommend you avoid the bus.  Our very own Colin Wright once thought he was going to die on a 72 hour bus ride. Why he decided to to embark on a 72 hour bus ride is beyond me, but we’ll save that for another day.

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4 Unexpected Ways That My Spanish Has Improved

Two weeks into my transition to the life of a digital nomad, I’m starting to believe that the best way to learn any language is to keep getting yourself into messy situation in the country you live. Amazingly enough, these situations cause you to really step up your game when it comes to your foreign language skills.  Every situation below caused me to dig deep into my memory banks for every little thing I learned in high school Spanish and as a result my Spanish improved a bit.

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Why Minimalism Makes Sense Complete Sense for Long Term Travel


I’ve never been much of a minimalist, and nowhere near a minimalist travel master. Over the last year I’ve observed the lives of digital nomdads like Colin Wright, Jenny Leonard, Sean Ogle, Cody Mckibben and the rest of the jet-setters on the rise and I finally am starting to see that minimalism makes complete sense for a long term traveler now that I’ve joined the ranks of the digital nomads.

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How to travel without kids


Somebody once asked me to write a post on traveling without kids and I thought “what is there to write? You just….go!” I’ve since learned that some of the things we’ve always done aren’t necessarily things other people do so I thought I’d share some of my ideas on traveling without kids.

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The Difference a Row Makes

Do I dare say that when I’m flying as a passenger I’d rather sit in coach? I’m sure you’re confused already.

I would rather sit in coach, as long as I have a row to myself. I know, that seems like a lot to ask, because you’re correct in saying “you can only expect that if you paid for all three seats.” But one of the beautiful things of being a non-rev is the occasional ability to chose your seat.

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How To Conquer Pre-Trip Anxiety

Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Ryan from RyanGoesAbroad.com

Let’s say you’re going abroad.

You’ve purchased the ticket and you’ve got a freakin’ departure date… all that is left is the passage of time before your adventure begins.

Except… the passage of time does something peculiar.

The Onset of Anxiety

More than just ticks on a clock, the passage of time does something to us psychologically as the moment of action approaches… It works something inside, making us anxious about what we are getting ready to do.

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The 20 Signs You’re a True World Nomad. Plus One More.

There are people that travel lightly and then there are people that travel veraciously. If you can answer yes to the following points, well then you’re not not just a noobie, but you’re a hard-core, border-crossing, story-filled world nomad. No ifs, ands, or buts. You’ve been around the block.
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A Beginner’s Guide to Surfing in Southern California

Editors Note: This post was co-written with Christy Woodrow from OrdinaryTraveler

So you’ve arrived in Southern California or you live here and you’ve decided that you want to learn how to surf.  I feel obligated to warn you that there’s a risk that your life as you currently know it will be over. Once you’ve experienced firsthand what it feels like to be  stoked, it will be the start of a lifelong journey in pursuit of that feeling and good waves.

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