The Sauntering Slowmad
Slow travel with one way tickets and a dream
I’m a semi-retired artist / photographer / videographer of no fixed address, getting by on a beer budget by using travel hacks. I’d love to share how easy this could be for you, too. Get ready to pack your bags!
About this blog
Here you’ll find a mix of posts, including philosophies about living life unapologetically, observations from each country I visit, plus practical travel advice.
“Travel is fatal to prejuidce, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of [men] and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.” — Mark Twain
“I didn’t say half the shit the internet says I did.” — also Mark Twain
Royal Palace, Turin, Italy
Blog posts
Switzerland
I had arranged a two month house-sit through a family connection located in the outskirts of Geneva, looking after an elderly lab named Skeena. I was looking forward to staying put for a bit as I don’t have a lot of energy on the best of days, and I was exhausted from the previous few months of packing and emotional goodbyes.
Shine on, you crazy glimmer
Ever felt joy wash over you, seemingly out of nowhere, even while doing something ordinary? That’s a “glimmer.” It’s a term I just learned, and I’m glimmering about it.
Cinque Terre and Turin
We drove to the Mediterranean coast to Lerici, a town south of Cinque Terre. Not officially in the “five lands” but that’s a good thing, as there aren’t swarms of tourists covering every square foot of cobblestone.
Tuscany week one
Although my final destination was Tuscany, I flew to Rome since it was much more affordable than Florence. I decided to make the most of it, and overnight there to get a taste of this historical city.
The Ethics of Ethical Travel
I was all gung-ho to start this blog in order to encourage people to retire early and travel the world. Then I read an article about thousands of Barcelona residents protesting over-tourism because of its negative effects on their quality of life. It gave me pause.
Egypt
Walking out of the airport near midnight I was greeted by a warm breeze and a swarm of taxi drivers. An airport official was barely containing the mob behind their “line” with harsh words and a stick.
What is a slowmad?
Slow travel is the opposite of being a typical tourist. Instead of staying in a large famous city for two nights with a packed itinerary and then moving on to the next city or country, slowmads will park their butts in the same place for weeks or even months.
Scared? Do it anyway.
Courage is being scared and doing it anyway. You may have your own list of what requires bravery. Everyone is different, and everyone gets scared, trust me.
How it all began
In the past four years I’ve lived through a pandemic (solo), a devastating heartbreak, a job layoff, a reno-viction from my apartment, three close friends moving away, two cancer scares and my horse dropping dead. At one point I realized if a clown had invited me into the woods, I would have just gone.
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