Hey friends!
You’ve already heard why I almost deleted this website (burnout + vertigo in Romania 🙃)… and why I came back with a strong opinion about what “luxury” really means.
If you missed those, you can catch up on those blog posts here & here.
All that reflecting has me thinking about the topic of starting over in general.
So today I wanted to share…
What I would do differently if I were starting my nomad journey all over again.
Here are my top 2 things:
#1 — I wouldn’t wait so long.
I used to think full-time travel was impossible unless I had a big salary. So I delayed.
I missed chances to start living my dream because I didn’t realize that things like air miles, house-sitting, and work-trade could make travel cheaper than staying home and paying rent.
If I’d started earlier, I’d have had more years of memories, more stamps in my passport, and more freedom. Don’t make the same mistake.
#2 — I’d do more homework upfront on where I stayed.
Too many times I ended up in nightmare situations early on — unsanitary house-sits, unethical work-trade gigs, or canceled Airbnbs that had me rerouting an entire trip at the last minute.
All preventable.
Now I know how to spot the red flags before booking. That’s part of why I built my free + discount lodging course: because one bad stay can derail everything.
And I’ve learned how to spot them from ten miles away.
I share this because I know some of you are just starting your own journey into more travel, more freedom, and more adventure.
So maybe these two lessons can help you soar over some of the roadblocks I hit.
If you’ve got questions or an “a-ha” moment from this post, shoot me an email and tell me — I’d love to hear.
Badass travel hack of the month ✨
Rakuten is practically throwing air miles at us right now: they’re offering 5,000 American Express points (or $50 cash back, but the points are far more valuable) for you and 5k Amex points/$50 for a friend when you sign up by December 31.
Normally their referral bonus is only 3k Amex points or $30, so this is their richest offer ever.
AND you can get the bonus over and over again. Refer as many people as you like.
All you have to do:
- Sign up with my link.
- Add the Rakuten browser extension.
- Spend $50 online in the next 90 days (just have the browser extension turned on while you buy stuff you were already going to buy).
You’ll get 5,000 bonus Amex points or $50 back in addition to the normal points you earn from shopping (2-10x per dollar, depending on the store).
Then you can share YOUR referral link with all your friends and family to cash in when they join.
Rakuten partners with 3,500+ stores
These are retailers you already know and love — Sephora, Target, Macy’s, Lululemon, Best Buy, IHG Hotels, and so many more.
If you buy something like a sofa or another piece of furniture when Rakuten is offering 15x back, you could earn 65,000 Amex points from that one purchase. (Yes, your couch can fly you to Paris in business class.)
Currently they’re offering 15x at Neiman Marcus and 10x at LG, so opportunities like that are out there if you need to make a large purchase.
Here’s a sneaky extra
You can buy gift cards to bankroll the bonus if you don’t need anything right now.
Buy gift cards from individual stores that work with Rakuten and/or Rakuten is offering 2x points at Giftcards.com.
You can go there to get gift cards for restaurants and stores that aren’t on Rakuten.
Points stack on top of your credit card rewards, too.
So, for example, if you buy a gift card for The Cheesecake Factory on Giftcards.com, then you get the 2x Amex points from Rakuten AND the points awarded by whatever travel credit card you’re using (e.g. CapitalOne Venture offers 2 points per dollar on everything you charge).
You’re using a travel credit card, right?!
I’ve been able to visit 61 countries on all seven continents only by charging ALL of my purchases to a credit card that gives me air miles for every dollar I spend.
You can even use the Bilt Mastercard to get miles for rent payments with no added fees.
Cash vs points
You do you of course, just know that the points are far more valuable.
Why?
Because 120,000 American Express points can give you $1200 cash back. Or they can book you an $18,000 first class suite from New York City to the Maldives on Emirates Airlines. That’s 15x the value.
How to get Amex points from Rakuten instead of cash back
Go to Account Settings on Rakuten and select Membership Rewards® Points under How You Get Paid.
You’ll be redirected to the American Express website to enter your login details (username and password). Your account will connect after you enter your Amex credentials.
Then you’re all set!
What’s next in the world of Wanderluxed?
Next week I’ll be back with a piece called Hidden London: 11 Adventures You Won’t Find in Any Guidebook.
I fell in love with the capital of Old Blighty way back in 2014 and I’ve spent 3-9 months of every single year there ever since.
People ask why all the time and I’ve boiled it down to two words. Because these two things about it are unparalleled anywhere else on earth:
Theatre
Diversity
Those two glories will play a starring role in next week’s article.
You’ll find out how to go back in time to visit bygone Londons of the past, where to find all the other weirdos, and all the best alternative afternoon tea spots (High Chai, anyone?).
Talk soon,
