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Here I am putting on a brave face in Romania back in June of 2023. It was one of my lowest moments.
I was laid up with vertigo and bummed because I couldn’t drive around exploring the Transylvanian mountains like I wanted to.
The Universe had been politely tapping on my shoulder for almost a year at that point, trying to tell me I needed a home of my own again.
Even though I wasn’t going to live there year-round. And even though it was going to be crazy expensive.
It’s been my experience repeatedly that the Universe can only tap politely for so long before it starts to kick your butt. e.g., I inexplicably came down with literal motion sickness.
That was when I stopped publishing content. But it took me another two years to sign a lease and buy a couch.
By then the Universe had done a lot of kicking: there were two bouts of COVID, one round of another unidentifiable throat infection that lasted over a month, and finally (the last straw) a raging attack-cat with dementia for a pet-sitting subject.
(I’m not even kidding! But Misha, darling, I know now that you were a gift from the Universe!)
I suppose I took so long to listen because I couldn’t figure out how I wanted my next chapter to look.
Here’s why I’m sharing this with you:
Because I know you’ve had your own version of hitting rock bottom.
It probably wasn’t vertigo in Romania. Or a deceptively cute feline assassin.
Maybe it’s burnout from hustling too hard. Or stress about finances. Or feeling untethered by your travels when you were supposed to feel free.
Whatever it is — I hope you’ll keep going. The overwhelm doesn’t last forever.
And if you need support? Send me a quick note. I help clients figure out their ideal travel pace, avoid burnout, and design nomadic lives that actually work long term.
You don’t have to do it alone. Or take two years of getting your butt kicked by the Universe to design your ideal travel lifestyle.
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The remedy probably isn’t as complicated as you’re afraid it is.
It only took me a couple months of resting in my new home to feel ready to plan another adventure. I’m off on a two-month, five-country trip in three weeks!
And I’m more fired up than ever to keep sharing what I’ve learned about making travel sustainable, exciting, and soul-filling.
So today, I’m leaving you with some unfiltered lessons from my decade-long nomad journey — the stuff I wish more people talked about:
#1 — Pace is everything.
I burned myself out trying to hit 5+ countries every year. Travel isn’t a competition. Find the rhythm that works for YOU. Revisit places that fill you up when you miss them. You don’t have to opt for a new country that’s not really calling you just because it adds to your tally.
#2 — Your pace will evolve.
The way you travel at 25 won’t be the same as the way you travel at 45. I’ve slowed down, because I realized that part of my definition of luxury is having more time to savor my destination. That’s not failure — it’s wisdom.
#3 — Stop spending miles on affordable economy flights.
If you spend even $2–3k/month and you fly solo, then you can collect enough miles to fly business class every time you fly internationally. Plus, the value of your miles is significantly higher if you spend them on long-haul business class flights. If you can, just pay cash for flights that are already affordable.
#4 — Travel to regions, not countries.
If you can work remotely, even temporarily, consider anchoring your plans around one aspirational destination, then branching out and visiting the surroundings while you’re there. It saves miles, money, and stress.
e.g., I turned a 3.5-week trip to the Seychelles into a two-month trip to Zanzibar & the Serengeti in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Madagascar, AND the Seychelles. The long-haul flights tend to be the most expensive part of a trip that far away, so why not stretch them to four countries instead of one?
#5 — Credit card cycling doesn’t kill your credit.
Done right, it actually builds your credit. The tricks are:
- Keep 1-2 “evergreen” cards open forever (mine are Amex Platinum + Chase Sapphire Reserve).
- Always pay on time (use autopay, set Google calendar reminders—whatever it takes to make sure you pay by the due date or before).
- Don’t carry balances (pretend your credit cards are debit cards and never spend more than you have in checking to pay the balance in full).
FYI, keeping an evergreen card matters because the average age of all your open accounts significantly affects your credit score. i.e., you don’t want to close EVERY card after only two years (my standard recommended timeframe).
Amex cards are perfect candidates for your evergreen account because you can only get the signup bonus for each of their cards one time anyway. And the slew of benefits you get with membership makes their cards pay for themselves.
Follow my three guidelines above and you’ll be golden. I’ve been opening 3-5 new accounts per year and closing 3-5 old accounts per year for almost 20 years. And my credit score is always over 800.
Agree? Disagree? Got a follow-up question?
Hit reply and tell me which one of these hits home for you.
Talk soon,
Layne Tisdel Martin
Chief Exploration Officer
✨ ICYMI – Travel Hack of the Season: Christmas House-Sitting Magic
While everyone else is booking overpriced holiday hotels or staying home by the fire, smart nomads know that Christmas is the best time of year to find incredible house sits.
Because so many homeowners want a sitter while they travel — and many sitters are with family — it’s a serious sitter’s market.
You can go just about anywhere in the world and hold out for dream properties: seaside villas, cozy mountain chalets, maybe even castles (hey, dream big, right?!).
If you’ve ever wanted to spend Christmas abroad without spending a fortune, now’s the time to start applying on Trusted Housesitters. <– Join through that referral link to get 25% off your annual membership!
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