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How to Score Free Nights at Hilton!
Ok, the headline is cringe-worthy. But the tips below are real. Earning Hilton free nights with the AmEx Hilton Surpass card There are several Hilton-branded credit cards that offer nice signup bonuses from time to time. Stuart signed up for the Hilton Surpass American Express card in mid-2024. We earned 130,000 Hilton Honors points plus…
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Less Is More: How We Packed for Nine Months of Overseas Travel
When we tell people that we traveled the world for almost nine months, the thing that people seem to have the most trouble understanding is how we possibly could do it with only carry-on luggage. That’s right – we packed for nine months of travel in varying climates without a single checked bag. How on…
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Saving Money as Global Slowmads: Our 2025 Points and Miles Year in Review
We have a working hypothesis that it would be less expensive to sell everything and slow travel the world on a long-term basis than it is to live in most places in America as retirees these days. In 2025, we had a chance to test our hypothesis during 8.5 months of continuous travel in Europe…
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The Last Days of Hong Kong
Hong Kong is disappearing. Not literally, of course. This “special administrative region” of China squeezes more than 7.5 million documented residents into a territory of approximately 430 square miles, making it the most densely populated metropolitan area in the world. If anything, Hong Kong continues to get even more congested over time, a fact which…
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You Don’t Have to Be Type A to Enjoy Taipei
Taipei forces you to slow down. There aren’t many world-class museums or other must-see attractions, so there is no reason to pack your schedule and rush around from one activity to the next. It’s more about trying tasty new treats, getting in touch with nature and living in the moment. That’s also why Taipei is…
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Five Nights in Bangkok: There Be Sewer Dragons
Ok, technically they were water monitor lizards. And the city’s official position is that the ponds in Lumphini Park do not contain raw sewage, only excess algae that results in an unattractive surface foam and a foul odor. But the prehistoric critters might as well be baby dragons when they are three feet away. And…
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Don’t Fear the Siem Reap-er . . . But Maybe Skip the Mealworms
My visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia, coincided with a brief cease-fire from the nearby border conflict with Thailand that has been on-again, off-again for decades. To say that Cambodians harbor a grudge against their more prosperous and well-known neighbors would be an understatement. I was repeatedly informed during my stay that Muay Thai kickboxing, Thai…
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Building Utopia in Singapore: We Can All Learn a Lot from the Little Red Dot
If I were to design my ideal city, it would look something like this: What I’ve just described is the modern city-state/country of Singapore. It’s my new favorite spot in the entire world. My love affair with the Little Red Dot caught me by surprise. Until recently, all I knew about the place is that…
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Bali-fornia Dreamin’: Beaches, Temples and Poop Coffee in Indonesia
The island of Bali long ago earned a reputation as a relaxing, tropical paradise for surfers, spiritual trekkers and eco-adventurers. More recently, it has become (in)famous for overtourism and traffic congestion, so I was prepared for the worst. However, after having spent the prior week in Phuket, my Bali experience felt like travel easy mode.…
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Homeward Bound and the Future of the Blog
After more than eight months of nonstop travel, completing a full circle of the globe and visiting 21 countries along the way, I finally am heading back to Tulsa. Regular readers who also have been following my (mis)adventures on social media may realize there are several destinations I still haven’t written about yet – one…
Welcome to Our Blog!
After achieving financial independence and retiring early in October 2023, we decided to pursue our dream to sell, donate, trash or store all our belongings and slow travel around the world. Our next big step is a 9-month trial run in Europe. We are excited for you to join us on our global slowmad journey.
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The Global Slowmad 