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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
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Phuket About It: Elephants, Wookies and Sunsets
Phuket (pronounced “poo-ket” – because you might as well ignore some consonants when your language has 32 different vowel sounds) is a cluster of tropical islands located on the west side of the narrow strip of land that connects mainland Thailand to Malaysia on the Andaman Sea, due east of Sri Lanka and about halfway
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I Don’t Practice Santorini: 48 Hours on an Island Paradise
You’re not coming to Santorini for the history or the culture. You’re here for one reason and one reason only: the view. Santorini delivers. You might even say the view is . . . wait for it . . . sublime. You’re welcome. If you somehow are still reading, there are a few things you
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Fake Plastic Palm Trees: 72 Hours in Doha, Qatar
Doha has one of the world’s best airports. There’s no good reason to venture beyond it. Ok, that might be a slight overstatement. I will concede that Doha might appeal to the same people who go to Phoenix in summer for the weather or who really like Plano, Texas. It’s asphalt, concrete, glass and luxury
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Colliding Worlds Part 2: Istanbul Can Feel Like a Turkish Prison
My last post shared some of the many “delights” from my week in the cultural melting pot that is Istanbul. But as George Costanza taught us in a memorable Seinfeld episode that also involved a Turkish prison hypothetical, colliding worlds can be problematic. For starters, nothing in Istanbul is easy. I was there in shoulder
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Colliding Worlds Part 1: Istanbul Is a Turkish Delight
One could argue that Istanbul is the most strategically important city in the history of the world. Sitting at the crossroads (technically, straddling a strait) between Europe and Asia, it has long been a major port and trade route. It was a leading center of commerce and military entanglements during multiple empires – Persian, Greek,
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Nothing to See Here, Folks: Three Days in Prishtina, Kosovo
Kosovo is the newest country in Europe and one of the youngest in the world, having only declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Kosovo is a teenager. It’s still finding itself. The bus ride from Tirana was a beautiful if somewhat unsettling journey. The Tirana East Gate bus station has no useful signage and
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Future Nostalgia: The Etch-a-Sketch City of Tirana, Albania
If Athens is all about ancient history, Tirana is all about the very near future. Tirana seems eager to erase its past, and for good reason. Tirana was never a particularly important city before being named as the capital of Albania when the country declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. But even
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Athens: Birthplace of Democracy or the Epitome of Chaos?
Athens International Airport is nowhere near the city center. That’s a problem. A taxi costs between $45 and $60 and takes 45 minutes or more, with no guarantee of air conditioning or safe driving. Uber in Athens is just a slightly more convenient way to access the taxi network. In theory, the M3 metro line
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Strange Bedfellows: A Poorly Informed Tourist’s Simplistic and Likely Incorrect Take on the History of Hungary
“Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows.” — William Shakespeare Never fear – I wasn’t miserable at all in Budapest. In fact, I was quite fascinated with the city and can’t wait to return. The architecture is truly stunning. The food is outstanding and affordable. The tourist crowds are manageable. It is a notoriously diverse
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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