[NN1] What I miss while traveling
Originally emailed to subscribers September 24, 2024. If you’d like to get these issues a few days before they’re posted here, be sure to sign up! New issues come out every Tuesday.
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Hey there, Wanderers!
So I’ve been traveling full-time for about 2.5 years now. There’s lots of great things about traveling (which is why I keep doing it) but there’s also some downsides. Like, eventually I end up missing certain things about home! It’s not being homesick, necessarily, it’s more missing the familiar. Just a little.
One of the things that I miss most about the US (my home country) is the food. I’m not even talking about fast food or certain restaurants: I mean stuff like sharp cheddar cheese and taco seasoning.
I’m one of those people who crave their familiar homey recipes and can’t just eat local food all the time– which means I often spend more on Western restaurants and imported groceries to satisfy my need for cheese and potatoes. Luckily most cities have at least SOME things I can use to make familiar favorite foods, even though I might have to substitute something. It does mean I’ve gotten very good at making recipes that are “close enough”!
That’s honestly why I spring for a proper apartment when I travel. I need a decent kitchen! I need to be able to cook my own stuff and have a stash of imported cream of mushroom soup. Happily enough, it’s very easy to get a nice apartment for under $1,000 USD in most of Southeast Asia, and the rest of my budget goes to finding my favorite foods.
I’m currently in Vietnam trying to figure out a substitute for Mrs Dash, as I ran out of mine two months ago. (Any ideas?) I still have quite a bit of Old Bay seasoning left! Otherwise I might be in real trouble.
See what other things I miss about the US here. It’s not all food!
Do you miss stuff about your home country when you travel? Hit reply and let me know!
New Adventures on the Blog
Here’s what’s new and updated on Just Gone Wandering this week!
- Ultimate Guide to Ha Giang Loop Tours – The Ha Giang Loop is an amazing experience in Northern Vietnam. Traditionally you’d go around on a motorcycle (either your own or on the back of a driver’s), but there’s actually several non-motorcycle options for people who prefer something else!
- What to Pack for a Ha Giang Loop Easy Rider Tour– You don’t need anything particularly special, but you might need more than you’d think.
- Street Art Spotlight: Singapore – Surprise! Singapore actually has some lovely public art, including amazing murals in some of their historic neighborhoods.
- Betel Box Backpackers Hostel Review – A review of my favorite hostel in Singapore, which I’ve stayed at 3 times so far.
- 11 Foods to Try in Singapore – One of the best things about visiting Singapore is all the great food available! Here’s some of my suggestions of what to try on your next visit to this amazing country.
Wanderlust Finds from Around the Web
Looking for more nomadic lifestyle inspiration? Check out these awesome reads from fellow travelers:
- How to Be a Good Nomad from Eat Walk Learn – Great advice from a long-time nomad.
- 9 Must-Know Safety Tips for Digital Nomads and Adventurous Travelers from Grateful Gnomads – Good overview of safety concerns specifically for digital nomads.
- Getting Around Anaheim, CA as a Visitor Without a Car from Katelynn Out Loud – I’m from Anaheim and I was so happy someone actually talked about public transit options as a tourist!
- 30 of the Best Women’s Solo Travel Tips From Our Readers (August 2024) from Journey Woman – Love getting advice from fellow solo female travelers!
Podcast of the Week
I’ve really been enjoying Too Many Tabs, a podcast where a husband-wife duo basically info-dump at each other about interesting topics. They recently did an episode about Charles Ponzi, the guy who gave his name to the Ponzi Scheme scam–who I didn’t even realize was a real person! They’ve also done episodes about Joel Osteen, Bette Davis, Dr. Bronners and lots more! It’s funny and informative, my two favorite things.
Check out the podcast here or go directly to the Ponzi episode on Youtube here.
Quote of the Week
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
(Sidenote: there’s a Flaubert museum in Rouen that I nearly visited, but didn’t. Did I miss out? Should I go back??)
Travel Resources for the Road
Here are some of my favorite travel tools for life as a nomad:
- 📱 Airalo for eSIMs, especially if you’re traveling very quickly through a region and just want 1 SIM instead of 4
- 🗺️ Get Your Guide for tours, attraction tickets and more
- 🚂 RailEurope for booking train tickets (in Europe obviously)
- 🐈 Trusted Housesitters for petsitting in exchange for accommodation
- 🧑🌾 Workaway for free accommodation in exchange for helping out (mostly in rural places)
- 🧑⚕️ VisitorsCoverage for health and trip insurance
Happy Wandering,
Anastasia Finch
P.S. I put together this Digital Nomad Toolkit with a bunch of resources on saving money, planning your travels and getting free accommodation. It’s free! If you download it, let me know what you think? I want to start working on the 2025 edition and need feedback on this one!
