travelhack

Countdown New Zealand Day 2

06/04/2020 by John Leave a Comment

This is a series of posts that will log some of my thoughts in the month leading up to my moving back to New Zealand.

We’re in Los Angeles. For the next eight hours. Here is my advice to you: do not fly unless you absolutely have to.

Our first flight of the day was from Philadelphia to Chicago. Almost every seat was full. No way to social distance and very few people felt that the crew member instructions to exit the plane by rows from front to back applied to them. Next, we flew from Chicago to LA. The guy in front of us didn’t wear a face covering the whole flight and was coughing and blowing his nose.

Thanks to having the right credit card, we are now relaxing in the United Club Lounge where there is virtually nobody else. It is an eerie contrast to the flight we were just on. Yes, the haves are not traveling while coach is packed with the have-nots.

On the plane, I listened to the Coronavirus NZ podcast . One of the guests said that only 201 exemptions had been granted to the New Zealand travel ban. I feel much gratitude to be included in that number.

Mini-Retirements

02/03/2017 by John 2 Comments

I am back to a work schedule that more closely mirrors that of the majority of people in the United States: 5 days and 40+ hours a week. Fortunately, I get to do this while living on a subtropical island on the edge of Everglades National Park. I will be here until the end of April, recharging my road weary batteries and reloading the bank account before heading back to Spain for another mini-retirement.

Consider this:

Just taking a career break or sabbatical for six months would allow you to travel the equivalent of the average American’s 13 years of vacation time (at two weeks per year), and a one-year sabbatical would be equal to 26 years worth of travel and vacation.

Ryan Shauers in Big Travel, Small Budget: How to Travel More, Spend Less, and See the World

Life is short, and there is no guarantee any one of us will make it to that mythical day when we can use our hard-earned savings to take the trip of our dreams. Besides, even if we do, by the time retirement rolls around our bodies might not be in the optimal condition to get the most out of it. Myself and many others are by-passing the traditional route and spreading out retirement over the course of our lifetime, taking advantage of doing things now instead of waiting for a far-flung someday.

So ask yourself, what are you waiting for? What is 13 to 26 years worth of vacation worth to you?

Hotel Dirtbag

05/30/2015 by John Leave a Comment

Last night our “campsite” had a full kitchen and a 32 inch flat screen TV. We didn’t exactly dirtbag it in the traditional sense, but still managed to spend a night on the road for free. A campsite would have cost us at least $15 dollars and we would have had to endure a not so restful night of thunder and rain, but our suite with a king size bed and hot shower did not cost us a dime.

I’ve long been curious to explore the world of travel hacking and now it is finally paying off. The cost of the room was taken care of by using IHG Rewards Club points gained through a credit card signup bonus. It would normally cost $97, but was ours for a mere 5000 points. The basics of travel hacking involve using airline, hotel, and credit card points and mileage programs to your advantage to gain free or inexpensive flights and hotel rooms. If you’d like to learn more, I would recommend checking out the following resources to get started.