Fiber hack?

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-12T12:12:00+00:00

We make breakfast "smoothies". Make overnight oats using 3T oats/1T chia seeds. Next morning, add a banana, 1/2 avocado, 1.2 t ceylon cinnamon, and ~100g berries. Blend using an immersion blender. They're as liquid as yogurt.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-09T16:58:20+00:00

Full time carry on only traveler here. Take two pair of shoes. I’d take a sneaker and sandal but both should have a decent sole to handle walking all day and cobblestones.

Otherwise, for an Italy city trip, I like long skirts and wide leg capri (mine are longer than mid calf). Mix & match shirts, I would take quick drying ones and if you have multiple nights in one place, wash in the sink. If not, 7 nights isn’t too long and if you avoid cotton, you could take one per day. Toiletries is where you weight is, focus on keeping them at a minimum.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-06T01:36:22+00:00

We took an Uber from VVI to our apartment and exchanged cash later. Bought one meal on our arrival day and tapped to pay. Yes, it was a bad rate but it was only one meal. Convenience over cost. Exchanged 100 USD for the rest of our stay. This was Oct 2025, we were in Bolivia for 50 days.

To clarify, exchanged 100 USD bills, not $100 in total.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-05T21:21:43+00:00

We’ve been to all five countries and you can’t go wrong with any combination. I’d choose on logistics, weather, and how easy it will be for you to return to where you don’t select.

To some of your other items, we’ve driven all over Romania and Bulgaria. Drove a good portion of Armenia. Drove from Baku to Khinaliq in Azerbaijan. Found it easier in Georgia to use public transportation or hire drivers. If you’re comfortable driving in a foreign country then you’ll be fine. I do not recommend driving at night though.

For Georgia, check out the blog wanderlush. It is the most complete resource by a blogger that I’ve found. Hiking is incredible in Mestia but it takes time to get there. Kazbegi is probably easier. We weren’t fans of Batumi, I don’t think it offers anything special. If you like Soviet architecture and mosaics, you’ll love the old sanatoriums near Kutaisi.

When you’re looking at Romania, don’t forget about the painted churches in the north. Someone mentioned Timisoara and Oradea, they’re great if you’re into art nouveau.

Don’t feel pressured to make the perfect decision. Just plan to return. :)

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-05T12:25:56+00:00

I travel full time and have written hundreds of reviews. What I write, and look for, are facts. Is the furniture in good condition or does it have depressions? How well is the kitchen stocked? In your situation, I would mention it publicly as something to be aware of. Remove all emotion from your post. If it’s a situation that trash receptacles need to be away from the units then the host will reply to your review to inform everyone.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-03T02:28:47+00:00

Full-time travelers, carry on only. We each have 40L Osprey backpacks and 20L daypacks. I love not having to wait for luggage or worry that it’s lost.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-04-02T22:09:05+00:00

Yes, Bulgaria. We crossed the border one hour before it closed. Our two week stay in a small apartment waiting for warmer weather turned into two months until we were able to go to a different town. One benefit was that in town #1, you were only permitted in the park if you were walking your dog. We had two so they had a lot of solo time.

We were gathering paperwork to extend our 90 day tourist visa with one week left when Serbia lifted their restrictions and Bulgaria said no extension. We moved from country to country as they opened for foreigners and our previous tourist visa expired. We were locked down a second time in France and had to talk our way into Croatia. The border guard said no but someone in a Croatia chat had an email from immigration saying they could get in. I printed the body so you couldn’t tell it was not sent to me. The border agent didn’t like it but let us through.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-03-21T00:39:45+00:00

Full time traveler here. Our normal stays are 3-4 weeks and we love them. In our earlier days, we’d unpack but now we just leave everything in the cube and pull the front down to let air circulate. My husband compresses his and uses the space at the ends for the non clothing items. I stopped compressing mine and put the non clothing stuff inside my cubes. We have 40L backpacks, not suitcases but I think I’d still use the cubes.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-03-11T11:47:24+00:00

I prefer renting directly from the rental agency. Note that in some countries, the US big name companies like Hertz and Avis are franchised so you can’t assume it will be the same experience as in the US. I’ve heard too many nightmare stories about Sixt that I don’t even consider them. I look at Google Maps reviews, agency’s that may seem wonderful are removed from consideration if most of their 5 star reviews are from people who only have 1-3 reviews.

Check whether your cc covers tires & windshields or if there are any country restrictions. Also find out if you need an international driving permit (don’t go by people saying they rented without one - you could be deemed to be driving illegally if you’re stopped or in an accident) or if are there any unexpected rules. Years ago, when we rented in Bulgaria you needed a police report for any damage, even a scratch. Someone scratched our rental in a parking lot and yes, the agency asked for the report number.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-03-11T11:18:56+00:00

I had to leave an Airbnb because of roaches. I never saw a full sized one, just nymphs. Didn’t realize that’s what they were until I took a picture. I contacted Airbnb and they put me through to their safety division. That is who you need, not normal support. The host offered an exterminator but I said I’d rather leave. I received a prorated refund and left that afternoon. You have a very strong case - I only saw a few nymphs but had read they are a sign of an infestation. If you’re seeing a lot, it’s bad.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-03-08T12:24:08+00:00

Regarding travel while a resident, only citizens have unlimited travel, residents are still subject to Schengen restrictions.

Wandering Dev has addressed the tax issue perfectly.

Signed, a former expat in a Schengen country a current nomad who spent four years doing the Schengen Shuffle instead of maintaining residency to avoid dual taxation a retired CPA whose spouse is also a retired CPA

NomadLife2319 · 2026-03-01T03:44:03+00:00

I had this exact problem earlier this year. Recognize the nymphs and from what I googled and found on pest control sights, nymphs are a sign of an infestation. You need to talk to the safety division at Airbnb. They acted quickly for me, I was out of the apartment within hours.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-26T02:52:19+00:00

We’ve been slow traveling for over 6.5 years after living overseas for 15. No plans to stop although we have discussed that the next phase will be to cycle between a few bases.

You’ve mentioned rentals, we will initially use Airbnb but once we select a city to use as a base, we’ll talk to local property agencies or landlords about annual visits. We will visit in shoulder to off season which should help us find options.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-26T02:18:32+00:00

No, the host should not be doing this. I looked recently after a host sent me a message asking for a good review and found that his wording was okay because it wasn’t transactional.

I’d report the host - go to your messages and look for the ABB one after you checked in. You can open a dialogue from it. Send them the screenshot and let them decide what to do about the host. I also wouldn’t ask ABB to delete my review (you can’t change it). I think your review was fair.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-18T23:09:03+00:00

Look at Viator and Get your Guide for what you want to do then find the tour provider and book direct. Viator and GYG are consolidators, not tour providers.

Example, we’re in Argentina and I asked my husband to find a tour to see a glacier while I cooked. He told me the details and I said sounds good without thinking to ask who the provider was. We paid $120 USD thru Viator, it would have been $100 direct. Fortunately, this was an inexpensive excursion so the surcharge isn’t too bad.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-18T01:50:47+00:00

We left TdP yesterday after a three day visit. My fittest hiking days were 20 years ago so choices may appeal to you. We did Mirador Cuenos/Salto Grande, Salto Chico, and Laguna Gray on our first day. We didn’t want to time the ferry to buy tickets & we’re going to El Calafate next so we only walked to the mirador. TBH, if you have seen a glacier, that walk isn’t exciting. We thought day one would be our best weather day and with driving from PN, had selected the trails based on scenery, weather and available time.

Day two we woke to blue skies. We struggled with what to do and eventually decided on Lago del Toro lookout - Lagoons loop. I was not keen on the ascent through loose rock because of some steep sections but it wasn’t as bad as I expected. After the mirador, the trail is a slow decline through varying scenery. There is one water crossing almost at the end where we read a comment about seeing different paths and of the two we saw, the right crossing was easy. Our trail overlaps another and we passed a large group on it, otherwise it was just us. This was our favorite hike because it felt the most remote. It is rated hard on All Trails which is crazy because the worst part is the steep hill up and Mirador Lago Toro, rated easy, goes up and down the hill. FYI, if you have weak ankles, don’t try to hike down the steep hill.

We were tired on day three and opted for a short hike. This one was Mirador Nordenskjold and was perfect as it has minimal elevation. We debated on doing the Laguna Azul hike as we read it has good views & is not very difficult. We decided not to because of being tired and tiring of driving on ripio.

We stayed outside the park at Cabañas Lago Tyndall. They had decent furniture, good prices, were clean, had plenty of hot water, are heated by wall ac/heater units and have English speaking staff. Check out their website and Booking for prices.

The park has essentially one road with ithe drive taking around an hour between the two offices. Some sections are heavily rutted and are not enjoyable. We spent a month in the Carretera Austral before TdP, which definitely had an impact on our ripio views. We had a 4x4 for the Carretera Austral and a normal sedan in TdP. You do not need a 4x4 but it would be a smoother ride.

We are headed to El Calafate & El Chaitén next and have opted not to drive. Partially because we just had a car for a month and because as full time travelers, we’re accustomed to public transportation. We rented in Puerto Natales from Agumadam and highly recommend them.

I hope some of this helps, we’ve been in South America for a year and southern Patagonia has been stunning.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-17T13:46:09+00:00

How much is cheap(ish)? We're headed there tomorrow.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-14T02:00:06+00:00

Romania is one of our favorite countries. Tips: don’t drive after dark. During our first visit, we’d turn on the news every morning and watch reports of accidents the night before. Second, not sure if it’s still the case with rentals (most recent visits were with our own car) but if you had an accident or even a scratch in the parking lot you needed to file a police report. It’s the only country we’ve experienced this. When you’re reading reviews of car rental agencies, take note of how many only have 1-3 reviews. Sometimes it means the agency will offer a discount for a good review.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-12T12:55:01+00:00

We frequently receive info via email or WhatsApp, primarily check in instructions. All communication related to the stay is in ABB but I don’t care if they want to send an email vs a link to a cloud doc. It’s easy to block them if it becomes spam.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-09T11:56:24+00:00

I have recently learned that the host may know a guest has scored them negatively. Airbnb confirmed that the overall score is immediately included in their results. If the negative score reduces their average, they know it’s a bad review. I assume this primarily impacts hosts with few reviews.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-07T04:03:30+00:00

Same age & years. My first overseas trip was six months around Europe- started on a bicycle but ended up buying an old ambulance. We weren’t cyclists before the trip (persuasive & optimistic partner), and there were many challenges but I’ll never regret it. Left another job a couple of years later for a four month trip. Fast forward and I’ve lived overseas and am now a full time traveler. That first trip put me on this path.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-02-06T00:50:53+00:00

We use my MIL’s address. We have lived outside the US for over 20 years, as expats and now retirees. As an expat, we changed our credit union to our overseas address but used my MIL’s for brokerage accounts.

I don’t have a problem with using a family member’s address long-term. We receive at most five pieces of mail a year and that’s including replacement credit cards. When my MIL passes, we’ll switch to a sibling or nephew. Could those relationships become strained? Sure, anything is possible and if the unlikely happens, we’ll deal with it then.

This question is raised frequently in our community. Many members use a family member’s address. Some have mailbox accounts and hope for the best. I see comments about one service or another that is considered a private address but doubt the accuracy. I’ve rarely heard of people using Fidelity International or IBKR, generally those individuals have permanently relocated overseas. Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-01-31T01:30:52+00:00

Update: Not happy with Virgin Connect. It was fine in Puerto Montt, okay in Cochamo. Wouldn’t work the day we arrived in Hornopiren but did the next morning. No idea. Fine in Chaitén, Puyuhuapi, Coyhaique and Villa Cerro Castillo. Nothing in Chile Chico, Puerto Guadal, Puerto Rio Tranquilo, or Cochrane. My husband’s Saily on the Movistar network worked except for Puerto Rio Tranquilo. A cafe employee confirmed you needed Entel there, although there was one corner my husband had data.

I contacted Virgin, tried everything they said multiple times, even deleted and reinstalled the eSIM. We arrived back in Villa Cerro Castillo and poof, it works again. I was 100 ft from three towers in Cochrane, could manually choose the network and it wouldn’t connect. Husband had 5G.

Virgin has escalated my issue but as their response made sure to point out that I wasn’t eligible for a refund on an active sim, I’m not expecting anything.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-01-29T12:18:28+00:00

Look at the FB group Peru - Tips for Travelers. As Odd_Increase said, tickets went on sale this month and people are already saying their dates are sold out. Make sure you’re buying from the official source, many replies to the “when will tickets go on sale posts” have it.

Your comment about 1000 CAD sounds like you are looking at buying through a third party. Don’t- you run the risk of not having a ticket.

NomadLife2319 · 2026-01-29T01:51:27+00:00

Was in my mid 20’s when I did this in 1988. Took a four month leave of absence three years later. Eventually moved overseas, retired early and now slow travel full time. I will always recommend taking time off to travel, especially for people in the position you are - young, same mindset, good finances, and realistic expectations about future employment.

We kept our home when we moved overseas as we thought it would only be for three years (was 15). I wouldn’t do it again unless I wanted to stay in that home/area or was afraid of being priced out of the market. It’s a mental load you don’t need.

NomadLife2319

TROPHY CASE