Citizens of the World: A Stoic Podcast for Curious Travelers

Bean Town. Boston. Home of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. And also my home for awhile, both times as a student.  But this was years ago. That’s OK, some things in Boston haven’t changed in centuries. Today we are talking with Vanessa Bouvry, a Parisian who’s made her home in Massachusetts.  Vanessa is Associate Director of Program Development at my alma matter, Emerson College, where I got my MFA in...

Today I am back with THE History Fangirl, Stephanie Craig, a travel writer and an American expat/nomad based in Sofia. In the last episode, we talked a lot about cultural Bulgaria and its history. Today is a deep dive travel guide on everything you need to eat, drink, and do when traveling to Sofia, as well as day trips you can take. You’ll discover: * The best view in Sofia * Where to hang out at...

Bulgaria — is it on your travel list ? It’s on mine, especially its capital, Sofia, a city rich in Roman ruins and Byzantine architecture. If you’re a history lover who enjoys affordable travel and getting off the beaten path, then Bulgaria might be the place for you. Joining me today is Stephanie Craig, a travel writer and an American expat/nomad based in Sofia. She’s also one half of the Rick St...

I'm hearing people on the left and right grumble that the U.S. is going to hell in a handbasket. In this episode, I give my two cents on what patriotism really is and why we should stop letting the worst of us define who we are. Do you ever go blank or start rambling when someone puts you on the spot?  I created a free Conversation Cheat Sheet with simple formulas you can use so you can...

Did you study abroad? I spent a semester in London and it was one of the best times of my life. That experience definitely played a role in me moving to England permanently. But did you know that you can spend your entire university experience in another country? That’s what today’s guest did. I’m talking to my friend Candace Salter, a Florida gal who knew from the beginning that one semester abro...

Let’s talk about upgrading your weekends.  I learned about this concept from Laura Vanderkam, the time management expert you heard on the episode on how to Stretch Time so You Can be More Productive and Pursue What You Love. Laura says that having a great weekend requires some planning, even for free spirits who are up for anything.  Because a little structure can actually allow us to be more free...

Most of us still can't travel right now thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. So this should be the perfect time to plan for future travel and adventures abroad. For some, this means creating an online business that allows them to work from anywhere.  But...a lot of us are having a hard time focussing. There's a lot happening in the world right now. Plus, many of us are natural dreamers and/o...

Are you feeling the need for some community right now? Some levity? Some fun?  I have created a Facebook Group for us called Live Abroad and Love It (our first party is in a few days — details below). I have made some incredible friendships through this podcast and I want to meet more of you. This group is for serious travelers. The kind who would pack up and move to a new country for a few months...

Today I’m speaking with Crystal Davis, the Borderless Coach and founder of High Income Digital Nomad . Crystal’s mission is to help people build thriving and enjoyable businesses that let them travel and work remotely.  We get into the nuts and bolts of how to get up and running with a profitable online business right now. We discuss:  why conventional wisdom regarding online business keeps people...

Let’s move to Mexico, shall we? Specifically Playa del Carmen.  Great restaurants, bars, beach clubs, and easy access to nature and ancient UNESCO sites.  But the best part, is we’ll get to hang out with my friend Cristal, Dyer, also known as the Tofu Traveler, and one of my all-time favorite travel partners. On today’s episode, Cristal shares everything we need to know to have an epic holiday in...

We’re living through a global pandemic. It's okay to have down days and to be upset about the way things are. None of us want to be locked up in our house or to lose our job. But if we wallow in that negativity for too long, that doesn't mean we're going to get extra days in our life, right? We're not going to get bonus months at the end of our life because we survived lock dow...

Most of us dream about all the great things we could achieve if only there were more hours in the day.     Well, what if I told you time was more abundant than you think, and that we can actually stretch it?     My guest today is going to tell us how.     Laura Vanderkam is the author of several time management and productivity books, including Juliet’s School of Possibilities, I Know How She Does...

When you think of Ancient Greece, what do you think of?   Maybe philosophers wandering around ruins. But they weren’t ruins in 450 BC — nearly 2,500 years ago.   The temples were marble masterpieces painted vibrant colors. But the rest of the city was small, and even squalid.     Athens was never the richest or the strongest city, and yet it is the birthplace of theatre and philosophy and democrac...

Chances are, at some point in your life you’ve traveled with someone for so long you start to drive each other a little crazy, and you don’t really know why.   Spending every moment together can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be.   Assessments like Myers Briggs can make you a more compassionate person because you learn how we all see the world through a different lens. You start taking thing...

The COVID-19 coronavirus has upended most travel plans, at least in the short term. So what should you do ?   On this episode, I’m bringing back Phil Sylvester from World Nomads,  where I always buy my travel insurance, to talk about how to recoup your travel costs, why ‘cancel for any reason’ insurance might not be worth it, and other travel insurance queries.    And, I speak with my friend Toni...

How wonderful would it feel if you actually got stuff done? If you could make real progress on your eternally long to-do list?    If you’re feeling forever busy but aren’t achieving the goals you’re setting for yourself, stay tuned as I walk you through your 10-step productivity plan for overcoming overwhelm so you can live a life you love.   Visit postcardacademy.co for show notes .   *** I’m you...

This year, while planning out my goals, I first blocked out time on my calendar for travel, and the happy anticipation of these trips feels great! (postcardacademy.co for show notes)   But I’m in trouble because I just attended London’s Holiday and Travel Show, and now my travel list is twice as long!   In this episode, you’ll hear where you should head this year if you love nature and aren’t so b...

Postcard Academy listeners ask me how they can live abroad if they don’t have Italian blood, a foreign partner to marry, or a global corporation sponsoring them.    I believe the easiest way to make a life abroad and/or a location independent life happen for you is to create your own job that you can do from anywhere, and I especially love online courses as a business.    Natalie Sisson, who you h...

The other day someone told me that New Year’s depresses them. Another year gone by. That’s one way to look at it. But, a happier, more satisfying way to approach the New Year is to plan how we want to enjoy the rest of the years we have left.     This year on the Postcard Academy, I will be sharing more episodes on how we can live our best lives, and more specifics on how we can make living abroad...

Happy holidays! How are you celebrating?   I’m visiting my family in the States but always love hearing how people are enjoying the holidays in other parts of the globe. What are the traditions? What are the foods they’re eating?   So, I invited some of my favorite guests on this show to call in and tell me about Christmas in their adopted cities.     So tuck in, pour yourself some hot chocolate —...

If you’re a long-time listener, you’ve heard me mention Sarajevo before and how it completely transfixed me. I had the same feeling as when I saw the Roman forum for the first time. There was just something about the vibe of this place that transported me.     I became obsessed with Sarajevo and its history and felt so embarrassed that I knew so little about the war in the ‘90s before I traveled t...

At this time of year, a lot of Europeans like to fly to Spain's Canary Islands to catch a bit of sun.   But they’re not the only ones. Beach-loving digital nomads and location-independent entrepreneurs love Gran Canaria, the main island, especially the island’s capital city Las Palmas for its amazing weather, affordable living, and co-working spots.     Today I’m speaking with   Thorunn Jonsd...

“The monkeys wake me up every morning. There are parrots outside my window,” says Julie Sarver, an expat who moved from Portland to Nosara, Costa Rica. “that is so magical and wonderful.”   When you think of Costa Rica, do you usually think of a tropical rainforest with a cute toucan flying around? While you’ll definitely get the wildlife, Nosara’s vibe is more expat beach community.   On this epi...

Back by popular demand...   Happy Thanksgiving, U.S. listeners! This year about 54 million Americans will travel more than 50 miles during Thanksgiving, and most of these people will be driving, estimates AAA. However, it’s a myth that the day before Thanksgiving is the busiest travel day of the year (that honor actually goes to several weekends throughout the summer). But that’s not the only Than...

The Postcard Academy has gone bi-weekly this season as I prepare to launch The Podcast Launch Academy, the ultimate online podcasting course that has been my dream for awhile. But setting this up took a lot longer than I thought it would! I realize now this is mostly because I have been approaching starting this business with a ‘maximizer mindset.’   I’m reading 168 Hours by Laura Vanderkam in it...