REALITY vs PERCEPTION - World Travel Don't be Caught Off Guard!

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Really Great Traveling Information! I am a Single, Senior, Disabled Female Traveler so I am forced to do things a little differently from what abel people can do. For me, I have longer stays in one place….usually about 1 month. That way I have more time in between to rest and figure out my daily strategy….example: where am I grocery shopping and how much can I buy? I am not able to carry groceries so I have a small cart with wheels that I travel with. Every movement for me must be thought out in explicit detail or I could really get physically hurt and God Forbid…end up in a hospital. The more details and strategy one is able to figure out during their travel, the more beneficial and fun your travel will be. As far as traveling as “Americans”, it really has to do with the individual attitude. What we put out is what we get back. Just be Kind, Patient, Observant and Respectful and you really should not have any problems. Thank You Brian and Carrie. ❤

Hi there! I am so happy to see that you are on your way to 50k subscribers! I remember watching you at 8k -12k and saying.. what? These folks are so helpful, down to earth, likable, funny, and interesting. They give us so much helpful and visually beautiful content re places we may visit or visit vicariously through them. Now, more people are listening and watching and learning. And it benefits everyone. Thank you, Brian and Carrie! -M

I'm from the UK and have been lucky enough to travel widely over the years. Wherever we go, my husband and I always comment that people's everyday lives are basically the same - work, family and just getting through each day. We're all more alike than different and we need to remember that 😊

Interesting reflections.. as the child of immigrants who went back home every few years.. I realized watching this how “sheltered / ignorant” Americans who have never traveled are…travel really shapes your world view, your perspective , your values. I’m sure you guys have learned so many lessons including “we are all human and want the same basic things”. Love watching your videos .. it gives me a break from what’s happening to my Palestinian people 😓

So much of what you say rings true for my husband and my experience also. We tell people all the time that you can actually have a more affordable life traveling than being in the states and doing the regular work life. We have been traveling off and on for increasing amounts of time since the 90s. Our first big trip was to Thailand for a month to rock climb. Then we did a more fast travel trip for about 6 months in 2007 (which helped us to discover slow travel is more our thing... 17 countries in 6 months will do that to you!). Then we did about 3 years in 2016. We were supposed to get back out there in 2020, but we all know how that went. So we shifted, bought a van and did some travel around the USA for a bit, landing in Montana for a year to do seasonal work. We are currently gathering ourselves to head out again. We want to do another El Camino again (part of the 2016 journey) and get back to Eastern Europe. Your videos on Turkey are inspiring to me, so who knows, maybe we'll include that into our Shengen shuffle. :) Thanks for your informative and inspiring content. We like to find folks to follow that are similar to us to keep us inspired and forward thinking to when we can be backpacking nomads again.

Love your videos! As a retiree with serious progressive health issues, travel for me is hard and requires intensive planning around medical issues and off ramps. Over the last few years, I’ve been working through my bucket list in the order of hardest first, slamming as much as possible through my health window before it closes. Minimalist packing is critical. Getting the pace right also. I alternate between bursts of intense inn-to-inn walking and cycling followed by “Chillin’ poolside” in an attractive base camp. Curveballs happen. If you don’t want to deal with them stay at home. Whenever they occur I take a deep breath and remind myself that curveballs come in two categories: those that can be solved with a credit card and those that require a hospital stay. Don’t sweat the first category. My general approach is to follow my curiosity, check out potential options online, experiment, and then iterate by dialing up what works well and dialing down my mistakes. I definitely feel the health walls closing in. Many of the things I might once have wanted to do are no longer realistic. But I’m still out there. Your videos are helpful reminder of what’s still possible, and an inspiration to go out and get it. Thanks!

The most important phrase to learn in any foreign language is, "Where is the toilet?"

This video was spot on. We were lucky enough to be able to sample alot of Asia from a 28 day cruise. It truly excited us to go back again soon. We have had nothing but wonderful experiences from school kids on a bus outside of Pompeii, to a group of school kids in Hanoi, to a butcher in Venice, and a police officer in Barcelona. Anytime we needed help with directions, all were willing to help us. Be kind, bottom line, a smile and a genuine kindness goes a long way. Also learn patience and grace, if you already don't practice them.

My first OS stint in the 80s I lived in Canada for 2 years . I was a long way from home ( Australia) and got homesick a bit. One of the most comforting things was hearing people mow the lawns on a Sunday morning which my dad used to do. Hearing the mowers start up was very soothing and reassuring to know that the world has some similar elements wherever you are.

Thank you for your time and posting. Again, great information. I think what works against Americans when they are abroad, isn't that they are Americans, it is the attitude they bring with them. I was a waiter at the Sheraton Mirage Resort in Port Douglas, Queensland Australia. And none of the Aussies wanted to wait on Americans. As for myself, 80% of Americans were not very nice, and 20% were great to wait on. On another note, 100% of the Japanese I waited on were fantastic. :) Great info on the VPN. When I started touring Europe in 1977, my backpack weighed 67 pounds (Kelty, steel frame :). I got to Amsterdam and met a couple with a baby traveling worldwide. They went through my pack and got rid of about 25 pounds of 'stuff' for me. They were super nice.

Hello you two. My journey starts in June, house is sold, been keeping Goodwill busy and just wrapping up my affairs. I have loved all of your videos but this one is off the charts. The info answered practically all of the unknowns I've had and squashed some stereotypes such as the language concern. You are both incredible for doing this and I am so appreciative to have found you. Every place I go to I will have a picture with my Two Thirsty shirt and find a way to send them to you.😊

Thx for this video. It was very interesting to see an honest summary about what travelling is really like.

It just wouldn't be Saturday without a great video from you guys. I'm super stoked for your 2024 plans, and won't miss an episode.

Thanks for the tips.. one big thing we’ve learned on our travels is to be aware of air pollution levels of the location we are going to. We’ve encountered an unexpectedly large number of unhealthy air days in the various locations we’ve been, to the point that this is one of the first things we check for now.

I travel long term and I agree that 4 months is my trigger point. Even for a few weeks at home makes a world of difference and able to recharge. 😊

Thanks for another informative video, Brian & Carrie.

There's nothing like real life experience to learn what works for you! I recently realized my travel habits have changed a lot since I started in 1994. Certainly technology and the Internet have made a difference but so have my preferences as I've gotten older. What worked for me when I was 33 doesn't suit me now at age 63. It's been a real eye opener to discover how the way I travel has changed and how I need to adapt going forward.

The pregame nerves and intimidation are very real. Having never been overseas our first month was in Italy. My stomach was all tore up leading up to it. When we got there we did have a couple days of issues like figuring out the trains and using our phones. But a couple weeks into it, we were the ones helping other travelers. There really is a quick learning curve. If I had it to do over again though we would have started out in a country where we know the language (like Spain) just to make it a little easier at the beginning.

Great video as always! Carrie, I have to say it again: your hair looks amazing.