Debt elimination for me was a matter of reducing amounts I owed without incurring any further debt. My method of choice was the snowball method. I purchased my home in 2006. I also had a rental property, a car loan, and a bunch of other debts totaling around $35K. Thankfully, I had no student loans …
My Route to 884 FICO and Zero Debt Before Leaving the States Read More »
Costa Rica sits near the top of just about all of my clients’ travel bucket lists. I made it a point to include the country on my itinerary for two reasons. One, so that I could become intimately familiar with more than just Guanacaste to better advise clients traveling to Costa Rica; two, to see …
Despite all the negativity in my prior post, Guatemala is not all bad at all.
Self-defense planning is just as important a part of travel as choosing your destination. Plan in advance and you won’t be caught completely unprepared or defenseless. And if you stay ready, you don’t have to get ready.
Two days was all I could take. I went to Antigua, Guatemala, for two weeks of total immersion Spanish tutoring–one on one, four hours a day, with a private room. Now, I know my expectations weren’t too high. I mean I didn’t expect top-notch accommodations at that price. I figured it’d be a typical school …
As the months until my departure turned into weeks, the countless tasks seemed overwhelming. Putting them in writing, then in order of priority was the only logical way to tackle them without things falling through the cracks. Here’s the outline for how I broke down my exit strategy. How much? Reduce expenses, determine current budget, …
Getting clear on current expenses, income sources, and future living expenses are all critical steps anyone seeking to travel or move abroad must take to make your next move your best move. For my travels, this was the one part I had together! Eliminate debt My first step was eliminating my debt and continually increasing …
Making the Numbers Work: Financial Planning for Global Travel Read More »
Moving down my pre-departure checklist I picked up my new international driving permit (IDP) today, and a friend asked what it is. If you’re unfamiliar with international driving permits, it is illegal to drive without a valid license in most countries, particularly those that do not recognize a U.S. drivers license at all. An IDP …
Thanks a lot, Philippines Air. You forced me to change my travel route … and made my plan far better. One of the most important things to know about travel is that you must be able to pivot on a pin and either adapt or otherwise manage those things over which you have no control. …
Guatemala Bound: Spanish Language Immersion at Ixchel Read More »
“This is an adventure. There are no stops.” –Train Boy, “Wendy” I spent my entire childhood and early adult years roaming across the southwest U.S. from California to Louisiana. I knew better than to think the world ended at the corner of my South Central L.A. block. Before I was 13 I’d been to …
