Nothing quite says "bucket list" like a cruise to Africa.
10.08.2024 - 11:23 / insider.com / El Greco
At the age of 63, I was bankrupt and in foreclosure. I had less than nothing because I owed money to a friend. All I had were my pensions. I knew I could never afford to retire in the US.
I felt like it wasn't my fault. I'd worked in Hollywood as an assistant director for 20 years. Then, I moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where I planned to grow my nest egg by investing in rental properties while selling real estate.
That worked until the housing market crash of 2008 . My properties went underwater to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. My income from real estate sales dried up completely. My brokerage went out of business.
I took my Social Security pension early. Another pension from my work in Hollywood would kick in at 65.
I am a well-traveled person. I knew that countries with a more affordable cost of living existed. I just had to find one that worked for me.
The month before I filed for bankruptcy, I signed up for a course to get a TESOL certificate to teach English to speakers of other languages . I put it on a credit card and put the credit card into bankruptcy. When I completed the certification, I was hired by Santa Fe University of Art and Design to teach summer English immersion programs to faculty and graduate students from affiliated universities in South America, Central America, Mexico, and Spain.
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During Santa Fe's frigid winters, I began to visit my former students to scout their home countries. I spent three months in Brazil. Salvador, Bahia enchanted me, but it was neither safe nor affordable. Argentina is culturally rich but unstable politically and financially. Valparaiso, Chile, was intriguingly shadowy and filled with steep stairs that challenged my aging knees. Honduras was not for me. Antigua, Guatemala, rose up my list despite safety issues and poor infrastructure. I spent idyllic time in Puerto Rico just before Hurricane Maria devastated it. I've spent a lot of time in Mexico. I know it well. It was always on my shortlist, but lack of safety remained a drawback.
I assumed that Europe would not be affordable, but in 2016, one of my former students invited me to visit him in Madrid. Alberto was a fine arts professor. He guided me through museums packed with Goya, El Greco, and Picasso. He led me through diverse neighborhoods, elegant parks, and grand boulevards. Alberto took me to Sevilla. I traveled to Granada, Cordoba, Cadiz, and Barcelona. Each one seduced me.
I had been dead wrong about Spain's cost of living . It was cheaper than some of the South American countries. It fit my budget and then some. Even better, it had first-world infrastructure and such excellent public transportation that I wouldn't need a car.
The sunny weather
Nothing quite says "bucket list" like a cruise to Africa.
Tom Hatfield, 74, spent the first 60 years of his life living in Louisiana. However, after traveling extensively over the last few years, the retiree has visited all 50 states and is set to visit his last few national parks this year.
Victoria Craparotta and Flavio Fabiani had a decision to make.
My husband and I have traveled with our five kids countless times across the US, Canada, and Newfoundland. We have camped in national parks and visited amusement parks.
Alaska Airlines was the most on-time carrier in North America in July in a month that saw mass flight delays due to the fallout from the CrowdStrike IT outage.
This spring, the hype around artificial intelligence (AI) seemed like it was starting to hit reality. Several start-ups launched widely publicized hardware with a new generation of voice assistants, generating answers using technology like that behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT. In particular, buzzy devices like the Humane Ai Pin offered travelers an intriguing pitch: What if AI assistants could help you with contextual information while you’re traveling—not just travel planning but actual on-the-ground adventuring?
Aug 7, 2024 • 8 min read
Whether you’re an early bird or a night owl, there’s an airport that best suits every traveler’s preference. Some passengers prefer to leave first thing in the morning to avoid delays, while others don’t mind a red-eye to make the most of their day.
For some travelers, rest and relaxation is a must on vacation. That might mean unplugging from work and hitting the spa for a deep tissue massage, or connecting the mind and body through physical activities. In the latter case, having a cushioned and portable travel yoga mat will come in handy for early morning hot yoga or post-flight stretching sessions.
Rocco Forte Hotels has proudly partnered with The Polizzi Collection to create a joint itinerary, celebrating the many advantages of visiting the Great British coastline. With a flexible starting point and two nights recommended at each hotel, the tour invites guests to experience both Rocco Forte Hotels UK properties, The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Brown’s Hotel in London, and two of The Polizzi Collection Hotels, Hotel Endsleigh in Devon and Hotel Tresanton in Cornwall.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Charissa Enget, a content creator and cybersecurity architect who gained her graduate degree in Thailand. It has been edited for length and clarity.
It’s clear why Turkey is now a favorite holiday destination among beach-loving travelers. The best beaches in Turkey range from tranquil sandy stretches only accessible by boat to family-friendly hideouts with all the amenities required to soak up the sun beside sprawling cities. Dolmus (minibus) services connect many local towns, while other beaches are easily accessible by car. Often, the hidden gems come into focus on aimless drives along the coast—golden bars of sand tucked under cliff faces frequented by locals in the know. Here are some of the best beaches in Turkey.