Nomadic Living
” All that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast, and all that road going…” -Jack Kerouac
A Site About Being at home in hotels around the world
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Travel Gear
“He who would travel happily must travel light.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Hotel Intel
“I knew it. I knew it. Born in a hotel room – and God damn it – died in a hotel room.” -Eugene O’Neill
Recent Posts
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Review of the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach: Hotel Intel
If you’re searching for a hotel around Boca Raton you’ve got plenty of choices. But if you’re coming in peak season and not made of money those choices get narrow pretty quickly. In that case you might find yourself looking at the Boca Suites Deerfield Beach as I did recently. Can this Best Western property
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Review of the RTIC Everyday Cooler: Gear Guide
Personal day-use coolers have always been a staple of road trip travel. Driving around the Florida coasts as much as I do, mine was getting daily use. Eventually an upgrade was in order and I wanted something with some size and substance. But I was still a bit hesitant to shell out Yeti money for
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Review of the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport: Hotel Intel
If you’re searching for a hotel near FLL or Port Everglades the La Quinta Ft Lauderdale Airport may not be the most obvious choice. I’ve been staying in hotels in this area for two years and still haven’t booked it until now despite being very budget conscious. Was it worth the wait? Let’s find out.
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Florida’s Best Free Attraction? Manatee Lagoon in West Palm Beach
I’d been aware of West Palm’s Manatee Lagoon for a while and had it on a list of attractions to check out. Manatees are found throughout Florida but Manatee Lagoon is known as the best place to observe wild manatees in Florida. When a post popped up in my Instagram feed recently I clicked through
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The Cost of Living In Hotels: Update #4 July-December 2025
There’s not a lot of content on the Internet about the cost of living in hotels full time. Most people who adopt a nomadic lifestyle opt for some combination of AirBnb, monthly leases, or extended stays in hostels. The purpose of these updates is to provide a picture of what it actually costs to live
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How to Fly With Overweight Bags for Free
After nearly 20 years of going to sea I’ve learned how to pack exactly 49 pounds of gear to avoid being charged for overweight bags. But that was before I threw in the towel on carrying a military type sea bag and capitulated to the practicality of a bag with wheels. I settled on a
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Review of the Holiday Inn Express Bogota: Hotel Intel
For the first time visitor, it can be hard to get a read on a city like Bogota. It’s enormous. With many options including US brands coming in well under $100, you could be paralyzed by the large number of options available in the city. I selected the Holiday Inn Express Bogota Zona Financiera for
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MedellÃn Can’t Remain a Best-Kept Secret For Long
The first thing I want to get settled is that MedellÃn is safe to visit. If you’re planning a trip you’ve probably already seen unflattering search results. Even if you’re not searching for crime specifically, warnings about personal safety are almost inescapable. A typical blog post or YouTube video features a professional traveler saying how
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Review of The Art Hotel MedellÃn, Colombia: Hotel Intel
MedellÃn’s popular El Poblado neighborhood is in high demand among foreign travelers. While there are hundreds of thousands of tourists visiting the neighborhood each year the global hotel brands have yet to make significant inroads in the area. Most of the lodgings available here are smaller, quirky independent hotels, vacation rentals, or hostels. It can
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Review of the Ibis MedellÃn, Colombia: Hotel Intel
MedellÃn is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination in the 2020’s. Bu,t owing to the city’s violent history and Colombia’s decades-long civil war hotel construction is not equal to demand at the current time. When searching hotels online you’ll find a small handful of properties operating under global brands, a number of smaller, local hotels,
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A Real-Life Review of Herschel Supply’s Product Line
Let me start by saying this isn’t a sponsored post. I’ve been wanting to replace my old duffel and backpack for a while, and always admired the Herschel Supply line of bags. I even recommended Herschel in a larger post about travel gear. With an eye toward traveling more in 2024 I thought the time
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Is Cartagena the Most Overlooked Destination in the Caribbean?
Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, Bahamas, Key Largo, Montego… uhhh Cartagena??? Really? There’s a reason why the Beach Boys didn’t see fit to name-check Colombia’s most prominent Caribbean city. There aren’t any all-inclusives here where you can while away your honeymoon in secluded bliss. There are no white sand beaches or drinking piña coladas out of coconuts
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