A Life of Travel: Announcing - Wandering Earl Tours 2026!! (and more...)

1A big welcome to the 29 new subscribers who recently signed up!

It's Tuesday and it's time for a travel newsletter...

update

Last week I received some good news.

The small torn labrum in my hip does not require surgery, at least for now. Instead, I’ll need some physical therapy, hip strengthening and cortisone. That should help alleviate the discomfort and get me back to my normal functioning self and more active lifestyle.

I still do not have a green light to head overseas yet, but it’s not far fetched that I could begin traveling again in the relative near future. Time will tell.

In the meantime, here’s a question that a reader asked me a couple of weeks ago:

How does a permanent traveler such as yourself choose their travel destinations?

It’s a great question. When almost anywhere is a possible option, how do I decide where to go next?

First, I’ll say this… I would not be able to live this traveling lifestyle if I didn’t have some structure. Mentally speaking, it would be a disaster otherwise.

My structure involves having different purposes for my travels. And then, I decide where to go, or what kind of trip to take, based on what purpose is a priority at the time.

Here’s my list of travel purposes:

Hang out with friends
It’s important for me to be able to see my friends. So whenever a friend is somewhere within easy reach or if it’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone, I’ll change course and get to where I need to be. Without time spent with friends, life on the road can get lonely.

Spend time with family
This involves a trip back to the US in most cases, but occasionally meeting up with family somewhere overseas. Family is also very important to me and it’s why I usually make it back to the US at least 3 or 4 times per year.

Get into a routine / Focus on work
This is when I need to put my suitcase down and stop bouncing around before I lose my mind, or when work is getting really busy and intense. So I look for a place where I can get my work done without many distractions. Usually, this involves a destination with a comfortable place to stay, reliable internet and some good cafes nearby. In such cases, I rent a place for 1-3 months and settle into a routine. Last year, when I needed to do this, I went to Danang, Vietnam and it was perfect. This kind of routine also allows me to socialize more consistently, get back into shape and enjoy a break from the constant travel planning.

Visit a new country
I wouldn’t be traveling if I didn’t enjoy visiting new places! So, whenever I have the urge for a new adventure, I choose a country I’ve never been to before. The decision could be made based on travel distance, airfare, ease of planning and/or excitement level for a particular destination. I really try to visit 3-5 new destinations per year, although last year I ended up visiting 14 new countries somehow.

Visit a favorite destination
While I love new adventures, I also enjoy visiting countries I’ve been to before. There’s something to be said about showing up somewhere and not having to figure things out. If you’re able to adjust quickly and are already familiar with the destination and how things work, it allows you to go a lot deeper into the experience. There’s a reason I’ve been to India over 40 times, Romania over 30 times and to Istanbul at least 20 times!

Decompress by a beach
I’ll admit that I’m a beach addict. But it’s not because I like to laze around and do nothing or sip drinks on a beach chair. The heat makes me feel alive, the beach vibe keeps me from getting stressed and the sand and water motivates me more than any other environment. The beach is where I go to refresh and get inspired all at the same time.

Lead one of my Wandering Earl Tours
Throughout the year, I also lead some of my Wandering Earl tours. Last year I led tours in Iraq, Morocco, South Africa, Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan, Bangladesh/Bhutan and Turkey, and this year, I led my tour to Mauritania in January. In these cases, the destination is clear and I travel to the country where I need to be!

So, whenever it’s time to choose my next destination, whichever option above is a priority at that particular moment, that’s how I decide. It could be anywhere!

Announcing: Wandering Earl Tours - 2026!!

Bookings are now open for my 2026 Wandering Earl small group tours!

We have put together some spectacular trips to:

- Japan (one departure sold out in just a few hours!)
- Socotra Island
- Bhutan
- Mauritania
- Vietnam
- South Africa
- Balkans (Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Croatia)
- Kyrgyzstan/Uzbekistan
- Iraq

I’ve now been organizing these one-of-a-kind trips for over 10 years. Each year, myself and my entire team works hard to ensure that these trips do not resemble a standard group tour. We focus on local interaction, unique activities and keeping things flexible so that we can take advantage of the spontaneous travel moments that make the best memories!

Almost every tour for 2025 has now sold out. So if you’re interested in joining one of these trips in 2026, it’s best to book your spot as early as possible!

what I’m reading

I’m often asked for travel book recommendations. But the funny thing is that I almost never read travel books. I think it’s because my whole life is travel, so when I read, I prefer to fill my brain with something different.

Recently, I’ve read three books:

1. How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist by Ozan Varol - This is a great read. It helps create a reliable mentality where the impossible in life (whether in relationships, work, self-development, etc) suddenly seems possible. I’ve found myself referring to this book over and over again since I read it.
   

2. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande - While the subject (checklists) may seem absurd and simple, you might be surprised at just how important checklists are in many industries and how many lives are saved as a result.
   

3. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles - My attempt at fiction did not go well. I chose this one due to all of the positive reviews and recommendations, but I could not get more than 1/3 the way through it. I was bored and eventually, I stopped reading.

around the globe

👩‍🦱 Celebrating Women
These unique walking tours in various European destinations celebrate women and their contributions to the local history and culture.

☕️ Coffee Time!!
If coffee and travel are a part of your life, perhaps you’ve visited a few of the cafes on this list of 100 great coffee shops around the world?

🇱🇻 Riga, Latvia
Here’s a brief, straight to the point guide to the welcoming city of Riga, Latvia. It includes recommendations for food, culture, transportation, meeting people, day trip options and more, directly from a local Latvian.

🎦 Beautiful Cinemas
I still love going to the cinema when I travel and this collection of stunning cinemas all over the globe will continue to keep me motivated to do so!

⛄️ Going to Japan to Shovel Snow
Well, it seems that Chinese travelers are paying to travel to Sapporo, Japan in order to participate in a strange tourist activity - shoveling snow. It all seems a bit odd but it’s apparently making money.

🗺️ The True Size
Use this neat map tool to drag any country, territory or state in order to compare its size with other parts of the world. It takes a minute to figure out how it works but once you get going, it’s addictive!

🇩🇿 Destination: Algeria
For a couple of years now I’ve heard great things from travelers that have visited Algeria. Will it become a new tourism hotspot?

📚️ The Libraries of Paris
If you’re in Paris during a cold or rainy day, check out these extraordinary Parisian libraries that offer a most ideal indoor experience.

🇩🇯 Lake Abbe, Djibouti
Located on the border of Ethiopia and Djibouti, the supremely surreal and seldom visited Lake Abbe is surrounded by massive natural sulfur vents and rift volcanoes.

where in the world?

A big congratulations to those who guessed the location of the photo in the previous newsletter! Here’s who guessed correctly:

Chris, Robin, Andrew, Francis, Robert and Steve

It was an interesting one. Many people guessed that it was taken somewhere over Belize. However, the actual destination is a Tropic Air flight about to land at the airport in Coxen Hole on the island of Roatan, Honduras! It was a cool flight experience, with only 6 passengers. And it actually did take off from Belize, flying over the Caribbean Sea until touching down on the island of Roatan!

This week’s photo:

It’s time to guess…where was the below photo taken?

If you have a guess (the more specific the better), click reply and let me know. Anyone who guesses correctly will be mentioned in next week's newsletter 😄 

If you wish to help support this free newsletter, kindly forward it to people you know, make a donation or join one of my unique small group trips to some spectacular destinations!

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Thank you so much for reading!

Derek
(my middle name is Earl)

WanderingEarl.com

Travel Insurance: My personal recommendation for affordable and reliable travel insurance is Safety Wing. It was created by travelers, for travelers, and it's rapid growth in popularity is well-deserved.

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