update
Life here in Lisbon, Portugal continues to be good. Great people, fine weather, good food, plenty of nature and no shortage of fun activities makes for an ideal base.
What I'm doing
Simplicity and stability. That's the goal here in Lisbon.
Most days start with my morning routine of meditation, workout and stretching.
After that's complete, I try to sit in the sun with a cup of coffee for 15 minutes before getting ready.
Then, it's time to work. Sometimes I work from my apartment and sometimes I work from the comfort of a cafe, of which there are many in this city.
At some point in the afternoon or evening, I'm bound to go outside for a long, long walk, often with a friend. This usually involves walking to one of Lisbon's beautiful parks, and going round and round for an hour or more. In Lisbon, I walk EVERYWHERE. Since I arrived here over 2 weeks ago, I'm averaging 17,500 steps per day, far more than my usual!
Once evening rolls around, it depends. Some nights involve social interaction. Perhaps there's a dinner with friends or I muster up the energy to attend one of the endless types of gatherings taking place every night. However, too much socializing also wears me down so there's plenty of evenings that are more of the quiet, at home, reading with a cup of tea variety.
It's a simple routine that I have going here, but I like it. A lot of times people think that because I'm living overseas, I must always be 'traveling', busy seeing and doing things all day long.
But like everyone else, I need a straightforward routine at times.I need to get into a manageable, healthy rhythm and have some stability in order to grow and feel connected to people and places.
I'll never stop traveling, but with a solid routine for part of the year, I'm hoping for the best of both worlds!
Upcoming plans
It should also come as no surprise that despite everything I said above I'm off to Vietnam in 10 days :) I'll be there for ourWander Across Vietnamtour! I'll then return to Lisbon for a month before a trip to the island nation ofSao Tome and Principe(Africa's 2nd smallest country) for my birthday. Then after a couple of weeks back in Lisbon, I'll head off to lead my thirdWander Across Iraqtour in April!
The state of tours
Speaking of Iraq, there are still a few spots available on this incredible trip. While I know that traveling to this region might seem daunting at the moment, I would absolutely never run a tour if we felt there was actual danger to our guests, staff or local team. We are in constant contact with a lot of people in Iraq, getting real input from people that are very well connected and in the know. This, along with my own experiences, gives me the confidence to proceed.
I am so excited to return to Iraq, where I know our group will once again be welcomed by unbelievably kind and generous people. Also, I know from experience that we will have endless moments of pure awe and heartwarming surprise, constantly challenging any pre-conceived notions.
In terms of travel in general, it is completely understandable that many people hesitate to travel at all these days due to the state of the world. We have a growing list of people who want to join our trips but are not ready to book because of the various conflicts and negative media about how scary the world is right now. I get it.
But believe me, the reality out there is very different. And I want nothing more than to show that reality to as many people as possible through our trips.
That's why I keep pushing ahead with my tours. I believe in the value of these wonderful experiences, and the undeniable power of travel, so much.
If you're looking for a fascinating and very fun small group tour like no other, we still have spots available on ourIraq,Mexico,RomaniaandSouth Africatrips!
