A Life of Travel: Wander Across Iraq Tour, Where to Travel Alone and More!

This past weekend I spent a few hours with a friend of mine in Fort Lauderdale and I had a chance to play around with her new dog. While that might not sound too thrilling, her new dog is a beautiful galgo. Galgos are a Spanish hunting breed that are often treated quite badly and discarded by hunters. Luckily, there are great organizations in Spain that take in these abandoned dogs, treat them and get them adopted by good people all over the world. And I am absolutely in love with these sweet dogs. If I ever stop traveling, one of the first things I will do is get a galgo of my own and this visit only increased my desire to do so!

 

I have now released the first set of 2023 Wandering Earl Tours. This includes the Iraq trip that we're running next March. That's right...Wandering Earl Tours has organized a Wander Across Iraq Tour with an epic itinerary! If this is something that catches your attention, be sure to check out the details :)

 

For the past 5 years, I have used a service called Google Fi. This is a phone service (similar to any major network like T-Mobile, AT&T, Orange, Vodafone, etc) that allows me to have a data connection in almost every country I visit. I arrive somewhere, turn on my phone and I'm connected. 

 

Well, three weeks ago, I finally received 'the message'. This was a message that many long-term travelers ultimately receive from Google Fi informing them that their data service will be suspended. The reason is that I am using their data connection outside of the US more than I am using it inside the US, and this is technically not allowed. Somehow, I managed to get away with it for 5 years but now that has come to an end.

 

So, it's time to switch to a new method of staying connected while constantly traveling the world. Luckily, my new solution ended up being quite simple:

 

Google Fi - $20 per month = unlimited phone calls/texts in North America, unlimited texts overseas, phone calls at low rates while overseas (they are only suspending my data connection, not my regular phone service)

 

Airalo eSIM - $30 per month = 5GB of data that can be used in most countries around the world / since it's an eSIM, I simply download it to my phone and it works in conjunction with my physical Google Fi SIM card

 

It might sound complicated but it's actually relatively easy. And for only $50 per month, I'll remain connected to data basically everywhere I go, and I'll always be connected as soon as I arrive in each destination.

 

Here is an excellent article about a sailing race around the world. But it's also an article about how we perceive ourselves and more importantly, how we measure our success. The story is engaging and the lesson valuable, and it leaves you with some important things to think about.

 

 

 

 

 

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