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Jan 31 2020 
Do I need Travel Insurance?
“Hey, You know how when you’re buying a plane ticket online there’s always that step in the check out process asking you if you want to protect your trip? Be honest, have you ever even considered clicking on “yes, protect my trip” when given the option?
If you haven’t, you’re not alone. Only 7% of people regularly purchase travel insurance when going on a trip. And while a quick weekend jaunt to visit your parents a state or two away probably doesn’t warrant the added expense of a travel insurance policy, your expensive once-in-a-lifetime trip to some remote corner of the world probably does.
Because a lot can happen when you leave the safety of your home and hit the open road. From lost luggage, to broken arms, to flight delays, travel is full of risks. Simply put, insurance acts as a hedge against risks and travel insurance is no exception. When considering whether or not to purchase travel insurance, the question you need to be asking yourself is “how much risk am I willing to accept?”
If the answer is “quite a lot, actually,” then travel insurance isn’t for you. If you can afford to have a trip cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances or can pay for emergency medical care in another country, good for you. But if losing out on a $5,000 trip or even a $500 trip is too much of a financial burden for you, the cost of travel insurance (typically 4-10% of the full cost of the trip) is probably a good idea.
However, for the most part, travel insurance doesn’t cover every eventuality. Most policies will cover a range of events, and often only to a certain dollar amount. If, for instance, you purchase insurance that covers medical–but not dental–emergencies, the tooth you chipped biting into an unpitted date on the Nile Delta will not be covered. Similarly, if you lose $1,000 worth of luggage, but are only insured up to $500, well… you know where this is going.
Because so many crazy things can go wrong out there, travel insurance comes in a wide range of options. It’s worth looking into them to know what works before for you.
In a perfect world, there’d be no need for insurance of any kind, but unfortunately, that’s not the world we live in. Ultimately, travel insurance is a lot like an umbrella–it may be annoying to carry one around with you when it doesn’t end up raining, but you sure are happy to have one when it unexpectedly does. Travel insurance is recommended to make sure if something does happen, you are protected.
Do I need Travel Insurance?
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Oct 25 2019 
Travel To Your Adventure Friends
“Hey, wanna go on adventure?”
“Heck yeah! I’m down!”
Ever get this? Sometimes it’s great when your friends actually pull through, but when they say they will do the adventure, then bail, it can put a damper on your trip and wallet. Everyone has been here before. You ask your friends, they say yes, you book the trip…then they bail and leave you high and dry on the adventure. Now you have to pay for the whole trip and will be traveling solo!
One way to solve this problem is to have your travel advisor bill your friends individually. Another is to travel solo and not worry about it at all. When you travel solo, you are the author of your own adventure. You decide what you want to do and when you want to do it.
*Pic is just for example* (Brad is still adventurous)
You may not be comfortable traveling solo yet, but I do recommend you try it. If you are one of these people, pick a spot where you have a friend or two and surprise them! This will most likely be a win for both parties. Just try to casually find out their plans in advance without giving away the surprise.
Our Dad just had knee surgery and our uncle came out to surprise him and our Mom. This was a huge win for everyone! Bernie (our uncle) was happy because he had an excuse to travel, and he hasn’t seen Mom or Dad in years! Also, once he got to his destination, he had his own personal travel guide and friends to adventure with at the same time!
Next time you think your friends might bail on you, either have your travel advisor bill their portion seperately, feel them out ahead of time, or if it’s a repeated habit of theirs, leave them out on this one and take a solo adventure. Find a friend in a destination you think might be cool to check out and go. You won’t regret it.
Adventure Friends
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Sep 20 2019 
How To Be Successful
How do you define success? Just like adventure, everyone seems to define it differently. Everyone has their own definition of adventure, and the same goes for success.
Many people will say success is to have a lot of money, big house, fancy cars, yachts, even planes. If you ask someone else it may simply be – freedom.
Now-a-days everyone seems to be caught up in what everyone else thinks about him or her. If freedom is what you are looking for you can’t think like this. Freedom is living the life YOU want to live, and not how someone else wants you to live based on judgement. Cut those people out of your life that are judging you and making you feel this way. These peole and their mindset will hold you back from following your dreams. If you don’t want to cut them out completely, limit your time with them, and learn to have selective hearing.
If you live your whole life searching for other people’s approval, you are not living for yourself, you are living for other people. Freedom is the ability to live the exact life that you wish to live. You can be living out of a van traveling the world, or living in a mansion working your butt off every day. Both can be considered success.
Do What Makes YOU Feel Good!
85% of people hate their job! – Gallop Poll
This number is appalling! Most of the population spends an average of one third of their adult life at work. Why would someone spend close to half of their lives doing something they hate? Sure, everyone has to make money to pay bills, take care of family, mortgage, etc., but you can find a way to make money doing something you like! Find what sparks your fire.
If you want to be successful, do exactly what you love to do; that is success! Money will follow. If you believe in something that makes you happy and fulfilled, DO IT! Don’t let anyone stand in your way even if it’s family. If your dream is to quit your job and ride your bicycle across the country, DO IT! Maybe vlog your journey along the way, and that can be how the money follows.
Success is not an item, success is of the beholder. Follow your heart and your dreams. Then, you will have success.
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Jul 12 2019 
How Can I Be A Van Life Nomad?
Have you ever wondered if it’s possible to quit your job, leave your ordinary life behind, and travel? Well, like they say, “anything is possible.” You can travel the country or even a lot of the world and live out of a van! I know it seems like it’s impossible, but it’s really simple.
Some business ideas that allow you to do so could be to create a blog and market it, create a marketing agency, travel agency, and a great one that truly allows you to be free and enjoy your travels to the fullest would be photography or videography. Any of these can be scaled to a massive size with just one laptop, WiFi, and some determination. I know its easy to say, “I don’t or won’t have time to learn all of this, let alone make it happen.” If you are traveling in a van you won’t have as many distractions as you would in an ordinary day in the life. We all have the same 24 hours in a day 7x. That’s a lot of time to learn something new. Other people can do it and are doing it, Why can’t you?
Maybe you’re not into the whole idea of freelancing or entreprenuership. That’s fine too! There are tons of jobs that allow you to work from home. Why not make “home” your van or RV? There are lots of business owners that even pay bonuses to an employee with a “Home office.” Take advantage!
Life is too short to work more than half of your life away. You should strive for something bigger and better! Create a life where you are free! These work from home jobs are mostly choose your own hours, and if you choose to be a freelancer, you are the boss! Society is taught to go to school, get a job and work a 9-5 for the rest of your life, until one day you may be fortunate enough to retire and then if you are still in good health, and can afford it, then you can be free. At this point in life you will have a stack of excuses why you can’t do this. Family, funds, health, etc. Even though there is no excuse for living the life you desire, unfortunately, society says otherwise.
Make sure whatever you do is something you truly enjoy. Maybe you aren’t cut out for life on the road and that’s fine! Still though, if you are spending more than half of your life doing something you dread every day, odds are you aren’t living your best life.
There is no time like the present. If you have an idea, do it! Live your dreams. Live your best life, and don’t let anyone else influence your dreams. Remember this is your life, make it the best one. You never know what tomorrow brings, and you never know if you will even make it to tomorrow let alone retirement, so live every single day like your last. Follow your dreams!
Where can I camp when living on the road? – Van Life
- Walmart
- Campgrounds
- Churches
- Rest Areas and Truck Stops. – Lots of truck stops have showers too which you do have to pay about $12/shower.
- Sealth Camping (Camping discretely in a parking lot or neighborhood) – look for other cars parked overnight to stay hidden in plain sight.
- BLM (Bureau of Land Management) and USFS (United States Forest Service) – allows boondocking which is the act of remotely camping outside developed campgrounds.
- Make friends along the way or if you know friends in different areas, crash with them for a night or two.
What to do if you get that dreaded midnight knock:
- Stay calm and be honest. For the most part the officer or security gaurd is not looking for any trouble. He or she is just doing their job.
- If they ask to search, remember as long as you are on U.S. soil, you have the right to decline.
- If you are sure you are parked legally, you may want to keep quiet and play it out. Just remember to keep your doors locked.
What happens if I break down far from a service area?
- It is always a good idea to have your tools ready and spare parts.
- Make sure you have your manual handy and try to troubleshoot.
- Stay calm. Don’t freak out, and you should be able to get through it.
- Always make sure your fluids are filled to the required amount by checking them regularly.
- Make sure you have good tires and a good spare that is filled to the proper PSI.
Where can I get Wifi?
- Starbucks
- Dunkin
- Panera Bread
- Mcdonalds
- Gyms
- Restaurants
- Public WiFi areas and Parks
- Hotels
- Phone hotspot or WiFi hotspot, which you can purchase from your phone provider. You’ll pay around $200 for the device itself (or cheaper with a two-year contract, but then you are locked into paying a monthly fee for that time period)
