Words

(the blog)

How to Smuggle Drugs out of Bolivia (Part 2)

If you missed (Part 1), you can read it HERE. 4:30 AM November 11, 2015 “I’m going to jail, this is going to be awesome, this is what travel is all about!” and “How do I cry in Spanish?” were the two thoughts going through my head as two large police men told me to stand up and follow them… Read more →

How to Smuggle Drugs out of Bolivia (Part 1)

Happy New Year! I am back to work, still not a TV owner and excited to share my South American experiences that concluded an incredible year of travel. Here is my favorite story: I have never tried drugs. Seriously, not even marijuana, not even last year. I had no idea that this alibi would not help my case as I… Read more →

Feliz Navidad Y’all

Merry Christmas, I am back! I have some great stories, filling new foodie discoveries and amazing new friends – thanks to South America. It was crazy. I am letting my stories marinate so I can focus on family time. Also, I am running around preparing for the holidays, eating cookies and building my nest for next year (sin TVs). It… Read more →

Hola South America

I am extremely excited and fortunate to be departing TODAY to adventure through a few parts of South America for the next seven weeks! The plan is to visit parts of Peru, Columbia and Bolivia. Check out the map below to see the first leg of my trip… This website will be quiet for the next several weeks because I… Read more →

Random Pictures from Texas

September in Texas is good for hibernating, learning how to make tortillas, hiking in the desert, playing on the lake, hanging with family, goofing off with friends, making tortillas, eating tortillas, anything with tortillas, etc. Home is beautiful y’all… “Hibernating” “Hiking” “Tortillas” “Golf Boy Band”   “Lunch” “Take Your Brother to Work Day” “Béisbol” “Kinda Wakesurfing” “Give Away Your TV… Read more →

Lists in Lieu of Season Finales

I’m a big advocate of lists. Actually, I love lists. Yes, love. These help me to remember my thoughts, prioritize “things to do” and ultimately help me achieve my goals. Yes, I have goals. The past two weeks have been a mix of running errands with friends and family: going to the grocery store, renovating their homes – making a… Read more →

Planning and Training

Hey there, I am back in the U.S.A. for a break after 197 days on the road! I have a new outlook, new energy, new plans, new goals and, most important, loads of new questions. I am just getting started. This is going to be fun… Stay tuned during the next few weeks to see what we are planning at… Read more →

I Really, Really, Really Like Ireland

Have you ever set your expectations too high? Maybe you expected something from someone and they had a different idea. Or, maybe you thought an experience would end up being the most amazing memory of your life and it was just OK. You know, those expectations that had no chance of being met and you were destined to be let… Read more →

Scotland

I really had to pee. Yes, #1. So, I was quickly scrambling through the magical cobbled streets of Edinburgh in search of a toilet. I was focused, on a mission with my rain jacket hood engaged and the most intense look on my face. Next, the side of a massive fist pounded me on the chest and a big hand… Read more →

Amazing Scandinavia

Hej! The last three weeks have been amazing! Well, the past six months have been amazing. I over use the word amazing. I recently went up through Sweden: Stockholm → Norway: Oslo → Sweden: Gothenburg → Denmark: Copenhagen and it was a dream. Oh, I mean, it was amazing! I can’t wait to explore more of these areas someday, including Finland… Read more →

Budapest, Prague, I am a Tourist

I have met and had conversations with hundreds of new fellow traveling friends over the past six months. The conversations usually start with questions about where you are from and where you have traveled. The most common thing that people say when discussing places they have visited is, for example: “I was surprised that Prague had so many tourists.” or… Read more →

Song Lyrics

For me, especially when I need to rest, long-term solo travel comes with a roller coaster of emotions. A lot of famous singers wrote a song about this! I love listening to music, it is my life. Also, long-term solo travel can make you take a lot of shameless selfies and unnecessary videos as you become attention starved. You can… Read more →

I Almost Ate at Hard Rock Cafe

Ok, not really. Would that have been un-American of me to eat there? Or am I un-American for not eating there? Speaking of, have you ever met those annoying American girls traveling that always “try to avoid hanging out with other Americans because, well, just because.” Yeah, me too. That’s weird. Anyway, obviously I am just low on material this… Read more →

Contentment in the South Slavs

Do you think it is bad to be content? Is there always something better? Is there always a better country to see, a better job, a better spouse, better stuff, or a better life? Traveling has made me realize that, where I come from, I have nothing to complain about. Really, there is always something worse. What is wrong with… Read more →

Finding Nature in Croatia

I have officially completed five months of traveling the world. It seems like a lot longer. Now I officially have to spray deodorant into my shoes every time I want to go out into public! I was lucky to be able to spend two and a half weeks in Croatia but I could have stayed forever! It was the perfect… Read more →

The Difference Between Trade Shows and Hostels

Before my first retirement I went to a lot of trade shows, conferences and industry events. Most of the time I was working as part of a sales team to represent a company but sometimes I went as a participant for continuing education. I have only stayed in a few hostels through my travels this year. So, I decided to… Read more →

Dear Mom, I Crashed a Scooter in Hvar

Dear Mom, I should have listened to you, I’m sorry that I didn’t. Remember that time that I crashed the pink scooter when I was a kid? Yes, the “Barbie Bike.” I think I broke my wrist that time. Well, no injuries this time but the crash was way worse. I was trying to pull over to let a big… Read more →

You Get What You Pay For in Italy

I had many interesting adventures while wandering through Italy during the last three weeks. EVERYONE thought I was Italian. This caused a lot of disappointment and confusion, from both sides. People would ask me a question, which always took about two minutes, I would let them finish and then I would say “Non parlo l’italiano.” After that, various hand, arm… Read more →

The French

Why have I heard everyone say that French people are rude and that they hate Americans? Based on my first experience in France, this is a major misconception. I think you get back the attitude that you put out there. That probably holds true for anywhere you are in the world and anywhere you are in life. I know there… Read more →

Spain with No Expectations

I decided to take the most efficient route around the world and head to Spain from Perth. Logical? No. Worth it? Yes! This was the best decision for me and the most perfect place for me to begin my tour of Europe. The main plan was to meet up with some friends to walk the Camino de Santiago but I… Read more →

Camino de Santiago

Bluntly, two weeks walking on the Camino de Santiago seemed like forever. Blisters, tears, feelings, injuries, cramps, queso. But in the end, too much beauty. And I only completed about one-fourth of the trek on the Camino Francés – the popular route of the Camino de Santiago. From Wikipedia: “…It runs from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side of the Pyrenees… Read more →

Spain, France, Spain, France, Spain

Ohhhh, where do I begin?!? The past month has been filled with an amazing mix of Spain and France, France and Spain. I have a lot to reflect on, too much to be thankful for and even more to write about. So, in the next week, I will be posting a lot of updates and pictures reviewing my time in… Read more →

A Panoramic Review of Australia

¡Buenas from España! Yes, I went from Perth to Madrid. Maybe it was not the most efficient way around the world but soon I will tell you all about how it was the right choice for me. First, below is a panoramic review of my amazing travels through Australia! The past two months were an amazing mix of beaches, national… Read more →

Seven Billion Reasons and the Great Barrier Reef

Did you know that they call bell peppers “capsicum” in Australia? They also say aluminium instead of aluminum. Like, AL-U-MINIUM foil. My new friends at the “sharehouse” that I stayed at in Cairns (pronounced “Cans”) were quick to remind me that the United States doesn’t like to do what other countries do. Feet, miles, ounces – you know what I’m… Read more →

Brisbane and the Gold Coast

I spent the last 2 ½ weeks exploring Brisbane and the Gold Coast. My time in this area was a good mix of music, resting on beaches, healthy eating and quality alone time. Well, maybe too much alone time but I’m over that now. Can you believe that I have been traveling for about two months? Crazy! Brisbane I really… Read more →

Thoughts I Have Removed from My Life

I have a lot of spare time and I have been using it to think. Uh oh. I know, thinking is hard. I have even read a few books. Say what? Anthony, is that you???!? Luckily, I have had enough time to NOT think about the following things! I hope that most* of these are permanent changes: Thoughts I Have… Read more →

I Love That Traveling Makes Me Feel Dumb

Howdy from Brisbane! Speaking of dumb: I have been staying at a place with no air conditioning for the last week. The other day it was 105 degrees with 75% humidity! I now respect the luxury of air conditioning. Off to the beach tomorrow! I have been traveling for a little more than one month and yes, I have only… Read more →

If Melbourne Had Sydney’s Beaches…

When I first began to think about traveling for the next 67 years, I wrote down some goals to try to define the reasons for doing this. One goal was to find the best country or city in the world and stay there for a while. I have quickly realized that every country is the best country and every city… Read more →

Touring Tasmania

I “hired a car” and took a fantastic six day road trip through and around Tasmania. “Tassie” is known as a natural state of Australia, with varying geography covered in reserves, national parks and World Heritage Sites. The organic food and drink is beautiful. But, I will most remember the festivals and random people that speak like educated pirates –… Read more →

Did You Win the Lottery or What?

“How can you afford to travel the world for an indefinite amount of time? Did you win the lottery or what?” That was the most popular response I received from people when I said I was going to quit my highly paid career to travel the world.  Well, I did win the lottery.  Just not the kind of lottery where… Read more →

Melbourne, Great Ocean Road, Hobart

The first two weeks of my travels have been amazing!  Australia is wonderful and I feel fortunate to have seen what I have so far.  I can’t believe I am not limited to a two week vacation and I get to keep exploring, crazy!!!  Below are my top highlights and links to pictures of each of the areas I have… Read more →

Storage is the New Freedom

Welp, my “stuff” has come full circle. In March 2013 I ended up with half of a HUGE house in a storage unit, check it out:    So much extra stuff!  These pictures inspired one of my friends to coin the phrase: “Storage is the new baggage!”  Little shit. So, after a year of realizing that I didn’t need or… Read more →

tvthatsold

Why SellYourTV.com?

On May 1, 2014 I made a major life change – I sold my TV.  Yes, “major life change”, that phrase is not dramatic, I am an American from Texas and I SOLD MY TV!!  Over the past year I have been going through a mini simplification process to get rid of old stuff from a storage unit.  As my… Read more →