A couple of maps caught my eye today over at the Washington Post. The first is a map that HSBC put out showing the best and worst countries to be an expat in. Some of the factors don’t apply to your average GTFOuter, such as expat salaries and the ability to own property, so take it with a grain of salt.
The second map shows the countries most and least friendly towards foreigners. This one was released by World Economic Forum. Some surprise good news for travelers across North Africa and the Middle East. That’s nice to know. And some surprising results from Latin America as well.
Your front row seat for conversations with two computer hackers turned travel hackers – living globally, financially independent and semi-retired, both following their dreams and helping you to do the same. You can also find us on iTunes, YouTube or however you listen to podcasts, and we love getting your 5-star reviews. Follow the conversation with us on Twitter @GTFOutcast and stop into the blog often to read the latest and give us comments and feedback.
On the November 17 episode of the GTFOutcast,Beau and Taylor discuss travel medication and how to go about buying and carrying medicines when traveling to foreign countries.
Watch GTFOutcast Episode 10:
0:44 – Beau kicks things off with some “under the weather” talk.
2:00 – Taylor asks Beau about how to manage medications when traveling. Beau brings up the important fact that some household drugs in America are known by different brands in other countries.
5:18 – Beau often describes the symptoms to the local pharmacist. But be careful as getting the wrong drugs in exchange can be dangerous for your health. That said, doctors and pharmacists are often well-educated people and may speak English compared to the average local.
9:25 – Beau recommends getting some booster shots before setting off on travels, like vaccinations for hepatitis A and hepatitis B — which are always recommended when going to tropical nations.
11:56 – Taylor brings up antibiotics and carrying your prescribed essential medications. Beau also advices on carrying medications with your name mentioned on the casing, just to be safe when passing through security.
16:56 – Taylor recommends carrying alcohol wipes, for cleaning cuts. Depending on where you are going, it’s also important to keep all of your pills and your medications in its original packaging. Penalties in some foreign countries for (or perceived) drug peddling are sometimes death.
20:55 – Beau talks about travel insurance and the perks of having it. Taylor talks about DAN — the Diver’s Alert Network.
24:20 – As an expat, Beau doesn’t need to apply for ‘Obamacare’ — most of the plans doesn’t cover Americans internationally
Hi. Beau here. I was watching a few TEDx videos tonight and thought you’d like to see them. They’re funny, information shorts on how to get inspired to GTFO of whatever you need to FTW.
Lots of good lessons here, including the exercise of “what’s the worst that happens?” He realized, as I did, that he was in a worse place than if I’d failed at doing what I was thinking of. That’s part of the battle – knowing you should live your dream. What’s the worst that could happen to you?
Adam talks about the next part, how to launch yourself into doing whatever you want. His hurdle was debt addiction and an “upgrade everything” mentality. What’s yours?
Work isn’t worthless but your job is. It’s trash – smieci – in my broken Polish. Leave your job and find your work. Disrupt your life as it’s become and reset it to what you need to do to be happy. Even if it’s not your job. Live every week like it’s Shark Week. Is your job what makes you happy?
All the videos address the scripted nature of the reality show of our lives. (You knew those are scripted these days, right?) Break the cycle. Go off script. Make your life a story worth watching, whether it’s a 3D IMAX or a sitcom. This is your life. Live your dreams.
Your front row seat for conversations with two computer hackers turned travel hackers – living globally, financially independent and semi-retired, both following their dreams and helping you to do the same. You can also find us on iTunes, YouTube or however you listen to podcasts, and we love getting your 5-star reviews. Follow the conversation with us on Twitter @GTFOutcast and stop into the blog often to read the latest and give us comments and feedback.
On the November 1 episode of the GTFOutcast, Beau Woods and Taylor Banks talk about their experiences traveling solo versus traveling with a group. From the advantages to the disadvantages, traveling alone or with someone else makes for an interesting discussion. Which do you prefer, and why? Let us know in the comments.
Watch GTFOutcast Episode 09:
0:36 – Taylor asks Beau about his solo trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua
2:27 – Beau shares his experience traveling around by bus — which cost him a *shocking* $50 for 10 days!
4:17 – Taylor dives into the topic of contrasting solo travel to that of traveling with a group or a partner. Taylor has rarely traveled alone, while Beau has largely traveled by himself, and gives his reasons as to why traveling solo is great.
5:48 – Taylor explains his heightened sense of security and acclimating when traveling with his wife.
9:30 – Clearly there costs benefits to traveling in a group versus going alone. Like sharing accommodation costs, eating out, shared transportation, etc.
10:57 – Taylor shares his thoughts on traveling with a loving partner and how traveling together has been a great bonding experience. The situations a couple faces when traveling together can help learn more about each other — which could end up in a break up, or evolve into a better relationship.
13:53 – Taylor now talks about the upside and the downsides to group travel. Safety and security issues are fairly non-existent, but deciding where to eat can be annoying when you are in a group!
15:15 – Beau brings up the theories mentioned in the book 16:30 – Taylor talks about the fun involved in doing the research yourself and getting a chance to be adventurous when traveling solo or as a couple. Something that’s hard to do when traveling in a group.
20:30 – Taylor mentions the Get Lost guides — which are not written by your typical travel writer, and how the guides helped him go the off-the-beaten path in Amsterdam.
23:37 – Beau talks more about the positives and the sense of accomplishment traveling solo provides.
