Podcast appearances and mentions of barbara weibel

If you follow the podcast series then you'll recognize the guest. It's Barbara from episode 16 when she guided us around Thailand. Now she's back! I wanted to have a quick chat with her as she did something unheard of. Some 15 years ago she left her high level corporate job to travel the world. Despite people's warnings, Barbara went to chase her happiness. It's such a powerful story and to which many of us can relate to. You can now join the conversation, connect with guests and other listeners by using #curiouspavelpodcast on any social media network. Join in. Drop a post with the hashtag with questions, thoughts, or a country you want to hear about. About Barbara: After years of working 70-80 hours per week at jobs that paid the bills but brought no joy, a serious illness made Barbara Weibel realize she felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside but empty on the inside. In 2007, at the age of 54, Weibel walked aw from her successful career, sold or gave away most of her material possessions, and began traveling around the world in pursuit of her true passions: travel, photography, and writing. These days she makes her home in Thailand, which provides a base for traveling six to seven months each year. She writes about her adventures at Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel (https://holeinthedonut.com)." Episode 16 with Barbara -- Visit Thailand -- https://anchor.fm/curiouspavel/episodes/Travel-to-Thailand-ft-Barbara-Weibel-016-ekj0tg ===== Let's connect: www.curiouspavel.com/links

Episode 16 brings us back to Asia. In this episode, I will meet you with one of the first travel bloggers out there. Seeing a fair deal of the world, Barbara has chosen to live in Thailand. I picked up her brain in this episode to understand her reasons. Of course, we touched the usual subjects like FOOD, DRINKS, CULTURE, and WHAT TO DO IN THAILAND. You can now join the conversation, connect with guests and other listeners by using #curiouspavelpodcast on any social media network. Join in. Drop a post with the hashtag with questions, thoughts, or a country you want to hear about. About Barbara: After years of working 70-80 hours per week at jobs that paid the bills but brought no joy, a serious illness made Barbara Weibel realize she felt like the proverbial "hole in the donut" - solid on the outside but empty on the inside. In 2007, at the age of 54, Weibel walked away from her successful career, sold or gave away most of her material possessions, and began traveling around the world in pursuit of her true passions: travel, photography, and writing. These days she makes her home in Thailand, which provides a base for traveling six to seven months each year. She writes about her adventures at Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel (https://holeinthedonut.com)." Mentions in the podcast: BANGKOK: Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew (home of the Emerald Buddha) Wat Pho (home of the giant reclining Buddha) Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) Chinatown JJ (Chatuchak) Market (enormous weekend market) Longtail Boat tours on the Chao Phraya River and small side canals Shopping at the high-rise malls in Siam Square Sampling stinky Durian fruit Being alert about scams before going Riding the Sky Train and Metro SOUTHERN ISLANDS, WITH THEIR GORGEOUS BEACHES AND TROPICAL WATER: Koh Samui Phuket Krabi and Railay Beach Koh Phi Phi Party places vs R&R places CHIANG MAI: Walled Old City, with its three important Temples, Wat Chedi Luang (home of the City Pillar), Wat Phra Singh, and Wat Man Wats outside the city center that are important: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in the nearby Doi Suthep Mountains, Wat Suan Dok (where members of the Lanna Royal Family are interred within the chedis The importance of respecting customs and traditions, like not pointing feet at the Buddha, covering your arms and knees in temples, not touching Thais on the head, etc. Day tour to see the local crafts being made (lacquerware, paper umbrellas, hammered tin and silver, silks, celadon pottery, etc.) Night Market for souvenirs Walking streets on Saturday and Sunday nights (focus on crafts) Street Food!!!! Hot and spicy northern-style food, fruit shakes, curries, Thai tea. Hill Tribe trekking Let's connect: www.curiouspavel.com/links

Todays podcast is a recording of our recent live panel discussion on the Future of Travel in a Post Covid World. Joinng me are world renown travel blogger Barbara Weibel of Hole in the Donut .com  Intrepid Aussie traveller Duncan Dempster Smith of To Travel Too.com and Co-editor of Housesitting Magazine Ian Usher of housesittingmagazine.com. These live panel discussions are a regular part of our interviews and gives you, the listener, the chance to participate with your own questions for our panelists. If you'd like to listen in and ask questions at our next live online event visit our website travatical.com, sign up for our free magazine, and we'll contact you when the next live online event is scheduled.

A different kind of episode today, reading and sharing your stories from around the world. Where you are, how you're getting by, and what you're doing to pass the time. Plus, some guest appearances from some of my travel blogging friends! Photos and more in the video version: https://youtu.be/sgZYq2H2-ps Big thanks to all of my newsletter subscribers! https://foxnomad.com/contact/newsletter/ And more thanks to all of my travel blogging friends for sharing their stories. Daniel Galan: https://elviajedelmapache.com/ Nora Dunn: https://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/ Joao: https://www.nofootprintnomads.com/ Claudia Tavani: https://myadventuresacrosstheworld.com/ Sherry Ott: https://www.ottsworld.com/ Sofie Couwenbergh: https://wonderfulwanderings.com/ Jessie Festa: https://jessieonajourney.com/ Barbara Weibel: https://holeinthedonut.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Digital Nomad Mastery about Hole in the Donut Travel with Barbara Weibel https://www.holeinthedonut.com Thank you for watching our video. GET EMAIL UPDATES on our website: http://www.DaddyBlogger.com LIKE us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/daddyblogger SUBSCRIBE to us on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/tokyoricky FOLLOW us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tokyoricky

Barbara Weibel is the owner of HoleInTheDonut.com travel blog. Barbara is a travel blogger with an incredibly inspiring reinvention story. Marc felt inspired after listening to her story and hopes you will, too. Listen in to see how her career works. Key Takeaways: [:44] Marc welcomes you to Episode 70 and invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues. [1:16] Marc gives an overview of the podcast series. The first in the series is an interview with an expert. Two weeks ago, Marc interviewed Marcia LaReau and Neil Patrick, co-authors of Careermageddon: Cracking the 21st Century Career Code.[1:42] Last week, Marc interviewed Kelsey and Matt Moore, owners of Coolworks.com, the Mecca of seasonal jobs at places like the U.S. National Park Service. This week, Marc interviews interview Barbara Weibel, owner of HoleInTheDonut.com travel blog. Barbara is a travel blogger with an incredibly inspiring reinvention story. [2:06] March and April episodes may vary a bit, as Marc and his wife leave for Mexico on March 14 for four weeks as they are exploring the possibilities and working on all of the uncertainties. Marc will record several episodes in Ajijic, Mexico. [2:30] The last week in the series is a Q&A episode. [2:33] Marc introduces Barbara Weibel. [3:06] Barbara owns and publishes Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel, generally ranked among the top 100 travel blogs in the world. Barbara worked in corporate jobs for 36 years and can honestly say that she hated that life. She was never comfortable with the politics and the stresses. She put her nose to the grindstone preparing for retirement. [4:05] Barbara has about a 10-year attention span. She needs a new challenge all the time. She was a great problem-solver. She would take a company that was not doing very well and restructure it to be successful. About five years in, she was stressed out but stayed because of the money. Eventually, she would leave, until the next job. [5:51] Barbara shares her career path, starting in sales, moving into management, owning a PR firm, marketing major malls, marketing a chemical recycling company. When the chemical company went bankrupt, Barbara moved to the Caribbean and opened a couple of small businesses there. She has done a lot of different things. [7:13] Nothing she had done had brought her happiness. Then she got Lyme Disease. It took five years before a definitive diagnosis when it was chronic Lyme Disease. She developed neurological deficits. She took antibiotics for six weeks and was very ill. She examined her life and found it lacking. She wished for something to do with passion. [9:37] In this six-week period, she recalled childhood joys of photography, reading National Geographic, and writing and editing for her school newspaper. She has taken adventurous travels from the time she was old enough to go on her own. She realized photography, writing, and travel are her true passions. [11:02] She promised herself that if she could get better, she would walk away from everything. At the time, she was managing broker for a group of real estate offices. She told her boss if she could get well in a year, she would give up her job and go traveling. She found a naturopath for her Lyme Disease and in a year, she was well. [13:03] With multiple properties she owned, she had about $14K mortgage payments every month. She was tempted to go back to work but realized she would not be happy. [13:26] Barbara closed up her house and bought a six-month around-the-world ticket. She made a list of the 17 countries she had always wanted to visit. People discouraged her. This was in 2006, before blogs were known. She actually did the blog primarily so her father and family could keep up with her adventures. He was scared for her. [14:22] After the six-month trip, Barbara came back for her niece’s wedding. At that time only about 1,200 people were reading the blog. She spent the next two-and-a-half years building up the traffic on the blog. She was supporting herself by freelance writing. She also managed to sell her home, so there was some money from that. [15:30] By November 2009, Barbara was traveling so much that having a permanent base no longer made sense. She went on the road full-time, up until December 2017. [16:00] Blogging was emerging as an important vehicle. People start their travel investigation on the internet. Barbara had started early, positioning herself to become one of the top travel bloggers in the world. She was selling text-link ads, making enough to stay in dorms and hostels around the world. Google, by the way, put an end to that. [18:20] Barbara needed a new income stream. She had 25-to-30 thousand people a month reading her blog. 85% of them are new every month. That was not a big enough audience to attract advertisers to the site. The next big thing was sponsored content or native advertising. Barbara didn’t want that. Her writing is engaging storytelling. [20:37] Barbara made the decision to stay true to herself, and stick with the literate first-person narrative writing. Over the years, Google has come to like her style. In the eyes of Google, her blog has gained great authority, which means it is highly ranked. [21:15] Marc points out that this was not an overnight success. Barbara recognizes her writing has improved over the years. It’s continually evolving. [22:28] The new model of sponsored blogging is to accept brokered ads on their sites. Barbara refuses to accept ads and popups. She will will not lessen the quality and integrity of her blog. She is free to pick and choose what she does, as she took Social Security at age 62. She is 66, now. [25:31] Barbara has been spending months in Thailand each year. She fell in love with the country on her first visit. She has visited 94 countries and she can’t find anything better than Thailand. She no longer feels physically fit to travel full-time. [27:17] Barbara says she is doing more at 66 than a lot of people she knows who are in their 40s. But she needed to have a base again. She rents a one-bedroom apartment on the sixth floor of a condo in Chiang Mai, Thailand. She has a mountain view with beautiful sunsets. She’ll travel five months and stay in the apartment for seven months. [28:41] Barbara talks about living on Social Security and what the cost of living is in Thailand. She can afford it. [29:39] Because Barbara doesn’t sell ads, her income stream is minimal. She gets offers for press trips, sponsored by cities and countries. Most travel writers and publications accept these, with the notable exception of Condé Nast. [31:15] Barbara is taking a two-week land-and-sea trip in Greece with Collette Tours later in May. At the first part of May she will work with Ethio Travel and Tours on a two-week tour around Ethiopia. She doesn’t do a lot of press tours, unless it’s to a place she really wants to visit, from a reputable company. She’ll do two or three a year. [32:06] Barbara has done this all throughout her 11 years of blogging. This is one of the tricks to maximize money coming in. The blogger is paid to travel. Barbara puts it in writing that the travel agency does not have any right to review or change her writing. They don’t get to see it before it’s published. She will write the truth about the trip. [34:36] Barbara will not accept a per diem because it is a conflict of interest to write something negative after she has been paid to write. When something falls apart, she will write about it. Most of the time, things go very well. [35:00] Barbara talks about other content bloggers provide. [35:35] Barbara talks about how things turned out, compared to what she planned. It’s about the same, except for how much work it is! Tweets, Instagram come after culling a day’s worth of photos. Then there is the email to answer, blog updates, and finally, research and writing. On average, Barbara sleeps four-to-five hours a night touring. [37:57] Barbara tells people it’s never too late. If you can visualize, down to the smallest detail, what you want your life to be, then you can create that life. She is proof of that. She reinvents herself as many times as needed. [38:40] Barbara talks about her mission, discovered during her year of recovery. We are one human family. [41:47] Marc hopes you are inspired to follow your dreams! [42:50] Check back next week, when Marc will answer your questions! Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Careermageddon: Cracking the 21st Century Career Code, by Marcia LaReau and‎ Neil Patrick CoolWorks.com HoleInTheDonut.com Named for when she felt empty inside before finding her calling. National Geographic Condé Nast Collette Tours Viking River Cruises Barbara@HoleInTheDonut.com Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has two initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the third cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Beta groups will be brought in 10 at a time. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-70 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com

Coolworks is a website that is focused on jobs in great places. The site has been around for 23 years. It launched in 1995 from the Tower Ranger Station in Yellowstone National Park, and ever since then, its focus and mission has been to connect employers in destination locations with adventurous job seekers that are looking to take on a different type of career or maybe just have a brief adventure and everything in-between. Matt learned about Coolworks long before he became a part of it. Matt grew up in North Carolina and got a degree in business but on graduating he wasn’t excited about traditional banking or finance roles. He had more of an entrepreneurial spirit. He wanted to take some time before jumping into a career to find something he was excited about. He went out West to find a job somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. He found Coolworks, found a job in Grand Tetons National Park, and it really changed the trajectory of his life. That seasonal job turned into a short career in hospitality that led to Matt and Kelcy meeting. She hired him for the position. Kelcy had also found jobs through Coolworks. They started traveling together and Kelcy began to work for Coolworks. Matt joined the team a little bit later. Kelcy was at a crossroads. She was 21 and had used up the resources her parents had set aside for her to pursue higher ed. She either needed to get a loan or to leave school. She decided to take time to evaluate what she wanted to do. She stumbled upon the Coolworks website. She had had a cousin who worked in Wyoming. That’s how she learned about the subculture environment that exists around seasonal jobs. On the website, she found a job in a wonderful little spot in Grand Teton National Park. She took a front desk agent position for six months. Then she was promoted to an HR Assistant position, which was a year-round position that allowed her to work and live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. After a year, she was HR Manager. She lived in the Tetons for just about six years. She hired thousands of people over that time, including Matt Moore. She calls it a full circle adventure. It is a great resource that puts a pretty powerful “magic wand” into each of our own hands to choose and make our own destiny. It has charted the course of Matt’s and Kelcy’s lives. Without a college degree, Kelcy received workplace training for a career in HR that she had never imagined she would be interested in. It’s a very powerful opportunity and potential for folks to do something different. Maybe that balloons into something couldn’t really ever have imagined.   Key Takeaways: [:44] Marc welcomes you to the episode and invites you to share this episode with like-minded souls. Please subscribe wherever you listen to this podcast, share it on social media, and tell your neighbors and colleagues. [1:11] Marc gives an overview of the podcast series. The first in the series is an interview with an expert. Last week, Marc interviewed Marcia LaReau and Neil Patrick, co-authors of Careermageddon: Cracking the 21st Century Career Code.[1:31] This episode is a special interview with Kelcy Fowler and Matt Moore, owners of Coolworks.com, the Mecca of seasonal jobs at places like the U.S. National Park Service and other cool places. Next will be an interview with Barbara Weibel, owner of HoleInTheDonut.com travel blog. She has an inspiring reinvention story. [1:59] March and April episodes may vary a bit, as Marc and his wife leave for Mexico on March 14 for four weeks as they are exploring the possibilities and working on all of the uncertainties. Marc will record several episodes in Ajijic, Mexico. [2:23] The last week in the series is a Q&A episode. [2:28] Marc introduces Kelcy Fowler and Matt Moore. They begin by telling their story so Marc does not read their bios. [8:17] Kelcy and Matt are not the first Millennials on the podcast. Marc also interviewed Taylor Pearson who wrote the book End of Jobs. This podcast is focused on people in the second half of life. Marc asks what Kelcy and Matt would like Marc’s audience to know about Coolworks. [8:39] The opportunities on Coolworks are for individuals at every stage in life. We get a lot of questions from folks in the second half of life that are really interested in the potential of these positions and opportunities. People of all ages use Coolworks. [9:22] Recruiters at these locations are thrilled to get applications from folks in the second half of life. Some are in retirement, some are looking to change careers. Those candidates show up, they have a great work ethic, they do their job, they’re reliable. They have the opportunity to be mentors to younger employees. They add diversity. [10:26] Kelcy says from her HR experience, it’s really important for people to know they will be wanted, valued, appreciated, and celebrated. They will be able to form incredible relationships across generations. Kelcy lists a few of the locations available. [12:08] Marc tells of summer jobs he had growing up in New Jersey working for Manpower and the variety of people he met. [12:39] Kelcy speaks of the wide variety of jobs available on Coolworks. A large portion of the employers is in the hospitality and tourism realm. There are all sorts of wonderful industries focused on guest services. The one qualifier is to be in a great place. [14:39] Every employer that posts on the site goes through a screening and registration process first to make sure it’s a good fit. [15:00] A few years ago, a person posted for a personal assistant to manage their administrative affairs sailing around the world on a sailboat for a year. [16:04] For a more gritty and unique opportunity, there are positions in Alaska at fish processing plants or canneries. They make great overtime working hard in a short season Marc notes the North Dakota sugar beet harvest has similar conditions. [17:21] Matt says people in the second half of life are eligible for the majority of these jobs. Recruiters welcome people in the second half of life for reliability and their work ethic. Some of the younger generation are still learning. People in the second half of life bring life experience. [18:46] We see a lot of Boomers and a lot of Millennials striking up great friendships, working alongside one another and really gaining some wonderful value from that relationship. [19:38] Boomers were raised to get an employment resume. Millennials work for a college resume. Most Millennials don’t get a job until after high school or college. [20:41] Kelcy talks about housing options. It is different at every property. Just ask the questions you need to know. For people in the second half of life, RVs are popular, but there are diverse options.Right now it’s a job seeker’s market and there are so many opportunities available. Make sure you get the right fit. [23:37] The unemployment rate is low. Matt says this is definitely the most difficult recruiting year they have seen in over a decade. There’s just a very limited supply of labor. [24:34] Matt says if your thinking about seasonal employment at all, just go for it. Over 20% of the traffic on the site is from people in the second half of life. Sometimes people hesitate because they think they won’t be hired. Matt invites you to reach out if there are any concerns you have. [27:25] Coolworks just published an 80-page e-book with a supplement workbook that answers questions and helps people educate themselves, written by Susan Shain. [28:35] Kelcy says most people on the site are flying solo. It’s very intimidating to pick up your life and move to a new state where you will not only work, but also live alongside your coworkers. Making the journey is very much worth it. Whatever’s holding you back, reach out and drop Coolworks a note. [31:24] Marc hopes you enjoyed this episode and are now ready to try seasonal work in someplace great. [32:24] Check back next week when Marc interviews Barbara Weibel. It is one of the most inspiring interviews Marc has done for this podcast.   Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com Careermageddon: Cracking the 21st Century Career Code, by Marcia LaReau and‎ Neil Patrick CoolWorks.com HoleInTheDonut.com The End of Jobs: Money, Meaning and Freedom Without the 9-to-5, by Taylor Pearson Manpower Nomad Land: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century, by Jessica Bruder MyCoolworks.com The Ultimate Guide to Seasonal Jobs: How to Have Fun, Make Money, and Travel the World, by Susan Shain in Partnership with Coolworks.com Help@Coolworks.com   Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has two initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the third cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Beta groups will be brought in 10 at a time. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-69 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment — go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com

What an amazing story is that of Barbara Weibel! She had an established career in real estate to which photography and travel often took a back seat. Then one day, thanks to a health scare, she resolved to live the nomadic life that she had always wanted to live and to pursue her passion to photograph the world and to write about travel.I hope you will listen to my interview with her and be as inspired as I was. If you were, then please consider leaving us a review on iTunes, as this helps us a lot to keep doing what we love, that is sharing with you the stories from the best travel photographers in the world.Music for this episode: “Zanzibar” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Synopsis* Who is Barbara Weibel and what is Hole in the Donut?* Making a living as a travel photographer* Life as a digital nomad* The equipment I use* How to manage backups* Favorite countries* Countries I’d like to visit: Tibet* Thailand off the beaten pathLinks* Hole in the Donut Cultural Travel* Viking River Cruises* Hole in the Donut on Facebook* Google+* Twitter* Instagram See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the search for the next travel destination many names and places are thrown around. From Asia to South America various publications try and pick the next place that people should start visiting. In today’s interview we talk with well-known travel blogger Barbara Weibel about Eastern Europe, an area often left off the travel radar. We talk about her favorite city Budapest and one of her favorite countries Croatia, but we also explore a few places often neglected in travel discussions including Albania, Rumania and Bulgaria to name a few. Barbara joins us for our first live stream video interview to discuss these countries. You can follow her blog at www.holeinthedonut.com or subscribe to join our next live stream chat at https://blab.im/theexpatchat What I learned from talking to Barbara: Parts of Eastern Europe still lack some of the infrastructure of it’s western cousin but it doesn’t mean it lacks for culture or sophistication. Concerts and performances are available for cents on the dollar and cities like Budapest allow you to enjoy Michelin star restaurants for well under $US100. Barbara is able to average around $US30 per day living costs in Eastern Europe, far more affordable than Western Europe. Apartments in cities like Budapest can be had for under $US400 and many cities offer free walking tours from locals who can tell you the best things to see and do. Barbara recommends bus travel in Eastern Europe. Unlike the west train travel is archaic, slow and unhygienic. Buses travel quicker are more comfortable and often offer free wifi. Talking to locals will enhance your travel experience. Even if you’re staying in top hotels and taking tours step outside the normal boundaries and see who you can meet. Some of Barbara’s best experiences have come from the generosity of strangers who often go out of their way to share the true culture of their communities.