Life Update: On the Road in 2024 Skip to main content

The Best Website for House Swaps? My HomeExchange Review

Accommodation will always be one of your biggest travel expenses…but what if it wasn’t? What if you could reduce the cost of your accommodation to zero while still enjoying the comforts of home? That’s what house swaps promise. House swaps have been around for decades. It was the entire premise of the movie The Holiday (starring Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet). They became all the rage but then were soon eclipsed by sites like Airbnb. But as travel prices skyrocketed post-COVID, more and more people have turned back to house swaps as a means of saving money while they travel while still getting a local experience (but without the hassle of an Airbnb). House swaps are exactly what they sound like. You sign up, list your home, and then swap with someone else in another city. They stay in your place and you stay in their place. The biggest and most popular platform for swaps is HomeExchange . And, in this post, I’ll go over everything you need to know to get started with a house swa...
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Life Update: On the Road in 2024

Nomadic Matt chilling on a wide, historic staircase in Spain during a sunny summer day

Hello there! It’s been a while since I’ve written a real blog. Sure, there have been lots of how-to posts, itineraries, where-to-stay suggestions, and old-post updates to keep helping you travel on a budget. But it’s been over a year since I wrote anything personal — and it’s been even longer since I shared a story from the road.

In the beginning of 2022, I wrote that I felt I didn’t really have much to say anymore. Sure, there are always new destinations to write about, but in terms of thoughts and advice, after over 14 years writing about travel, I was tapped out. There are only so many posts you can write about “how to find a cheap flight” or on how to make friends or how to overcome your fears.

Which is why, in the past 2.5 years, I’ve only posted three articles that weren’t “the best hostels in London” or something like that.

But I always left the door open to coming back if the desire hit me.

And the desire has finally hit me.

A lot has happened in the last year. Business-wise, I closed our community and tour company, scaled back my other projects, and spent a lot of time working on some new books. At the end of May, I finished the next update to my book, How to Travel the World on $50 per Day. The new, inflation-adjusted, post-COVID edition comes out in March 2025.

This last year has seen a lot of personal changes too. I moved back to New York City and absolutely love it here. I’m a city guy, and I really enjoy being in a place where I don’t need a car. Plus, there’s tons of things to see and do, more people around, and no kind of food I can’t get. I have a great group of friends here, I’ve found a bunch of hobbies I enjoy, and I have struck a good work/life balance. This is truly home.

But it hasn’t all been rainbows and unicorns.

Last summer, I got tuberculosis, which, while caught early and curable with antibiotics, still forced me to be quarantined and on meds for a long time. Then I’ve had some muscle issues related to just getting old and some gut issues I’m working on now.

But, with the book and most of my heath stuff behind me, I feel like I’m entering a new chapter in my life.

I’m in Europe now for the rest of the summer. Though I’ve been to the continent countless times, my goal here is to visit regions I’ve never been to before. I’m currently in Barcelona before heading to Provence and then Germany. After that, who knows! I don’t get my book edits back until the end of the month, so I’m just enjoying the road!

All of which is my long-winded way of saying I’ve decided to get back into blogging and will be posting again. I have some stories to share and new thoughts on the nature of travel, the creator economy, and AI.

I still feel like my schedule is all over the place, and I definitely want to work on that when I get back home to NYC. I always bite off more than I can chew — but those are fall problems! Right now, the road beckons, and I am answering its call.

Expect this blog to come back to life shortly!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

Want to Travel for Free?
Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip?
Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

The post Life Update: On the Road in 2024 appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.

https://ift.tt/dS0zkx1 July 08, 2024 at 05:37PM
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